#i sound like a madman. i’m not making sense. basically. it’s all connected. & it all. ties back to the original story somehow

[raiiny-bay]

before & after :-)

[the-dimitrescu-seamstress]

I Won’t Be Long - A rather long one shot

(I have been working on this, what I call “Magda’s Worst Day”, for a while, and I only recently was inspired to finish it. Hence why I’ve been rather quiet in terms of posts. I can only torture my muse so much.

Basically, this story came about because of the “What have you done to my daughter?!” line. Alcina was in her chambers while saying that, therefore unable to see or know that Ethan was outside. So how did she know what happened to Bela, and who told her? 

My answer? Magda.

I did my best to follow the game’s timeline, but there might have been some condensing or stretching in order to make things fit. I’ve also included some brief cameos from other OCs Magda has interacted with. 

Please note, this is not an “Ethan Hate” story. Magda is simply reacting as one would in their given situation. Is this a sad story? Yes, in parts. Will you hate me for writing this? Maybe. Will you still enjoy reading it? I hope so.)

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“You must hide. The man is a danger, and I wish for you to be safe. Do your best to keep out of all this. If he approaches you, play the helpless victim. Do not help him, but please do not hinder him either.”

“But I want you to stay safe.”

“You know that I always do, dearest. He is nothing but a man.”

“You literally just said he was a danger.” The press of Bela’s lips against Magda’s was enough the hush the smaller woman and soften her demeanor. “Kissing me in order to maintain the last word is technically cheating, you know.”

“True, but I did learn it from you,” the witch smiled. “I won’t be long.”

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That conversation happened a little over an hour ago. Since then, Magda had quietly paced the floor of her workroom, occasionally stopping to listen for any sound outside her door. She prayed she’d hear the familiar drone of flies, but nothing came. Everything was unnervingly quiet. Magda did her best to reassure herself. She kept telling herself that the man was outnumbered three to one, that the girls would work together and remove him as a threat, that they couldn’t be killed.

The sudden barrage of nearby gunfire and shattering glass ripped away any comfort she had tried to retain. It wasn’t terribly close, but then again it wasn’t terribly far either. Worse yet, there was no celebratory laughter that accompanied the silence that soon followed. Worry gnawed at Magda’s insides, and she did the one thing that Bela had asked her not to do. She unlocked the door to her workshop, and left her hiding place.

Magda went through the halls in sock feet, wanting to make as little sound as possible. The last thing she needed was to run into the man by accident. Thankfully, the courtyard was deserted. Freezing, especially without shoes or a coat, but it was empty. Even better, the door leading to the dining room was still locked. That meant the intruder had not found a key or harassed one of the few servants who had a skeleton key to the various entryways. Magda was one of those servants. Being a seamstress, and a trusted one at that, gave her a few perks.

As much as she wanted to rush in, Magda knew better. She turned the key slowly, as the locks were heavy and made a distinct and rather loud click when undone. The door she also took time opening, just in case there was an armed madman standing on the other side. Finding none, she closed and relocked the door behind her. Best to keep him confined.

Cassandra’s laughter coming from the Main Hall signaled that she was keeping the intruder well occupied and, rather than risk an interruption, Magda turned to the much plainer door which lead to the kitchen.

Normally the kitchen was a warm place, full of the sounds and smells of cooking food for the human staff, but the rush of cold air that blew in as she entered confirmed a fear she had. Hurrying past the preparation table and ducking under the cuts of drying meat, Magda stopped short in the doorway to the connected storage room. What she saw squeezed her heart like a vice, making it difficult to breath.

Shattered glass and the remains of broken boards framed a large, collapsed pile of frozen flies. The room wavered and suddenly felt hot, despite the open windows. Maybe… maybe this wasn’t Bela, she tried to reason. It wasn’t Cassandra, as she had heard her laughter not moments ago. A small, hateful voice in her head whispered that this was Daniela, that Bela was still alive inside the castle, perhaps happily carving up the man with her sister, and what laid before her was Daniela. Magda hated to even think that, but right now she was mental begging the powers that be for that to be the truth.

Step by hesitant step, she approached the pile, acting as a windbreak when she knelt between it and the broken window. Tears began to cloud her vision as she saw pale yellow flies mixed in amongst the brown and black insects. Again, her heart wrenched inside her chest. Her skin burned and the walls of the room closed in as her anger grew and burst forth in a ragged scream of rage, sorrow, and anguish.

Why?! Why did he do this?! How did he even know?! Did he just get lucky with a stray bullet breaking a pane of glass? Why did he kill her? Why did he go after her? The cold would have been enough to stop her! She would have stopped the chase, and he could have gotten away, but he still decided to kill her! He killed her while she was hurting! He killed her while she was cold, alone, and separated from everyone. He killed Magda’s stea mică… her little star…

He didn’t give a shit about anything or anyone.

Magda’s guttural scream was echoed by a rasping, undead one crawling up from the once boarded up passageway that led to the dungeon. In her emotional state, she hadn’t put two and two together. The boards were smashed going into the storage room rather than out into the passageway. The man had come up from below, meaning he had created a potential access point for the thralls to get upstairs.

“Căcat!” she cursed, scrambling as quickly and as quietly for a container in the other room. It would take the thralls a bit of time to coordinate and stumble their way up the stairs, but they would eventually make it and Magda was not about to let those disgusting things trample all over what was left of Bela.

She would also need to tell the Countess.

Grabbing one of the large basins used to hold drained blood, as well as any discarded towels or cloth she could find, Magda carefully moved every single fly she found into the container, scouring the floor for any the wind may have blown about, but always keeping a careful eye on the dungeon passage. The last thing she needed was to be attacked by those damn thralls as she finished.

The basin was… not as heavy as she thought it would be. That knowledge made her stomach sink and made her feel that much worse. She was carrying her love’s body, and it wasn’t heavy. It needed to be. The woman was seven feet tall! It should have been heavier! These stupid, unimportant thoughts made her tears start to once again fall as she returned to the dining room. “Dammit. I’m sorry, Bela,” she mumbled as a few hot tears fell on the flies.

One twitched in response.

Magda stopped at that. She was seeing things. In her grief, her mind was clearly playing tricks on her. Bela was dead. The cold killed flies. She was dead and the tear hitting the fly only made it look like it moved.

That was when the worst feeling in all of creation latched itself onto her.

Hope.

Leaning in close, she breathed a few times on a small clump of flies, letting her warm breath roll over them. And then she waited… Her heart pounding in her chest as she watched for something. Anything.

…A leg spasmed.

It was small, almost imperceptible, but Magda took it as a sign. A possibility. A tiny one at that, but she grabbed onto it and refused to let it go. Hope was evil like that.

Covering the basin to shield the flies from the cold, she ventured back across the courtyard and towards Alcina’s chambers, locking any and all doors behind her because fuck this man and his doings. Make his shit life harder.

The Countess’ chambers were empty, which sent a chill of dread and terror down Magda’s spine. Had she fallen to the man as well or was she simply hunting him along with her daughters? Should she wait for her to appear? Right now, searching the castle was not the ideal thing to do, as she was unarmed, human, and she had no idea if the intruder would have mercy on her if she encountered him. Thankfully, her questions were answered as familiar heavy footfalls were heard coming up the stairs. Now all she had to do was explain to Alcina what she thought was possible. And hopefully not die in the the telling.

“If I can’t, I’ll do my best to bleed on you as I die, sweetness,” she told the basin of flies, trying to make a joke and do her best to smile. The latter crumbled as soon as the chamber door opened.

“Countess?” Magda’s voice was weak and shaky, full of fear, and she immediately regretted opening her mouth due to the look on Alcina’s face. It was one of surprise mixed with displeasure, which made sense as Magda should still be locked in her sewing room, not running around as she was currently doing.

“Are you not aware of our current situation, Magdalena?” Her tone was cool and reserved, as if she were waiting on Magda’s answer in order to decide the best manner of action to take.

“I am very much aware of the situation, Countess. Which was why I came here as quickly as I could.” she replied, uncovering Bela’s remains. The candelabra the taller woman had been holding streaked towards Magda’s head and the seamstress barely had time to duck.

“What have you done to my daughter?!” she roared, lunging forward and grabbing Magda by her neck. For a moment, fear and terror filled the seamstress’ mind, but she somehow managed to find her voice despite the vice-like grip upon her throat.

“It wasn’t me… the man… did this… the flies… not… not dead…” Darkness had started to creep around the edges of her vision before Alcina finally released her. Landing on the ground hurt, but the deep breath of fresh air she took afterwards was incredibly sweet.

“Explain yourself,” Alcina growled, stretching out those two words in a low and menacing fashion, one not at all suitable for a woman of her standing, but perfect for a mother seeking justice for her child.

“I heard the fight,” Magda rasped, throat still sore. “It was in… the kitchen. I found… Bela. I thought she was dead… but some flies reacted to my tears…. and warm breath. There’s a chance. That cold state they go into. She told me about it. Bela might not be dead. Only hibernating. If she can be warmed, maybe she can be saved.” Magda watched Alcina, eyes never turning away or blinking too rapidly. She didn’t want to give the woman any excuse or reason not to believe her.

The quiet between them lasted for what seemed an eternity, only to be interrupted by a low rumbling and draining of liquid coming from the next room over. They both heard it, though Alcina only gave the most subtle of glances in its direction. The pool in the Hall of Ablution had been emptied. The Countess’ iron grip was suddenly around Magda’s arm, pulling her back to her feet.

“You will take my daughter back to your workshop and you will keep her warm,” she hissed. “You will not leave her side, not even for a moment. Should I find you disobeying my instructions and wandering these halls while that impudent wretch is still in my castle, your life is forfeit. Is that understood?” Magda nodded, fear in her eyes. She picked up the basin, replacing the cover before being roughly escorted out of the chamber.

Once safely back in her workshop, Magda set about gathering her thickest fabrics; the wools, flannels, gabardines, and anything else heavy she had. She removed the blankets and comforter from her bed and did what she could to form a nest or bed for the flies. For a moment, she even considered cutting her forearm and dribbling some blood onto them, but if they weren’t moving then they weren’t feeding, and the last thing she wanted to risk was them somehow drowning in her own blood.

Magda did her best to obey the Countess’ instructions, as she was not about to risk Alcina’s wrath, not with her life on the line. However, if she did end up being wrong about Bela, maybe it would be better to join her in death. What was she thinking? Magda likely would die anyways. But, in terms of when, it would just depend on Alcina’s mood. So, the seamstress sat in silence, waiting and praying to hear the soft buzzing of fly wings as they slowly warmed up.

Instead, she heard someone faintly plinking the keys of the piano in the Opera Hall. Rather badly at that. Naturally, the all too familiar footfalls of an enraged Alcina soon followed. He must not have realized she was hunting him, Magda thought. Because what idiot would actually take the time to play the piano if they were actively trying to stay hidden? The brief retort of gunfire seemed to prove her point. Although she could only hear what was going on, Magda still had a brief chuckle as she imagined the man scrambling for his life away from Alcina.

Not that he had many places to run to. It was either to Magda’s workshop or the library, and as the noise of confrontation began to distance itself from her hiding place, she breathed a sigh of relief. The library it was then.

“How has this man managed to survive this long?” she softly asked Bela’s remains. As if in answer, gunshots rang out once more and the seamstress stood, wondering who he was fighting now. The previously reassuring knowledge that bullets couldn’t harm anyone in this house re-entered Magda’s head… but it was quickly dashed to pieces as she glanced back at Bela. Who had he gone after now? She needed to know.

For five long minutes, Magda stood at her sewing room door, with it cracked open enough to listen. But she heard nothing. No footsteps, no gunfire, no sounds of anyone.

If Alcina caught her, it would be death, a voice in her head reasoned.

So she simply would avoiding getting caught, another replied.

The distance to the library wasn’t far, and she could easily hear the Countess’ footsteps well in advance, allowing her to hide as she approached.

“I’ll be back soon, stea mică. I won’t be long,” she softly told the flies. A few seemed to twitch in response. God, she hoped that she was right in the foolish ‘not dead, only hibernating’ theory. Basin and flannel cloth in hand, Magda made her way to the library, hoping she wouldn’t need what she carried.

Her heart sank upon feeling the chilly air inside. Papers were scattered, vases lay shattered, and, near enough to be in the light cast from the glass skylight which acted as a central decorative point for the room, was another large pile of immobile flies. Magda actually needed a moment to sit and collect herself with this discovery. Little flies, whose bodies glittered in the light, matched Daniela’s hair color.

Alcina will weep, Magda thought as she did her best to keep her own tears from falling once more. Gathering up these remains took longer than Bela’s, but not because they were scattered about. No. For as messy and wild as Daniela was in life, she had collapsed in a neat little pile. It was the weight and knowledge that this was the baby of the family which made this such a long and arduous task.

“You’re not alone, Dani. I’m not letting you be alone. I’m taking you to your sister. You’ll be safe in my sewing room,” She told the flies. Could this have been the first sign of madness? After all, Magda was talking to a container full of potentially dead insects. She recalled the character of Renfield from Dracula. The man went mad in an effort to serve and worship his vampire lord. Perhaps she was becoming something along the same lines. Perhaps she was already dead; killed by the intruder, and this was her own personal hell of gathering up mounds of flies throughout the castle for the rest of eternity, all the while avoiding Alcina. If Bela’s nest was not in the workshop when she returned to it, Magda figured this terrible thought would be reality.

Thankfully, upon opening the door to her workshop, the comforter and blanket that Bela was nestled in was still where the seamstress had left it. So maybe she was not dead and this was not hell. Little miracles were all she could hope for right now.

Magda took her time making Daniela’s nest, listening for anything that would signal they were victorious and this man-thing was dead and gone. She shook her head a little as she used that term. Normally, Magda did not join in on calling men that, but this was a special case. This individual didn’t seem human. The fact that he could best two of the daughters worried her, and a dread feeling that, unless mother and daughter combined forces, Cassandra could fall as well filled Magda’s stomach like a lead weight.

The daughters were monsters, yes. By the classic definition, that’s what they were, and Magda did not deny any of it. Blood stained dresses, screams and laughter coming from the dungeon, or even the rare times when Bela’s kisses had a slight hint of copper or something raw tasting to them. They weren’t normal. Alcina was also a monster; perhaps even more of one. The height, the claws, the gray skin that she hid beneath layers of foundation. All four of them shared that same inhuman appetite for blood and flesh. But, they also had human tendencies. They laughed, they cried, they screamed in fright the odd times they were scared or taken by surprise.

Then again, humans could be monsters as well. History showed how terrible they could be. Magda was certainly no angel, and she had the odd feeling that this man wasn’t entirely a good person either. Maybe she was wrong. Magda didn’t know. All she knew was that she was trying to save the small group of friends and family she had left in this world.

Minutes ticked by and still her wing of the castle remained quiet. The longer it stayed quiet, the more she worried. If the man was dead, Alcina would have come to her workshop to see to her daughter. But if the quiet persisted? Magda didn’t want to think on that.

“Should I go out and search?” she asked her charges. Of course, no reply came. Magda thought she saw more movement from Bela’s flies, but she had no idea if they all needed to be restored to a proper temperature, like a hive mind, before they could respond. With the way Magda had layered everything, they would warm up slowly and naturally. No artificial heaters or fires were being used, as she didn’t want to risk damaging them. After watching both mounds for a few minutes, the seamstress nodded, knowing once more what she had to do.

The castle had an unusual quietness, a stillness she had never felt before. There was always at least some sort of background noise; the shuffling of servants, the daughters’ laughter, the general noise of a home being lived in. Where was everyone? Had the man killed them all? Or were Sylvia, Andre, Samuel, Bianca, and the rest hiding in the servant’s quarters, having barricaded themselves in? Vulga likely would have escaped into the walls upon hearing the first gunshot, so she was probably safe.

At least there would be some survivors of Castle Dimitrescu.

Finding Cassandra took a long time. Besides hiding from both the constantly patrolling Alcina and the seemingly trigger happy mad man, Magda had to think like the middle child, who had the tendency to spend time in the oddest of places. While Bela and Daniela could be found in seemingly normal locations in the castle, Cassandra explored. She found hidden areas that were unknown to most of the inhabitants, hard to get to, or simply dilapidated enough and impossible to access unless you could fly. Magda assumed she enjoyed being hard to find.

The seamstress had searched damn near every room, after having briefly hidden for a few heart-pounding minutes in one of the dressing room wardrobes upon hearing Alcina’s approach. Currently, she was sitting in the back hallway, taking a moment to try and mentally collect herself. Magda hated failing, and right now she was absolutely in sync with the idea that she was a failure. Cassandra, as far as she knew, had simply disappeared. Had the man shattered a window and thrown her outside? If that was the case, then the chance of finding the young woman dropped to impossible odds. The castle was surrounded by woods and cliffs with sheer drops. Maybe… if the snow and cold somehow preserved her through the winter, Cassandra would show up in the spring, like crocuses.

At that thought, Magda let slip a sharp little laugh while, at the same time, her eyes began to water. Cassandra would hate being compared to a flower. She would absolutely have hated it. And for as much as Magda wanted to continue to both laugh and cry right now, it would certainly draw unwanted attention from one of two parties currently in the castle. Possibly both.

Wiping her face with her sleeve, she allowed herself a few calming breaths before pushing herself back to her feet and continuing this fruitless search.

The slight draft blowing on Magda’s hand from beneath the door stopped her. Yes, castles were drafty, but not this one. Alcina made certain to insulate everything as best she could so her daughters could survive the winter in relative comfort. But, there was a definite bit of air movement coming from under this door.

Opening it, Magda found the Statue of Pleasure…. with an animal skull in place of the sacrifice’s head. Not even Cassandra or Daniela would be foolish enough to ruin one of their mother’s statues. So, on top of being a murderer, this man enjoyed defacing both art and private property. What the fuck was wrong with him?

The indignity aside, the windows in this room were intact, so where was the draft coming from? The only other option was the fireplace, but if the chimney was that badly cracked, why wasn’t it sealed? Crouching in front of it, the reason quickly became apparent as the entire back of the fireplace has been removed, and the hole led to a set of stairs.

“Cassandra, you little shit.”

Crawling through the passageway, Magda entered what looked to be the remains of a hidden armory, or at least a place to stash and work on things a certain daughter didn’t want her mother to learn about or her sisters to interfere with. It would have been a lovely little room had it not been for the gaping hole in the wall, letting in all the cold air. And there, near enough to the stairway, laid what was left of Alcina’s middle child.

“At least you were smart enough to fight him in a room without windows,” Magda commented as she gathered her up. Cassandra was vicious and violent when she wan’t to be, but she was also calculative and observant. Perhaps that’s why she lasted as long as she did. Had she sacrificed her sisters in order to study this man? If Magda were the girl’s mother, they would definitely be having a talk about that later.

With the last of the Dimitrescu daughters safely bundled up, Magda began to make her way back to the workshop. As it was nearly on the other side of the castle with no direct route, she took great care to move as quietly as possible. She paused repeatedly, and scanned the Main Hall, looking for signs of the the woman in white. For as large as she was, Alcina was a stalking beast. She could be incredibly quiet if she wished to be.

As she crouched in one the small balconies, Magda heard movement coming from below her on the floor of the main hall. However, it didn’t sound… right. It couldn’t have been the intruder, unless he was gravely injured. But If that were the case, Alcina wouldn’t have been far behind, and Magda didn’t hear her at all. Speaking of the Countess, it certainly wasn’t her, as the noise was far too small to be anyone remotely her size.

Chancing a look, Magda peeked over the edge, and a soft gasp of surprise, sounding so devastatingly loud in this silence, escaped her lips as she saw what was beneath her. Luana, the castle’s head servant, the personal watchdog for the Countess, laid collapsed on the marble floor, clothes stained red with blood. Where had they been all this time?! Magda had scoured entire castle… Had they been outside and only just now managed to get in? This just made her life ten times harder. Not only did she have Cassandra to carry back, but now there was the issue of Luana as well.

She could have left them where they were. She could have. After all, Magda was currently disobeying orders and Alcina was already displeased by her previous actions. She should have taken Cassandra back to her workshop and then returned. By then, perhaps Alcina would have discovered Luana herself and… done what? She was hellbent on hunting down the intruder. Would she even have stopped and tended to her servant? Magda couldn’t say. She also had no idea what would have happened if the man found them first. Would he finish the job he clearly started? In all likelihood? Yes.

Tucking Cassandra safely in an out of the way corner by the top of the stairs, Magda made her way down to her fellow servant, glancing into the Hall of the Four as she went.

The doors leading to the Temple of Worship were open.

In all her years there, Magda had rarely seen those exterior doors stand open as they were now. The Countess was strict in her orders about that portion of the castle being forbidden to everyone save herself, and now the seamstress was watching her tall figure ascend the temple stairs. An unknown fear filled Magda with dread at that sight, and she hurried towards Luana.

Rolling the head servant over onto their back, Magda gave them a quick look over. Buckshot, and a few normal bullet holes, peppered Luana’s blood soaked torso. A normal human would have been dead from such injuries and blood loss, but Luana was thankfully not fully human, rather a Lycan-cross. They usually preferred not to speak of their heritage, but Magda hoped they would be happy to have it just this once.

“Luana? Luana, dear, can you hear me?” she asked, opening their eyes to check for any sign of life. She was met with slurred, half-conscious Portuguese. “You know damn well I don’t speak that, but right now any response is a good one, so I’ll take it.” The bleeding had stopped and their breathing seemed normal from what she could tell; no gurgles, bloody froth in the mouth, or sounds of difficulty.

“…Apologies…” they said in Romanian, doing their best to sit up.

“You’re fine. I’m just happy to see someone else, aside from the Countess, alive,” she replied. Their uniform already ruined, Magda removed Luana’s jacket and began tearing off bandage strips. Or at least she started to, as a distant crash and a devastating roar from outside quickly stopped her efforts. Whatever injuries seemed to be afflicting Luana were momentarily forgotten as they did their best to stand, only to collapse almost immediately. As they attempted it a second time, Magda moved to support them. She didn’t even say a word or caution them to take it slow as the two of them made it to the open doorway.

And what they saw? There were no words.

It was huge. A great beast, vast and terrible, with an immense wingspan, lashing tail, and a toothy, gaping maw circled the top of the temple tower; sometimes flying, sometimes crawling along the stonework. It was pale white with streaks of pink flesh, slick and glossy looking as the sun hit it. Muscles bulged as if barely contained by the skin, as tendrils curled and whipped about in an independent fury. It looked both cancerous and incomplete while at the same time horrifically beautiful and awe-inspiring in some inexplicable way. And to top it off, as if in an absurd gilding of the lily, Alcina’s upper torso, looking flayed and monstrous, erupted from between the beast’s shoulder blades. Her voice was distorted, both by rage, vengeance, and sorrow, but also by this transformation. She was lost in this madness, fully given in to it.

Magda’s knees gave way, and she fell to the floor, unintentionally bring Luana down with her. The seamstress was lost. How was this even possible? How had Alcina become this gargantuan beast? Could she change back? A sudden sick feeling rolled over her as all these questions and more filled her head. She was sure Luana was thinking similar things.

All they could do was watch this battle as it unfurled. Stonework and roofing tiles fell freely as the dragon creature did its best to pursue its quarry. Gunfire was heard regularly as Alcina taunted, threatened, and cackled in her torment. The fight moved steadily upwards, with more and more of the building being destroyed until a bloodcurdling shriek was heard and something structural gave way.

Multiple somethings.

Large plumes of dust, broken window, and cracks forming in the side of the building were the indication that the dragon had fallen through all of the interior floors of the temple, landing with a massive crash.

Magda and Luana looked at each other and then back towards the temple. “How about we wait and listen for movement?” the seamstress started to offer, but the head servant was already stumbling towards the building, trying desperately not to once more fall onto their face. They didn’t get very far before collapsing, but Magda was there to lift them back up. “How about a compromise? We get to the temple door and listen before barging in?” At that, Luana nodded a little sheepishly.

If Magda had thought the castle had been quiet, the inside of the temple was a veritable tomb. She just hoped it wasn’t a literal one. At least not for Alcina. Let the man be buried under all that rubble. Unfortunately, her wish was not yet granted, as she saw the limping figure of a man leaving through the lower level door. All she needed was a gun. Why didn’t she or Luana have a pistol? One bullet through the back of his damned head, that’s all that was needed and all this terribleness would be over with.

But instead, Magda just stood there, watching him leave before her gaze turned to Alcina’s body. It was still that dragon creature, but she had just come to accept that this was the Countess. Luana was already making their way down to her, carefully using the broken rubble as a stairway. Magda reluctantly followed suit.

The beast may have remained, but the human torso that was Alcina? That was gone, crumbled to ashes. The body was also still. Seeing that, Magda sat down hard, shocked by it all. Luana at least made it to the corpse, but they soon collapsed as tears began to fall.

Theirs was an ugly crying, one that Magda had never heard from them before. It was a full body shaking, heaving from the gut sort of crying. Luana had been serving House Dimitrescu since they were a teenager, and they saw Alcina as a mother figure, so Magda could only imagine what they were going through.

Letting them grieve for a few minutes, Magda eventually stood and walked over to Luana, placing a hand on their shoulder.

It was then that the beast took a great, shuddering breath.

Instincts quickly took hold and Magda scrambled backwards, not wanting to risk being eaten, while Luana did the opposite and moved closer, overjoyed to see some sign of life coming from the creature. She expected to hear a scream or cry of pain from Luana, imagining the creature lunging forward and devouring the head servant in one or two gulps. But instead, when the seamstress looked back, she saw Luana petting its head, saying soft things to it in Portuguese as it just laid there, barely making any noise.

“You are either very brave, very trusting, or very stupid to be petting that thing,” Magda hissed, keeping her voice down low, as if raising it would trigger the beast to attack them both.

“It knows me… us. It won’t hurt us,” Luana replied calmly.

“How do you know that? How is it even still alive?! Alcina’s torso is gone! The thing should be dead!” In response to Magda’s outburst, the thing growled, slightly turning its head in her direction. “… All right, I’m clearly wrong in my assessment of life and death. But that still doesn’t explain why or how.”

“Separate functioning systems? Maybe it all… pinched shut when the torso disintegrated? Like a limb or a tree branch that’s dying? Save the main body?” Luana offered.

“I would have thought Alcina would have been the main body. Can she regenerate from this?” Magda asked. Luana simply shrugged.

“We take her back to the castle and see what happens over the next few hours or days.”

“Easier said than done,” Magda replied, gesturing to the rock they scaled down and the all too small door was the only other exit.

“If it is a simple creature, then it will respond to simple things like food. She will need to eat anyways. We lure it back with food,” Luana reasoned.

The kitchen was thusly raided and a good bit of the meat that was there removed; both cured and what was still fresh. Amazingly, despite having heard the shrieks of the thralls earlier, the kitchen was now devoid of them. Had they wandered back down into the dungeon after finding no prey? Or were they all dead? Magda could only wonder as she glanced towards that corridor, her eyes wanting to linger on the spot where she found Bela. No, she thought. No, Bela was safe in the sewing room with her sisters. Magda had made a brief detour to deposit Cassandra there, as well as retrieve a pair of shoes for herself, before joining back up with Luana in the kitchen.

Along with the meat, they also brought along two barrels from the tasting room, placed at strategic points along the route back to the castle, in case extra bribery was needed for the beast. By the time they had finished setting everything up, the Alcinadragon… for what else would you call it?… was on its feet, clumsily walking around its temporary enclosure. Naturally, after throwing down the first piece of meat, with it being consumed in a single bite, the beast’s attention snapped to the two of them as it began the effort of climbing its way up towards freedom.

Magda knew better than to run. After all, doing so would likely trigger hunting and chasing instincts. But still, once the massive forelimbs appeared and the beast pulled itself up and over the lip of the hole, she made sure to be a good distance away, keeping Luana between it and her.

While this was something she normally would never state, on pain of death, it was rather easy to lead this version of Alcina around by her stomach. So long as they had a trail of food, she was easy to please and keep relatively docile. In the end, they only needed one barrel as a treat, though it wasn’t quite that. As they passed it on the bridge, the creature must have smelled the contents, or perhaps recognized the shape…. but how that was possible, Magda had no idea, as it had no discernible eyes right now. Either way, the tooth lined maw easily engulfed the barrel and bit down, splintering the wood and draining the contents quickly. Afterwards, the creature seemed more agreeable.

Maybe it had just needed a drink.

By the time they had entered the Hall of The Four, the remaining castle staff had emerged from their hiding places. There were no reprimands or excuses given, only looks and sighs of relief. Bianca, Sylvia, and Mihaela quickly flocked to the form of the Countess who was currently gorging on wine and meat. Samuel latched themself onto Magda with a tight hug; one that she was not exactly ready to receive, but she was also not about to deny them this comfort. Vulga also soon joined in, likely in an effort to make Magda feel even more uncomfortable.

“If you two insist on being this close to me, I will be putting you to work,” Magda told them both before taking them to her workshop and retrieving the three sisters. Sam took Daniela, Vulga carried Cassandra, and Magda held Bela close. The urge to place the daughters next to their mother was great, but caution won out instead. Who knew if or how the Alcinadragon would react to seeing her children as nothing more than collections of flies? Yes, they were becoming more active, but there was no indication they were on their way to reforming back into their human shapes. They just need time, Magda thought. That’s all. They’ve been through trauma, and they just need time to recover.

Even though it was not yet midday, It was decided that everyone would spend the night in the Main Hall. It was the inner most room, central to most of the castle, and it was big enough to house all of them comfortably, even a dragon with a massive wingspan. There would be safety in numbers.

“Do you think he’ll come back?” Magda asked Luana quietly.

“No. As far as he is concerned, everyone here is dead. Whether that is true or not…” They paused, not wanting to say the unthinkable. Understanding, Magda nodded and finished their sentence.

“…It’s best to keep up that appearance.”

“Precisely. We keep everyone centralized for the time being. Close off and safeguard the exit points, stay quiet, and wait. With any luck, things will be different twenty-four from now. Or at least there will be an indication of a difference.” The look the two of them shared was one of tiredness and threadbare hope. There wasn’t much left to run on, but so long as the lady of the house still drew breath, no matter what form she took, they still had their duties to attend to.

“Even if the man isn’t coming back, no one is going down to the outer gatehouse and drawbridge by themselves. One of the lords is currently weakened, you are still recovering from being shot multiple times, and while my mind may be playing into the medieval hierarchy of things, I wouldn’t put it past other things going wrong and our current situation being taken advantage of. We’ll go together. It’ll be faster that way.”

Despite initial outward appearances, the castle was rather impenetrable once locked down. A drawbridge, three heavy doors of varying designs dividing the exterior gatehouse, a massive portcullis at the Carriage Gate, and a smaller, but just as fortified, portcullis on the interior of the entrance hall that kept the front doors closed from the outside. For all intents and purposes, they would be safe and secure.

More of the staff wanted to assist in the closing of the gatehouse, but they were dissuaded by a few other duties; securing the door leading to the temple, keeping an eye on Alcina, and gathering up any supplies they would need for the night. They were also greeted by another unexpected task upon opening the castle doors.

In the middle of the Carriage Gate rested four crates; three of a similar size and one that was noticeably larger. Nothing had been ordered, and the Duke had packed up his caravan, vacating his usual spot some time during the battle with Alcina. Yet the note tacked onto the larger crate was in his elaborate, flowing script:

I’d wager these treasures are of more use to you than I. Think of this as a thank you for your years of patronage, as well as a farewell gift for the time being. Keep them safe.

Bonne chance,

The Duke

The lids came off easily, and inside, nestled amongst packing material were… statues? Odd ones at that. Beautiful, crystalline, and perhaps a bit macabre, they were three busts and one massive torso with what seemed to be very familiar proportions. Either the Duke had a sick sense of humor or this was something else.

“Take these inside,” Magda instructed, still a bit confused as to what they were. “Be careful with them. Don’t damage them.” She then hurried to catch up with Luana who had decidedly not stopped to investigate the crates.

While neither of them ventured out into the village, the lack of the noisy day to day life that would normally filter up from it was obvious and more than a bit unnerving. Yes, there were the occasional barks and growls from whatever lycans were still prowling around the buildings, but there were no sounds of people. That lack of background noise twisted Magda’s stomach and made her raise the drawbridge that much faster.

“Tomorrow… Tomorrow, we will search the village. Look for survivors,” Luana reassured her.

“I don’t think there are any other survivors,” she replied morosely, as her thoughts immediately went to the one person outside the castle that Magda actually cared about. Stay safe, Donna. Please God, keep her safe.

With each barricade put into place, Magda felt both safer and more alone… cut off from everything. But this was what needed to be done. As the final portcullis fell into place in the entrance hall, a burden lifted from her shoulders. There was still that sick feeling in her stomach, but her back felt lighter.

Why? She didn’t know. She didn’t deserve to feel better.

Everything was starting to blur together, and she didn’t care anymore. Magda remembered entering the Main Hall and seeing the Alcinadragon curled protectively around the crystalline torso that shared the measurements of the Countess, growling at anyone who came near it. She didn’t care or wonder why. Someone called out her name as she climbed the stairs, but she ignored it, legs carrying her faster and faster as she went. She didn’t want to talk. Her head, neck, and chest felt hot. She felt smothered and unable to breathe. She needed to get away.

By the time she was in the Hall of Joy, Magda was running. The library was a blur, as was the opera hall. Her eyes were open, but they saw nothing, as if her brain was on automatic. All she cared about was getting away.

She slammed the door to her workroom shut, turning the lock as well in order to keep herself physically, mentally, and emotionally away from everyone. She managed to go a few steps into the room before her knees gave way and she collapsed into a heap. That’s when the floodgates of emotion just opened up. She screamed and wailed, tears falling uncontrollably. All the pain and the burdens accumulated from this day, from these past few hours, came roaring out.

She had no idea how long she cried, nor how many in the castle heard her. She didn’t know if anyone knocked on the door to check on her, nor did she care. She would have ignored it anyway. At one point early on in her anguish, her stomach heaved. Only bile came out, as she had eaten nothing this entire day, but the wretching continued until even that was entirely discarded from her system. She cried until her tears ran dry; until only hiccuping breathes and weary, burning eyes remained.

Throughout all of this, there was one constant in Magda’s mind. She knew that if anyone, and she did mean anyone, interrupted her in this moment, there would be hell to pay. The staff had seen her mad and frustrated before, but they had never seen her rage. If anyone tried to comfort or hold her right now, they would be met with punches, thrown objects, and a slew of filthy, hate-filled words that she would likely regret at a later date. Perhaps even shears to the intruder’s throat, if she could reach them in time.

She didn’t want comfort. She wanted this pain. She wanted to hurt.

But most of all, she wanted her Bela.

Eventually though, the pain did subside. It slowly dulled and dissipated. To say it was completely gone would have been a lie, but it had settled for the time being. Magda’s body ached, as did her head. The floor beside her was a mess, but she made an effort and took the time to clean up the bile. She couldn’t stand having such a thing lingering in her workshop, no matter her mood or the circumstances. The process also helped the seamstress return to a semblance of herself.

After a change of clothes, a quick washing of her face and brushing of her teeth, Magda made her way back to the main hall. Samuel was lingering in the hallway, shuffling around a bit in an effort to entertain themself while probably waiting for Magda to re-emerge.

“Hey, Magda? Are… are you okay? Do you need anything? A hug maybe?” they asked, holding their arms open. Magda just shook her head and continued on. “Ice cream, maybe? We could sit and watch a movie together Not a scary movie or anythin’, but I’ll sit and watch something you’d like if it makes you feel better.” At that, Magda just sighed.

“Sam? Right now, what I want? I can’t have. So, please? Just let me go sit in peace next to what is left of the woman I love. All right?”

“Yeah, um…. about that? Okay, so we brought the statue things in like you said, but as soon as we did, the dragon thing that Lady D turned into? Yeah, she got real defensive and grabbed the big statue and isn’t giving it up. So, we then took the smaller ones and the fly piles got really active. Like super, super active. I mean, they’re not buzzin’ around like normal or human, but-“ Magda didn’t even wait for Sam to finish. Once more, she was off and running.

The daughters were on the opposite side of the fireplace from the Alcinadragon, though pretty much everyone was on the opposite side from her, as she took up an entire length of the hall. Samuel had actually been right, as the flies were more active since the last time she saw them. While not swarming, they were crawling over the statues, or rather, individual statues. Now that she was able to look at them properly, Magda could discern the shapes of the daughters in the torsos. Bela’s she knew well enough, and Daniela was a bit slighter than Cassandra… and all the while the appropriate flies were crawling over the appropriate statues. She still had no idea what they were for, but clearly they held some importance.

Whether it had been intentional or not, someone had set Bela in the alcove under the stairs, allowing a bit of privacy and seclusion if it was needed. Obviously, Samuel or someone else had taken Magda’s breakdown into consideration. Normally, the seamstress did not enjoy having special things done for her, but at the moment, she was not about complain.

Sitting on a blanket with her back against the wall, Magda actually managed to take a breath and relax for the first time that day.

They were alive.

Whether due to the added heat, time to recover, or whatever these odd statues were, the daughters were alive and moving around. They would be all right. The Alcinadragon had a forelimb curled around her own statue, surrounded by her favorite maidens, and was practically asleep, if her breathing was any indication. She would be all right. None of the servants had been gravely injured in the long term. The current state of the castle was an odd miracle, but it was a miracle nonetheless.

Looking at the crystalline statue beside her, Magda gently placed her fingertips upon it, in hopes that it would pulse or feel abnormally warm. That wasn’t the case, but one of the pale yellow flies that had been idly traversing the torso’s clavicle almost immediately changed direction and climbed onto her hand. Smiling, either from happiness or exhaustion, she brought the insect closer as it proceeded to march into the palm of her cupped hand. It happily buzzed and bumped its head against her skin, settling down in the warmth as Magda gently stroked it.

As if energized by her touch, the fly took to the air and landed in the hollow of the seamstress’ neck, where it buzzed and bounced around more; its little wings tickling her just enough to elicit a soft laugh from Magda.

“Hi, stea mică…” she said softly, body instinctively relaxing to that sensation. Magda wasn’t sure if it was her exhaustion or something else, but as her eyes closed and sleep began to take her, she could have sworn she heard Bela’s voice in the drone of the fly.

I won’t be long.

EPILOGUE:

“Magda? Magda, wake up. Somethin’s happening,” Sam’s voice cut through the blackness of sleep. The seamstress groggily rubbed her eyes and looked around, remembering where she was. Instinctively, she looked over at the Bela statue, worried for a moment at that she would find. The concern was unfounded as it was mostly covered by a swarm of flies, more than what she had seen prior to falling asleep.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” she asked, standing up. The Alcinadragon was still asleep, her harem of maidens still tending to her. If it was possible, she too looked healthier.

“There’s something goin’ on in the village. Luana told me to get you. They’re in Lady D’s bedroom.” That made sense. The Countess’ chambers had a view that overlooked the village. It was a smart place to scout from.

Making her way there, Magda discovered that night had fallen, meaning she had slept most of the day away. Why hadn’t they woken her up sooner? She didn’t need to have her sleep schedule even more messed up. However, the not so far off explosions made her decide otherwise, as she quickened her steps up the stairs.

Luana was out on the balcony of Alcina’s chambers, watching a veritable firefight going on in the village. Massive waving tendrils were erupting from the ground, knocking what looked like military helicopters out of the sky as explosions and gunfire rocked what was left of the buildings.

“Have they come towards the castle?” Magda asked after taking it all in.

“No,” Luana replied.

“Then unless they come towards the castle, it’s not our fight. I’m not about to start something with a group that has guns, explosions, and…” An airstrike briefly interrupted the seamstress as she talked. “Whatever the hell that is!”

“I simply thought you would like to be made aware of this. It was wise that we closed up everything when we did.” Magda didn’t know why Luana was making her seem more important than she actually was. They were the head servant. She was just the seamstress.

“…… You’re going to sit out here until it’s over, aren’t you?”

“Of course.” At that, Magda sighed.

“I’m not staying out here all night. It’s too cold. I’d suggest that you come in from the cold as well, but you’re just as stubborn as I am. I’ll be inside on the chaise lounge if you need me. Please don’t freeze out here, Luana. I’m not about to lose you after keeping you alive.” With that said, Magda went back inside and made herself comfortable on the Countess’ furniture, something she’d never do normally, but this wasn’t exactly normal circumstances. Come to think of it, the large hole in the floor was also out of the ordinary. That hadn’t been there earlier today… What had happened here after she left with Bela?

She must have fallen asleep, since the next thing she knew, Magda was woken up by the sudden slamming of a door, followed almost immediately by being rocked off the chaise lounge by an earth shattering explosion. Broken glass rained down on her as the shockwave smashed the windows. For a brief moment, she thought a nuclear device had gone off and she waited for the incineration wave to burn her to a crisp. When none of that happened, and the castle remained standing, she looked around.

Luana was crouched against the door leading to the balcony, covering their head out of instinct. Brushing the glass from her hair, Magda cautiously stood up and looked out the window. Smoke filled the air, but as the wind carried it away, she could see a decently sized crater in what had been the ceremony site. There was nothing left of the tendrils from last night, just like there wasn’t much left of the village.

“What in the hell happened?” she mumbled. “Do you even now think there are survivors?” she asked Luana. In response, they simply pointed to the distant shape of a quickly retreating helicopter. For a moment, anger blossomed in Magda’s chest. If that man was on that thing? How dare he be able to escape so easily after causing all this destruction. But the feeling and hatred vanished along with the helicopter. If he was gone, then so much the better. Better for him to be gone and forgotten than to remain a problem for them all.

“Goodbye and good riddance, stupid man-thing,” Magda said, before turning her back on the sunrise and returning, with Luana, to her family.

[honeypiehotchner]

i knew you (Bucky Barnes soulmate AU) -- part one

I know, I know. I just finished a story and I started another one and now I’m posting a different one...I’m insane. But I’ve had this idea for a while, just never wrote it down until last night! Enjoy xx.

Also! It’s Bucky x Reader, but it might read as Steve x Reader. I promise it’s platonic!Steve x Reader, though. Steve has no intentions of stealing Bucky’s girl. He knows Bucky would haunt his ass if he did (this is set in The Winter Soldier movie, so Steve still thinks Buck is dead).

Warnings: just some general sadness and angst, mentions of depression, it’s angst city honestly it made me cry

You watch as the old footage replays of Bucky’s wide grin. The only kind of smile that his best friend, Steve Rogers, could draw out of him with one single look or gesture. The only kind of expression that knocks the wind out of your lungs and sends chills down your spine.

“Best friends since childhood, Bucky Barnes and Steven Rogers were inseparable both on schoolyard and battlefield. Barnes is the only Howling Commando to give his life in service of his country.”

You hastily wipe a tear away. It’s been months since you put the pieces together. Months since your parents told you that they had known for years. Months since they told you they didn’t want to tell you because they didn’t want to see you hurt. 

Months since you’ve realized the man you keep seeing in your dreams is Bucky Barnes.

At first, you thought you were crazy. People dream of faces they’ve never seen all the time, right? 

Soulmates are said to be rare, but not nonexistent. You’ve always thought they were real, just that the world was so cynical to really talk about them. The idea that there is one person out there whose soul is connected to yours is exactly the kind of thing that would send this generation walking the other direction with their middle fingers raised and eyes rolling in disbelief.

Then you started remembering your dreams. You started to see his face more clearly. Granted, you had no idea it was Bucky that you were seeing. 

You came to the Smithsonian almost half a year ago now with your best friend. She realized you both had never been before, and she basically said fuck it one day and took you with her. Her exact words were, “How have we gone to college here for a year and a half and we’ve never been to the damn Smithsonian?”

You weren’t expecting to meet your soulmate that day. 

Of course, you use the word “meet” very loosely. Your soulmate isn’t alive, which explains the emptiness you feel on a daily. It’s been said that soulmates can feel what the other is feeling. Often times it’s muted, but recognizable. 

You got to see his face, to finally realize that it’s Bucky. The Bucky Barnes. 

It sounds ridiculous — and God, you love your best friend for not calling you pathetic that day — but when you walked up to the very exhibit you’re standing at right now and saw Bucky’s smile...you knew. Instantly, you knew. And it moved you to tears.

It was like your soul had finally found her counterpart, here, grinning like a madman next to his best friend, all the way back in the 1940s. 

Your parents knew simply because of things you would say, offhandedly, without even realizing it. 

Your interest in WWII caught their attention, but it surprisingly didn’t last long -- only from about the time that you turned thirteen to a few months before your fourteenth birthday. You would’ve found Bucky a lot sooner had your interest in the war itself lasted much longer, but it didn’t. You wonder now if you subconsciously knew it was Bucky, but steered yourself away from it in an attempt to save yourself the heartache at such a young age. 

Your taste in music has been the constant that they didn’t quite understand at first. You listen to modern tunes, sure, but you’re a sucker for the music of the 40s. Even clothes. You sometimes found yourself leaning toward the styles of the 40s in subtle ways, not realizing it. 

The true confirmation of their suspicions came, though, when your mom said she heard you say Bucky’s name. The first time was on a road trip. You had fallen asleep in the car. You were sixteen at the time. You were dreaming and you have no recollection of ever saying his name. You weren’t even aware that you said his name while you were dreaming until she confessed that day.

You haven’t told anyone about it. Your best friend doesn’t even know. She still believes you got too excited about seeing Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes, that’s all. She doesn’t know the real reason, the real aching pain that you feel every day. 

The only thing that eases the ache is this. Hogging this exhibit. Watching the footage over and over again. Watching Bucky’s smile and being unable to hold back your own, despite your tears.

You know the staff must think you’re delusional. Somehow you haven’t cared enough to entertain the thought. But you have seen the security guard give you strange looks when you walk in almost every other day.

It used to not be this bad. You came every day for a few weeks, but then you were able to calm down to once a week, sometimes twice a month, if you were too busy with school to think about Bucky much.

But lately, something has changed. You don’t know what it is. You still feel the emptiness, but something is different. It’s...troubled. That’s all your mind can come up with.

It makes no sense, though. How can Bucky be troubled? He’s dead. You believe in ghosts and all -- you’ve never been given a reason not to -- but you’ve heard more stories than you can count from people whose soulmate has died. They all say the same thing. They felt it when it happened. Because it was like a switch was flipped. They were feeling everything one moment, and the next, it was all gone. Empty.

Empty. How you’ve felt since the day you were born. You’ve been to therapists and they all told you the same thing. It’s just your thinking. Change your thinking processes. You’ve never slipped or spiraled far enough for it to be classified as a depressive disorder or anything else, just...empty.

When you found out about having a soulmate, and even more so when you found out it was Bucky, you still felt empty, but not as much. It was like everything suddenly made perfect sense. The emptiness had a purpose, a reason for existing.

When you see him smile, everything makes perfect sense. You feel like you have a reason to exist.

“Excuse me, miss?”

You slowly drag your eyes away from Bucky, preparing yourself to deal with a disgruntled museum-goer or staff member complaining about how long you’ve been standing here. But that’s not who you see.

He’s wearing a hat, but the resemblance is unmistakable.

Quickly, you glance at the video before looking back to the person beside you. That’s him. Steve Rogers.

“Hi,” you say hesitantly, quietly. He’s obviously hiding, which he is right to do. If anyone got wind of Steve Rogers walking around here, there would be mass chaos.

“Hey,” he replies just as quiet. “Um...Wanna get a coffee?”

You have no idea why he’s asking, but you nod anyway. Who would say no to coffee with Captain America?

Outside the Smithsonian and down the block, you bring Steve to your favorite spot to get coffee. Your best friend turned you onto it when you first got here for college, and you’ve gone here weekly ever since.

After grabbing your coffees, you pick a table far enough away from everyone else on the patio to talk without anyone listening in.

“So, uh…” Steve exhales, shifting in his seat. “Are you okay?”

“I’m okay,” you shrug, holding onto your cup with both hands. “Why did you ask me to get coffee?”

“You looked familiar,” Steve says, slowly. “What’s your full name, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Y/N L/N. Why?”

“Y/N…” Steve mutters under his breath, a crooked smile crossing his face. “I can’t believe it’s you.”

“Huh?”

“Bucky used to talk to me about you,” Steve continues, and you swear your heart stops. “He had me draw pictures of you. He couldn’t draw for crap, but he kept describing you to me from his dreams. I’ve drawn so many I’d recognize your face anywhere.”

“He dreamt about me?” You whisper. “Really?”

“All the time,” Steve nods, smiling sadly. “So you’re his soulmate?”

“I guess,” you say. “My mom says I used to say his name in my sleep all the time. I dreamt of his face, too, but I never knew it was him. Until my friend took me to the exhibit a few months ago.” You pause. “It sounds stupid. But seeing him there makes me feel...better.”

“I’m sorry,” Steve says suddenly. “It can’t be easy being born in a completely different generation.”

You smile softly. “Thank you. I’m sorry, too. I can’t imagine how hard it is to still be here after all this time. And without your best friend, too.”

“Yeah, it hasn’t been easy,” Steve admits. “But thanks. I appreciate it.”

“If it’s not too much to ask,” you begin, pausing to think about if you’re going to regret this. “Would you tell me about him? Just anything. It doesn’t have to be anything profound, just...anything you want to talk about. But if it’s too hard, don’t worry about it.” You wave your hands in front of your face, already preparing yourself for Steve to politely turn you down.

But he doesn’t.

“Bucky, he…” Steve pauses, shaking his head. “He was a lot wealthier than me back in the 40s. I had no business acting the way I did, picking fights with people three times my size, but I still did it. And Bucky was always there to pick me up off the ground and give me a ride back home.”

“Yeah?” You chuckle. “You used to be super skinny, right?”

“I was really sick, actually. Bucky had every reason to treat me like anyone else, but he never did. We grew up together -- though I used to joke that he grew up. I stayed the same size. But he never made fun of me for it.”

You can’t help but grin. “That video in the museum -- his smile. I see it in my dreams all the time.”

“Yeah, yeah that was Bucky’s signature grin. He could give any woman that smile and they were his.”

“I can see why,” you admit quietly, averting your eyes when Steve raises his eyebrows. You change subjects, not wanting to talk about how attractive you find Steve’s dead best friend -- despite him being your soulmate. “What was his favorite thing to eat for breakfast?”

Steve takes the bait, and for the next four hours, the two of you sit on the patio, talking about Bucky Barnes. 

His favorite color? Your eyes. Which you think is a little ridiculous, but Steve swears it’s the truth.

His favorite thing to do? Go dancing. Hands down.

His favorite thing to talk about? You. Again, you give Steve a stern look, and again, he swears it’s true. But when he wasn’t talking about you, Steve says Bucky talked a lot about the future. He was an optimist. Steve has no idea how, but Bucky always saw the brightest side.

Bucky was kind. Kinder than a lot of men his age, at the time. He had that blinding smile and instead of hiding it and going for the mysterious, brooding attitude, he chose to smile as much as he could, to anyone who looked like they needed it.

Realizing that the sun is beginning to go down, Steve decides to get you home.

“It’s alright, I can walk,” you tell him, feeling high on everything Bucky. “It’s just up here. I go to college here.”

“At least let me walk you to the campus,” Steve offers.

You raise an eyebrow. “Seriously?”

“Bucky would kill me if I let his girl walk home alone. Especially when it’s getting dark.”

“Fine,” you cave. Hearing Steve refer to you as “Bucky’s girl” sends chills down your spine -- the good kind of chills. The kind that makes you wish it was the 1940s. The kind that makes you wish Bucky was here, holding your hand, walking you home.

Once you reach campus (you decide to let Steve walk you all the way to your dorm building), you ask Steve the question you’ve been wondering about ever since you first saw Bucky in the museum.

“Hey Steve?”

Hands stuffed in his pockets, Steve turns his head toward you. “Yeah?”

“If this was the 40s...do you-- Do you think I’m the kind of girl Bucky would want?”

Steve’s steps falter. You slow your pace to match his until you’re both stopped, looking at one another.

“What is it?” You ask.

“Yes,” Steve says simply. “Yeah. I do. I know for a fact he would’ve torn down every building until he found you. Because he tried.”

Your breath hitches. Deep down, you had convinced yourself that you weren’t the kind of girl Bucky would want. Not that it’s your fault because you were born this side of the millennium. But to hear Steve tell you otherwise makes you freeze.

“What?”

“Bucky didn’t have me sketch you because he wanted me to practice my drawing. He did it because he wanted to see a picture of you. Something he could keep in his wallet and look at every night. He was a ladies man, yeah, but every single one...he wanted them to be you. But they never were.” Steve shakes his head. “It really tore him up, that he never found you. He still held out hope, though. Until the very last second.”

Tears have sprung to your eyes before you even realize it. 

“Before he fell, he--” Steve pauses. “He told me to promise that I’d find you. I guess I kept my promise after all.”

He looks up to see the tears in your eyes, streaming down your cheeks. Without a single word, Steve pulls you into his chest, and without hesitation, you let yourself cry.

He’s not Bucky. And you’ll never find your Bucky, but he’s close enough. Steve promised Bucky that he’d find you, and he kept that promise. Now he’s going to do everything in his power to keep you safe.

Because he knows for a fact Bucky would’ve wanted that, too.

[aros001]

First time read through light novel vol. 6. Random thoughts.

Hey, can you guess what my favorite episode of the anime is? Here's a hint: it's one apparently a lot of other Subarem shippers hate. I say f**k that! Episode 18 and this book made me love the idea of them as a couple even more! But we'll get to that in a minute.

“By conducting these negotiations, you bear Emilia’s fate on your shoulders. Naturally, everything you say affects her, and it carries the same weight as Emilia’s words. This is not a decision you should make lightly, nor are the words you say easily taken back.”

“...Ah, uh...”

“Moreover, I ask again—should you owe me in this matter, it will mean the defeat of the Emilia camp. Are you truly fine with this?”

It really brings into the focus the problem of Subaru calling himself Emilia's knight without thinking and why the actual knights took such offence to it. At best it was a gimmick with no actual meaning to him and at worst he wanted all the rewards that came with being a knight (or at least what he perceived as the rewards) and not any of the responsibility. That's basically the reality Crusch is making Subaru face; the true burden that is on the one who claims to be Emilia's representative. Being a knight isn't just a game or a fancy title. Whatever he does will heavily impact his lady's future and he never once considered that.

“You hate the Witch Cult. That’s the reason you approached Emilia, is it not?”

Damn.

“—You have not said, ‘I want to save Emilia,’ even once.”

Daaaamn. Obviously, we know the witch cult has nothing to do with why Subaru wanted to hang around Emilia, but it's really telling of his current state that that's what it looks like from the outside. His hatred for Petelgeuse is stronger than his love for Emilia.

The fact that Roswaal has twice now been absent during events that his presence could easily have prevented tragedy is incredibly suspicious. Especially during the mansion arc, where he only left the mansion during the loop Subaru had made a lot of progress in finding the shaman and thus, unlike the previous loops, could have warned him about what was about to happen. It feels like Roswaal is intentionally removing himself as to invite disaster upon his house and Emilia, likely to manipulate her and Subaru.

Priscilla is an oddity to me, because she really feels like someone I should dislike more than I do, as I tend to have an instant dislike for very bratty, entitled, and/or spoiled characters. I'm not sure what it is specifically that's lifting her up so much for me. It's not just the looks, because I've seen attractive female characters I've hated because of their brattiness (I think she and Bitch princess from Shield Hero share the same english voice actor, in fact). I think that, one, there is just this sense of fun and amusement when Priscilla's around, like I just want to see whatever she does next, and two, despite her attitude, I'm not really getting a feeling of shallowness from her. She doesn't feel like she's putting people down just to prop herself up. There is actual strength and depth to her.

Rem followed behind both of them, and he could hear noises coming from her nose every so often. Rem had a keen sense of smell, and she’d apparently picked up some kind of unsavory scent, staring at the back of the iron helm as they walked along.

Well, Al is from another world like Subaru, so it wouldn't be surprising if he also had the witch's scent attached to him, assuming his situation is anything like Subaru's.

“Don’t be silly. You’re Ram, right?”

“I am Rem... Forgive my rudeness, but where have you met Sister, Master Al?”

Rem explained how he’d mistaken her for her nearly identical older sister as she posed the question. However, Al made no reply. He raised up his one arm and touched his helm, busily poking the metal.

“What the hell’s goin’ on here...?”

Al sounded nervous, seemingly unable to process the information. The increasingly rapid tapping offered further proof.

“So you’re Rem...and your sister is Ram?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

“This might be a weird thing to ask but...is your older sister alive?”

“...? I do not understand the meaning of your question. Sister is alive, as she should be.”

The instant Rem gave that answer, Subaru, who had been listening to the conversation in silence, felt goose bumps all over his flesh.

“—This ain’t funny.”

Well...that got a lot of theory wheels turning in my head. I was already wondering if Al had his own Return By Death ability, so it's certainly possible he'd met Ram before a restart, though why he'd mix up her and Rem, I'm not sure. Another possibility is that he's maybe experienced Subaru's own RBDs, so while he can't trigger the ability himself he retains his memories from the original timelines. We've seen timelines where Ram has died but also one back at the mansion where only Rem died. Of course, there's also the possibility this story is going to go full Futurama: Bender's Big Score and Al is going to turn out to be a future version of Subaru sent back to the past.

That damn whale is like something out of a horror movie. I don't tend to care for gory horror but I do like movies with unique monsters and killers, so I could easily see myself getting into a movie about a giant flying whale that appears in a dark fog and basically consumes the entire existence of whatever it eats, including its past presence in the world. It's not just memories being erased. The person themselves never was.

You can tell the story is doing a good job of connecting when I know full well that Subaru's going to have another RBD and that everything's going to be fine and I'm still tearing up over Rem basically sacrificing herself to hold off the whale and Subaru is realizing he's allowed her to die four times over.

Huge difference between the books and the anime, as I'm pretty sure in the anime Puck just killed Subaru in the room Emilia died in. There was no bringing her to the witch cult's hidden cave like there was here.

“Unable to even pass a single trial, not even facing a single Deadly Sin, bearing great expectations only to stumble over the first stone in her path...”

The madman looked down at the sleeping Emilia, sighing.

“—Ahh, you were lazy!”

Curious as to what he meant by all that. Now that I think about it, I don't think it's been revealed yet the specific reason the witch cult went after Emilia. Yes, she looks like the Witch of Envy but it that a bad thing or a good thing to the cult? Do these "trials" she was supposed to face have to do with the dragon and royal selection or the witch?

I don't think they said why Subaru can now see Petelgeuse's previously unseen hands. I think I saw a theory about how Subaru's connection with the witch grows stronger with each RBD, beyond just the scent, so he might simply has just accumulated enough EXP to finally level up into seeing them. Then again, I did love Subaru's mocking line to Petelgeuse that the witch has been "cheating" on him with Subaru, so it's certainly possible he just has more of Satella's affection than Petelgeuse and thus he gets more special perks from her.

And finally, we get to the talk between Subaru and Rem at the end. Funny thing, when I first started watching the anime, someone I knew who'd seen it before me told me that, one, it's very different from Isekai Quartet, which introduced me to the characters, so don't go in expecting a comedy, and two, that episode 18 has a Subaru moment that a lot of people hate. Given how the arc had been since before that episode and how Subaru kept falling further and further, I had no idea what was going to happen or what was worse than what he'd already done that'd get people to hate him so much.

And it turns out it's just because of a shipping war. I'm still not sure if I should feel relieved or annoyed. Yeah, I ship Subaru and Rem over Subaru and Emilia, but hating this part of the story just because he still loves Emilia? I feel like everything else except for that one line gets ignored (the line I'm avoiding saying because I don't want a bot to flag this post) and that the lack of all context except Subaru loving Emilia while Rem loves him destroys a lot of why the scene works.

There's just so much to talk about with why I love this part between Subaru and Rem. I'm a big fan of superhero stories and a classic trope I love is when things get dark and everything is brought to its lowest point...only for the hero to make a comeback. And Subaru... The man is broken. He's given up. Not only has he experienced death, failure, and futility multiple times, he's seen the people he cares about be completely slaughtered, with Rem dying, being mutilated, and even erased to protect him and Emilia, the woman he loves, dying directly because of him. He's powerless to change anything, or at least everything he does change seems to just make things worse. He sees himself as selfish, greedy, and arrogant; that he never actually cared about anyone other than himself. He's just spewing all this very justified self-hatred...and Rem counters it perfectly, not saying a single thing that isn't true about what she loves about him. Last volume had her imagining running away with Subaru, so the possible life with him she talks about isn't just something she's pulled out of the air. It's something she's considered and wants, which means it has actual weight when she turns him down.

I think another reason Rem connects to Subaru so much is because she's no stranger to self-hatred. She's also seen her own existence as a blight on everyone and everything around her. That she's selfish and terrible. And the person who helped pull her out of that state, at least somewhat, and get her to start liking herself was Subaru, which is what she's doing for him now. It's what I love so much about the relationship between these two. It's not just that they've saved each others' lives. They've helped each other in incredibly personal ways, despite the fact that neither fully knows what the source of the other's pain is. Subaru doesn't know what Rem felt as she watched Ram's horn get cut off. Rem doesn't know about Subaru's RBD and constant failures. They didn't need to. They simply knew the other needed help and they gave it, with no strings attached. It's why, despite me shipping them together, I'm not upset that Subaru doesn't return Rem's love (yet?) in the same way. There was a great bit of art I saw of the moment, and the words alongside it were "I didn't say I love you to hear it back. I said it so that you would know." Despite her still having some issues, being a little too subservient and obsessed with Subaru, I can believe Rem's love for him is real. When Subaru hated himself and believed everyone else did too, Rem told him that she loved him, not to get anything back out of it, but simply because she wanted him to at least have that to hold onto.

Rem was clearly at least a little upset at the end of their talk, and I can see it being some regret that she turned him down or that he does still love Emilia more, and I'm fine with that. She did the right thing and she is happy the real Subaru is back, but her being a little sad afterwards keeps her human (even if she's a demon).

Honestly, while I do ship them, I think both did make the right call. If or when they hook up, it should be when there's no lingering doubts or regrets they're carrying with them. Where they can have a future where they can smile together and with everyone in their lives they love and can't just abandon. Plus, I want to see Ram as an aunt to Subaru and Rem's kid! That sounds amazing!

And Subaru saying he loves Emilia, even after Rem poured her heart out to him...well, yeah, of course he does. He just found out Rem loves him and has had no time to process it (he was trying to run away with her out of fear and guilt, thus why she turned him down). If his feelings for Emilia were that easily swayed then it'd be hard to say that they were ever that strong or real to begin with, and thus what would have been the point of everything he's been through? It's not like he said it to hurt Rem. Hell, here and in the anime he sounds pretty apologetic as he says it, because he knows it'll hurt her to hear it and he doesn't want that. But it is the truth. So I'm not going to get mad at him for it. It's consistent with his character and everything he's been through and lead to great character moments for both him and Rem. What's there to be angry about?

But yeah, there was a little bit of it in the last chapter but I'm soooooooo looking forward to next volume. I remember just the feeling of hype and "F**k yeah!" going through my chest on my first watch of the anime. Subaru, after hitting his absolute lowest point, pulling himself together with Rem's help and gathering up everything he's got to fight back against the previously hopeless situation and save the day. It made all that heartache and misery so worth the wait.

Original Reddit post: https://www.reddit.com/r/Re_Zero/comments/gr9y77/novels_first_time_read_through_light_novel_vol_6/

[spacejunk-tm]

Idk why but for the last few days I have been thinking about how smart Izuku actually is and how he probably could have made it even without OFA. I mean, the kid made it through the first two stages of the sport festival even without using his quirk.. that's pretty impressive. So.. I know it sounds stupid but could you write something about deku's intelligence? Idk a meta, some HCs, a mini fic.. whatever you like! I just want to see my boy being appreciated for his brain and skills! Thank you❤️

Hi! Let’s talk about Izuku Midoriya’s intelligence. 

Now, in this ask you mention how Midoriya could’ve made it without OFA and I agree with you. Midoriya is highly characteristic and rather good at making the best of everything. OFA doesn’t require a high intelligence (actually, All Might nearly picked Mirio who canonically doesn’t score very high on tests and other exams and isn’t incredibly intelligent) so I’m going to very quickly dismiss other theories I’ve seen in the fandom where OFA somehow granted Midoriya his intelligence. 

I’ve talked before about Bakugou’s intelligence and how it started at home. Like most people, Midoriya’s started at home. ( I still don’t have any of my notes from watching/reading BNHA so bear with me please) 

Midoriya’s home we know has stayed almost entirely the same since he was very young. Him being childhood friends with Bakugou because of proximity alone tells me that Midoriya hasn’t gone very far and that his homelife hasn’t really changed in what would be Midoriya’s memory. 

This is the very first image we get of Midoriya’s home and mother (Inko Midoriya.) Inko is shown being a very empathetic, loving, caring mother. She is shown always alone (no father is ever really mentioned in Midoriya’s memory, his father’s name itself is a joke that basically means “he’s really far away”) and she is often shown simply supporting whatever Midoriya is doing...

Inko is a lovely, lovely person but she is not very smart. She is shown having about an average intelligence. What you’d find out of an average person. She has an above average empathy capacity and is very loving and lovely. But she’s not very smart. 

Which plays a lot into how Midoriya uses his own intelligence. Unlike Bakugou, Momo, or Todoroki, Midoriya did not grow up in an environment that enriched what natural potential he had. He is never shown growing up in a place that truly valued his intelligence as a natural talent. 

This was highlighted to me actually in the display of another character’s intelligence: Bakugou’s. 

I’ve said this before but I firmly believe that Bakugou continuously thought that Midoriya was on an equal playing field with him until the world pushed Midoriya down (and enforced Bakugou pushing Midoriya down) enough to the point where Bakugou got very angry with Midoriya for not keeping up despite said pushing down. 

This plays right into the idea that Inko isn’t very smart. Bakugou’s parents were teaching him to read or at least showing him pages of books/things to read at a very young age. Inko wasn’t doing that. It isn’t shown in this panel but it’s clear in the montage that Midoriya could not read when Bakugou could despite that I believe Midoriya had the potential to. They went to the same school, had the same teachers, it leads me to believe that the only thing that separated them was the intelligence of their parents/the richness of their environments. 

This all seems really insignificant but, like Bakugou, everything that happened to Midoriya caused Midoriya’s intelligence to shape around that. Midoriya doesn’t have the connections that Bakugou had, he doesn’t have the same type of intelligence on its face. However, through imitation, Midoriya can get that kind of intelligence. He can get that thought-pattern. And that’s not easy to do. 

Midoriya has what I like to refer to as a compilation intelligence. He’s smart but he doesn’t know the book-talk. Everything that Midoriya does is out of an imitation of someone else (typically Bakugou or All Might). 

He uses his intelligence as a means to an end, he has a lot of emotional intelligence (likely the main thing that Inko gave him unknowingly) but not a lot of “practical” intelligence. This is kinda what makes him a disaster. 

For those that don’t recognize, this is the U.A. Sports Festival’s end of the first challenge. The end of the obstacle race where Midoriya straps himself to a piece of scrap metal he picked up after the robots were destroyed and kept with him, he uses the piece to propel himself off of a bomb to get ahead of Bakugou and Todoroki (and to win first place.) 

This is by far the best example of Midoriya’s intelligence and how it shines. It’s a disaster. It’s messy. It shouldn’t work. It’s crazy. If we were not aware who Midoriya was, he’d look outright like a madman. 

Re-read what I said: he strapped himself to a piece of metal and then set off a bunch of bombs beneath him to travel a few dozen meters. 

That’s mad! Entirely outta nowhere, beyond rationality. I get that Horikoshi goes a bit wishywashy on physics but this is flat out crazy. 

But it’s a great display of Midoriya’s intelligence. He prepares, he keeps things that might be useful later on (there was no way to know what laid ahead but he just picked up a big, heavy piece of metal for the hell of it.) This is learned from what wasn’t given to him and what was. The Midoriya’s were clearly not well-off, they were stable but they weren’t rich. Anyone that’s lived paycheck-to-paycheck kinda knows that there is a sense of “gotta hang onto that” that comes with it, this makes the most out of Midoriya’s resourcefulness as a person. 

He is shown repeatedly hanging onto things and doing things he didn’t need to do just because he thought he might need them later. The idea of foresight is like an after thought to Midoriya. Everyone else is focusing on the current challenge and Midoriya is already three stages ahead and aware that he’s running in blind but he’s gonna grab a slab of metal because it might be handy. 

This foresight is amazing to his intelligence, it allows him to one-up nearly everyone time and time again. He predicts others movements by putting foresight and a high amount of empathy and personality analysis (the notebooks) together. He predicts Mirio’s movements before anyone else is even aware what Mirio was even doing. Midoriya nearly landed a punch on the liquid man. 

Midoriya’s intelligence is messy, it isn’t refined in the slightest. His ability to foresee obstacle and prepare is what keeps saving him. The ability to empathize with others and become apt to anyone (adjusting from the best people in the world to the worst in a few seconds isn’t easy) keeps saving him. It is the saving grace of his intelligence and it will continue to be. 

It’s his strong suit. OFA didn’t give any of this to him, Midoriya would have had all of this without OFA. 

Midoriya’s intelligence revolves around people. It revolves around the long-term use of things rather than an immediate and situational intelligence. However, this can often lead to disaster in the moment and can be dangerous because he isn’t paying attention to said moment. He adjusts very quickly to people and is able to hand out a lot of advice. This isn’t so easy and it requires a lot of fine-tuning that Midoriya isn’t very aware of.

It’s a slow intelligence, it stains very, very slowly but it’s much harder to wash out. You don’t notice it creeping up until you sit back and you’re like “holy shit, he just used a slab of metal and some tiny land mines stacked together to propel himself up and over the competition.” This intelligence is highly useful in what Midoriya is going into but it’s also very dangerous and messy. The show does a good job of showing just how messy it can be and convincing the reader that Midoriya isn’t partly crazy for using his intelligence as he does (though, a lot of smart people can seem kinda crazy if you don’t take them as a whole.) 

Midoriya is great, he’s brilliant, truly. I don’t have the best grip of his intelligence but this is my understanding of where it comes from and how it works. It works by the idea of “What will be next” and he is often caught thinking “what’s going to happen next”. It plays into his empathy well and I think it’s pretty well done. It will continue to be refined again and again to shape to the mold he needs it to be. I don’t think he’ll ever lose the “slightly crazy” aspect of his intelligence (the guy is willing to break his own bones, he doesn’t have a huge sense of self-preservation) so he’ll always be a little out there and his intelligence will sneak up on people. Which can be good! Villains will underestimate him 

[allenmendezsr]

The Anti-anxiety Recipe Plan

New Post has been published on https://autotraffixpro.app/allenmendezsr/the-anti-anxiety-recipe-plan/

The Anti-anxiety Recipe Plan

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    ATTENTION: For anyone that struggles with high-stress levels, depression, insomnia, or a troubled state of mind, you can discover…

Dear Friend,

It’s time to put yourself back in the driver’s seat of your life. 

Poor mental health is a serious subject, and it should never be taken lightly. 

Over the next few minutes, I’m going to share with you how you can attack one of the major contributors of anxiety. 

Your stress, worry, and fears should never dictate how you should live your life ever again…

And you can conquer these feelings, WITHOUT taking any medication to “temporarily” ease your mind. 

First, you need to understand that the key to feeling calm and collected and not “lost in your head” is to master what some doctors call “your second brain.”

I know it sounds crazy, but let me explain.

Introducing…

Listen: there is no one simple cure for anxiety.

Since there are a lot of different variables that lead to it, it takes more than one change to get rid of anxiety for good.  

You see, most people don’t “get” how your diet plays a MAJOR role with how the rest of your body, and more importantly, your mind functions. 

Enter The Anti-Anxiety Recipe Plan.

If you’re someone who suffers from anxiety, this recipe book will help you take an entirely natural approach to improve your mind and well-being. 

You’ve heard this saying before—

“You are what you eat.”

And according to research from John Hopkins Medical School, whenever you’re nervous or anxious, you’re likely getting signals from an unexpected source—your gut. 

AKA your “second brain.” 

It’s the reason why you’ll feel your stomach “act up” right before an important event, like a job interview or even a hot date. 

Studies like this are revolutionizing the way people look at digestion, mood, your health, and yes, the way you think.

The recipes inside The Anti Anxiety Recipe Plan remove ingredients that inflame your gut, leave you in a sluggish mental state, or trigger anxiety. 

That’s why the launch for this book is taking the health and wellness community by storm… 

Instead of eating recipes full of refined and unnatural foods, The Anti Anxiety Recipe Plan uses ingredients like antioxidants, healthy fats, and healing herbs. 

And they’re not just good for you. Inside, you’ll find 50+ anxiety-relieving recipes so mouth-watering, they’ll blow your favorite stuffed crust pizza out of the water.

Dishes like Korean Style Steak and Kimchi Wraps…Sweet Potato Frittatas…Turmeric Tahini Buddha Bowls…Crispy Baked Chicken Cutlets…and Lemon Poppylicious Energy Balls

(And they blast anxiety away with each bite)

These “Holistic Mind Soothing Ingredients” are time-tested, proven, all-natural ingredients that BANISH anxiety and SOOTHE your mind.

Not only that, but you can use them to regain your health, energy, and vitality. 

How?

Each recipe leverages the power of the Paleo Diet.

Because sure, Paleo is still making waves everywhere.

It’s recently been featured on popular shows like Rachael Ray and Dr. Oz, and it’s backed by leading Doctors and Nutritionists. It’s even used by celebrities like Megan Fox, Jessica Biel, and Anne Hathaway!

And for good reason:

The Paleo diet works by eating whole foods that have kept humans healthy for centuries. 

The core principles are simple:

No processed foods

No dairy

No refined sugars

Basically, if your “stone age ancestors” didn’t eat it, neither should you.

Every meal in this diet usually has 2/3 vegetables and 1/3 of lean protein, fruits, and healthy fat. 

However, it’s not all fun and games…

Because before today, going Paleo meant giving up ALL gluten, dairy, processed sugar, and artificial ingredients.

HOWEVER…

The Anti-Anxiety Recipe Plan is changing all of that…

And lets us indulge in appetizing, paleo-friendly versions of everything we’re told to “give up” on the paleo diet.

Imagine!

Avo Choco Mousse…Maple Macaroons…Cherry Chocolate Chip Smoothies…Cinnamon Apples…

Wait until you see the gorgeous photos below.

But before we get there, allow me to introduce myself:

Hi, my name is Danny Jeffers.

I’m a health and wellness enthusiast and for years I’ve struggled with life-crippling anxiety. That’s why for the past six months, I’ve been obsessed with one single goal…

Today, I’m proud to say I’ve finally cracked the “Anxiety-Code”. I’ve discovered 50+ Anti-Anxiety recipes that are downright to-die-for…

And I want to share them with you too.

So you can nourish both your mind and body, live a life full of energy, and escape your negative thoughts… 

WITHOUT using medication.

WITHOUT giving up your favorite guilty pleasures.

And WITHOUT eating the same, bland foods every day.

What’s more: these recipes will work for you even if you’ve tried other diets…

You see, you don’t have to be a whiz in the kitchen, and you don’t need to give up hours of your time to figure out each recipe. 

The holistic, mind-soothing ingredients in The Anti-Anxiety Recipe Plan are here to calm you down, not cause any more stress.

It’s difficult to share but I think it’s important so here we go…

I didn’t know I was going to end up in the ER that day.

It was a regular Thursday morning. And as I got out of bed, I whipped up what I thought at the time, was a “healthy” breakfast.

If you saw me in public you would think nothing was wrong with me.

I exercised every day, had a good job, a girlfriend, and had a ton of friends. 

Yet despite looking like everything was “right” in my life, I was exhausted and beat myself up daily with self-criticism.

I hated my life for no good reason at all…

My mind was foggy. My head was constantly dizzy. 

I just felt so…off.

Sound familiar?

At the same time, I felt like I had to always be “on edge.” 

I overthought EVERYTHING. 

Sometimes it felt like I would just “forget” how to talk to people too. 

“Should I talk now?”

“Am I saying the right thing?”

“How do I know everything is going to be okay?” 

But it gets worse.

These “symptoms” only scratch the surface. 

Because the second noon hit that day, it was like someone hijacked my mind. 

I was in the middle of a small meeting for my work, right in the heart of downtown Santa Monica, California. 

Something in my head screamed at me to leave NOW.

I swear, it was like my mind was warning me that I was being chased down by a tiger. 

My breathing grew heavy, so I stood up and rushed outside of the building to get some fresh air.

But still, I could sense my anxiety clawing right through my skin… 

I looked around me. 

It really was a beautiful day in Santa Monica, the sun was shining, the palm trees swaying…

But underneath it all, I felt broken. 

I thought to myself, “did somebody drug me?”

Nothing made sense. 

After pacing around the streets like a madman, I used my shaky hands to call up an Uber so I could retreat to my home. 

I just knew I couldn’t stay here. 

Then, after waiting for what felt like HOURS I finally got into my Uber and continued to sweat bullets.

Inside the car, I desperately scrambled to tell my driver that I NEEDED to go to the ER NOW. 

He rushed me over. 

And as you can probably guess, they couldn’t tell me a straight answer for what was wrong with me.  

A kind nurse told me it might’ve been just vertigo and it would eventually “go away.”

The rest of the staff said to “sleep it off…”

Seriously? 

That was the best answer I could get? 

I must’ve been going insane. I wanted to give up.

Was this just a one-time thing?

But for the next few months, my anxiety would rear its ugly head again…

My negative self-talk would creep in at random parts of the day.

And my brain would fire off alarm bells during normal moments…

Like right before an important presentation I had to give at work…

While talking to a coworker…

Sitting in a crowded room with strangers…or friends…

And even while getting a haircut…!

This intense anxiety dripped into other parts of my life too…

Eventually, I couldn’t focus at work anymore.

And my relationship with my beautiful girlfriend strained. 

I felt suffocated from it all. 

But here’s the thing.

I never told anyone I suffered from anxiety. 

That’s because I didn’t want to deal with the “stigma” or feel embarrassed over it.  

Still, I couldn’t stand feeling this way anymore.

I started experimenting with antidepressants. 

Whenever doctors would prescribe me medicine or a new over the counter pill, I would ask them if I could have three more…

I just wanted to do whatever it took to finally BANISH my anxiety for good. 

You name it, I’ve tried it.

Yet nothing really worked.

Sometimes they would only make me feel a little better…

But I still felt some symptoms.

The rush of uncertainty….

The heightened senses…

Me questioning every tiny thing…

And that’s IF I didn’t feel like a zombie.

I couldn’t go on like this.

So I started looking for a holistic approach. 

No, not meditation. 

It’s already hard enough to meditate WITHOUT anxiety, how in the world would I be able to “clear my mind” with it?

I thought I could find something else. 

The more I dove into this problem, the more I learned.

And then I discovered that…

Remember what I mentioned earlier.

Some doctors call your gut “the second brain.”

Sounds strange but it’s true.

Your gut and mind are connected. 

Together, they help determine your overall health, so when your gut health is out of balance, your body and mind will know it too!

Like I said, I discovered this after reviewing studies from John Hopkins Medical School, Harvard, The National Center for Biotechnology, and Psychology Today. 

For example, you probably already knew that most fried foods like french fries, chicken, and onion rings are terrible for your health.

They’re cooked in hydrogenated oil so they’re harder to digest.

These foods will sap your energy levels, even HOURS after you eat them! 

Yet it may surprise you to know that some “everyday” foods you might think are “healthy” for you, throw your entire nervous system out of whack too. 

Sometimes, their negative effect is so powerful, you can overstimulate your nervous system to the point that it feels like you’re reliving a stressful life event or bad memory. 

And I’m not just talking about coffee, or anything with caffeine either. 

Too much dairy and something as simple as your favorite fruit juice can also give you fatigue and make it difficult to concentrate. 

I took a good, hard look at my diet and what I’ve been feeding “my second brain” for years…

Here I was lost in my daily dose of mental hell, and the reason was right in front of me this entire time…

So now you know that your gut has a deeper connection to the rest of your body, and especially your anxiety…

What do you do?

You can’t “numb” your senses with medication, because they only help “manage” your anxiety for the short term.

And you can’t just “skip” certain meals, because the drop in your body’s sugar levels can lead to a spike in anxiety too!

When one of my friends introduced me to an all-natural, real food, paleo diet… my state of mind finally began to return to normal.

Almost instantly, my brain fog, dizziness, and near fight-or-flight symptoms vanished. 

My anxiety wasn’t gnawing at my conscious 24/7. 

And for the first time in what must’ve been YEARS, I was overflowing with real, natural joy.

But like I said before, the only drawback?

Paleo makes you cut grains, high-fat meats, sugar, salty foods…

The list goes on…

Basically this means I couldn’t keep eating anything tasty.

My pizza, doughnuts, and everything in between.

As a result, my cravings went bonkers!

Perhaps you can relate:

I wanted to chow down on cheesecake after dinner…

I wanted to devour a frozen pizza with my friends and watch Game of Thrones with a cold one in my hand…

And there’s nothing else out there that hits the spot like my mom’s infamous spaghetti and meatballs.

But now I couldn’t indulge in any of those guilty pleasures…

So I searched far and wide, looking for a chef who understood the deep relationship food has with your mind…

Not only that, but I was also looking for someone who knew how to whip-up delicious, mouth-watering meals in a snap. 

And that’s when I met…

Let me introduce, Melissa.

Melissa is a certified nutritional chef and graduate from The Academy of Culinary Nutrition. 

She has a knack for re-creating “unhealthy dishes” and turning them into a healthy meal packed with flavor. 

You’ve probably seen some of her recipes cooked on Dr. Oz, and featured on The Kitchen Blog for Fisher, Paykel Appliances, and Readers Digest. 

Melissa gets it. 

Not only is she extremely passionate about cooking, but she loves sharing her knowledge of all things health. 

I got the chance to meet her in New York City after going to one of her health and wellness workshops. 

At the event, she talked about her personalized nutrition programs, and she gave a demonstration of one of her original recipes.

But what really struck a chord with me was when she talked about the “gut-brain connection” I already did a ton of research on. 

When the event ended, I went up to her and shared with her what I’ve learned about this subject too. 

She was open with me and she shared her struggles with chronic stress, food sensitivities, fatigue, and anxiety. 

At first she thought there was nothing seriously wrong with her…maybe you’re like her. 

You see, she worked long hours and was a “road warrior” that was constantly on the go.

Whenever she would visit a traditional doctor to tackle this problem, they would just try to give her pills…

But there was no way she would go through that downward spiral.

Instead, she took another close look at her recipes. 

She figured out how she could adjust them so that they would not only help her with food allergies, but also with her stress and anxiety too! 

And of course, as a top chef, she knew she had made sure they were delicious. 

The result?

The Anti-Anxiety Recipe Plan, her new recipe book filled with 50+ mouth-watering anxiety relieving recipes that lets you indulge while keeping your mind clear and your heart happy.

While I was with her in person, she shared with me a couple of the dishes she put together in her book. 

I sampled them, and had to double check with her to ask her again what the ingredients were…

I told her right then that she had to share the recipes in this book with more people. 

Listen: no one wants to force bland, lifeless food down their throat. 

That’s why Inside The Anti-Anxiety Recipe Plan, you can be rest assured, every recipe is bursting with flavor.

Each bite of the chocolate chip muffins or cranberry orange bread is warm and scrumptious.

The mouth-watering sweet potato frittata is savory. 

And the chicken cutlets and broiled salmon are rich and filling. 

The cherry on top is that if you’re looking to shed an extra few pounds and feel more energized than ever, they can be made PALEO…

What’s cool is most of these can be made within minutes… and without any expensive equipment.

Meaning using exactly what you have laying around your kitchen right now, you can dig in immediately after work… guilt free!

You can forget having to go to different grocery stores every week…

Each ingredient can be found at your local grocery chain. So these recipes aren’t just delicious and good for you, they’re convenient too!

Goodbye grueling grocery store visits… hello easy mood and easy food.

Remember: each recipe is natural and nourishes your “second brain.” This means you won’t have to deal with any weird chemicals.

For each page, there’s a nutritional breakdown and explanation for how each ingredient soothes your mind and body. 

So the bottom line is this: there’s something for everyone!

And just to reiterate one more time…

Look: nobody likes complicated recipes, especially if you’re someone suffering from anxiety and high-stress levels. 

That’s why each recipe in The Anti-Anxiety Recipe Plan is made simple! 

Most can be prepared in 15-30 minutes…

And some, even quicker!

Don’t worry, you don’t have to be Gordon Ramsay to whip these up. 

Even if you struggle to prepare the most basic recipes, you’ll still be able to make these tasty, mind-soothing meals, snacks, and desserts in The Anti-Anxiety Recipe Plan with no problem. 

You might also be concerned about the ingredients…

And specifically, where you can get them…

Now, I’ll be straight with you:

If this is your first cookbook, then sure, some of the ingredients will be new.

But most — if not all — are laying around your kitchen already.

Things like cinnamon, baking soda, lemon juice…

And any ingredients you need to get can be found in your closest “normal” grocery store or found online (from the comfort of your own home) on Amazon.

Plus each recipe includes a breakdown of how fast it takes to make each meal. You’ll also have an inside look behind HOW each ingredient nourishes both your mind and body.

I wanted to share with you what’s included in The Anti Anxiety Recipe Plan because originally, the price for this hovered over $65.

However, Melissa and her the publisher’s have agreed to give this away for NOWHERE near that amount!

All in all, you’re getting:

And I’m even going to make sure that you don’t risk a penny when you pick up a copy of The Anti-Anxiety Recipe Plan today.

That’s because you’re backed by this…

I want to share this recipe book with you, at no risk.

All the pressure is on me.

Why am I doing this? 

Because I’ve been there.

I know what it feels like to try and make a difference in your health and well-being.

And I know how it is to try and make something healthy and delicious at the end of every anxiety-ridden day.

I get how complicated things can get in the kitchen.

So regardless if this is your first time on the paleo diet, or your first time cooking real, natural food that’s good for your health and well-being. 

I want you to experience the life-changing benefits I went through with these holistic, mind-soothing ingredients.

And The Anti-Anxiety Recipe Plan does just that.

You’re at a crossroads now.

You can do what I did and spend the next few months or even YEARS testing out every antidepressant you can imagine trying to get rid of your anxiety alone…

Spending thousands of dollars on doctors visits, therapy sessions, and more…

Only to still “get by” trapped inside your mental prison…

Or… you can skip all of that insanity, ditch the pills, and save a ton of money by investing in your health today.

And remember, Melissa’s publishers are giving away this $65+ value recipe plan… All for the price of a medium size pizza.

It’s an investment in your happiness … which I’m sure is worth a lot more to you than the tiny cost of this recipe book.

Don’t you agree?

And remember, you risk nothing. You have a full 60 days to try out these recipes in The Anti Anxiety Recipe Plan yourself.

If you’re not jumping with joy over your improved mood, clearer mind, and if you’re not excited about how mouth-watering these recipes are…

You don’t pay a dime. The recipe book will still be yours to keep, as a “thank you” for trying. 

Let’s do this — together — click the button below and claim your copy of The Anti-Anxiety Recipe Plan right now:

Q: How will these recipes get rid of my anxiety?

Your mind and body are connected. In fact, some doctors call your gut the “second brain.” That’s why whenever you feel nervous, your stomach may growl or you’ll feel a little queasy.

So if you’re feeding your body the wrong foods, you’ll notice you feel more anxious, sluggish, and just “not right.”

The delicious meals inside The Anti Anxiety Recipe Plan are backed by holistic mind-soothing ingredients you can use to nourish your “second brain.”

Q: Can I find all the ingredients in a normal grocery store?

Yes, almost all of the ingredients in The Anti Anxiety Recipe Plan can be found in regular grocery stores (i.e. Target, Kroger, Wal-Mart, Publix, etc…) They’re also all on Amazon if you want to shop from the comfort of your own home, and can definitely be found in health food stores like Whole Foods.

Q: Are all meals, including the desserts, paleo-approved?

Yes, all of the breakfast, entrées, sides, salads, soups, and desserts are paleo-approved.

Q: How hard is it to prepare each meal following this book?

A majority of the meals and desserts can be put together in 15 minutes or less (not including cook/chill time) – the recipes are meant to be easy to follow so you can whip up these tasty dishes and treats for yourself and your loved ones with minimal effort.

Q: What allergens are in The Anti Anxiety Recipe Plan?

Some of the potential allergens you may want to be aware of include coconut (coconut flour, coconut oil, coconut milk/cream, and coconut butter), nuts (like almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts, and pecans), and eggs. Options for using butter or ghee in some recipes can easily be replaced with coconut oil to avoid all dairy.

Q: Is The Anti Anxiety Recipe Plan really backed by a 100% money-back-guarantee?

Yes. You risk nothing. You have a full 60 days to try out these recipes in The Anti Anxiety Recipe Plan yourself.

If you’re not jumping with joy over your improved mood, clearer mind, and if you’re not excited about how mouth-watering these recipes are…

You don’t pay a dime. The recipe book will still be yours to keep, as a “thank you” for trying.

Q: I still don’t believe these recipes can end my intense anxiety. How is this different and what really makes this work?

Intense anxiety or depression is nothing to take lightly. I know, because I struggled with both for not months, but years. 

The Anti Anxiety Recipe Plan is different because it takes a natural, holistic approach to restore balance back to your mind, health, and well-being. 

Sure, sometimes the strongest medical pills out there can “temporarily” relieve your suffering…but why not attack a major source for your anxiety and nourish your mind with the right nutrients instead?

[ramajmedia]

10 Quotes From Curb Your Enthusiasm That Are Still Hilarious Today

While Seinfeld introduced the world to the unique comedic mind of Larry David Curb Your Enthusiasm let him explore his worst tendencies to their full potential. The HBO comedy series followed a (somewhat) fictional version of David as he went from one horribly awkward situation to another.

RELATED: 5 Things Seinfeld Does Better Than Curb Your Enthusiasm (& Vice Versa)

Filled with famous guest stars, a loose feel and unforgettable moments, the Curb Your Enthusiasm was a masterpiece in cringe-worthy comedy. The show is gearing up for its tenth season and after all these years, there are still some lines that will make you laugh even today. Here are some Curb Your Enthusiasm quotes that are still hilarious today.

10 "It's nice to be affectionate to something German. You don't get the opportunity that often, you know."

It's hard to imagine Larry being pleasant to any living creature, but as it turns out, he is something of a dog person. Even Jeff is surprised by the fact that Larry takes such a liking to his German Shepard, Oscar. But as Larry points out, he enjoys the rare opportunity to like something German.

In perfect Larry David fashion, he briefly appears to be a normal human by showing affection to a dog, only to use the moment to quickly insult an entire nation of people. In his defense, German Shepards are very lovable.

9 "Devoted sister, beloved c***"

The series can be so fun yet so difficult to watch because any situation that is presented, you know that Larry is going to find a way to make things awkward. No matter what the situation is, Larry can be counted on to make things worse.

RELATED: Curb Your Enthusiasm: 10 Things You Never Knew About Larry David

So when Larry is put in charge of the obituary for Cheryl's deceased aunt, you just know it's going to be a disaster. Sure enough, the paper arrives and, despite his good intentions, Larry has included perhaps the most unfortunate typo he could have made.

8 "I'm trying to elevate small talk to medium talk."

Though some of the socially awkward situations Larry finds himself in are bad luck, a lot of the time it's just his own fault. He seems to have contempt for social interactions of any kind and this leads to some very blunt and insensitive remarks on his part.

For Larry, a dinner party is about the worst nightmare he could imagine. So after getting seated next to a stranger, Larry becomes bored with the usual small talk and decides to start asking some very personal questions in an attempt to take things up a notch.

7 "I can't stand the sound of the human voice."

Though Larry seems like the kind of person you would never want to spend time with, you do have to admire his ability to be completely honest. He seems to be totally aware of how rude he's being but dismisses it as his own personal beliefs.

However, his insistence that he refuses to listen to anyone sing because he hates the sound of the human voice is hilariously over the top. It's strange to be so entertained by someone who is so miserable.

6 "You get in that a**, Larry!"

Though Larry is the star of the show, Leon steals just about every scene he is in. Added to the show in Season 6, actor J.B. Smoove quickly became a highlight of the show and has remained Larry's close confidante ever since.

RELATED: Curb Your Enthusiasm: Every Season Premiere, Ranked

Leon is a great foil to Larry, displaying the confidence and energy Larry often lacks. After Larry explains how someone insulted him and Larry did nothing, Leon gives him a memorable lesson in standing up for yourself. His long, rambling and wild rant is one of Leon's finest moments on the show.

5 "Yeah but it's not dirty talk. You chit chat."

It's hard to imagine how someone could put up with living with a person like Larry, yet his wife Cheryl did endure it for quite some time. Clearly, there are a lot of things that Larry does that annoy Cheryl and she's not afraid to point them out. Even when it comes to their sex life.

Cheryl explains that Larry talks too much during sex, but it's more what he talks about that is annoying. Seeing Larry engaging in meaningless conversation during sex is a hilarious sight. It's also totally true to the character that he wouldn't see anything wrong with that.

4 "Hey, mind your own business. How about that?"

 Though Larry can be a lot to take at times, there are times where he seems to be representing all of us. He says those things we all wish we could say in social interactions but never do because it would be rude. And it doesn't take much to push Larry over that line where he'll let his opinions be known.

When walking down the street with his usual scowling expression, a woman passing cheerfully encourages him to smile. Larry immediately turns around and tells the woman off. Is it mean? Sure, but sometimes we don't feel like smiling.

3 "You must like lobster! It's good, it's good."

To Larry's credit, he can occasionally make a good point during one of his frequent rants. It doesn't happen often and he usually crosses the line at some point, but his observations can at times be very insightful.

RELATED: Curb Your Enthusiasm: Every Season Finale, Ranked

You can imagine that religion is a subject that Larry has a lot of opinions about. But his comparison between people pushing their religion on others and people pushing lobster on others is hilariously accurate. Sometimes all you need is a madman to point out the obvious to everyone else.

2 "He wanted to stop and chat with me - and I don't know him well enough for a stop and chat."

One of the things that made Seinfeld such a ground-breaking show was the way it established rules for commonplace social situations. These are situations we have all experienced, and the rules were also instantly recognizable. This idea is expanded upon in Curb Your Enthusiasm with Larry basically coming up with rules that allow him to avoid social interactions.

After bumping into someone he knows, Larry says hello but keeps walking. He explains to Jeff that he just doesn't know the guy well enough to warrant a "stop-and-chat." It's very rude and also makes a lot of sense.

1 "A date is an experience you have with another person that makes you appreciate being alone."

The way Larry looks at the world is very unique and fascinating. His cynical, overly negative view of everything must be exhausting to live with but it is a lot of fun to watch as a viewer. Even when it comes to dating, Larry has just about the worst attitude you can imagine.

While most people would welcome the opportunity to meet new people and try to make a connection, Larry has a different view. This is the perfect example of the kind of dark humor Curb Your Enthusiasm excels at making you laugh at such an unpleasant person.

NEXT: Curb Your Enthusiasm: The 5 Best (And 5 Worst) Episodes

source https://screenrant.com/quotes-curb-enthusiasm-still-hilarious-today-tv-show/

[anopenletterto2-blog]

Comments on an Owen Benjamin video (Jordan Peterson, to)

Comment 1:

I think Vox is a good guy, seemingly, but I see some willful misunderstanding of his work (Jordan Peterson‘s) in what little I’ve read of Vox saying that he isn’t all that. And the Kavanaugh thing I think is overblown, I wouldn’t have agreed necessarily with what Jordan said, but I think he really was throwing something out there and people went kind of SJW on it from the right. I feel like a lot of what they’re saying even here about him could be seen as something, I’m not sure, I would have to check the base quote about Jordan saying he didn’t know he was lying, as what the Left does, infuriatingly: When somebody like Kanye or somebody like Tucker Carlson makes an interesting or a savage point, the Left will either obscure the content of their phrase totally or twist the words so that whether the Left know it or not they were wrong or at least not what the person was really going for or their focus, or they will laugh and pretend that the person didn’t make sense and in so doing they don’t have to actually talk about the logic behind what the person was saying.

Comment 2:

I feel like I sense a lot of dishonesty from Owen Benjamin, he seems to have a good heart, but I feel like there’s a lot of aggression and a lot of sort of hiding away from something when he talks.

Comment 3:

Owen, if you’re reading this, I don’t want to make you feel bad, I just want to say constructively that I’m not sure I get a totally clear vibe from you in terms of especially talking about what Jordan was saying. I just think that a lot of what I’ve read of what little it has been have of what Vox calls in Jordan‘s writing something mistaken for smartness because it doesn’t mean anything, and if he were being truly honest in his assessment, Vox’s, I mean. If he were being truly honest I think he would actually point out the meaning of the statement and then perhaps say this is why it doesn’t make sense or something, but to just put a block of text that I would read and did read and read and thought I could pretty easily see what Jordan was saying, and could even paraphrase it and probably explain it with totally different words, when Vox just calls a paragraph of something like that nonsense or just says these are the ravings of a madman and it doesn’t mean anything, I say, whether subconsciously or not, well part of this isn’t connecting because I can clearly see and even tell you what the meaning of that statement could be, and I only use that “could be” here because in poetry and in life almost anything can have any meaning you give it, but the words are very clearly telling a message that doesn’t need to be paraphrased to understand necessarily but that I could paraphrase and tell you and if you just summarized that as something that you considered meaningless or that had no meeting and was just a jumble of words put together to sound smart, I’ve got to say, Hey man, fuck you because you’re either trying to put one over on me or you’re the type of person who would see me say something like this, and I know you’re going to call me a Gamma but whatever, who would see me say something like this and just sum it up as ha ha you’re stupid that didn’t mean anything. And that really pisses me off

Comment 4:

This is the same stuff that they do to Trump’s meanings, really. I mean watching here Owen say that oh, I guess you’re just going to say we misrepresented your work because you can change the meaning of anything, seeing Owen say something like that about Jordan Peterson feels almost *infuriating*.

Comment 5:

The thing about “Depending on what you mean by ‘truth,’” that is very easily although perhaps missed by a lot of people summarized and seen as, well it depends on whether you mean that the truth is the truth of something in itself being either true or false, which is the Sam Harris and the basic definition of truth, and then what Jordan Peterson seems to conceptualize as a higher truth, which he would I guess call truth, too, perhaps capitalized, wherein what he’s really talking about, and you can see him explain it with the building-on-fire-and-you-being-in-another-room example in the Sam Harris podcast, he did. What he’s really talking about I think is that if you have some amount of truth, if you have some amount of *knowledge*, if you have some amount of context, that may not be enough context around a fact that is itself true, he’s not saying I would think that the fact is not true, he’s just saying, and repeatedly, it’s not “true enough,” and I think what he’s talking about is having enough context around a particular fact so that you have a certain idea or a certain clarity about it in your value assessment of it.Show less

[balfuset]

Mass Effect Andromeda - A Review. Kind of..

So, after a five day weekend of no-lifing Mass Effect Andromeda - and seeing a few friends expressing concerns about it - I feel I am properly equipped to give my verdict without the initial squee factor of fanboyism, so, here goes.

Andromeda is shaping up to be my favourite of the Mass Effect games. Now, that might sound like fanboyism, but hear me out those of you who are going to tell me that ME2 was the best of the series and cannot be topped!

Now, as some may or may not know, MEA was put together by the guys and gals over at Bioware Montreal, previously a 'backup' studio of sorts to the main Bioware studio in Edmonton. Bioware Montreal was also responsible for the Omega DLC for Mass Effect 3 - which aside from Citadel was actually my favourite addition to that game.

Mass Effect Andromeda is Montreal's first 'full' game, though that doesn't mean that they passed the thing off to the B team, it certainly doesn't feel like it!

Andromeda's opening is almost as strong of that of Mass Effect 2, and that's no mean feat considering we had a whole game to get to know Shepard and co, and seeing Shepard die and the Normandy get destroyed at the beginning of ME2 really hit home for a lot of people, myself included.

Despite Andromeda having a whole new cast of characters they manage to get you invested in them from the beginning, and so the events of the first couple of hours of the game hit, and they hit hard.

The writing, in my opinion, is fantastic. It's less riddled with a lot of the cringeworthy, cheesetastic lines we're used to from previous Bioware titles, I remember several groaners throughout the Mass Effect series and haven't really encountered many in my 20+ hours in MEA so far.

Bioware have taken a lot of the things from the trilogy and Dragon Age Inquisition and improved upon them. I think the galaxy exploration part of the game is the smoothest and least soul-crushing version yet. No stupid planet scanning mini-game, no fuel or probe limitations, and no dreary planetary maps.

I have yet to meet a duff character, especially amidst my crew or squadmates. Mass Effect had Ashley and Kaiden, 2 had Miranda, Jacob and the Cerberus peeps in general, 3 had Vega and Javik. I actually like all of my squadmates, even Liam and Cora, who I can see as the two that most people might find the most bland and uninteresting. Sure they have some 'defining' character traits - which I won't spoil - but they at least have character, which is more than I can say for some.

So far, the main plot is tight, and the missions are... intense. Without spoiling too much, I had Collector ship flashbacks during the 'end of Act 1' mission and the decision to be made was TOUGH, at least for me.

Generally speaking the plot is a lot better paced than the previous games of the series too, and, in fact, of Bioware games and even RPGs in general. The original Mass Effet trilogy, Dragon Age 1 and Inquisition and Skyrim all suffer from one blinding problem - there's meant to be this huge sense of urgency of 'holy shit everything's fucked if I don't do this RIGHT NOW!' until you realise that everything is on hold while you pick flowers, scan planets and do whatever other shit you want, which takes you out of the moment.

Andromeda doesn't have that problem, and in many ways I think that's for two reasons - one, the main story arc feels like a slow burn (this is a good thing, by the way) and it feels like you can take time to prepare yourself and ensure the Initiative and your outposts are settled before you move on. Two - the stuff you're otherwise doing is interesting, contextual, and rewarding. Side quests on the various planets are just as narratively important in their own way - being the Pathfinder, helping the Initiative make the best of a bad situation and try and turn Heleus into a home. Are there MMO-style fetch quests? Sure, but they fit into the context of the situations on the planets in which they take place, and they tend to happen AFTER you've done the interesting quests that let you set up your outpost or presence on a world in the first place - where it becomes your colonists needing your help with the stuff they don't have the resources or training to do themselves - whether it be because of outside threats or otherwise.

They make sense, and exploring the worlds between the quest markers is interesting.

Plus, the way quests can go 'On Hold' while you wait for more information or for a squad mate to do some investigation themselves breaks things up in a nice way. Loyalty missions especially benefit from this as it gives you a sense of the passage of time that other games have lacked. Loyalty missions in Mass Effect 2 were a very 'wham, bam, thank you ma'am' sort of experience that hit you out of left field and then were done. This is not the case here and it works well, giving you a constant variety of things to do, and things to anticipate coming back to later.

Now, I can't avoid addressing the elephant in the room. The animation quality. This is what has been talked about A LOT in the run up to release, and... yeah, it's not 100% perfect. But at the same time I've seen worse. Some lip syncing issues, those dead, soulless eyes... after playing Horizon Zero Dawn it stands out. A lot.

Does it detract from the experience? No moreso than some of the weird animation glitches in something like Skyrim, Witcher 3 or Assassin's Creed do! Also, it's only really the human characters that have the major issues - maybe Asari too - the aliens are generally pretty well done, in my opinion.

Gameplay is perhaps one of the game's strongest points. Combat is amazing fun with the mobility provided by the jump jets and the variety of weapons and powers. The profile system is genius - as well as having an in-game explanation - and lets you switch things up basically on the fly. I tend to go between a Tech-heavy and Biotic-heavy style depending on the enemies I'm fighting and the general combat situation - and I can adapt if needs be. The Nomad is a great means of exploration and unlike Inquisition's horse, you still get party banter while driving it, so there's no reason not to. Gameplay and story tie together in a way that works really well. Power in Inquisition was a neat idea to show the influence of the group but I think it felt kind of arbitrary. Viability and AVP (Andromeda Viability Points, not Alien vs Predator ;) ) somehow feel connected because they're integrated into the story. It's introduced to you as a useful abstraction of lives, resources and the like in-game by the characters you meet.

This is a very long post, but I think it needs to be. Andromeda is a big game, as is expected with Bioware and Mass Effect as a whole, and I have a lot of good things to say about it.

I would just like to sign off by mentioning one thing, and that is Liam Kosta's loyalty quest. This is the only one I've done so far but holy shit was it amazing. It is not hyperbole for me to say that it gave me all the great feelings of the 'let's have everyone together' part of the Citadel DLC for ME3, where you're chasing after clone!Shepard with your ENTIRE squad in tow.

That's no small feat.

I don't want to ruin it for anyone else but it had be giggling and grinning like a madman throughout. It was fantastic.

Long story short? Andromeda has problems, but they are not deal breakers for me, and the good things it has MORE than outweigh the bad. I do not regret my purchase, and actually look forward to this trumping ME2 as my favourite in the series if it can manage it. It's already above ME3, and I loved that game - which I consider to be 99% of an amazing game with a sucky last 20 minutes.

[ecotone99]

[RF] Fuzzy Little Specks

Illinois is the second flattest state in the country. You tell someone to guess which state is the flattest, odds are they’ll say Illinois, or Indiana, or maybe one of the Dakotas. A lot of people think Kansas. But they’re all wrong.

When you’re driving across Illinois, it’s hard to believe. You think, this has got to be flattest place on Earth. Have you ever been? It’s like a pancake with corn on top. I’m serious. I grew up in Oklahoma, and I thought that was flat. It’s part of the Great Plains and everything. But after driving across Illinois so many times, Oklahoma looks like hill country.

The day in question, the one everyone’s always asking about, I was making one of these drives. My girlfriend (at the time) lived in Bloomington-Normal, which is a weird little city right smack-dab in the middle of the state. They used to make cars and stuff there, but you know what happened with all of that. If you don’t, you ought to learn about how they’ve moved manufacturing all overseas or to Mexico. My dad will go on about it for hours when nobody even asked, he just brings it up. Anyway, now since they don’t build cars, the big industry in Bloomington-Normal (which is two towns that I guess they built too close together and now they’re just one place) is State Farm Insurance, which has all sorts of offices there. But actually, a lot of those jobs just recently got moved to Texas, I think. Anyway not long after we met, my girlfriend (at the time) told me Bloomington-Normal has the most restaurants per capita of anywhere in the United States. I looked it up once and it’s not true, but I didn’t tell her. Maybe it was true when she was a kid.

So that day I’m driving and I’ve been going for like ten hours because I left Virginia that morning and Bloomington-Normal is twelve hours away, maybe more that day because I remember I hit all this fucking construction. You know when they have all the cones set up and the highway is down to one lane so you’re going forty miles an hour, but nobody’s actually out working, not a single solitary soul? It infuriates me, I get so angry. Anyway, all that was in Indiana. Illinois was just soybean fields and corn fields and the biggest sky you’ll ever see anywhere. I hope I didn’t make it sound bad for being flat. It’s really pretty. It’s beautiful, actually.

Like I said, I’m driving and I’m passing a house, a farmhouse in a field, with a long dirt drive that hooks up with the highway. And out of the house come these two guys who are running fast and it really looks like they’re holding guns. I’m serious. But it was so quick. They were running to their car, and then they were gone, just fuzzy little specks in my rearview cause I’m going like seventy. So I shook it off, thought I must have imagined it. Life isn’t a Tarantino movie, you know? I hate to make that reference, because I really don’t like Tarantino that much (which I don’t like to admit, because I’m afraid it makes me sound like a snob or contrarian or just an all-around negative person, all of which I’ve been accused of being at one time or another). To be honest, I hate myself for referencing a filmmaker I don’t really like. I should have just used somebody else. Life isn’t a Guy Ritchie movie, so I must have imagined the guns.

–––

I get to my girlfriend’s house, which is her parents’ house, because the reason she moved back home from Virginia was so she could help take care of her mom, who has dementia. Sorry, it’s all very depressing and I won’t get into it. So after I get there, my girlfriend (at the time) and I don’t go out or anything. We just make tons and tons of popcorn and carry three big bowls of it down to the basement and watch The Emperor’s New Groove, which we’ve both seen a million times, but we love it and it’s only 78 minutes long. Popcorn always made her sick, but she would eat it anyway.

Now that I think about it, the next day is really the one you want to hear about. But it only made sense to start the story with my drive because that’s when I saw it happen, which is the reason for my involvement in all this, which is just a very unlikely incident of chance when you think about it. I mean, I know it’s not all that wild that someone would drive by and see what I saw, given that it is an interstate highway and everything. It’s just from my perspective it seems the odds of it being me were pretty low which makes it feel like it has some kind of meaning, in a way.

I won’t bug you with the details of the news reports or the murders themselves since you already know all about them, unless you live under a rock or in another country maybe. Family of four killed during dinner, man was a local hero, ran a charity for children with Leukemia. That’s what made it such big news. Well that and the kids’ guts all over the wallpaper of that yellow eat-in kitchen. You know it didn’t have to be so goddamn gruesome. It was sensational, it was supposed to be, you have to think. So it was a national story. Not that it made much of an impact on me at first, until I saw the photo of the house. You might think lots of farmhouses look similar, maybe it was a different one, but I never had any doubts. I knew the instant I saw it. That house.

So there I am, drinking coffee at the table with my girlfriend’s mom, who I can’t really talk to today (she has good days and bad days and today is a bad day), and I’ve just learned that I witnessed the tail end of a quadruple homicide. I don’t know if that’s the technical term, but that’s how I put it in my head, because it sounded very dramatic. If I’m being honest, that was my first thought. I was excited to be part of something so exciting. My second thought was total panic that I would forget anything useful I might have seen and be no help to anyone and lose my shot at helping the FBI or U.S. Marshalls break the case and receiving my award from the governor in a televised ceremony with my dad watching from his stupid little apartment in Tulsa and feeling very proud.

I scrambled for a notepad and pen, which I found by the fridge, and tore off the top sheet which was a grocery list with just two things on it anyway. I started scribbling like a madman.

Two men white males (I should try to sound intelligent)

Black sedan (Ugly)

Blue and white plate (I noticed it because it stood out from the black car)

Around 6 (I check the time constantly on road trips even though it makes it go by slower)

On my phone I found the name of the county where it happened, then looked up the non-emergency police number, which was actually a Sheriff’s office. Then I got in my car to go look for a payphone, which as you might’ve guessed is next to impossible to find these days, but I figured there had to be one somewhere. Every town on the planet has those little pockets and corners that haven’t caught up yet.

I guess this part requires some explanation. Basically, there was an incident a few years before at this CVS in Richmond, with my friends (at the time). We were wandering around, killing time before seeing a movie, I don’t even remember what movie, and I decided all on my own to shoplift some bags of Skittles for us to sneak into the theater. I thought it would be so great to do it and get away with it and I would be this legend among the guys, so for years after that, when we’d all get together someone would say, remember that time with the Skittles, what a legend, what a crazy, fun guy.

Anyway, I didn’t bungle it too badly or anything, really. Except that I had never stolen anything in my life, and I was so nervous and obvious, I guess the cashier was suspicious. Cause later they checked the cameras and got the license plate of my car, since I always had to drive my friends (at the time) around everywhere, and the car was in my mom’s name and the cops showed up at her house the next day. Now I know this sounds stupid, but I never got arrested or charged or anything, and I worry I’m still wanted in Richmond, and maybe Virginia in general. That’s why I always drive the speed limit, except sometimes I go five over on long trips. And when I looked up the Sheriff’s office, I thought, what if the computer systems are all connected? What if they plug in my name and my file comes up and next thing I know I’m spending a month in Nowheresville County Jail, or picking up fast food wrappers on the edge of a soy bean field. I know it sounds crazy, it sounds paranoid, but I worry about that kind of stuff.

So I drive around for an hour and a half looking for a payphone. I try some bus stops, and both Wal-Marts, and all around downtown, which is downtown Bloomington, and all around uptown, which is downtown Normal, and several restaurants that look like they haven’t been updated and aren’t very busy. Eventually I found one, at the Amtrak station, which is painful because I almost checked it right at the start, but they’ve done a lot of cosmetic work, so it’s all new and shiny and seemed like a long-shot. The payphone is in a corner by the restrooms, and it’s all clean and taken care of. It strikes me as pretty weird, I wouldn’t have expected that. It doesn’t look like an afterthought or a leftover.

Here’s the part where I just about lost it. I mean I really thought for a second I should just throw myself in front of one of those trains. I didn’t have any quarters. No coins, no cash at all. I had to leave and go find an ATM at a gas station, then have them break a dollar for me, which they wouldn’t do unless I bought something, so I bought Skittles, just as a little joke to myself, which actually just made me sad, thinking about my old friends and about my mom, who called on Wednesday and left a message, and then I came back to the Amtrak station and finally made the call.

–––

Here’s what they don’t tell you about anonymous tips: you feel like shit afterward. The guy I talked to after the woman patched me through to the right line told me I would be more effective as a source if I would reveal my identity. I’m serious, I felt like I was in a movie like Three Days of the Condor (which I haven’t seen but my dad has detailed for me the entire plot several times, it’s so irritating). I told the guy on the phone I’d think about it and get back to him. I’m not going to, but now I’m a nervous wreck, worrying about whether the information I gave them is any good, if they’ll be able to use it or if it won’t hold up in court as probable cause after they track down the ugly black sedan with the Illinois or Minnesota or Missouri license plates and find it parked in front of some ordinary looking house and kick in the front door. If the judge will be forced to dismiss the case, prompting a national conversation about the difficulties of policing in a free society, and resulting in pictures of the alleged killers with smug, evil smirks all over the news next to pictures of the yellow wallpaper covered in blood, and the victims’ closest relatives trying to hold it together in interviews and sometimes breaking down in tears, and I’ll know it’s all my fault.

–––

Florida is the flattest state in America, which is a pretty fun and surprising fact, in my opinion. Illinois is number two, like I said before. Kansas isn’t even in the top five (I guess the whole thing is tilted like a table with two bad legs). I learned all this the same day they announced the verdict and everything (one got four life sentences and the other one only got three, although I don’t remember why that was). I’ll be honest, it was a huge relief, just a tremendous weight off my back if you know what I mean. I gotta say, if you ever get the chance to be a part of something big and important, I advise against it, I really do.

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[astralbrojection-blog]

Comments on an Owen Benjamin video (Jordan Peterson, to)

Comment 1:

I think Vox is a good guy, seemingly, but I see some willful misunderstanding of his work (Jordan Peterson‘s) in what little I’ve read of Vox saying that he isn’t all that. And the Kavanaugh thing I think is overblown, I wouldn’t have agreed necessarily with what Jordan said, but I think he really was throwing something out there and people went kind of SJW on it from the right. I feel like a lot of what they’re saying even here about him could be seen as something, I’m not sure, I would have to check the base quote about Jordan saying he didn’t know he was lying, as what the Left does, infuriatingly: When somebody like Kanye or somebody like Tucker Carlson makes an interesting or a savage point, the Left will either obscure the content of their phrase totally or twist the words so that whether the Left know it or not they were wrong or at least not what the person was really going for or their focus, or they will laugh and pretend that the person didn’t make sense and in so doing they don’t have to actually talk about the logic behind what the person was saying.

Comment 2:

I feel like I sense a lot of dishonesty from Owen Benjamin, he seems to have a good heart, but I feel like there’s a lot of aggression and a lot of sort of hiding away from something when he talks.

Comment 3:

Owen, if you’re reading this, I don’t want to make you feel bad, I just want to say constructively that I’m not sure I get a totally clear vibe from you in terms of especially talking about what Jordan was saying. I just think that a lot of what I’ve read of what little it has been have of what Vox calls in Jordan‘s writing something mistaken for smartness because it doesn’t mean anything, and if he were being truly honest in his assessment, Vox’s, I mean. If he were being truly honest I think he would actually point out the meaning of the statement and then perhaps say this is why it doesn’t make sense or something, but to just put a block of text that I would read and did read and read and thought I could pretty easily see what Jordan was saying, and could even paraphrase it and probably explain it with totally different words, when Vox just calls a paragraph of something like that nonsense or just says these are the ravings of a madman and it doesn’t mean anything, I say, whether subconsciously or not, well part of this isn’t connecting because I can clearly see and even tell you what the meaning of that statement could be, and I only use that “could be” here because in poetry and in life almost anything can I have any meaning you give it, but the words are very clearly telling a message that doesn’t need to be paraphrased to understand necessarily but that I could paraphrase and tell you and if you just summarized that as something that you considered meaningless or that had no meeting and was just a jumble of words put together to sound smart, I’ve got to say, Hey man, fuck you because you’re either trying to put one over on me or you’re the type of person who would see me say something like this, and I know you’re going to call me a Gamma but whatever, who would see me say something like this and just sum it up as ha ha you’re stupid that didn’t mean anything. And that really pisses me off

Comment 4:

This is the same stuff that they do to Trump meanings, really. I mean watching here Owen say that oh, I guess you’re just going to say we misrepresented your work because you can change the meaning of anything, seeing Owen say something like that about Jordan Peterson feels almost *infuriating*.

Comment 5:

The thing about “Depending on what you mean by ‘truth,’” that is very easily although perhaps missed by a lot of people summarized and seen as, well it depends on whether you mean that the truth is the truth of something in itself being either true or false, which is the Sam Harris and the basic definition of truth, and then what Jordan Peterson seems to conceptualize as a higher truth, which he would I guess call truth, too, perhaps capitalized, wherein what he’s really talking about, and you can see him explain it with the building-on-fire-and-you-being-in-another-room example in the Sam Harris podcast, he did. What he’s really talking about I think is that if you have some amount of truth, if you have some amount of *knowledge*, if you have some amount of context, that may not be enough context around a fact that is itself true, he’s not saying I would think that the fact is not true, he’s just saying, and repeatedly, it’s “not true enough,” and I think what he’s talking about is having enough context around a particular fact so that you have a certain idea or a certain clarity about it in your value assessment of it.Show less

[nottebuio3006]

In a way, if we are to assume that Rebecca really did just coldly block me outta fucking no where, then there’s a part of me that thinks she really is trying to just purposely create a “stalker” out of me. Now naturally I understand this will sound highly controversial but the fact is really plain: she ripped the rug out from underneath me so fuckinh randomly, and without ANY warning at all, after talking to me every day for hours for YEARS, that it’s like …if this isn’t the way someone would create a really angry and upset person, who feels horrifically betrayed and wrong, then what other fucking way is there?

For the truth of the matter is that I have absolutely never felt so absurdly  betrayed before in my life. I mean, everyone gets betrayed from time to time, absolutely, but there is something different about this. I can’t stress that enough. There is something so different about this. For example,  I had an ex girlfriend who cheated on me and humiliated me and left me more times than you can imagine …and up until this bullshit, I more or less thought that she had peaked the threshold of betrayal and what it would feel like. What has happened now though, if Rebecca really did just block me, is beyond that. It’s far beyond that , and the reason is because she did it so randomly, literally during a week when she had confided in me almosr more than ever, telling me we were best friends et cetera, more than ever. It just feels like she purposely grabbed my hand and led me into this really comfortable, cozy, and beautifully safe place, where I thought I just had this really awesome cool friend, and then all of a sudden she just fucking pulled a black bag down over my head and started to suffocate me and kick the shit out of me with five insane fucking dudes. Like she literally just led me like an innocent lamb to slaughter. The entire thing feels like one huge almost years long massive set up in the making. But it’s just like….how in good fuck could anyone be THAT dementedly evil? I guess in a world like this it’s possible…but it don’t make it any less sad or crazy.

Never in my life was I taken by such surprise as this. Ever in my entire life. Every other time I’ve been betrayed there was always some sense it was coming, at least a minor sense of it. There was always some slight smell of it in the air. Take a situation where you think one of your friends might start trying to pursue your girlfriend. That sort of thing was always ridiculously easy to see comin. In fact it was so easy to see coming that you’d often just sort of blatantly assume any random guy friend, no matter how good of a friend, might have it in him to do it. So when it happens you flip out, naturally, but you’re almost not really surprised. You always sorta have the guard up …one eye peeled. With relationships, even with a marriage I think, it’s just that way. The person is always in some danger of leaving you. Screwing you over. Cheating on you. So when it happens you oftentime only feel a hurt so deeply – unless of course you’re a naive fool who seriously never even envisioned it.

A friendship though? It’s like I can’t wrap my mind around it. With a friendship I guess I am naive! I never expected this with a friendship! I never had the guard up, never kept the eye peeled, never even slightly fuckin prepared. Because…What is even the sense of betraying a friend like this? Of just abandoning me and leaving me in the dust like this? What in fuck is even the sense of it? It doesn’t make any sense to me … AT ALL. What satisfaction does one get abandoning a friend with whom they were not fighting? What reward?

Which is why the only way to describe it is as I said: she is , so it seems, purposely trying to ignite the sort of fire that her baby daddies seem to have for her – cept she’s doing it with me. The thought really hasn’t left me for the entire week this has gone on now. She’s trying to turn our friendship and our “love” and our connection, whatever it was, into something just as firey and out of control as what she has with those fucking imbeciles. Is it working? From a certain angle, it absolutrly is: never in my entire experience with Rebecca now have I felt as impassioned about her as I do now. The style in which she ripped herself out so randomly has absolutrly started a “fire” of passion inside me, one I haven’t felt in a decade now. She’s been on my mind easentially 24:7 for a week now. I haven’t obsessed over anyone this much in years…

But the issue is ..like…who the fuck even wants to feel this way? If she thinks this is what love is I just think she’s wrong, I guess. I don’t agree with this. I think this emotion feels shitty. I think it almost even, as alive as it is, it almost feels sort of “dead”. I don’t know how to describe it really, I think it’s just that it’s too wrapped up with suspicion, and betrayal, anger and hate to be a real loving emotion. The love has all been burned out of it. What we had before was better, but not for her I guess, because she has now become completely accustomed to these psychotic dudes who bang on the doors at 2am, who start choking her if she says she doesn’t wanna see them, who barge into the house and practically rape the hell out of her, as she’s probably in tears, the moment they want her back. I just can’t operate like that. Do I understand the almost pornographic sex appeal of it? Sure. I guess. And I know she likes that sort of sex, because she essentislly admitted it….

But I also understand why someone would wanna shoot dope and smoke crack…and I ain’t fuckinf doing that! I just…it’s so sad. To see that she really is this dark. Before I knew she had a definite darkness but it was as though she had some semblance of control over it. I knew she was into that sort of extreme “rape sex” bullshit and it kinda weirded me out but I tried to …understand it?

Now though I look at it and I am just seeing a real dark weird story. It’s almost as though it’s obvious now that she has perhaps lost touch with reality that badly throughout these years with these madmen. She’s lost touch with it so bad that she now thinks love isn’t real UNLESS it’s that sort of dead serious, screaming , banging on doors , angry pursuit , mad sex, is what is happening. She is wrong. Anyone who feels that this is what it has to be, in my view, is wrong. I mean, is there a part of me that just wants to hand mysef over to this emotion and this fire she so clearly (even, in my opinion, subconsciously) wants to ignite? Absolutrly. I want to run after her and chase her and start a hot pursuit. Like instinct. But then I stop and think: what kind of fucking rejected asshole needs this kind of “proof” anyways? If she really needs this sort of pursuit to “trust” that I have passion for her, she’s a fucking TOOL, and fuck her. And my idea is that she herself might be gradually growing angrier and angrier due to the way she has now seen my approach is nothing like these other dudes approach has ever been. I think she was expecting me to seriously flip out far more than I did. I think she was expecting 30 emails instead of just the two rather short ones I sent. I think she was expecting 100 texts and calls from random numbers rather than the five texts and 2 or 3 calls I made. I think she was expecting me to try and add her on that Instagram 40 times, etc. She thought I was gonna show up there by now banging on that door. I think shes sitting there unable to believe I haven’t, and I vasically think it’s making this weird dark evil part of her VERY mad. And as for the “good” part of her (which I’m sur is still partially there) I thin the good part of her is shocked…cause she’s literally never been wjth anyone normal, I now realize. I mean I know her relationship history like the back of my own hand. I know she’s never been pursued by any man in a non violent way. From 18-23 she was with the first psycho baby daddy (her first dude) and then from 23-now basically she’s been with this one. Two guys who basically endlessly stalked her, harassed her, publicly talked shit about her, violently pursued her, and randomly showed up at her residence every time she even tried to leave for a night. Two guys who definitry called 600 times apiece from different numbers. Two guys who probably, if they sent an email, didn’t even bother to wait a single second before they were typing that she was a slut and a whore and a bitch for blocking them et cetera. Meanwhile I’ve sent what I’ve sent and none of it has been even slightly angry . Am I angry ? Fucking absolutely I am. But I ain’t gonna show it just like I ain’t gonna show up there flipping out….

Here, for example, is the last email I sent her, yesterday. Reading over it again now, I think it was such a good one that I need not bother writing another. The first one I sent was sorta half assed. Didn’t like it much. I wasn’t angry in it but I was, I dunno, a little more full of emotion. The second one I really nailed how I felt, and when I look at it from this perspective of “she’s expecting a madman”, it’s just hilarious to read what I wrote . She’s prolly sitting there unable to fathom how polite I’m still being— even as i sit here thinking she’s prolly just betrayed the living fuck out of me:

Rebecca, can you please just contact me to let me know you’re alive and well? We never have to talk again, it’s OKAY! I just want to know you’re ok, and not hurt. Please. I have moved on past many people, I told you that before , I’ll be perfectly fine. I’m not going to get angry like you might be accustomed to with Jim, et cetera. I’m ok. I just need to know you’re okay, cause right now I can’t really know for sure…it’s so out of character and ridiculous that it seems you may have actually been hurt and that I’ve been wrong to just automatically assume you’re blocking me. Please. Just let me know you’re ok and you will never hear from me again.

P.s. A song for thee just to show I am really thinking of you Rebecca!!! : (YouTube link to a private video just for her, me playing a song i wrote on piano)

Please just let me out of this worry / fear box. It’s terrible to be sitting here thinking I might just be misreading all of tis and that something horrific has actually befallen you . I need to know Rebecca. It’s ok. I’m …I’m really scared, but I’m ready, if it’s something extreme. Or. Like I said, you can just let me know you’re there, and not say anything further. I’m just, like, I can’t even think straight, because I have no idea what this all means. I can’t stress enough: if this really all is just a blocking and cutting out of your life, and you’re not sick or something, I’m okay with it. I understand . I often talked too much and prolly you were overwhelmed . It’s alright Rebecca! I’ll leave you alone forever. I just need to know you’re ok!!

If there was another way to find out, I would use that way and not contact you!!! But we don’t have anyone in common except Jim, and quite frankly, I don’t really want to contact him — cus, considering his arrest just a few days before your random vanishing , I have a strong feeling he has something to do with this. Please just let me know. I’m begging you. It’s ok to say goodbye. Don’t feel bad. Just let me out of this box of total fear and mystery!!!!

See now though I feel I’m entering into a sort of hot box territory, now that we are heading into the second week and all. Like I feel that , going through the first week without getting angry and calling 100 times was definitely probsbly shocking to her — but she thinks I’m gonna lose patience soon. In my head she’s just sitting there grinning and twiddling her thumbs in a way thinking to hersef that, ok, he didn’t lose patience and go mad this week, hmm…but next week he will, he absolutely will. So I feel now I’m coming to a big challenge , cus I do feel like my patience is seriously running thin, and I do feel like I just want to find out IMMEDIATELY what the fuck is going on— but I can’t fuckin let myself. This girl needs to learn her fucking lesson just like I wrote Jeanie did. I know for a fact that I burned the ever sweet living shit out of Jeanie the final time she betrayed me (and remember I saw those old betrayals coming rverytime). But Jeanie was similar wiyh this sickness: The final time she betrayed me she thought it was all still a joke and that I would go crazier than ever before to pursue her. Instesd I told her I would never talk to her again, and I didn’t, not for almost 5 and ½ years until she came to see me ! And before that she tried numerous times, after about 7 months was up, to add me on facebook, send me messages, et cetera. She had been expecting a hot firey pursuit and I just went deathly cold. Well, with Rebecca it all evens far more heightened than that, due again to the randomness and also her very very singular focus .

See that’s the thing that I feel the reader of all of this might not understand: Rebecca isn’t really the sort of person who could have any reason *besides* the evil reason I’m listing, to cut someone off, because she is that kind of person who it seems never lets people go and who focuses VERY heavy on them. She is not someone with many friends. She doesn’t have 4 other people she can talk to about all of this. She doesn’t even really have one person! Jeanie always had a milion people to go run off of and stay occupied with when she would “betray” me and fuvk me over. Rebecca has nobody, literally nobody, and unless she magically found a way to meet all new people over night in that isolated dead quiet town of hers, she still has nobody. Hence I know she’s sitting there an she’s absolutely GOT TO be feeling at least something similar to what I’m feeling now. She’s absolutely got to be feeling my absence. If she isn’t she literally isn’t human. And long story short but this is more or less why im so convinced that there are really only two real reasons for this bullshit. She’s sither purposely trying to start some insanely jealous, angry “love” fire, or she’s just actually sick or hurt or destroyed in some way. There’s no fucking in between here. I’m positive of it. She’s a sick twisted completely damaged WOMAN who thinks this sort of angry betrayal shit is love….

In the end I guess I should have known really, that she would ultimately wind up trying to do something to me like this, but since I was never her boyfriend I suppose I felt I would be “exempt” from it. Then of course she sorta came onto me and I came onto her so I guess now she almost, like, *immediately* reverted to this weirdo approach— which is really the craziest part of all. Like we literally only passed a few very light hearted jokes about “feelings”, we never even spoke of them in reality …we never kissed, slept together, never even hugged her /– but it was like she resorted to this the MOMENT she realized I maybe had “some ” feelings for her. As though the very second she saw there was even a single little spark lying around she grabbed it and tried to ignite this huge enormous fire. And of course what I think is so weird is how it took until this now for me to see just how severely damaged and fuckdd up she is. I didn’t , even after everything she told me, I don’t think I ever really saw her as being that fuckdd up or unhealthy or anything. I somehow took in all these extreme stories about her and her insanely abusive relationships and her weird rape sex fetish and somehow never saw her as being demented. I just saw it as sad. Now I’m really seeing it as demented because she’s applying it to me. She wants me to play in it. Do you sorta get what I mean???

There’s also the interesting fact that I think she’s sort of learning and finally realizing – because of my somewhat “silent” and “quiet” approach to this — that her baby daddies and their violent mad pursuit was actually a sign of a severe weakness, in a way. I really just can’t stop focusing on that. I think she always interpreted what they did as a manly sort of strength and now maybe — just maybe– she’s aeeing that they were just weak idiots with no fucking will power (hence they also have these huge drug problems). They have next to no control over their emotions. They don’t know how to handle shit. So they just snap and pour everything out …into reality..screaming it . Meanwhile I’m sitting here just calmly scribbling about it in a notebook to the Internet. Totally different approach. I get angry but Rebecca never hears of it. She doesn’t get the privilege to see it. Only the notebook does. And how badly I know she wants the pleasure to see it. It’s all she wants!!!!

I must not give it to her. I must as of today vow to now not send her literally anything else. When the week began I swore I’d send nothing. Naturally I had to try a little. Well, I tried. Now the time for that has come to an end. Now it’s time for total silence. She cut me off; I shall now cut her off in just the same way. Or …I hope I will anyways . I think I’ll be able to make it. Yes….. I MUST. It’s the only real good strong card I got left to play. Fuck her and fuck her dumb game of pursuit. Fuck it right to the darkest depths of hell. I ain’t playing it /…./.

[allenmendezsr]

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It’s time to put yourself back in the driver’s seat of your life. 

Poor mental health is a serious subject, and it should never be taken lightly. 

Over the next few minutes, I’m going to share with you how you can attack one of the major contributors of anxiety. 

Your stress, worry, and fears should never dictate how you should live your life ever again…

And you can conquer these feelings, WITHOUT taking any medication to “temporarily” ease your mind. 

First, you need to understand that the key to feeling calm and collected and not “lost in your head” is to master what some doctors call “your second brain.”

I know it sounds crazy, but let me explain.

Introducing…

Listen: there is no one simple cure for anxiety.

Since there are a lot of different variables that lead to it, it takes more than one change to get rid of anxiety for good.  

You see, most people don’t “get” how your diet plays a MAJOR role with how the rest of your body, and more importantly, your mind functions. 

Enter The Anti-Anxiety Recipe Plan.

If you’re someone who suffers from anxiety, this recipe book will help you take an entirely natural approach to improve your mind and well-being. 

You’ve heard this saying before—

“You are what you eat.”

And according to research from John Hopkins Medical School, whenever you’re nervous or anxious, you’re likely getting signals from an unexpected source—your gut. 

AKA your “second brain.” 

It’s the reason why you’ll feel your stomach “act up” right before an important event, like a job interview or even a hot date. 

Studies like this are revolutionizing the way people look at digestion, mood, your health, and yes, the way you think.

The recipes inside The Anti Anxiety Recipe Plan remove ingredients that inflame your gut, leave you in a sluggish mental state, or trigger anxiety. 

That’s why the launch for this book is taking the health and wellness community by storm… 

Instead of eating recipes full of refined and unnatural foods, The Anti Anxiety Recipe Plan uses ingredients like antioxidants, healthy fats, and healing herbs. 

And they’re not just good for you. Inside, you’ll find 50+ anxiety-relieving recipes so mouth-watering, they’ll blow your favorite stuffed crust pizza out of the water.

Dishes like Korean Style Steak and Kimchi Wraps…Sweet Potato Frittatas…Turmeric Tahini Buddha Bowls…Crispy Baked Chicken Cutlets…and Lemon Poppylicious Energy Balls

(And they blast anxiety away with each bite)

These “Holistic Mind Soothing Ingredients” are time-tested, proven, all-natural ingredients that BANISH anxiety and SOOTHE your mind.

Not only that, but you can use them to regain your health, energy, and vitality. 

How?

Each recipe leverages the power of the Paleo Diet.

Because sure, Paleo is still making waves everywhere.

It’s recently been featured on popular shows like Rachael Ray and Dr. Oz, and it’s backed by leading Doctors and Nutritionists. It’s even used by celebrities like Megan Fox, Jessica Biel, and Anne Hathaway!

And for good reason:

The Paleo diet works by eating whole foods that have kept humans healthy for centuries. 

The core principles are simple:

No processed foods

No dairy

No refined sugars

Basically, if your “stone age ancestors” didn’t eat it, neither should you.

Every meal in this diet usually has 2/3 vegetables and 1/3 of lean protein, fruits, and healthy fat. 

However, it’s not all fun and games…

Because before today, going Paleo meant giving up ALL gluten, dairy, processed sugar, and artificial ingredients.

HOWEVER…

The Anti-Anxiety Recipe Plan is changing all of that…

And lets us indulge in appetizing, paleo-friendly versions of everything we’re told to “give up” on the paleo diet.

Imagine!

Avo Choco Mousse…Maple Macaroons…Cherry Chocolate Chip Smoothies…Cinnamon Apples…

Wait until you see the gorgeous photos below.

But before we get there, allow me to introduce myself:

Hi, my name is Danny Jeffers.

I’m a health and wellness enthusiast and for years I’ve struggled with life-crippling anxiety. That’s why for the past six months, I’ve been obsessed with one single goal…

Today, I’m proud to say I’ve finally cracked the “Anxiety-Code”. I’ve discovered 50+ Anti-Anxiety recipes that are downright to-die-for…

And I want to share them with you too.

So you can nourish both your mind and body, live a life full of energy, and escape your negative thoughts… 

WITHOUT using medication.

WITHOUT giving up your favorite guilty pleasures.

And WITHOUT eating the same, bland foods every day.

What’s more: these recipes will work for you even if you’ve tried other diets…

You see, you don’t have to be a whiz in the kitchen, and you don’t need to give up hours of your time to figure out each recipe. 

The holistic, mind-soothing ingredients in The Anti-Anxiety Recipe Plan are here to calm you down, not cause any more stress.

It’s difficult to share but I think it’s important so here we go…

I didn’t know I was going to end up in the ER that day.

It was a regular Thursday morning. And as I got out of bed, I whipped up what I thought at the time, was a “healthy” breakfast.

If you saw me in public you would think nothing was wrong with me.

I exercised every day, had a good job, a girlfriend, and had a ton of friends. 

Yet despite looking like everything was “right” in my life, I was exhausted and beat myself up daily with self-criticism.

I hated my life for no good reason at all…

My mind was foggy. My head was constantly dizzy. 

I just felt so…off.

Sound familiar?

At the same time, I felt like I had to always be “on edge.” 

I overthought EVERYTHING. 

Sometimes it felt like I would just “forget” how to talk to people too. 

“Should I talk now?”

“Am I saying the right thing?”

“How do I know everything is going to be okay?” 

But it gets worse.

These “symptoms” only scratch the surface. 

Because the second noon hit that day, it was like someone hijacked my mind. 

I was in the middle of a small meeting for my work, right in the heart of downtown Santa Monica, California. 

Something in my head screamed at me to leave NOW.

I swear, it was like my mind was warning me that I was being chased down by a tiger. 

My breathing grew heavy, so I stood up and rushed outside of the building to get some fresh air.

But still, I could sense my anxiety clawing right through my skin… 

I looked around me. 

It really was a beautiful day in Santa Monica, the sun was shining, the palm trees swaying…

But underneath it all, I felt broken. 

I thought to myself, “did somebody drug me?”

Nothing made sense. 

After pacing around the streets like a madman, I used my shaky hands to call up an Uber so I could retreat to my home. 

I just knew I couldn’t stay here. 

Then, after waiting for what felt like HOURS I finally got into my Uber and continued to sweat bullets.

Inside the car, I desperately scrambled to tell my driver that I NEEDED to go to the ER NOW. 

He rushed me over. 

And as you can probably guess, they couldn’t tell me a straight answer for what was wrong with me.  

A kind nurse told me it might’ve been just vertigo and it would eventually “go away.”

The rest of the staff said to “sleep it off…”

Seriously? 

That was the best answer I could get? 

I must’ve been going insane. I wanted to give up.

Was this just a one-time thing?

But for the next few months, my anxiety would rear its ugly head again…

My negative self-talk would creep in at random parts of the day.

And my brain would fire off alarm bells during normal moments…

Like right before an important presentation I had to give at work…

While talking to a coworker…

Sitting in a crowded room with strangers…or friends…

And even while getting a haircut…!

This intense anxiety dripped into other parts of my life too…

Eventually, I couldn’t focus at work anymore.

And my relationship with my beautiful girlfriend strained. 

I felt suffocated from it all. 

But here’s the thing.

I never told anyone I suffered from anxiety. 

That’s because I didn’t want to deal with the “stigma” or feel embarrassed over it.  

Still, I couldn’t stand feeling this way anymore.

I started experimenting with antidepressants. 

Whenever doctors would prescribe me medicine or a new over the counter pill, I would ask them if I could have three more…

I just wanted to do whatever it took to finally BANISH my anxiety for good. 

You name it, I’ve tried it.

Yet nothing really worked.

Sometimes they would only make me feel a little better…

But I still felt some symptoms.

The rush of uncertainty….

The heightened senses…

Me questioning every tiny thing…

And that’s IF I didn’t feel like a zombie.

I couldn’t go on like this.

So I started looking for a holistic approach. 

No, not meditation. 

It’s already hard enough to meditate WITHOUT anxiety, how in the world would I be able to “clear my mind” with it?

I thought I could find something else. 

The more I dove into this problem, the more I learned.

And then I discovered that…

Remember what I mentioned earlier.

Some doctors call your gut “the second brain.”

Sounds strange but it’s true.

Your gut and mind are connected. 

Together, they help determine your overall health, so when your gut health is out of balance, your body and mind will know it too!

Like I said, I discovered this after reviewing studies from John Hopkins Medical School, Harvard, The National Center for Biotechnology, and Psychology Today. 

For example, you probably already knew that most fried foods like french fries, chicken, and onion rings are terrible for your health.

They’re cooked in hydrogenated oil so they’re harder to digest.

These foods will sap your energy levels, even HOURS after you eat them! 

Yet it may surprise you to know that some “everyday” foods you might think are “healthy” for you, throw your entire nervous system out of whack too. 

Sometimes, their negative effect is so powerful, you can overstimulate your nervous system to the point that it feels like you’re reliving a stressful life event or bad memory. 

And I’m not just talking about coffee, or anything with caffeine either. 

Too much dairy and something as simple as your favorite fruit juice can also give you fatigue and make it difficult to concentrate. 

I took a good, hard look at my diet and what I’ve been feeding “my second brain” for years…

Here I was lost in my daily dose of mental hell, and the reason was right in front of me this entire time…

So now you know that your gut has a deeper connection to the rest of your body, and especially your anxiety…

What do you do?

You can’t “numb” your senses with medication, because they only help “manage” your anxiety for the short term.

And you can’t just “skip” certain meals, because the drop in your body’s sugar levels can lead to a spike in anxiety too!

When one of my friends introduced me to an all-natural, real food, paleo diet… my state of mind finally began to return to normal.

Almost instantly, my brain fog, dizziness, and near fight-or-flight symptoms vanished. 

My anxiety wasn’t gnawing at my conscious 24/7. 

And for the first time in what must’ve been YEARS, I was overflowing with real, natural joy.

But like I said before, the only drawback?

Paleo makes you cut grains, high-fat meats, sugar, salty foods…

The list goes on…

Basically this means I couldn’t keep eating anything tasty.

My pizza, doughnuts, and everything in between.

As a result, my cravings went bonkers!

Perhaps you can relate:

I wanted to chow down on cheesecake after dinner…

I wanted to devour a frozen pizza with my friends and watch Game of Thrones with a cold one in my hand…

And there’s nothing else out there that hits the spot like my mom’s infamous spaghetti and meatballs.

But now I couldn’t indulge in any of those guilty pleasures…

So I searched far and wide, looking for a chef who understood the deep relationship food has with your mind…

Not only that, but I was also looking for someone who knew how to whip-up delicious, mouth-watering meals in a snap. 

And that’s when I met…

Let me introduce, Melissa.

Melissa is a certified nutritional chef and graduate from The Academy of Culinary Nutrition. 

She has a knack for re-creating “unhealthy dishes” and turning them into a healthy meal packed with flavor. 

You’ve probably seen some of her recipes cooked on Dr. Oz, and featured on The Kitchen Blog for Fisher, Paykel Appliances, and Readers Digest. 

Melissa gets it. 

Not only is she extremely passionate about cooking, but she loves sharing her knowledge of all things health. 

I got the chance to meet her in New York City after going to one of her health and wellness workshops. 

At the event, she talked about her personalized nutrition programs, and she gave a demonstration of one of her original recipes.

But what really struck a chord with me was when she talked about the “gut-brain connection” I already did a ton of research on. 

When the event ended, I went up to her and shared with her what I’ve learned about this subject too. 

She was open with me and she shared her struggles with chronic stress, food sensitivities, fatigue, and anxiety. 

At first she thought there was nothing seriously wrong with her…maybe you’re like her. 

You see, she worked long hours and was a “road warrior” that was constantly on the go.

Whenever she would visit a traditional doctor to tackle this problem, they would just try to give her pills…

But there was no way she would go through that downward spiral.

Instead, she took another close look at her recipes. 

She figured out how she could adjust them so that they would not only help her with food allergies, but also with her stress and anxiety too! 

And of course, as a top chef, she knew she had made sure they were delicious. 

The result?

The Anti-Anxiety Recipe Plan, her new recipe book filled with 50+ mouth-watering anxiety relieving recipes that lets you indulge while keeping your mind clear and your heart happy.

While I was with her in person, she shared with me a couple of the dishes she put together in her book. 

I sampled them, and had to double check with her to ask her again what the ingredients were…

I told her right then that she had to share the recipes in this book with more people. 

Listen: no one wants to force bland, lifeless food down their throat. 

That’s why Inside The Anti-Anxiety Recipe Plan, you can be rest assured, every recipe is bursting with flavor.

Each bite of the chocolate chip muffins or cranberry orange bread is warm and scrumptious.

The mouth-watering sweet potato frittata is savory. 

And the chicken cutlets and broiled salmon are rich and filling. 

The cherry on top is that if you’re looking to shed an extra few pounds and feel more energized than ever, they can be made PALEO…

What’s cool is most of these can be made within minutes… and without any expensive equipment.

Meaning using exactly what you have laying around your kitchen right now, you can dig in immediately after work… guilt free!

You can forget having to go to different grocery stores every week…

Each ingredient can be found at your local grocery chain. So these recipes aren’t just delicious and good for you, they’re convenient too!

Goodbye grueling grocery store visits… hello easy mood and easy food.

Remember: each recipe is natural and nourishes your “second brain.” This means you won’t have to deal with any weird chemicals.

For each page, there’s a nutritional breakdown and explanation for how each ingredient soothes your mind and body. 

So the bottom line is this: there’s something for everyone!

And just to reiterate one more time…

Look: nobody likes complicated recipes, especially if you’re someone suffering from anxiety and high-stress levels. 

That’s why each recipe in The Anti-Anxiety Recipe Plan is made simple! 

Most can be prepared in 15-30 minutes…

And some, even quicker!

Don’t worry, you don’t have to be Gordon Ramsay to whip these up. 

Even if you struggle to prepare the most basic recipes, you’ll still be able to make these tasty, mind-soothing meals, snacks, and desserts in The Anti-Anxiety Recipe Plan with no problem. 

You might also be concerned about the ingredients…

And specifically, where you can get them…

Now, I’ll be straight with you:

If this is your first cookbook, then sure, some of the ingredients will be new.

But most — if not all — are laying around your kitchen already.

Things like cinnamon, baking soda, lemon juice…

And any ingredients you need to get can be found in your closest “normal” grocery store or found online (from the comfort of your own home) on Amazon.

Plus each recipe includes a breakdown of how fast it takes to make each meal. You’ll also have an inside look behind HOW each ingredient nourishes both your mind and body.

I wanted to share with you what’s included in The Anti Anxiety Recipe Plan because originally, the price for this hovered over $65.

However, Melissa and her the publisher’s have agreed to give this away for NOWHERE near that amount!

All in all, you’re getting:

And I’m even going to make sure that you don’t risk a penny when you pick up a copy of The Anti-Anxiety Recipe Plan today.

That’s because you’re backed by this…

I want to share this recipe book with you, at no risk.

All the pressure is on me.

Why am I doing this? 

Because I’ve been there.

I know what it feels like to try and make a difference in your health and well-being.

And I know how it is to try and make something healthy and delicious at the end of every anxiety-ridden day.

I get how complicated things can get in the kitchen.

So regardless if this is your first time on the paleo diet, or your first time cooking real, natural food that’s good for your health and well-being. 

I want you to experience the life-changing benefits I went through with these holistic, mind-soothing ingredients.

And The Anti-Anxiety Recipe Plan does just that.

You’re at a crossroads now.

You can do what I did and spend the next few months or even YEARS testing out every antidepressant you can imagine trying to get rid of your anxiety alone…

Spending thousands of dollars on doctors visits, therapy sessions, and more…

Only to still “get by” trapped inside your mental prison…

Or… you can skip all of that insanity, ditch the pills, and save a ton of money by investing in your health today.

And remember, Melissa’s publishers are giving away this $65+ value recipe plan… All for the price of a medium size pizza.

It’s an investment in your happiness … which I’m sure is worth a lot more to you than the tiny cost of this recipe book.

Don’t you agree?

And remember, you risk nothing. You have a full 60 days to try out these recipes in The Anti Anxiety Recipe Plan yourself.

If you’re not jumping with joy over your improved mood, clearer mind, and if you’re not excited about how mouth-watering these recipes are…

You don’t pay a dime. The recipe book will still be yours to keep, as a “thank you” for trying. 

Let’s do this — together — click the button below and claim your copy of The Anti-Anxiety Recipe Plan right now:

Q: How will these recipes get rid of my anxiety?

Your mind and body are connected. In fact, some doctors call your gut the “second brain.” That’s why whenever you feel nervous, your stomach may growl or you’ll feel a little queasy.

So if you’re feeding your body the wrong foods, you’ll notice you feel more anxious, sluggish, and just “not right.”

The delicious meals inside The Anti Anxiety Recipe Plan are backed by holistic mind-soothing ingredients you can use to nourish your “second brain.”

Q: Can I find all the ingredients in a normal grocery store?

Yes, almost all of the ingredients in The Anti Anxiety Recipe Plan can be found in regular grocery stores (i.e. Target, Kroger, Wal-Mart, Publix, etc…) They’re also all on Amazon if you want to shop from the comfort of your own home, and can definitely be found in health food stores like Whole Foods.

Q: Are all meals, including the desserts, paleo-approved?

Yes, all of the breakfast, entrées, sides, salads, soups, and desserts are paleo-approved.

Q: How hard is it to prepare each meal following this book?

A majority of the meals and desserts can be put together in 15 minutes or less (not including cook/chill time) – the recipes are meant to be easy to follow so you can whip up these tasty dishes and treats for yourself and your loved ones with minimal effort.

Q: What allergens are in The Anti Anxiety Recipe Plan?

Some of the potential allergens you may want to be aware of include coconut (coconut flour, coconut oil, coconut milk/cream, and coconut butter), nuts (like almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts, and pecans), and eggs. Options for using butter or ghee in some recipes can easily be replaced with coconut oil to avoid all dairy.

Q: Is The Anti Anxiety Recipe Plan really backed by a 100% money-back-guarantee?

Yes. You risk nothing. You have a full 60 days to try out these recipes in The Anti Anxiety Recipe Plan yourself.

If you’re not jumping with joy over your improved mood, clearer mind, and if you’re not excited about how mouth-watering these recipes are…

You don’t pay a dime. The recipe book will still be yours to keep, as a “thank you” for trying.

Q: I still don’t believe these recipes can end my intense anxiety. How is this different and what really makes this work?

Intense anxiety or depression is nothing to take lightly. I know, because I struggled with both for not months, but years. 

The Anti Anxiety Recipe Plan is different because it takes a natural, holistic approach to restore balance back to your mind, health, and well-being. 

Sure, sometimes the strongest medical pills out there can “temporarily” relieve your suffering…but why not attack a major source for your anxiety and nourish your mind with the right nutrients instead?

[allenmendezsr]

The Anti-anxiety Recipe Plan

New Post has been published on https://autotraffixpro.app/allenmendezsr/the-anti-anxiety-recipe-plan/

The Anti-anxiety Recipe Plan

 Buy Now

    ATTENTION: For anyone that struggles with high-stress levels, depression, insomnia, or a troubled state of mind, you can discover…

Dear Friend,

It’s time to put yourself back in the driver’s seat of your life. 

Poor mental health is a serious subject, and it should never be taken lightly. 

Over the next few minutes, I’m going to share with you how you can attack one of the major contributors of anxiety. 

Your stress, worry, and fears should never dictate how you should live your life ever again…

And you can conquer these feelings, WITHOUT taking any medication to “temporarily” ease your mind. 

First, you need to understand that the key to feeling calm and collected and not “lost in your head” is to master what some doctors call “your second brain.”

I know it sounds crazy, but let me explain.

Introducing…

Listen: there is no one simple cure for anxiety.

Since there are a lot of different variables that lead to it, it takes more than one change to get rid of anxiety for good.  

You see, most people don’t “get” how your diet plays a MAJOR role with how the rest of your body, and more importantly, your mind functions. 

Enter The Anti-Anxiety Recipe Plan.

If you’re someone who suffers from anxiety, this recipe book will help you take an entirely natural approach to improve your mind and well-being. 

You’ve heard this saying before—

“You are what you eat.”

And according to research from John Hopkins Medical School, whenever you’re nervous or anxious, you’re likely getting signals from an unexpected source—your gut. 

AKA your “second brain.” 

It’s the reason why you’ll feel your stomach “act up” right before an important event, like a job interview or even a hot date. 

Studies like this are revolutionizing the way people look at digestion, mood, your health, and yes, the way you think.

The recipes inside The Anti Anxiety Recipe Plan remove ingredients that inflame your gut, leave you in a sluggish mental state, or trigger anxiety. 

That’s why the launch for this book is taking the health and wellness community by storm… 

Instead of eating recipes full of refined and unnatural foods, The Anti Anxiety Recipe Plan uses ingredients like antioxidants, healthy fats, and healing herbs. 

And they’re not just good for you. Inside, you’ll find 50+ anxiety-relieving recipes so mouth-watering, they’ll blow your favorite stuffed crust pizza out of the water.

Dishes like Korean Style Steak and Kimchi Wraps…Sweet Potato Frittatas…Turmeric Tahini Buddha Bowls…Crispy Baked Chicken Cutlets…and Lemon Poppylicious Energy Balls

(And they blast anxiety away with each bite)

These “Holistic Mind Soothing Ingredients” are time-tested, proven, all-natural ingredients that BANISH anxiety and SOOTHE your mind.

Not only that, but you can use them to regain your health, energy, and vitality. 

How?

Each recipe leverages the power of the Paleo Diet.

Because sure, Paleo is still making waves everywhere.

It’s recently been featured on popular shows like Rachael Ray and Dr. Oz, and it’s backed by leading Doctors and Nutritionists. It’s even used by celebrities like Megan Fox, Jessica Biel, and Anne Hathaway!

And for good reason:

The Paleo diet works by eating whole foods that have kept humans healthy for centuries. 

The core principles are simple:

No processed foods

No dairy

No refined sugars

Basically, if your “stone age ancestors” didn’t eat it, neither should you.

Every meal in this diet usually has 2/3 vegetables and 1/3 of lean protein, fruits, and healthy fat. 

However, it’s not all fun and games…

Because before today, going Paleo meant giving up ALL gluten, dairy, processed sugar, and artificial ingredients.

HOWEVER…

The Anti-Anxiety Recipe Plan is changing all of that…

And lets us indulge in appetizing, paleo-friendly versions of everything we’re told to “give up” on the paleo diet.

Imagine!

Avo Choco Mousse…Maple Macaroons…Cherry Chocolate Chip Smoothies…Cinnamon Apples…

Wait until you see the gorgeous photos below.

But before we get there, allow me to introduce myself:

Hi, my name is Danny Jeffers.

I’m a health and wellness enthusiast and for years I’ve struggled with life-crippling anxiety. That’s why for the past six months, I’ve been obsessed with one single goal…

Today, I’m proud to say I’ve finally cracked the “Anxiety-Code”. I’ve discovered 50+ Anti-Anxiety recipes that are downright to-die-for…

And I want to share them with you too.

So you can nourish both your mind and body, live a life full of energy, and escape your negative thoughts… 

WITHOUT using medication.

WITHOUT giving up your favorite guilty pleasures.

And WITHOUT eating the same, bland foods every day.

What’s more: these recipes will work for you even if you’ve tried other diets…

You see, you don’t have to be a whiz in the kitchen, and you don’t need to give up hours of your time to figure out each recipe. 

The holistic, mind-soothing ingredients in The Anti-Anxiety Recipe Plan are here to calm you down, not cause any more stress.

It’s difficult to share but I think it’s important so here we go…

I didn’t know I was going to end up in the ER that day.

It was a regular Thursday morning. And as I got out of bed, I whipped up what I thought at the time, was a “healthy” breakfast.

If you saw me in public you would think nothing was wrong with me.

I exercised every day, had a good job, a girlfriend, and had a ton of friends. 

Yet despite looking like everything was “right” in my life, I was exhausted and beat myself up daily with self-criticism.

I hated my life for no good reason at all…

My mind was foggy. My head was constantly dizzy. 

I just felt so…off.

Sound familiar?

At the same time, I felt like I had to always be “on edge.” 

I overthought EVERYTHING. 

Sometimes it felt like I would just “forget” how to talk to people too. 

“Should I talk now?”

“Am I saying the right thing?”

“How do I know everything is going to be okay?” 

But it gets worse.

These “symptoms” only scratch the surface. 

Because the second noon hit that day, it was like someone hijacked my mind. 

I was in the middle of a small meeting for my work, right in the heart of downtown Santa Monica, California. 

Something in my head screamed at me to leave NOW.

I swear, it was like my mind was warning me that I was being chased down by a tiger. 

My breathing grew heavy, so I stood up and rushed outside of the building to get some fresh air.

But still, I could sense my anxiety clawing right through my skin… 

I looked around me. 

It really was a beautiful day in Santa Monica, the sun was shining, the palm trees swaying…

But underneath it all, I felt broken. 

I thought to myself, “did somebody drug me?”

Nothing made sense. 

After pacing around the streets like a madman, I used my shaky hands to call up an Uber so I could retreat to my home. 

I just knew I couldn’t stay here. 

Then, after waiting for what felt like HOURS I finally got into my Uber and continued to sweat bullets.

Inside the car, I desperately scrambled to tell my driver that I NEEDED to go to the ER NOW. 

He rushed me over. 

And as you can probably guess, they couldn’t tell me a straight answer for what was wrong with me.  

A kind nurse told me it might’ve been just vertigo and it would eventually “go away.”

The rest of the staff said to “sleep it off…”

Seriously? 

That was the best answer I could get? 

I must’ve been going insane. I wanted to give up.

Was this just a one-time thing?

But for the next few months, my anxiety would rear its ugly head again…

My negative self-talk would creep in at random parts of the day.

And my brain would fire off alarm bells during normal moments…

Like right before an important presentation I had to give at work…

While talking to a coworker…

Sitting in a crowded room with strangers…or friends…

And even while getting a haircut…!

This intense anxiety dripped into other parts of my life too…

Eventually, I couldn’t focus at work anymore.

And my relationship with my beautiful girlfriend strained. 

I felt suffocated from it all. 

But here’s the thing.

I never told anyone I suffered from anxiety. 

That’s because I didn’t want to deal with the “stigma” or feel embarrassed over it.  

Still, I couldn’t stand feeling this way anymore.

I started experimenting with antidepressants. 

Whenever doctors would prescribe me medicine or a new over the counter pill, I would ask them if I could have three more…

I just wanted to do whatever it took to finally BANISH my anxiety for good. 

You name it, I’ve tried it.

Yet nothing really worked.

Sometimes they would only make me feel a little better…

But I still felt some symptoms.

The rush of uncertainty….

The heightened senses…

Me questioning every tiny thing…

And that’s IF I didn’t feel like a zombie.

I couldn’t go on like this.

So I started looking for a holistic approach. 

No, not meditation. 

It’s already hard enough to meditate WITHOUT anxiety, how in the world would I be able to “clear my mind” with it?

I thought I could find something else. 

The more I dove into this problem, the more I learned.

And then I discovered that…

Remember what I mentioned earlier.

Some doctors call your gut “the second brain.”

Sounds strange but it’s true.

Your gut and mind are connected. 

Together, they help determine your overall health, so when your gut health is out of balance, your body and mind will know it too!

Like I said, I discovered this after reviewing studies from John Hopkins Medical School, Harvard, The National Center for Biotechnology, and Psychology Today. 

For example, you probably already knew that most fried foods like french fries, chicken, and onion rings are terrible for your health.

They’re cooked in hydrogenated oil so they’re harder to digest.

These foods will sap your energy levels, even HOURS after you eat them! 

Yet it may surprise you to know that some “everyday” foods you might think are “healthy” for you, throw your entire nervous system out of whack too. 

Sometimes, their negative effect is so powerful, you can overstimulate your nervous system to the point that it feels like you’re reliving a stressful life event or bad memory. 

And I’m not just talking about coffee, or anything with caffeine either. 

Too much dairy and something as simple as your favorite fruit juice can also give you fatigue and make it difficult to concentrate. 

I took a good, hard look at my diet and what I’ve been feeding “my second brain” for years…

Here I was lost in my daily dose of mental hell, and the reason was right in front of me this entire time…

So now you know that your gut has a deeper connection to the rest of your body, and especially your anxiety…

What do you do?

You can’t “numb” your senses with medication, because they only help “manage” your anxiety for the short term.

And you can’t just “skip” certain meals, because the drop in your body’s sugar levels can lead to a spike in anxiety too!

When one of my friends introduced me to an all-natural, real food, paleo diet… my state of mind finally began to return to normal.

Almost instantly, my brain fog, dizziness, and near fight-or-flight symptoms vanished. 

My anxiety wasn’t gnawing at my conscious 24/7. 

And for the first time in what must’ve been YEARS, I was overflowing with real, natural joy.

But like I said before, the only drawback?

Paleo makes you cut grains, high-fat meats, sugar, salty foods…

The list goes on…

Basically this means I couldn’t keep eating anything tasty.

My pizza, doughnuts, and everything in between.

As a result, my cravings went bonkers!

Perhaps you can relate:

I wanted to chow down on cheesecake after dinner…

I wanted to devour a frozen pizza with my friends and watch Game of Thrones with a cold one in my hand…

And there’s nothing else out there that hits the spot like my mom’s infamous spaghetti and meatballs.

But now I couldn’t indulge in any of those guilty pleasures…

So I searched far and wide, looking for a chef who understood the deep relationship food has with your mind…

Not only that, but I was also looking for someone who knew how to whip-up delicious, mouth-watering meals in a snap. 

And that’s when I met…

Let me introduce, Melissa.

Melissa is a certified nutritional chef and graduate from The Academy of Culinary Nutrition. 

She has a knack for re-creating “unhealthy dishes” and turning them into a healthy meal packed with flavor. 

You’ve probably seen some of her recipes cooked on Dr. Oz, and featured on The Kitchen Blog for Fisher, Paykel Appliances, and Readers Digest. 

Melissa gets it. 

Not only is she extremely passionate about cooking, but she loves sharing her knowledge of all things health. 

I got the chance to meet her in New York City after going to one of her health and wellness workshops. 

At the event, she talked about her personalized nutrition programs, and she gave a demonstration of one of her original recipes.

But what really struck a chord with me was when she talked about the “gut-brain connection” I already did a ton of research on. 

When the event ended, I went up to her and shared with her what I’ve learned about this subject too. 

She was open with me and she shared her struggles with chronic stress, food sensitivities, fatigue, and anxiety. 

At first she thought there was nothing seriously wrong with her…maybe you’re like her. 

You see, she worked long hours and was a “road warrior” that was constantly on the go.

Whenever she would visit a traditional doctor to tackle this problem, they would just try to give her pills…

But there was no way she would go through that downward spiral.

Instead, she took another close look at her recipes. 

She figured out how she could adjust them so that they would not only help her with food allergies, but also with her stress and anxiety too! 

And of course, as a top chef, she knew she had made sure they were delicious. 

The result?

The Anti-Anxiety Recipe Plan, her new recipe book filled with 50+ mouth-watering anxiety relieving recipes that lets you indulge while keeping your mind clear and your heart happy.

While I was with her in person, she shared with me a couple of the dishes she put together in her book. 

I sampled them, and had to double check with her to ask her again what the ingredients were…

I told her right then that she had to share the recipes in this book with more people. 

Listen: no one wants to force bland, lifeless food down their throat. 

That’s why Inside The Anti-Anxiety Recipe Plan, you can be rest assured, every recipe is bursting with flavor.

Each bite of the chocolate chip muffins or cranberry orange bread is warm and scrumptious.

The mouth-watering sweet potato frittata is savory. 

And the chicken cutlets and broiled salmon are rich and filling. 

The cherry on top is that if you’re looking to shed an extra few pounds and feel more energized than ever, they can be made PALEO…

What’s cool is most of these can be made within minutes… and without any expensive equipment.

Meaning using exactly what you have laying around your kitchen right now, you can dig in immediately after work… guilt free!

You can forget having to go to different grocery stores every week…

Each ingredient can be found at your local grocery chain. So these recipes aren’t just delicious and good for you, they’re convenient too!

Goodbye grueling grocery store visits… hello easy mood and easy food.

Remember: each recipe is natural and nourishes your “second brain.” This means you won’t have to deal with any weird chemicals.

For each page, there’s a nutritional breakdown and explanation for how each ingredient soothes your mind and body. 

So the bottom line is this: there’s something for everyone!

And just to reiterate one more time…

Look: nobody likes complicated recipes, especially if you’re someone suffering from anxiety and high-stress levels. 

That’s why each recipe in The Anti-Anxiety Recipe Plan is made simple! 

Most can be prepared in 15-30 minutes…

And some, even quicker!

Don’t worry, you don’t have to be Gordon Ramsay to whip these up. 

Even if you struggle to prepare the most basic recipes, you’ll still be able to make these tasty, mind-soothing meals, snacks, and desserts in The Anti-Anxiety Recipe Plan with no problem. 

You might also be concerned about the ingredients…

And specifically, where you can get them…

Now, I’ll be straight with you:

If this is your first cookbook, then sure, some of the ingredients will be new.

But most — if not all — are laying around your kitchen already.

Things like cinnamon, baking soda, lemon juice…

And any ingredients you need to get can be found in your closest “normal” grocery store or found online (from the comfort of your own home) on Amazon.

Plus each recipe includes a breakdown of how fast it takes to make each meal. You’ll also have an inside look behind HOW each ingredient nourishes both your mind and body.

I wanted to share with you what’s included in The Anti Anxiety Recipe Plan because originally, the price for this hovered over $65.

However, Melissa and her the publisher’s have agreed to give this away for NOWHERE near that amount!

All in all, you’re getting:

And I’m even going to make sure that you don’t risk a penny when you pick up a copy of The Anti-Anxiety Recipe Plan today.

That’s because you’re backed by this…

I want to share this recipe book with you, at no risk.

All the pressure is on me.

Why am I doing this? 

Because I’ve been there.

I know what it feels like to try and make a difference in your health and well-being.

And I know how it is to try and make something healthy and delicious at the end of every anxiety-ridden day.

I get how complicated things can get in the kitchen.

So regardless if this is your first time on the paleo diet, or your first time cooking real, natural food that’s good for your health and well-being. 

I want you to experience the life-changing benefits I went through with these holistic, mind-soothing ingredients.

And The Anti-Anxiety Recipe Plan does just that.

You’re at a crossroads now.

You can do what I did and spend the next few months or even YEARS testing out every antidepressant you can imagine trying to get rid of your anxiety alone…

Spending thousands of dollars on doctors visits, therapy sessions, and more…

Only to still “get by” trapped inside your mental prison…

Or… you can skip all of that insanity, ditch the pills, and save a ton of money by investing in your health today.

And remember, Melissa’s publishers are giving away this $65+ value recipe plan… All for the price of a medium size pizza.

It’s an investment in your happiness … which I’m sure is worth a lot more to you than the tiny cost of this recipe book.

Don’t you agree?

And remember, you risk nothing. You have a full 60 days to try out these recipes in The Anti Anxiety Recipe Plan yourself.

If you’re not jumping with joy over your improved mood, clearer mind, and if you’re not excited about how mouth-watering these recipes are…

You don’t pay a dime. The recipe book will still be yours to keep, as a “thank you” for trying. 

Let’s do this — together — click the button below and claim your copy of The Anti-Anxiety Recipe Plan right now:

Q: How will these recipes get rid of my anxiety?

Your mind and body are connected. In fact, some doctors call your gut the “second brain.” That’s why whenever you feel nervous, your stomach may growl or you’ll feel a little queasy.

So if you’re feeding your body the wrong foods, you’ll notice you feel more anxious, sluggish, and just “not right.”

The delicious meals inside The Anti Anxiety Recipe Plan are backed by holistic mind-soothing ingredients you can use to nourish your “second brain.”

Q: Can I find all the ingredients in a normal grocery store?

Yes, almost all of the ingredients in The Anti Anxiety Recipe Plan can be found in regular grocery stores (i.e. Target, Kroger, Wal-Mart, Publix, etc…) They’re also all on Amazon if you want to shop from the comfort of your own home, and can definitely be found in health food stores like Whole Foods.

Q: Are all meals, including the desserts, paleo-approved?

Yes, all of the breakfast, entrées, sides, salads, soups, and desserts are paleo-approved.

Q: How hard is it to prepare each meal following this book?

A majority of the meals and desserts can be put together in 15 minutes or less (not including cook/chill time) – the recipes are meant to be easy to follow so you can whip up these tasty dishes and treats for yourself and your loved ones with minimal effort.

Q: What allergens are in The Anti Anxiety Recipe Plan?

Some of the potential allergens you may want to be aware of include coconut (coconut flour, coconut oil, coconut milk/cream, and coconut butter), nuts (like almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts, and pecans), and eggs. Options for using butter or ghee in some recipes can easily be replaced with coconut oil to avoid all dairy.

Q: Is The Anti Anxiety Recipe Plan really backed by a 100% money-back-guarantee?

Yes. You risk nothing. You have a full 60 days to try out these recipes in The Anti Anxiety Recipe Plan yourself.

If you’re not jumping with joy over your improved mood, clearer mind, and if you’re not excited about how mouth-watering these recipes are…

You don’t pay a dime. The recipe book will still be yours to keep, as a “thank you” for trying.

Q: I still don’t believe these recipes can end my intense anxiety. How is this different and what really makes this work?

Intense anxiety or depression is nothing to take lightly. I know, because I struggled with both for not months, but years. 

The Anti Anxiety Recipe Plan is different because it takes a natural, holistic approach to restore balance back to your mind, health, and well-being. 

Sure, sometimes the strongest medical pills out there can “temporarily” relieve your suffering…but why not attack a major source for your anxiety and nourish your mind with the right nutrients instead?

[allenmendezsr]

The Anti-anxiety Recipe Plan

New Post has been published on https://autotraffixpro.app/allenmendezsr/the-anti-anxiety-recipe-plan/

The Anti-anxiety Recipe Plan

 Buy Now

    ATTENTION: For anyone that struggles with high-stress levels, depression, insomnia, or a troubled state of mind, you can discover…

Dear Friend,

It’s time to put yourself back in the driver’s seat of your life. 

Poor mental health is a serious subject, and it should never be taken lightly. 

Over the next few minutes, I’m going to share with you how you can attack one of the major contributors of anxiety. 

Your stress, worry, and fears should never dictate how you should live your life ever again…

And you can conquer these feelings, WITHOUT taking any medication to “temporarily” ease your mind. 

First, you need to understand that the key to feeling calm and collected and not “lost in your head” is to master what some doctors call “your second brain.”

I know it sounds crazy, but let me explain.

Introducing…

Listen: there is no one simple cure for anxiety.

Since there are a lot of different variables that lead to it, it takes more than one change to get rid of anxiety for good.  

You see, most people don’t “get” how your diet plays a MAJOR role with how the rest of your body, and more importantly, your mind functions. 

Enter The Anti-Anxiety Recipe Plan.

If you’re someone who suffers from anxiety, this recipe book will help you take an entirely natural approach to improve your mind and well-being. 

You’ve heard this saying before—

“You are what you eat.”

And according to research from John Hopkins Medical School, whenever you’re nervous or anxious, you’re likely getting signals from an unexpected source—your gut. 

AKA your “second brain.” 

It’s the reason why you’ll feel your stomach “act up” right before an important event, like a job interview or even a hot date. 

Studies like this are revolutionizing the way people look at digestion, mood, your health, and yes, the way you think.

The recipes inside The Anti Anxiety Recipe Plan remove ingredients that inflame your gut, leave you in a sluggish mental state, or trigger anxiety. 

That’s why the launch for this book is taking the health and wellness community by storm… 

Instead of eating recipes full of refined and unnatural foods, The Anti Anxiety Recipe Plan uses ingredients like antioxidants, healthy fats, and healing herbs. 

And they’re not just good for you. Inside, you’ll find 50+ anxiety-relieving recipes so mouth-watering, they’ll blow your favorite stuffed crust pizza out of the water.

Dishes like Korean Style Steak and Kimchi Wraps…Sweet Potato Frittatas…Turmeric Tahini Buddha Bowls…Crispy Baked Chicken Cutlets…and Lemon Poppylicious Energy Balls

(And they blast anxiety away with each bite)

These “Holistic Mind Soothing Ingredients” are time-tested, proven, all-natural ingredients that BANISH anxiety and SOOTHE your mind.

Not only that, but you can use them to regain your health, energy, and vitality. 

How?

Each recipe leverages the power of the Paleo Diet.

Because sure, Paleo is still making waves everywhere.

It’s recently been featured on popular shows like Rachael Ray and Dr. Oz, and it’s backed by leading Doctors and Nutritionists. It’s even used by celebrities like Megan Fox, Jessica Biel, and Anne Hathaway!

And for good reason:

The Paleo diet works by eating whole foods that have kept humans healthy for centuries. 

The core principles are simple:

No processed foods

No dairy

No refined sugars

Basically, if your “stone age ancestors” didn’t eat it, neither should you.

Every meal in this diet usually has 2/3 vegetables and 1/3 of lean protein, fruits, and healthy fat. 

However, it’s not all fun and games…

Because before today, going Paleo meant giving up ALL gluten, dairy, processed sugar, and artificial ingredients.

HOWEVER…

The Anti-Anxiety Recipe Plan is changing all of that…

And lets us indulge in appetizing, paleo-friendly versions of everything we’re told to “give up” on the paleo diet.

Imagine!

Avo Choco Mousse…Maple Macaroons…Cherry Chocolate Chip Smoothies…Cinnamon Apples…

Wait until you see the gorgeous photos below.

But before we get there, allow me to introduce myself:

Hi, my name is Danny Jeffers.

I’m a health and wellness enthusiast and for years I’ve struggled with life-crippling anxiety. That’s why for the past six months, I’ve been obsessed with one single goal…

Today, I’m proud to say I’ve finally cracked the “Anxiety-Code”. I’ve discovered 50+ Anti-Anxiety recipes that are downright to-die-for…

And I want to share them with you too.

So you can nourish both your mind and body, live a life full of energy, and escape your negative thoughts… 

WITHOUT using medication.

WITHOUT giving up your favorite guilty pleasures.

And WITHOUT eating the same, bland foods every day.

What’s more: these recipes will work for you even if you’ve tried other diets…

You see, you don’t have to be a whiz in the kitchen, and you don’t need to give up hours of your time to figure out each recipe. 

The holistic, mind-soothing ingredients in The Anti-Anxiety Recipe Plan are here to calm you down, not cause any more stress.

It’s difficult to share but I think it’s important so here we go…

I didn’t know I was going to end up in the ER that day.

It was a regular Thursday morning. And as I got out of bed, I whipped up what I thought at the time, was a “healthy” breakfast.

If you saw me in public you would think nothing was wrong with me.

I exercised every day, had a good job, a girlfriend, and had a ton of friends. 

Yet despite looking like everything was “right” in my life, I was exhausted and beat myself up daily with self-criticism.

I hated my life for no good reason at all…

My mind was foggy. My head was constantly dizzy. 

I just felt so…off.

Sound familiar?

At the same time, I felt like I had to always be “on edge.” 

I overthought EVERYTHING. 

Sometimes it felt like I would just “forget” how to talk to people too. 

“Should I talk now?”

“Am I saying the right thing?”

“How do I know everything is going to be okay?” 

But it gets worse.

These “symptoms” only scratch the surface. 

Because the second noon hit that day, it was like someone hijacked my mind. 

I was in the middle of a small meeting for my work, right in the heart of downtown Santa Monica, California. 

Something in my head screamed at me to leave NOW.

I swear, it was like my mind was warning me that I was being chased down by a tiger. 

My breathing grew heavy, so I stood up and rushed outside of the building to get some fresh air.

But still, I could sense my anxiety clawing right through my skin… 

I looked around me. 

It really was a beautiful day in Santa Monica, the sun was shining, the palm trees swaying…

But underneath it all, I felt broken. 

I thought to myself, “did somebody drug me?”

Nothing made sense. 

After pacing around the streets like a madman, I used my shaky hands to call up an Uber so I could retreat to my home. 

I just knew I couldn’t stay here. 

Then, after waiting for what felt like HOURS I finally got into my Uber and continued to sweat bullets.

Inside the car, I desperately scrambled to tell my driver that I NEEDED to go to the ER NOW. 

He rushed me over. 

And as you can probably guess, they couldn’t tell me a straight answer for what was wrong with me.  

A kind nurse told me it might’ve been just vertigo and it would eventually “go away.”

The rest of the staff said to “sleep it off…”

Seriously? 

That was the best answer I could get? 

I must’ve been going insane. I wanted to give up.

Was this just a one-time thing?

But for the next few months, my anxiety would rear its ugly head again…

My negative self-talk would creep in at random parts of the day.

And my brain would fire off alarm bells during normal moments…

Like right before an important presentation I had to give at work…

While talking to a coworker…

Sitting in a crowded room with strangers…or friends…

And even while getting a haircut…!

This intense anxiety dripped into other parts of my life too…

Eventually, I couldn’t focus at work anymore.

And my relationship with my beautiful girlfriend strained. 

I felt suffocated from it all. 

But here’s the thing.

I never told anyone I suffered from anxiety. 

That’s because I didn’t want to deal with the “stigma” or feel embarrassed over it.  

Still, I couldn’t stand feeling this way anymore.

I started experimenting with antidepressants. 

Whenever doctors would prescribe me medicine or a new over the counter pill, I would ask them if I could have three more…

I just wanted to do whatever it took to finally BANISH my anxiety for good. 

You name it, I’ve tried it.

Yet nothing really worked.

Sometimes they would only make me feel a little better…

But I still felt some symptoms.

The rush of uncertainty….

The heightened senses…

Me questioning every tiny thing…

And that’s IF I didn’t feel like a zombie.

I couldn’t go on like this.

So I started looking for a holistic approach. 

No, not meditation. 

It’s already hard enough to meditate WITHOUT anxiety, how in the world would I be able to “clear my mind” with it?

I thought I could find something else. 

The more I dove into this problem, the more I learned.

And then I discovered that…

Remember what I mentioned earlier.

Some doctors call your gut “the second brain.”

Sounds strange but it’s true.

Your gut and mind are connected. 

Together, they help determine your overall health, so when your gut health is out of balance, your body and mind will know it too!

Like I said, I discovered this after reviewing studies from John Hopkins Medical School, Harvard, The National Center for Biotechnology, and Psychology Today. 

For example, you probably already knew that most fried foods like french fries, chicken, and onion rings are terrible for your health.

They’re cooked in hydrogenated oil so they’re harder to digest.

These foods will sap your energy levels, even HOURS after you eat them! 

Yet it may surprise you to know that some “everyday” foods you might think are “healthy” for you, throw your entire nervous system out of whack too. 

Sometimes, their negative effect is so powerful, you can overstimulate your nervous system to the point that it feels like you’re reliving a stressful life event or bad memory. 

And I’m not just talking about coffee, or anything with caffeine either. 

Too much dairy and something as simple as your favorite fruit juice can also give you fatigue and make it difficult to concentrate. 

I took a good, hard look at my diet and what I’ve been feeding “my second brain” for years…

Here I was lost in my daily dose of mental hell, and the reason was right in front of me this entire time…

So now you know that your gut has a deeper connection to the rest of your body, and especially your anxiety…

What do you do?

You can’t “numb” your senses with medication, because they only help “manage” your anxiety for the short term.

And you can’t just “skip” certain meals, because the drop in your body’s sugar levels can lead to a spike in anxiety too!

When one of my friends introduced me to an all-natural, real food, paleo diet… my state of mind finally began to return to normal.

Almost instantly, my brain fog, dizziness, and near fight-or-flight symptoms vanished. 

My anxiety wasn’t gnawing at my conscious 24/7. 

And for the first time in what must’ve been YEARS, I was overflowing with real, natural joy.

But like I said before, the only drawback?

Paleo makes you cut grains, high-fat meats, sugar, salty foods…

The list goes on…

Basically this means I couldn’t keep eating anything tasty.

My pizza, doughnuts, and everything in between.

As a result, my cravings went bonkers!

Perhaps you can relate:

I wanted to chow down on cheesecake after dinner…

I wanted to devour a frozen pizza with my friends and watch Game of Thrones with a cold one in my hand…

And there’s nothing else out there that hits the spot like my mom’s infamous spaghetti and meatballs.

But now I couldn’t indulge in any of those guilty pleasures…

So I searched far and wide, looking for a chef who understood the deep relationship food has with your mind…

Not only that, but I was also looking for someone who knew how to whip-up delicious, mouth-watering meals in a snap. 

And that’s when I met…

Let me introduce, Melissa.

Melissa is a certified nutritional chef and graduate from The Academy of Culinary Nutrition. 

She has a knack for re-creating “unhealthy dishes” and turning them into a healthy meal packed with flavor. 

You’ve probably seen some of her recipes cooked on Dr. Oz, and featured on The Kitchen Blog for Fisher, Paykel Appliances, and Readers Digest. 

Melissa gets it. 

Not only is she extremely passionate about cooking, but she loves sharing her knowledge of all things health. 

I got the chance to meet her in New York City after going to one of her health and wellness workshops. 

At the event, she talked about her personalized nutrition programs, and she gave a demonstration of one of her original recipes.

But what really struck a chord with me was when she talked about the “gut-brain connection” I already did a ton of research on. 

When the event ended, I went up to her and shared with her what I’ve learned about this subject too. 

She was open with me and she shared her struggles with chronic stress, food sensitivities, fatigue, and anxiety. 

At first she thought there was nothing seriously wrong with her…maybe you’re like her. 

You see, she worked long hours and was a “road warrior” that was constantly on the go.

Whenever she would visit a traditional doctor to tackle this problem, they would just try to give her pills…

But there was no way she would go through that downward spiral.

Instead, she took another close look at her recipes. 

She figured out how she could adjust them so that they would not only help her with food allergies, but also with her stress and anxiety too! 

And of course, as a top chef, she knew she had made sure they were delicious. 

The result?

The Anti-Anxiety Recipe Plan, her new recipe book filled with 50+ mouth-watering anxiety relieving recipes that lets you indulge while keeping your mind clear and your heart happy.

While I was with her in person, she shared with me a couple of the dishes she put together in her book. 

I sampled them, and had to double check with her to ask her again what the ingredients were…

I told her right then that she had to share the recipes in this book with more people. 

Listen: no one wants to force bland, lifeless food down their throat. 

That’s why Inside The Anti-Anxiety Recipe Plan, you can be rest assured, every recipe is bursting with flavor.

Each bite of the chocolate chip muffins or cranberry orange bread is warm and scrumptious.

The mouth-watering sweet potato frittata is savory. 

And the chicken cutlets and broiled salmon are rich and filling. 

The cherry on top is that if you’re looking to shed an extra few pounds and feel more energized than ever, they can be made PALEO…

What’s cool is most of these can be made within minutes… and without any expensive equipment.

Meaning using exactly what you have laying around your kitchen right now, you can dig in immediately after work… guilt free!

You can forget having to go to different grocery stores every week…

Each ingredient can be found at your local grocery chain. So these recipes aren’t just delicious and good for you, they’re convenient too!

Goodbye grueling grocery store visits… hello easy mood and easy food.

Remember: each recipe is natural and nourishes your “second brain.” This means you won’t have to deal with any weird chemicals.

For each page, there’s a nutritional breakdown and explanation for how each ingredient soothes your mind and body. 

So the bottom line is this: there’s something for everyone!

And just to reiterate one more time…

Look: nobody likes complicated recipes, especially if you’re someone suffering from anxiety and high-stress levels. 

That’s why each recipe in The Anti-Anxiety Recipe Plan is made simple! 

Most can be prepared in 15-30 minutes…

And some, even quicker!

Don’t worry, you don’t have to be Gordon Ramsay to whip these up. 

Even if you struggle to prepare the most basic recipes, you’ll still be able to make these tasty, mind-soothing meals, snacks, and desserts in The Anti-Anxiety Recipe Plan with no problem. 

You might also be concerned about the ingredients…

And specifically, where you can get them…

Now, I’ll be straight with you:

If this is your first cookbook, then sure, some of the ingredients will be new.

But most — if not all — are laying around your kitchen already.

Things like cinnamon, baking soda, lemon juice…

And any ingredients you need to get can be found in your closest “normal” grocery store or found online (from the comfort of your own home) on Amazon.

Plus each recipe includes a breakdown of how fast it takes to make each meal. You’ll also have an inside look behind HOW each ingredient nourishes both your mind and body.

I wanted to share with you what’s included in The Anti Anxiety Recipe Plan because originally, the price for this hovered over $65.

However, Melissa and her the publisher’s have agreed to give this away for NOWHERE near that amount!

All in all, you’re getting:

And I’m even going to make sure that you don’t risk a penny when you pick up a copy of The Anti-Anxiety Recipe Plan today.

That’s because you’re backed by this…

I want to share this recipe book with you, at no risk.

All the pressure is on me.

Why am I doing this? 

Because I’ve been there.

I know what it feels like to try and make a difference in your health and well-being.

And I know how it is to try and make something healthy and delicious at the end of every anxiety-ridden day.

I get how complicated things can get in the kitchen.

So regardless if this is your first time on the paleo diet, or your first time cooking real, natural food that’s good for your health and well-being. 

I want you to experience the life-changing benefits I went through with these holistic, mind-soothing ingredients.

And The Anti-Anxiety Recipe Plan does just that.

You’re at a crossroads now.

You can do what I did and spend the next few months or even YEARS testing out every antidepressant you can imagine trying to get rid of your anxiety alone…

Spending thousands of dollars on doctors visits, therapy sessions, and more…

Only to still “get by” trapped inside your mental prison…

Or… you can skip all of that insanity, ditch the pills, and save a ton of money by investing in your health today.

And remember, Melissa’s publishers are giving away this $65+ value recipe plan… All for the price of a medium size pizza.

It’s an investment in your happiness … which I’m sure is worth a lot more to you than the tiny cost of this recipe book.

Don’t you agree?

And remember, you risk nothing. You have a full 60 days to try out these recipes in The Anti Anxiety Recipe Plan yourself.

If you’re not jumping with joy over your improved mood, clearer mind, and if you’re not excited about how mouth-watering these recipes are…

You don’t pay a dime. The recipe book will still be yours to keep, as a “thank you” for trying. 

Let’s do this — together — click the button below and claim your copy of The Anti-Anxiety Recipe Plan right now:

Q: How will these recipes get rid of my anxiety?

Your mind and body are connected. In fact, some doctors call your gut the “second brain.” That’s why whenever you feel nervous, your stomach may growl or you’ll feel a little queasy.

So if you’re feeding your body the wrong foods, you’ll notice you feel more anxious, sluggish, and just “not right.”

The delicious meals inside The Anti Anxiety Recipe Plan are backed by holistic mind-soothing ingredients you can use to nourish your “second brain.”

Q: Can I find all the ingredients in a normal grocery store?

Yes, almost all of the ingredients in The Anti Anxiety Recipe Plan can be found in regular grocery stores (i.e. Target, Kroger, Wal-Mart, Publix, etc…) They’re also all on Amazon if you want to shop from the comfort of your own home, and can definitely be found in health food stores like Whole Foods.

Q: Are all meals, including the desserts, paleo-approved?

Yes, all of the breakfast, entrées, sides, salads, soups, and desserts are paleo-approved.

Q: How hard is it to prepare each meal following this book?

A majority of the meals and desserts can be put together in 15 minutes or less (not including cook/chill time) – the recipes are meant to be easy to follow so you can whip up these tasty dishes and treats for yourself and your loved ones with minimal effort.

Q: What allergens are in The Anti Anxiety Recipe Plan?

Some of the potential allergens you may want to be aware of include coconut (coconut flour, coconut oil, coconut milk/cream, and coconut butter), nuts (like almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts, and pecans), and eggs. Options for using butter or ghee in some recipes can easily be replaced with coconut oil to avoid all dairy.

Q: Is The Anti Anxiety Recipe Plan really backed by a 100% money-back-guarantee?

Yes. You risk nothing. You have a full 60 days to try out these recipes in The Anti Anxiety Recipe Plan yourself.

If you’re not jumping with joy over your improved mood, clearer mind, and if you’re not excited about how mouth-watering these recipes are…

You don’t pay a dime. The recipe book will still be yours to keep, as a “thank you” for trying.

Q: I still don’t believe these recipes can end my intense anxiety. How is this different and what really makes this work?

Intense anxiety or depression is nothing to take lightly. I know, because I struggled with both for not months, but years. 

The Anti Anxiety Recipe Plan is different because it takes a natural, holistic approach to restore balance back to your mind, health, and well-being. 

Sure, sometimes the strongest medical pills out there can “temporarily” relieve your suffering…but why not attack a major source for your anxiety and nourish your mind with the right nutrients instead?

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The Anti-anxiety Recipe Plan

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The Anti-anxiety Recipe Plan

 Buy Now

    ATTENTION: For anyone that struggles with high-stress levels, depression, insomnia, or a troubled state of mind, you can discover…

Dear Friend,

It’s time to put yourself back in the driver’s seat of your life. 

Poor mental health is a serious subject, and it should never be taken lightly. 

Over the next few minutes, I’m going to share with you how you can attack one of the major contributors of anxiety. 

Your stress, worry, and fears should never dictate how you should live your life ever again…

And you can conquer these feelings, WITHOUT taking any medication to “temporarily” ease your mind. 

First, you need to understand that the key to feeling calm and collected and not “lost in your head” is to master what some doctors call “your second brain.”

I know it sounds crazy, but let me explain.

Introducing…

Listen: there is no one simple cure for anxiety.

Since there are a lot of different variables that lead to it, it takes more than one change to get rid of anxiety for good.  

You see, most people don’t “get” how your diet plays a MAJOR role with how the rest of your body, and more importantly, your mind functions. 

Enter The Anti-Anxiety Recipe Plan.

If you’re someone who suffers from anxiety, this recipe book will help you take an entirely natural approach to improve your mind and well-being. 

You’ve heard this saying before—

“You are what you eat.”

And according to research from John Hopkins Medical School, whenever you’re nervous or anxious, you’re likely getting signals from an unexpected source—your gut. 

AKA your “second brain.” 

It’s the reason why you’ll feel your stomach “act up” right before an important event, like a job interview or even a hot date. 

Studies like this are revolutionizing the way people look at digestion, mood, your health, and yes, the way you think.

The recipes inside The Anti Anxiety Recipe Plan remove ingredients that inflame your gut, leave you in a sluggish mental state, or trigger anxiety. 

That’s why the launch for this book is taking the health and wellness community by storm… 

Instead of eating recipes full of refined and unnatural foods, The Anti Anxiety Recipe Plan uses ingredients like antioxidants, healthy fats, and healing herbs. 

And they’re not just good for you. Inside, you’ll find 50+ anxiety-relieving recipes so mouth-watering, they’ll blow your favorite stuffed crust pizza out of the water.

Dishes like Korean Style Steak and Kimchi Wraps…Sweet Potato Frittatas…Turmeric Tahini Buddha Bowls…Crispy Baked Chicken Cutlets…and Lemon Poppylicious Energy Balls

(And they blast anxiety away with each bite)

These “Holistic Mind Soothing Ingredients” are time-tested, proven, all-natural ingredients that BANISH anxiety and SOOTHE your mind.

Not only that, but you can use them to regain your health, energy, and vitality. 

How?

Each recipe leverages the power of the Paleo Diet.

Because sure, Paleo is still making waves everywhere.

It’s recently been featured on popular shows like Rachael Ray and Dr. Oz, and it’s backed by leading Doctors and Nutritionists. It’s even used by celebrities like Megan Fox, Jessica Biel, and Anne Hathaway!

And for good reason:

The Paleo diet works by eating whole foods that have kept humans healthy for centuries. 

The core principles are simple:

No processed foods

No dairy

No refined sugars

Basically, if your “stone age ancestors” didn’t eat it, neither should you.

Every meal in this diet usually has 2/3 vegetables and 1/3 of lean protein, fruits, and healthy fat. 

However, it’s not all fun and games…

Because before today, going Paleo meant giving up ALL gluten, dairy, processed sugar, and artificial ingredients.

HOWEVER…

The Anti-Anxiety Recipe Plan is changing all of that…

And lets us indulge in appetizing, paleo-friendly versions of everything we’re told to “give up” on the paleo diet.

Imagine!

Avo Choco Mousse…Maple Macaroons…Cherry Chocolate Chip Smoothies…Cinnamon Apples…

Wait until you see the gorgeous photos below.

But before we get there, allow me to introduce myself:

Hi, my name is Danny Jeffers.

I’m a health and wellness enthusiast and for years I’ve struggled with life-crippling anxiety. That’s why for the past six months, I’ve been obsessed with one single goal…

Today, I’m proud to say I’ve finally cracked the “Anxiety-Code”. I’ve discovered 50+ Anti-Anxiety recipes that are downright to-die-for…

And I want to share them with you too.

So you can nourish both your mind and body, live a life full of energy, and escape your negative thoughts… 

WITHOUT using medication.

WITHOUT giving up your favorite guilty pleasures.

And WITHOUT eating the same, bland foods every day.

What’s more: these recipes will work for you even if you’ve tried other diets…

You see, you don’t have to be a whiz in the kitchen, and you don’t need to give up hours of your time to figure out each recipe. 

The holistic, mind-soothing ingredients in The Anti-Anxiety Recipe Plan are here to calm you down, not cause any more stress.

It’s difficult to share but I think it’s important so here we go…

I didn’t know I was going to end up in the ER that day.

It was a regular Thursday morning. And as I got out of bed, I whipped up what I thought at the time, was a “healthy” breakfast.

If you saw me in public you would think nothing was wrong with me.

I exercised every day, had a good job, a girlfriend, and had a ton of friends. 

Yet despite looking like everything was “right” in my life, I was exhausted and beat myself up daily with self-criticism.

I hated my life for no good reason at all…

My mind was foggy. My head was constantly dizzy. 

I just felt so…off.

Sound familiar?

At the same time, I felt like I had to always be “on edge.” 

I overthought EVERYTHING. 

Sometimes it felt like I would just “forget” how to talk to people too. 

“Should I talk now?”

“Am I saying the right thing?”

“How do I know everything is going to be okay?” 

But it gets worse.

These “symptoms” only scratch the surface. 

Because the second noon hit that day, it was like someone hijacked my mind. 

I was in the middle of a small meeting for my work, right in the heart of downtown Santa Monica, California. 

Something in my head screamed at me to leave NOW.

I swear, it was like my mind was warning me that I was being chased down by a tiger. 

My breathing grew heavy, so I stood up and rushed outside of the building to get some fresh air.

But still, I could sense my anxiety clawing right through my skin… 

I looked around me. 

It really was a beautiful day in Santa Monica, the sun was shining, the palm trees swaying…

But underneath it all, I felt broken. 

I thought to myself, “did somebody drug me?”

Nothing made sense. 

After pacing around the streets like a madman, I used my shaky hands to call up an Uber so I could retreat to my home. 

I just knew I couldn’t stay here. 

Then, after waiting for what felt like HOURS I finally got into my Uber and continued to sweat bullets.

Inside the car, I desperately scrambled to tell my driver that I NEEDED to go to the ER NOW. 

He rushed me over. 

And as you can probably guess, they couldn’t tell me a straight answer for what was wrong with me.  

A kind nurse told me it might’ve been just vertigo and it would eventually “go away.”

The rest of the staff said to “sleep it off…”

Seriously? 

That was the best answer I could get? 

I must’ve been going insane. I wanted to give up.

Was this just a one-time thing?

But for the next few months, my anxiety would rear its ugly head again…

My negative self-talk would creep in at random parts of the day.

And my brain would fire off alarm bells during normal moments…

Like right before an important presentation I had to give at work…

While talking to a coworker…

Sitting in a crowded room with strangers…or friends…

And even while getting a haircut…!

This intense anxiety dripped into other parts of my life too…

Eventually, I couldn’t focus at work anymore.

And my relationship with my beautiful girlfriend strained. 

I felt suffocated from it all. 

But here’s the thing.

I never told anyone I suffered from anxiety. 

That’s because I didn’t want to deal with the “stigma” or feel embarrassed over it.  

Still, I couldn’t stand feeling this way anymore.

I started experimenting with antidepressants. 

Whenever doctors would prescribe me medicine or a new over the counter pill, I would ask them if I could have three more…

I just wanted to do whatever it took to finally BANISH my anxiety for good. 

You name it, I’ve tried it.

Yet nothing really worked.

Sometimes they would only make me feel a little better…

But I still felt some symptoms.

The rush of uncertainty….

The heightened senses…

Me questioning every tiny thing…

And that’s IF I didn’t feel like a zombie.

I couldn’t go on like this.

So I started looking for a holistic approach. 

No, not meditation. 

It’s already hard enough to meditate WITHOUT anxiety, how in the world would I be able to “clear my mind” with it?

I thought I could find something else. 

The more I dove into this problem, the more I learned.

And then I discovered that…

Remember what I mentioned earlier.

Some doctors call your gut “the second brain.”

Sounds strange but it’s true.

Your gut and mind are connected. 

Together, they help determine your overall health, so when your gut health is out of balance, your body and mind will know it too!

Like I said, I discovered this after reviewing studies from John Hopkins Medical School, Harvard, The National Center for Biotechnology, and Psychology Today. 

For example, you probably already knew that most fried foods like french fries, chicken, and onion rings are terrible for your health.

They’re cooked in hydrogenated oil so they’re harder to digest.

These foods will sap your energy levels, even HOURS after you eat them! 

Yet it may surprise you to know that some “everyday” foods you might think are “healthy” for you, throw your entire nervous system out of whack too. 

Sometimes, their negative effect is so powerful, you can overstimulate your nervous system to the point that it feels like you’re reliving a stressful life event or bad memory. 

And I’m not just talking about coffee, or anything with caffeine either. 

Too much dairy and something as simple as your favorite fruit juice can also give you fatigue and make it difficult to concentrate. 

I took a good, hard look at my diet and what I’ve been feeding “my second brain” for years…

Here I was lost in my daily dose of mental hell, and the reason was right in front of me this entire time…

So now you know that your gut has a deeper connection to the rest of your body, and especially your anxiety…

What do you do?

You can’t “numb” your senses with medication, because they only help “manage” your anxiety for the short term.

And you can’t just “skip” certain meals, because the drop in your body’s sugar levels can lead to a spike in anxiety too!

When one of my friends introduced me to an all-natural, real food, paleo diet… my state of mind finally began to return to normal.

Almost instantly, my brain fog, dizziness, and near fight-or-flight symptoms vanished. 

My anxiety wasn’t gnawing at my conscious 24/7. 

And for the first time in what must’ve been YEARS, I was overflowing with real, natural joy.

But like I said before, the only drawback?

Paleo makes you cut grains, high-fat meats, sugar, salty foods…

The list goes on…

Basically this means I couldn’t keep eating anything tasty.

My pizza, doughnuts, and everything in between.

As a result, my cravings went bonkers!

Perhaps you can relate:

I wanted to chow down on cheesecake after dinner…

I wanted to devour a frozen pizza with my friends and watch Game of Thrones with a cold one in my hand…

And there’s nothing else out there that hits the spot like my mom’s infamous spaghetti and meatballs.

But now I couldn’t indulge in any of those guilty pleasures…

So I searched far and wide, looking for a chef who understood the deep relationship food has with your mind…

Not only that, but I was also looking for someone who knew how to whip-up delicious, mouth-watering meals in a snap. 

And that’s when I met…

Let me introduce, Melissa.

Melissa is a certified nutritional chef and graduate from The Academy of Culinary Nutrition. 

She has a knack for re-creating “unhealthy dishes” and turning them into a healthy meal packed with flavor. 

You’ve probably seen some of her recipes cooked on Dr. Oz, and featured on The Kitchen Blog for Fisher, Paykel Appliances, and Readers Digest. 

Melissa gets it. 

Not only is she extremely passionate about cooking, but she loves sharing her knowledge of all things health. 

I got the chance to meet her in New York City after going to one of her health and wellness workshops. 

At the event, she talked about her personalized nutrition programs, and she gave a demonstration of one of her original recipes.

But what really struck a chord with me was when she talked about the “gut-brain connection” I already did a ton of research on. 

When the event ended, I went up to her and shared with her what I’ve learned about this subject too. 

She was open with me and she shared her struggles with chronic stress, food sensitivities, fatigue, and anxiety. 

At first she thought there was nothing seriously wrong with her…maybe you’re like her. 

You see, she worked long hours and was a “road warrior” that was constantly on the go.

Whenever she would visit a traditional doctor to tackle this problem, they would just try to give her pills…

But there was no way she would go through that downward spiral.

Instead, she took another close look at her recipes. 

She figured out how she could adjust them so that they would not only help her with food allergies, but also with her stress and anxiety too! 

And of course, as a top chef, she knew she had made sure they were delicious. 

The result?

The Anti-Anxiety Recipe Plan, her new recipe book filled with 50+ mouth-watering anxiety relieving recipes that lets you indulge while keeping your mind clear and your heart happy.

While I was with her in person, she shared with me a couple of the dishes she put together in her book. 

I sampled them, and had to double check with her to ask her again what the ingredients were…

I told her right then that she had to share the recipes in this book with more people. 

Listen: no one wants to force bland, lifeless food down their throat. 

That’s why Inside The Anti-Anxiety Recipe Plan, you can be rest assured, every recipe is bursting with flavor.

Each bite of the chocolate chip muffins or cranberry orange bread is warm and scrumptious.

The mouth-watering sweet potato frittata is savory. 

And the chicken cutlets and broiled salmon are rich and filling. 

The cherry on top is that if you’re looking to shed an extra few pounds and feel more energized than ever, they can be made PALEO…

What’s cool is most of these can be made within minutes… and without any expensive equipment.

Meaning using exactly what you have laying around your kitchen right now, you can dig in immediately after work… guilt free!

You can forget having to go to different grocery stores every week…

Each ingredient can be found at your local grocery chain. So these recipes aren’t just delicious and good for you, they’re convenient too!

Goodbye grueling grocery store visits… hello easy mood and easy food.

Remember: each recipe is natural and nourishes your “second brain.” This means you won’t have to deal with any weird chemicals.

For each page, there’s a nutritional breakdown and explanation for how each ingredient soothes your mind and body. 

So the bottom line is this: there’s something for everyone!

And just to reiterate one more time…

Look: nobody likes complicated recipes, especially if you’re someone suffering from anxiety and high-stress levels. 

That’s why each recipe in The Anti-Anxiety Recipe Plan is made simple! 

Most can be prepared in 15-30 minutes…

And some, even quicker!

Don’t worry, you don’t have to be Gordon Ramsay to whip these up. 

Even if you struggle to prepare the most basic recipes, you’ll still be able to make these tasty, mind-soothing meals, snacks, and desserts in The Anti-Anxiety Recipe Plan with no problem. 

You might also be concerned about the ingredients…

And specifically, where you can get them…

Now, I’ll be straight with you:

If this is your first cookbook, then sure, some of the ingredients will be new.

But most — if not all — are laying around your kitchen already.

Things like cinnamon, baking soda, lemon juice…

And any ingredients you need to get can be found in your closest “normal” grocery store or found online (from the comfort of your own home) on Amazon.

Plus each recipe includes a breakdown of how fast it takes to make each meal. You’ll also have an inside look behind HOW each ingredient nourishes both your mind and body.

I wanted to share with you what’s included in The Anti Anxiety Recipe Plan because originally, the price for this hovered over $65.

However, Melissa and her the publisher’s have agreed to give this away for NOWHERE near that amount!

All in all, you’re getting:

And I’m even going to make sure that you don’t risk a penny when you pick up a copy of The Anti-Anxiety Recipe Plan today.

That’s because you’re backed by this…

I want to share this recipe book with you, at no risk.

All the pressure is on me.

Why am I doing this? 

Because I’ve been there.

I know what it feels like to try and make a difference in your health and well-being.

And I know how it is to try and make something healthy and delicious at the end of every anxiety-ridden day.

I get how complicated things can get in the kitchen.

So regardless if this is your first time on the paleo diet, or your first time cooking real, natural food that’s good for your health and well-being. 

I want you to experience the life-changing benefits I went through with these holistic, mind-soothing ingredients.

And The Anti-Anxiety Recipe Plan does just that.

You’re at a crossroads now.

You can do what I did and spend the next few months or even YEARS testing out every antidepressant you can imagine trying to get rid of your anxiety alone…

Spending thousands of dollars on doctors visits, therapy sessions, and more…

Only to still “get by” trapped inside your mental prison…

Or… you can skip all of that insanity, ditch the pills, and save a ton of money by investing in your health today.

And remember, Melissa’s publishers are giving away this $65+ value recipe plan… All for the price of a medium size pizza.

It’s an investment in your happiness … which I’m sure is worth a lot more to you than the tiny cost of this recipe book.

Don’t you agree?

And remember, you risk nothing. You have a full 60 days to try out these recipes in The Anti Anxiety Recipe Plan yourself.

If you’re not jumping with joy over your improved mood, clearer mind, and if you’re not excited about how mouth-watering these recipes are…

You don’t pay a dime. The recipe book will still be yours to keep, as a “thank you” for trying. 

Let’s do this — together — click the button below and claim your copy of The Anti-Anxiety Recipe Plan right now:

Q: How will these recipes get rid of my anxiety?

Your mind and body are connected. In fact, some doctors call your gut the “second brain.” That’s why whenever you feel nervous, your stomach may growl or you’ll feel a little queasy.

So if you’re feeding your body the wrong foods, you’ll notice you feel more anxious, sluggish, and just “not right.”

The delicious meals inside The Anti Anxiety Recipe Plan are backed by holistic mind-soothing ingredients you can use to nourish your “second brain.”

Q: Can I find all the ingredients in a normal grocery store?

Yes, almost all of the ingredients in The Anti Anxiety Recipe Plan can be found in regular grocery stores (i.e. Target, Kroger, Wal-Mart, Publix, etc…) They’re also all on Amazon if you want to shop from the comfort of your own home, and can definitely be found in health food stores like Whole Foods.

Q: Are all meals, including the desserts, paleo-approved?

Yes, all of the breakfast, entrées, sides, salads, soups, and desserts are paleo-approved.

Q: How hard is it to prepare each meal following this book?

A majority of the meals and desserts can be put together in 15 minutes or less (not including cook/chill time) – the recipes are meant to be easy to follow so you can whip up these tasty dishes and treats for yourself and your loved ones with minimal effort.

Q: What allergens are in The Anti Anxiety Recipe Plan?

Some of the potential allergens you may want to be aware of include coconut (coconut flour, coconut oil, coconut milk/cream, and coconut butter), nuts (like almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts, and pecans), and eggs. Options for using butter or ghee in some recipes can easily be replaced with coconut oil to avoid all dairy.

Q: Is The Anti Anxiety Recipe Plan really backed by a 100% money-back-guarantee?

Yes. You risk nothing. You have a full 60 days to try out these recipes in The Anti Anxiety Recipe Plan yourself.

If you’re not jumping with joy over your improved mood, clearer mind, and if you’re not excited about how mouth-watering these recipes are…

You don’t pay a dime. The recipe book will still be yours to keep, as a “thank you” for trying.

Q: I still don’t believe these recipes can end my intense anxiety. How is this different and what really makes this work?

Intense anxiety or depression is nothing to take lightly. I know, because I struggled with both for not months, but years. 

The Anti Anxiety Recipe Plan is different because it takes a natural, holistic approach to restore balance back to your mind, health, and well-being. 

Sure, sometimes the strongest medical pills out there can “temporarily” relieve your suffering…but why not attack a major source for your anxiety and nourish your mind with the right nutrients instead?