#is he benchpressing the patients

[biblicallyaccurateangeloncrack]

PLEASE IM SHITTING TABLES YOURE TELLING ME THIS GUYS NAME IS ACTUALLY RATIO I AM CRYING

[violette-hue]

hii could i please get a matchup?-

basic: july cancer, female, bisexual with fem preference but would like a male match

prompt: “Stop looking at me like that. People might get the impression that you’re soft.”

fandom: jujutsu kaisen (sfw)

looks: 5'7, wolfcut with brown hair, really light blue eyes, sandy skin, clean face, hourglass bod

personality: sarcastic but understanding and patient, toxic to those who are toxic to me, prett much if you're rude to me ill be rude back but if you're nice ill be nice as well. protective and will lie for the people i love, i get distracted easily and fidget with my fingers, stutters a lot

likes: dogs, music, late night drives/walks, working out (mostly benchpressing)

dislikes: racist people, anyone who judges people based on looks, people who discriminate, frogs

thank you and have a good day!!

Fandom: Jujutsu Kaisen (Megumi x Reader)

A/N: Im also a July cancer!

You had been sitting on the steps of the school when Megumi had asked to go into the city with you. Naturally, you were surprised. You had suspected he might have meant it as a date, but as you arrived at the cat cafe, you put two and two together.

“Is this a date?” you had asked, bluntly. No need to beat around the bush.

A light blush coated Megumi’s cheeks as he looked to the side.

“Sure,” he answered in a mumble.

You couldn’t help the smile that crossed your face. Happily, you sipped from the dainty cup. Megumi stole a glance your way, and when his eyes met yours, he returned the smile.

“Stop looking at me like that,” you muttered. Your cheeks heated with a blush. “People might get the impression that you’re soft.”

[idesofrevolution]

Innovative Coaching

Pulled unpublished story from the archives somewhere back in 2019… Second time uploading it, keeps getting flagged. Fingers crossed.

So imagine my surprise walking into the gym one day, thinking I'd get in a mundane treadmill workout and go home winded and 300 calories less, and see AJ teaching powerlifting in the freeweights section. Not wasting a single solitary moment, I rushed to the locker room, tossed my street clothes into the vacant locker, and burst out of the doorway to take my perch in the corner stairmaster machine. For the next thirty minutes, I climbed the tedious, neverending stairs and stared at an Adonis in the flesh.

He was a lot taller than I'd expected. The pictures of course gave a subtle glimpse into his true stature, but my expectations were blown seeing this 6'5 giant Russian Deadlift in front of me. With every strain and lift, the bulging of his veins exuded a sense of vanity and pride that did not go unnoticed by the comparatively amateur gymgoers observing. His grey tank top clung to his body like a second skin, drenched in a thick monsoon of sweat and testosterone. A grey pair of boxer-briefs peeked out of his white shorts, clearly a peacocking move perfected over years of practice and achievement. The barbell dropped to the ground with a cavernous crash, and even the passersby glancing in the floor length windows stopped to snatch a peek of this peak human form. I stared at him for what seemed like ages, until an unintended glance allowed our eyes to meet.

Pathetically, I tried to play it off, but couldn't escape the perturbing sensation his bedroom eyes left in me. Climbing each step, I prayed to whatever God floated above my head he wouldn't come my way. Yet, deep down... I craved it. My face buried in his crotch, smelling that hard-fought musk. Alas, God had heard this carnal desire instead of my pitiful pleas- a damp, sticky hand landed on my left shoulder.

"C'mon dude. Stairmasters aren't gonna get you where you need to be." I turned to him, transfixed not on his piercing gaze, but the more than apparent bulge and sweaty treasure trail hiding behind their cotton prison. "Free training session. Let's go bud." He reset the machine with a forceful thump of the cancel button. For a split second, I caught a tiny whiff of the unrestricted odor of non-deodorant pit stink. The tang of his scent was irresistible. He knew just as well as I that despite everything, he had me.

Leading me to the benchpress, we began our session. Patiently, he walked me through each rep and every set. Slowly increasing the weight as we progressed. Incline Bench. Cable Crunches. Deadlifts. Pec Fly. Lat Pulldowns. Back Extensions. You name it, he taught me masterfully how to attack it as if it were nothing. Don't get me wrong- I was in visceral pain unlike anything I'd experienced before; but it was a satisfying rush of endorphins going unparalleled. It was addicting. The sensation of pulsating muscles felt like a homecoming to me. To no small extent, it was owed to the constant barrage of testosterone-laden musk flowing from AJ. His groin, his pits, even his concealed feet emanated a strong, dirty odor that singed my nostrils and mind. It soothed my discomfort and energized me like no other preworkout could ever achieve. By the end of the free training session, I didn't know whether to collapse or to run a marathon.

I limped back into the empty locker room. The gym had emptied long prior, and it was just us in the pastel-colored chamber. I inserted my key into my locker, twisting it and intending to pull it open. AJ had different plans. He slammed his arms on either side of me, trapping me in his open grasp. It was alarming and enveloping all at once.

"You've been catching whiffs of me all night long, man." My face flushed and my eyes nearly bulged out of my skull. He'd caught me red-handed? "That's my secret man. I get this massive in the gym every day just so I can get a big lung-full of my scent as a reward." He grabbed my shaking hand, roughly giving me a handful of his dank endowment. "And now, you get your reward." He began to peel the sticky-sweet tank from his chiseled body, tossing it in my face. I tried to grasp it, but his strongarmed grip on my hand held it firmly in mid grope. "Don't you fucking dare. Cup those swollen seedmakers."

As my hands slid deeper I grasped the sausage and sagging golf balls he so proudly housed in his crotch. With one hand he tore my tee shirt in two, the other pushing his sweaty tank onto my face. He smirked devilishly, pulling my shorts and underwear to the ground with an effortless swipe. All the while that musk barreling down my throat, that sweat seeping into the very pores of my face. He pried my hand from his engorging cock only long enough to pull his own shorts and shoes off his body, before allowing me the honor of holding his erect uncut cock and dripping balls in the flesh.

"Yeah, that's right bud. Feels so good doesn't it?" I let out a muffled cry of ecstasy, overwhelmed in sensual overload. My face was pared away from it's sweaty heaven as he motioned for me to raise my arms to the air. He took a gentle sniff of my meek pits, before decisively nodding in approval. "On your way. You're ready." He took his tank, and slid it on my missized frame, kneading the pit stains and pec sweat into my body. He tossed me like a ragdoll onto the bench, raising my legs and slipping his warm, damp boxers and shorts onto me. He groped me, assuring his rank ballsweat would coat my package thoroughly and completely before completing me with his grimy, reeking, never-washed socks onto my immensely smaller feet.

Clothed in his essence-soaked gear, I sat bewildered and irrevocably aroused by the forcefulness of his demeanor. As if pure animal instinct possessed me, I got down on all fours, fondling myself through his sweaty shorts, and began to worship my master's filthy, odorous cock. I milked his dank, dirty cock like a calf to a cow, desperate for his alpha milk- unaware of the bubbling occurring in my growing, ample ass.

He grabbed the back of my head with a near-vice grip, thrusting it deep into my throat, coating my tongue with the tangy, unmistakable taste of unwashed jock cock. As he skull fucked me, it seemed as if his cock not only penetrated my mouth, but somehow my brain itself. I could feel it in my head, thrusting in and out... destroying whatever brain formerly occupied my being. My feet cracked and burst outward, hair trickling up my calves, to my thighs, all the way to my taint.

"Oh fuck yeah, man. Take it. FUCK YEAH, TAKE IT." His propulsions became frantic and animalistic, ravenously obliterating my head with his gigantic cock. I felt my balls drop and cock grow... and grow... and grow... far beyond what I thought was physically possible. Whatever fat still desperately clung to me evaporated into oblivion, as abs popped out of my stomach like popcorn trapped under a fleshtone latex. My pecs ballooned and arms exploded with voracious power. "Ugh... man... I... I'm about to cum..." His breath became labored and agitated, before one last damn powerful thrust which completely annihilated the last droplets of my being. And just like that, the floodgates of salty, sweet, sour spunk flooded my throat and empty head. I suckled that tap like a alcoholic chugging a bottle of gin, freely welcoming him into me: body and soul.

My own seed, foreign and undeterred spilt forth out of my cockhead, coating his already soaked boxers and shorts in my new DNA. He dismounted me, smiling at his handiwork, a person completely altered and unrecognizable from the kid he found plodding along. He pulled me up, burying his nose in my hairy jock pits. Like a proud father to his prodigal son, he embraced me, our jizz covered cocks mixing our seed through the wasted shorts.

"You made it. Now it's your turn to train, brother. Make your master proud." He ruffled my hair with a fatherlike gleam, before sauntering into the sauna to decompress. I stood there in his gear, admiring his craftsmanship in the nearby mirror. Never again would I feel inadequate or insufficient. Just like him, I have become a god among men. I am a benevolent king among plebeians. My footsteps leave bitches to my will in my wake. And it felt... So... Good.

So if you're ever in need of a shine up. A confidence booster. A complete reawakening. You know where to find me. I'll be where you most expect it, and I'll be waiting.

[asterfeathers]

cole ninjago headcanons!!

long bc i don’t know how a tumblr works and can’t. figure. how .to. put. under.cut,,

- black(ma)/vietnamese(dad)

- kind chocolate brown eyes with orange. very pretty. after dod his left eye (where the scar is) turned a bright green

- heavy sleeper,snores

- dad energy

- animals love him

- wherever he goes the nature around him brightens up, sometimes flowers bloom. the villagers, farmers especially love when he visits cuz he helps around and the earth is very fertile and alive when he’s there

- he retained some ghost abilities, but he needs to put a lot of effort into them and unlocking them. back to square one basically.

- he’s highly regarded amongst ghosts cuz when the preeminent was banished she was weakened and cole gained her powers and is basically king of ghosts (this is definitely not canon i just like the sound of op cole)

- whenever he’s around animals he gets all soft

- underrated and not as popular with fans

- deep down is envious of the others

- his fight with jay still stays with him. he never really got over some of the things jay said to him even if they were just in the heat of the moment.

- self esteem issues and believes he isn’t as important as others and is the least important out of his entire team

- views the others as his family and is very loving

- best hugs. warm,comforting and grounding

- gay. seriously gay

- when he and jay were fighting over nya it was mostly a misunderstanding cuz cole didn’t actually like nya but wanted to get back at jay and was definitely repressing his emotions (and gayness *cough*)

- trans. goes by he/they and ghost themed neopronouns

- everyone goes to him for support

- he has difficulty expressing his emotions sometimes

-he doesn’t talk about his feelings but gets mad at others when they bottle theirs up

- he can be really funny and witty when he opens up

- incredibly loyal

- writer and artist

- he can actually sing and dance really well but he’s insecure about it. he’s even written some songs.

- he needs to be forced to rest bc he’s a workaholic and he will work himself to the bone without intervention. especially when he’s sick

“cole you need to rest you’re sick”

“i’m fine”

“no you’re not rockhead go to bed and i’ll get zane to make you some soup”

- the team loves him bc how can you not

- supports lloyd with things kai can’t

- very trustworthy with everything but cooking

- loves driving and travelling

- he’s banned from the kitchen

- before wu found him he was travelling around everywhere. sailing, hiking, mountain climbing, everything. was homeless for a period of time.

- he loves watching the stars

- his mother sang to him and told him about her battle stories. he didn’t think they were real at the time of course but he likes to reminisce about them

- big strong man. almost a himbo but he’s actually really intelligent

- amazing at strategy and planning

- neat freak. likes things being organised, unlike kai. when kais room gets really messy he cleans it bc he gets so frustrated

- a lot of unresolved trauma. mans got mommy and daddy issues cmon.

- he loves sweet things (this is basically canon)

- he’s very close with the og 4. jay and him talk a lot. he and kai are very close and will comfort each other. he and zane give each other cuddles

- as a kid really liked geography and dinosaurs

- the ninja go to him when they have nightmares

- big sweetheart honestly

- wu once slipped up and called him dad

- he has somewhat long hair

- he has some grey hairs from being a ghost

- ptsd from falling, dying multiple times and being turned into a ghost. he fears heights. it takes him a while to get over it and go climbing again.

- if you were his partner you would not lack affection at all. but he’s not much a kisser and is very shy at first.

- plays with his hair sometimes

- really loves music. the sound grounds and calms him

- sticks his tongue out while concentrating. he’s planning out a mission and he’ll just have his tongue out. the others find it adorable

- has a very foul mouth when he gets really angry (he was basically homeless for a long while before wu found him. imagine what he would have picked up travelling)

- patient but has an explosive anger. he can get pretty scary. this big guy that could benchpress a mountain towering all over you with stone cold fury.

- actually pretty sensitive

- almost cries every time he hears sad stories about animals

- if you don’t wake him up he will sleep the entire day

- not a head canon but that one season 1/2 outfit where he had belt/chain things on the sides of his pants. the eboy blueprint

- very good fashion sense

- rich boy what with his father being a very prolific performer and probably with a wealthy family

- oblivious when it comes to flirting

- takes a lot of connection to form a crush/interest in someone

- he and kai sometimes go to volcanoes together

- would protect the ninja (especially lloyd and zane) with his life.

- can make very good beverages (this is actually pretty canon- when the ninja were celebrating getting the fang blades and cole made the punch in like season one)

- teases everyone. calls lloyd ‘squirt’ and other such nicknames still

- likes going to parks and climbing trees. the other ninja just watch as he scales the tree at inhuman speed. jay and kai try to beat him and fail every time.

- he can often be found passed out somewhere and snoring, often out of bed. he has some weird sleeping positions and the others take photos whenever they find him sleeping somewhere.

- he’s pretty much like a cat

- eats messily sometimes (his dad especially hates this)

- favourite cake is chocolate mud cake (unoriginal i know but i don’t care)

- smells like rain and the earth, if warmth /home was a smell

- he’s a child of hades. geokinisis, death themes, cmon

- loves reading

- a big old nerd

- put ungodly amounts of sugar in his tea and coffee while the ninja (mostly zane) stare at him concerned

- his eyes reflect light in the dark like a cat. he’s scared jay a few times in the hallways at midnight when he’s just standing there, eyes glowing

- zones out a bit

- resting bitch face

- bc earth is both life and death, this ties into his ghostly abilities and possibly him using his powers for healing

[anxietea-and-cookies]

I can't think of a joke for Aniketos but i like snakes so i wanna know about them. 😅😂

He's 10ft long,

His tail has dark scales which contrast his soft pink magic. I hc that his tail alone weighs about 30lbs, so he's definitely a hardy boy.

His tail changes colors when he's agitated, from dark olive to black.

Much like the snake he is based on, despite the fact he could likely benchpress you easily and being larger, he's rather inoffensive and not likely to bite… unless you want him to. He's absolute sweetheart to be around and his flirting is occasionally cheesy on delivery. When it comes to the people he deems His, he's quick to jump to their defense, coil around them for comfort, and offer them his home-cooked meals.

He's fairly patient, but he still has limits on how much shit he can take before the temptation to squeeze the offender starts to rise. That being said, he grumbles at puns when he hears them, something along the lines of having heard them all before. But he does enjoy them, sort of. A little bit.

He's fond of collecting plants and breeding them. Whether he grows them for cooking or just the aesthetic appeal to him, it varies, but he loves them all the same.

Cooking is also a hobby, though he's not a 5 star chef. He can make edible food that actually tastes good, which is all he asks for.

He has fuzzy memories of another Monster raising him before Narcissus took over, one far bigger than him if he was forced to guess. He remembers his first time with another Monster, a kind Rabbit who taught him how to properly prepare a partner and use everything to cause them pleasure. It wasn't too long after that Aniketos met Athene (LL!Undyne), awed by the fiery member of the Royal Harem, and caught onto the idea of joining himself.

His biggest fears are losing his brother, never finding a mate willing to give him children, and accidentally crushing a partner.

[bladengineer]

Hello there! Have you got any soft kaihil friendship Headcanons

Friendship Headcanons?? i have them aplenty, come get em fresh!!! IF NO ONE MAKES CONTENT OF THEIR FRIENDSHIP I WILL DO IT MYSELF THEN

i like to think their friendship doesn’t completely solidify until post-GRev; sure they consider each other friends and teammates, but it was mostly by association since their friends are friends. its after the whole chaos where the lull of daily life returning kinda had them just sit down, take a breather and realise that they miss being around friends

so i think, it kinda just. grows from there:

Kai tends to be...gentle with Hilary. not in a way where he belittles her or does an 180 in personality but, he often displays the same behaviour he has with Max whenever he’s with her; just a little bit more patient, just a little softer around the edges

but he doesn’t really give her any special treatment beyond that, since she’s an equal in his eyes, a respect that Hilary very much appreciates

Kai doesn’t trust anyone with driving his very nice and shiny car, EXCEPT Hilary because she has a) a brain, b) patience, and c) is responsible. oh? Max wants to practice his driving? sure, here are the keys, take Hilary or be ready to run laps until you puke.

Hilary really appreciates Kai’s trust in her but she’s also not above calling him out when he’s being a jerk or falling back into unhealthy habits – and as much as he grumbles about it, he’s secretly thankful that she isn’t afraid to stand up to him when he’s in a funk

Tala likes to joke they and Ray are the Competent Squad of the Team but he and Hilary both know its just her. she’s the competent one. Ray sometimes gets too mischievous for his own good and Kai isn’t patient enough to deal with them, so Hilary has to kick their asses back into gear

Max: kai if you could choose who would be the next team captain, who– Kai: Hilary. Tyson: but she doesn’t even beyb– Kai: Hilary.

when Hilary announced that she got herself a date, Kai (and the other boys ofc) kind of went unconsciously into Overprotective Mode – dont get them wrong, they know Hilary could move mountains if given the opportunity, but that wont stop them from being protective

Hilary: what is wrong with you, at least Kai is mature enough not to– Kai: what’s their name and vaguely last known location Hilary: >:o

Kai once accidentally ripped his scarf and after finding him trying to clumsily mend it himself, Hilary sewed it back together for him. every since then whenever he rips something he just wordlessly walks up to Hilary in a silent request to help him

they have a rather obvious height difference, but that doesn’t stop Hilary from being fiercely protective of this guy, who’s almost two heads taller than her, whenever he gets uncomfortable around people

for some reason, Kai knows exactly how much Hilary can benchpress and tbh the team doesn’t know what terrifies them more; Kai knowing or the fact that Hilary could probably benchpress Max

Reporter: Kai do you ever feel like you have to walk around with a bodyguard? Kai, immediately: i have Hilary

Hilary tends to get very nice jewellery from Kai as birthday presents; they are usually very simple and lowkey but look pretty nonetheless. these days you often meet her with small ruby earrings that the team swear are genuine. Kai never comments. (they are real.)

in a way, Kai sees Hilary as breath of fresh air – she’s cheerful and headstrong, yet kind and mature. on the other hand, Hilary finds Kai’s presence as comfortingly grounding, when things seems to get too hectic around her, he always seems like constant. its like they balance each other out in a way.

their friendship isnt a loud one. or super obvious. its quiet, but soft and kind. its a bond that very appreciated by both of them, so its not unusual to see Hilary take notes of training procedures to run it by Kai after, and not a few hours later she is seen dragging him around the store by the arm.

look im not saying Hilary would shank Boris if she ever got close enough but Hilary would most definitely come at him with a sword and Kai would stand aside with his phone like “you’re doing great Hilary”

[the-last-millenial-disaster]

Hey! Can we get some Sova X Phoenix headcanons? If you’re comfortable with it that is. Thanks in advance!

(A/N: Of course you can! I’ll admit, I haven’t heard about this ship yet either, but I’ll do my best. Enjoy!)

It’s the ‘“watch me benchpress my entire squad!” “Love, with all due respect, shut up I’m trying to read.”’ kind of relationship

Phoenix is a teaser and Sova is a commender

So, you can imagine how the flirting goes

As for the sexualities, I somehow always headcannoned Sova as demisexual (someone who can only develop sexual attraction after they form an emotional bond aka you have to be their friend first)

And honestly I haven’t the slightest on Phoenix. He could be straight, gay or bisexual and I think it would fit him perfectly

So, for the sake of these headcannons we’re gonna say he’s gay

(this is all up in the air though and free for interpretation)

Phoenix is really warm and even though Sova likes cold better he still sometimes uses him as a heating body pillow

Phoenix made a move first. Multiple, actually.

He was flirting non-stop

And the only person who didn’t notice was Sova

It took Sova a second to realise oh, he doesn’t just want to be my friend

Phoenix is a teller, he has no shame and will express his undying love in front of complete strangers if he has to

Sova is way more private, but being with Phoenix helped him get out of his shell

Also, Sova isn’t the bottom in this relationship in case you were wondering

Phoenix is outgoing and fun to be around - it’s never boring in his presence

He takes everything at a really fast pace, which I think is the biggest clash between their personalities

Sova is a hunter, he’s patient and tactical

Phoenix is a case of yolo if I’ve ever seen one

(Well its actually you only live twice for him but you get what I’m saying)

He’s dumb but not stupid if you understand what I’m getting at

Expectedly, Sova is the voice of reason here

But like, I refuse to believe that’s all Sova is

Sova likes to have fun too. He enjoys pranking people too. So he’ll do that, and somehow pin it on Phoenix. every. fucking. time.

And of course people will believe him because Sova would never do that of course it was Phoenix!

He’s like the the Remus Lupin of Valorant

Phoenix learned a lot from Sova

Overall, Sova has a lot of general knowledge

He’s one of those people in whose presence people get smarter without realising

So after a while, Phoenix would start dropping geography and history facts about the places they travelled to, without really registering

And at first people were just??? Confused??? Where did you get this from???

And then they remember ah

Of course he’s dating Sova

Phoenix thinks Sova’s voice is the most attractive thing about him

He could lay there, cuddling for hours, and just listening to Sova talk

SOVA TELLS HIM STORIES FROM HIS TIME ON THE HUNT OK

As a duelist, Phoenix spends a lot of time in med bay

There are some things fire just can’t heal

You’d think Sova lives there, that’s how often he visits

They would sure like to workout together but they can’t because they keep distracting eachother and never get any work done

Phoenix is an extremely talented combatant (they literally call him a prodigy)

Sova completely smokes him (hehe..geddit? Smoke? Sorry I’ll stop) at aiming and long range combat, but in close combat? Gun fights? He never stood a chance

Phoenix is also very flashy

Personality and general living phylosophy

Again, the exact opposite of Sova

But they make it work

When you think about it, they’re a really killer mission combination

Sova finds the enemy, Phoenix goes on the offensive, that baits the enemy into peeking him but hey, what’s that? It’s Sova with an OP, waiting to pick off all of the people who dare set their eyes upon his boyfriend. He never misses. Press F to pay respects.

So they work well together on the field, case closed

They’re about the same height, but maybe Sova has a centimeter on Phoenix

They met trough the protocol, so when things started developing between them they didn’t exactly have much options for dates and stuff

So their first date was in a bar close to the HQ

Neither of them remembers much from that date, except that they had a great time (don’t ask...pretty sure some lawsuits were filed that night)

After they made it official (took longer than expected, but not as long as you’re thinking), they tried to keep PDA at a minimum since they didn’t know how the board would react to dating in the workplace

They were failing awkwardly

Brimstone knew, but didn’t tell anyone out of respect for Sova’s privacy

(Sova and Brimstone are great friends by the way)

Eventually everyone started noticing but no one felt the need to say anything because everyone treasures those little moments of happiness in their line of work

Makeout sessions in Sova’s room since nobody can get up there without Sova’s help

(A/N: Okay, I thought this would be hard since I didn’t really see how they could work at first glance, but when I actually started thinking I realised why this is a ship. I actually had a lot of fun writing this haha. Confident boyfriends owning everyone in their way. This just might be a tbc, depends if I get any other ideas for them.

Also, I wanted to thank everyone for the support, like holy shit this blog blew up in the last month and I aprecciate every single one of you.

A sneak peek of what’s in the works:

Two asks

KIljoy headcannons

Theory time with Omen & Viper (I know I’ve been foreshadowing this for the last month but im kinda sorta a little stuck on it)

Raze and/or Phoenix headcannons )

Thank you for reading!

[irrfahrer]

❓ for that honesty meme.... ik they haven't interacted all that much but that's not about to stop me if you're up for it! 💕

Send ❓  and my muse will answer all questions honestly !  

Does my muse trust yours? “As far as I can throw him.”, Ziv shrugged her shoulders with a quiet huff that made her whiskers flair a little: “Which is kriffing far because I could benchpress a kriffing Bantha, so Kriff off. As long as he does not give me a reason to not trust him, I will trust him.”  

Does my muse dislike yours? “No?”, Ziv blinked, her head tilted to the side as if she was a confused loth-cat: “I mean I do not know much about him, but he seems like a sweet pup so why shold I dislike him? He helped me working in my gardens, so he deserves a peck on the cheek from me and thats it about it. ”

Would my muse kill someone for yours? “What the kriffing Kriff- NO!”, the Tynnans pelt bristled like from electricity and she bare dher teeth in a loud snarl: “Of course kriffing not! How could one ever think of killing another person?! I have a kriffing oath as a Healer to work after for Kriffs sake! And even if not, one does not just go around and kill other people just because one does not like them, can you kriffing imagine!”

Would my muse kill your muse? “Do you-”, the young woman crossed her arms before her chest, leaning forward with a tensed flick of her tail: “Do you perhaps need some help, buddy? That does not exactly sound like questions one should ask themself, let alone anoter kriffing person. Like kriff, this, of course kriffing not but why the kriff does that need to be said out loud?”

Would my muse save yours? “If you need to ask that I seem to really fail at beeing a kriffing healer, huh?”, Ziv flicked her left ear which might was a Tynnans equivalent from grimacing in annoyance: “Of course I kriffing would do that! ITS MY KRIFFING JOB! That has nothing to do with that pup, but I would do that for anyone who needs me! Like for Kriffs sake it needs exactly none kriffing credit to be a kriffing decent person, so why do you even need to kriffing ask that?!”

Does my muse find your muse attractive? “Is that a kriffing joke?”, The Tynnan with a natural horrible eyesight just blinked confused: “Sorry to say it out loud, but  I have not found a reason to press my snout in his face and took a good look at his features to measure if he is attractive since there are kriffing more important things to do, you know. Like, I don´t know, find a kriffing painkiller he reacts to well. ”

Is my muse disgusted by yours? “If he would eat Naboo onions more often than I would be kriffing disgusted by him, yeh!”, The Tynnan grinned, showing her sharp teeth in all their glory. Then she just shaked her head, laughing: “Nah, as soon as you had studied the reproductive systems of every species in the known Galaxy, it needs a lot to be disgusted by anything ever again. The perks of beeing a kriffing midwife.”

would my muse go on a date with your muse?   There was a strange expression twisting the young womans, round, fluffy face- a expression as if she had bitten on something sour: “I do not date patients. Thats a kriffing hard break of that Healers oath to treat every patient the same and also puts the patient in the unfair situation of fearing that the healer might stop treatening them if they would not answer the healers advances- which is kriffing inhumane and the most kriffed up thing one could do to another beeing, like kriffing Kriff! So no, kriff this, I am not such a narcisstic asshole that I need to date someone who is dependant on me in that moment. Thats kriffing disgusting!” She shruddered as if she could shake the idea off like a sinking rainwater sticking to her pelt. “If he is nolonger in need of treatment than maybe, if he would want to why not go out and fetch some dinner together and exchange kriffing dramatically tragic backstories, eh? He´s a sweet pup and nice company, so eh- ”, Ziv added before she added with a sly wink: “In all honesty, I doubt sweet little me has the bits and pieces that pup prefers to date, you get me?”

would my muse kiss yours?   Ziv just shrugged her shoulders, huffing: “If he wants me to, sure. I am not exactly keen on that humanoid gesture, can you kriffing imagine-”, she tapped a claw against one of her as sharp as razors teeth. The young woman did grew up between humanoids n a by humanoids dominated Galaxy, so of course she knew thecultural heavieness and meanings of kisses, but that did not made it any easier for someone like her to preform that gesture: “- but if he needs a peck on the forehead or on a bandaged injury to calm down and feel save, I will do that for him.”

would my muse betray yours? “No.”, Ziv put her small paws akimbo, shoving her chin forward with a deviant snarl and her ears pinned back as if she was a animal ready to forget barking and start biting: “At the moment he is my patient, so he is under my protection. And when he is under my protection, he will be save with me for kriffs sake!”  

my muse’s favorite thing about yours is ____ “He is a sweet pup.”, Ziv tilted her head to the side, thinking: “And he is willing  to learn about the plants I am working with. I am not asking for more.”

the thing my muse dislikes about yours is_____ ”Aw, kriffing easy!”, the young woman threw her small paws up, snarling loudly: “’It is not that bad!’”, she growled mockingly: “’It is not hurting that much!’ , Kriff you, you kriffing I-fee-no-pain-and-am-no-worth-treatment-asshole! Of course it hurts and of course one is worth treatment for Kriffs sake! Whatever one has done, one always deserves to get krififng better for Kriffs sake! Saying one is not hurting only makes my kriffing job a lot of harder but noooooo! Those kriffing assholes prefer to be all manly and painless while they break kriffing down! Thats so kriffing stupid!” [ @cardinal-carvings ]

[fanforthefics]

Ooh Sid Geno No 15 - meeting at A&E?! (In honour of my clumsy self who spent yesterday afternoon getting X-rays after falling and having to go to the ER!!)

The first time Sidney comes into the emergency room, Geno doesn’t think much of it. He’s busy, because emergency rooms in metro centers always are; he doesn’t have time to spend long on each patient. Especially not ones where the problem is pretty simple–hard hit to the arm, doesn’t look broken, splint and go. Geno pings last name Crosby first name Sidney 26 year old male oh huh he’s attractive and sort of familiar-looking and nothing else; Geno has to deal with a heart attack and someone with something he won’t say up his butt, he doesn’t have time for this. 

Not much more pings the second time–gash on his leg, needs stitches. Or the next–hit to the head, no concussion. Every time Sidney’s polite and helpful if distant and the kind of guy that Geno very much suspects is not actually resting like Geno tells him too. But once they leave his ER, that’s not Geno’s problem. Geno just patches them back up. 

When Sidney comes in for the sixth time in three weeks, though–and that’s just when Geno’s on shift–Geno starts to notice. They get repeat customers sometimes, generally paranoid mothers with accident prone kids and elderly people who legitimately need it, but they don’t tend to be men in their mid-20s who looks like they could benchpress Geno, and not people who come in with these sorts of physical injuries that generally come from being hit. 

“You know,” he says carefully, the next time Sidney comes in–a strain in his knee–and he’s finished with the x-rays to confirm it’s not serious. “Can’t help notice, you in here a lot.” 

Sidney laughs. His smile is bright and easy and a little crooked. Geno looks, but he can’t see any lie in it. “Yeah, well. Shit happens, you know?” 

“Yes, it happen.” This would be hard enough in Russian, let alone English. “But, it not always your fault, when things happen.” That gets him a shrug. 

“Oh, yeah, I know. I sort of have it coming sometimes, but, you know. It’s always what’s happened, I’m used to.” 

“That not mean you have to keep doing.” 

Sidney’s jaw juts out. “Yes I do.” 

“No, you don’t.” Geno tries to be gentle. “Is–can always get out, yes? Not have to stay where get hurt. Can–break up, can leave. We have help, resources–can call police–” 

Sidney is laughing, big and graceless and charming. “Am serious,” Geno protests, trying to keep his cool. “Is serious. If someone hurting you, not care if you love, you should–” 

“It’s not that,” Sidney cuts him off. “Thank you for your concern,” he goes on, sounding like he means that. “But I’m not being abused. I just play hockey.” 

“Hockey?” Geno echoes. He hasn’t paid much attention to hockey in his new town, not since he moved to the US and started med school. But that does explain a lot. “Your beer league this violent?” 

Sidney, inexplicably, goes a little red, but he laughs again. “No, um. I don’t play beer league.” 

“You–” Suddenly, it connects. Why Sidney’s so familiar. Where Geno’s seen his face before–on the billboard coming into town, a hundred times bigger than life. “You in NHL.” 

Sidney looks oddly pleased. “Yeah.” 

“You don’t have own doctors?” Geno demands. They have experts on this. 

Sidney shrugs. “We’re locked out, so I don’t have access to them.” 

“So you come here? I’m second year!” God, and he’d been treating–this guy was on a billboard. How much was his arms worth? And Geno had just been–

“Well I’m all in one piece, so I think we’re fine.” Sidney hops off the table. Geno’s still staring. That explains the whole-built like a tank thing. Sidney takes a step foward, puts his hand on Geno’s forearm–an easy, unthreatening touch. “I’ve seen a lot of doctors, Dr. Malkin,” Sidney says, his voice sure and soothing. “You’re a good one, trust me.” 

GEno blinks. “Of course I’m good,” He says, weakly, and Sidney laughs again. 

“Good. Well, I’ll see you later,” he says, and tips his baseball hat to Geno.

“Hope not!” Geno calls after him. Then he sits down for a second before his pager goes off again and he has to run. 

Geno googles Sidney as soon as he’s gotten off shift and slept for ten hours. It feels a little intrusive, but–his face is on a billboard, he must understand. 

And then Geno sees the results, and–well, he’s pretty sure Sidney definitely understands. 

“You not just play hockey,” Geno tells him accusatorially, when Sidney is in a week later with another twinge in his shoulder. Geno does not envy trainers’ their jobs. “You–you best hockey player.” 

Sidney, charmingly, blushes. “That’s an exaggeration,” he chuckles. “You looked me up?” 

“I’m curious,” Geno tells him. He takes Sidney’s arm, starts to rotate it in the socket. “Tell me when hurts. No lying, no hockey pain tolerance. Just when hurts.” 

“Okay,” Sidney agrees, sounding mainly like he’s humoring Geno. He lets Geno rotate his arm. 

“And you should be rest, anyway,” Geno goes on. He’d seen plenty, in the google rabbit hole he’d fallen down last night. “Concussion for over a year? You should take time to rest, now you have it.” 

That gets him a look that’s steely-eyed beneath Sidney’s affable smile. “I just got hockey back,” he says. “I’m not letting anyone take it from me again.” 

“Is not take, is–” 

“I won’t,” Sidney repeats, and Geno remembers the look he’d seen on some tape, when Sidney stared down a game and willed it his way. “Anyway, I was cleared. My head’s fine.” He smiles wryly at Geno. “Though it’s nice of you to worry, too.” 

“I”m not worry,” Geno mutters. “Just like Pittsburgh, want win another Cup.” 

“You and me both,” Sidney laughs, then–”Oh. That. That hurt.” 

“Yeah?” Geno confirms, and starts to really examine him. 

Sidney keeps coming in, off and on, for the next months–as the lockout continues, Geno figures. He sometimes sees images in what he definitely isn’t skimming for news of Sidney of Sidney in suits talking to the commissioner, making statements. It’s a far cry from the guy he gets, generally in sweatpants and a t-shirt and his baseball cap. That’s his excuse for why he didn’t figure it out earlier, he tells everyone at the hospital who apparently think he’s an idiot; he never saw Sidney in the waiting room, signing everything in sight. 

Sometimes Sid comes in once or twice a week, in what Geno calls good sense and he calls an overabundance of caution. Sometimes it’ll go weeks without seeing him, and Geno doesn’t let himself be disappointed. Once or twice he comes in with someone else–all big burly guys, with hockey players’ broken noses and way of roughhousing. 

It’s–Geno’s not saying he looks forward to it, because Sidney coming in means Sidney’s hurt, and he’s quickly determining that he’s not fond of that–the few times when Sidney’s face actually tightens with pain, when his breath goes harsh and Geno can see his knuckles curve on the edge of the table. But Sidney’s not at all what Geno would have expected a hockey star to be like–he’s nice and straightforward and kind and he listens like no one else Geno’s ever met, until somehow during examinations Geno’s the one talking, about moving to the US from Russia, about med school and the grueling shifts of residency and how hard it is sometimes to see all the disasters that can happen to a person. Sidney listens, and Geno knows he really listens because he always asks about it, that time or the next time or a few weeks later. Sidney, Geno can see very clearly, is a very good captain. And probably a very good friend, or more. 

Then–Geno flips through the news when he wakes up, and there it is. The lockout’s over, and the NHL is starting again. There’s a picture of Sidney right there in the first Google images, grinning like he’s never heard anything better. 

Geno takes a long breath, then goes to get ready for work. It was–this will have been a cool interlude to tell his co-workers about, the times he met Sidney Crosby. Sidney will start going back to his trainers, and Geno will have other patients. Geno’s going to miss him, but in all the ways you can lose a patient, this is probably the best. 

He’s at the nurse’s station, checking in on what’s happening, when one of the administrators taps his shoulder. “This was delivered here for you,” she says, handing him an envelope. 

Geno takes it, rips it open. Three pieces of paper fall out–two tickets and a note. Geno lets the tickets lie for a second for the note. 

Thanks for taking care of me all this time, it reads, No pressure, and I know it’s not the same, but I wanted to give you something. If this time doesn’t work with your shifts, call and let the office know, they’ll find a game that will -Sid

They’re rinkside seats, Geno realizes, looking at the tickets. That’s–some thanks for Geno doing his job. 

He flips one over. On the back of it, in the same handwriting–if you want to come, stop by the locker room after, Sidney–Sid–has written. I want to hear more about Jeffrey. 

Geno smiles, and slips the tickets and the note into the inner pocket of his scrubs. He–

His pager buzzes at his hip, and he jerks to standing, checking the code and taking off at a run towards the next emergency. 

[oddlybitter]

Hello, thank you for answering my request. I really appreciate it. But can I request for more? Can I request on how Sae, Mishima, Hifumi, Shiho, and Tae react to if if they found themselves in the Metaverse (separately alone), and suddenly became trapped in a giant bubble, and then Joker came to rescue them from their bubble? Again, thank you so much.

yeah no worries! 

sae: staying as professional as possible, but she’s in stilettos and the bubble keeps moving so she keeps falling down, and she thinks she just cracked her phone and, oh thank god, it’s joker. she’ll probably never live it down. 

mishima: my man mishima is chilling. this bubble is comfortable, no one really talks him anyway, and that’s totally, completely fine. he’s absolutely okay with this. yep. everything is a-okay. peachy, if you will. joker gets him out, and he just clings onto him like a koala and Will Not Let Go of him for the next fifteen minutes. joker hugs him back because he really needs one tbh. 

hifumi: graciously accepts help after being mildly worried, then asks to recreate the scene on her board, kicking joker’s ass into next week with her Ultra Bubble Hellscape. 

shiho: shiho could benchpress joker and his entire team, but she waits patiently for his help, giving him advice where she can, and once she’s out, she gives him the jock back pat (tm) as thanks.

tae: she’s trying to regain her balance in her four-inch platforms, and somehow, she does. once joker gets her out, she talks about the air quality of the bubble, then asks if this a shared hallucination due to a drug being leaked in her office. no matter the answer, she tells him the really good stuff is  in the conical flask by the cactus. she’s joking, though. probably. 

thanks for the ask!!

[underimagines]

Asgore, Papyrus and Undyne with a patience S/O?

Papyrus:

You’re both pretty patient people, so sometimes things can get...stressful. He’s waiting for something from you, & you’re waiting for something from him, & it’s quiet & you’re both waiting for the other to say something. Boy howdy this is awkward, isn’t it!!!

Undyne:

Your patience is a blessing. & you definitely need it, there’s no ifs, &s, or buts about it. She’s a whirlwind of scales, spears, & screaming. Very often breaking things, setting things on fire, benchpressing people because she can--let’s just say you’re one of the only reasons her police record is a lot shorter that it should be.

Asgore:

You’d hardly expect the need for it when dealing with Asgore--he’s not the kind of guy to go around stirring up trouble willy-nilly. But then again, you might. He’s just...a little dense? Or at the very least, he has trouble reading the air in certain situations. So it helps.

[plasticsurgeonanmol]

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[otter1962]

Social cues

“A social cue can either be a verbal or non-verbal hint, which can be positive or negative. These cues guide conversation and other social interactions.” Wikipedia

I suck at social cues sometimes. I am beginning to think that my lacking skills in this department have caused me grief, misunderstanding, anguish, regret and even total oblivion to social cues being offered. Let me give some examples...

When I went to school for my first degree in the 1990′s, I was put into a situation where I had to communicate in discussions. Being shy, I was reticent to participate, but good grades beckoned and I began talking more.  In my last course, a man on the other side of the class told me literally, “Would you please shut the fuck up?” He and a friend had issues with me due to one of them not doing their work in a group project. I guess they decided to embarrass me. I was busy communicating my ideas about the discussion when this ensued.  I didn’t read any cues to notice if I was getting on peoples’ nerves.  I was dumbfounded and shut up as he asked. I didn’t really know what else to do. Ever since that, I have be reluctant to voice my opinions in group settings.

Another example happened recently at my gym.  There is a guy there who would pass by and say hello to me.  I always thought that he was being very kind as most at the gym just grunt and grown as they lift or are tuned into music and tuned out to the people around them (or they are busy secretly (NOT!) posing for themselves in the mirror). A few weeks back, I was at the gym and my chemo pills were causing a major fatigue. I was so determined to finish my workout that I didn’t just give up and go home.  Instead, I watched people around me.  The guy I mentioned was across from me on another machine.  At this point, I wasn’t really aware of my surroundings. If the fog lifted, I would see people, like him, going about their business. I guess he must have noticed me looking several times.  I should say that this was totally innocent. I wasn’t cruising him (yuck!) In fact, when I did glance over, I was thinking that he was a really nice guy for saying hello.  Later, he was exiting the change room to leave and I was sitting on the benchpress with my head turned in that direction, not focussing on anything. Suddenly, he glared at me and did this fake wave indicating that he didn’t like me staring.  I pulled off my earphones, and said something lame like, “Oh hi! Have a great evening.” He stormed off and now he ignores me. I had no clue that I was making him uncomfortable. I can’t really see that well without my glasses anyway. Sometimes people are just a bit of a blur. I had no clue of any cues. Maybe I was giving off cues that he didn’t like...

The year that I divorced my ex husband, I was invited out to a New Year’s Eve party.  An acquaintance took me as I was too shy to go on my own.  I stood amongst a large group of Nova Scotian gay men who were talking about everything there is to know about Halifax gay life.  I just stood there and smiled as I listened. To make matters worse, I was holding cranberry juice in a glass. My hand literally decided to open against my will and it crashed to the floor!  The host cleaned it up, gave me a plastic cup in the kitchen and the conversations continued around me.  Were there any social cues that I missed so that I could jump into a conversation? Was I giving off social cues? Did they think that I was a snob? Shy? Awkward?  I really don’t know!

Another example happened this past weekend. I was in Provincetown for my cancer retreat. My friend and I went to a tea dance (4-7 gay dance party on Halloween) dressed in costumes.  While there, Superman came up and said hello when my friend asked him to take our picture.  Superman was a very handsome and striking ginger (red headed) gentleman.  I was immediately taken with his looks.  Here’s the social cue problem.  We took pictures, chatted a bit and then he said that he should get going. In my head I thought, “No, please don’t go, I’d like to get to know you.” Instead, I didn’t say anything and he left. My friend later told me that Superman was giving off cues that he was very interested in me. Bloody hell!  What a time to miss a cue!

A conversation later that night with my friend revealed that I was also distant at a lunch meeting with a few of his friends. They were all talking Provincetown politics and as a newcomer, had no clue what it was all about.  So, I stared out the beautiful view and watched the gulls and cormorants in a feeding frenzy just outside the dock where the restaurant was located. Nerdy old me thought about feeding frenzies, mackerel, sharks, Ring-billed Gulls, California Gulls, etc. Ugh! What a frigging nerd I am!  My friend’s guest at the luncheon later asked him if he had done something to offend me as I wasn’t talking much. In my defence, I am a good listener and usually do that in group settings because I am afraid if I say something, I’ll put my foot in my mouth or come across as an idiot or whatever.

What is bothering me the most is that even during my jump to be more outgoing this past week at the retreat, I was still seen as quiet, maybe upset or shy. I missed a lot of social cues.  I missed out on some fun situations because I didn’t always know how to read people. If you are reading this and trying to relate, you are probably not an awkward socially inept person like me.  It may be hard to relate to a person such as me, who writes quite openly, yet can’t carry a conversation in a group. You would see me as a guy who so desperately desires to communicate with others, relate with others, interact with others and each time I miss the boat.

Don’t get me wrong; I am not totally inept. When one-on-one or in a group of say, teachers, or nature lovers, or bird watchers (no teasing, muscle guys can bird watch too!) I can talk up a storm. I can talk a lot with a ton of relish with people I know and trust. Put me in a party and I freeze.  I’d like you to read the following song by Joni Mitchell (a Canadian icon for those of you who have no clue who she is) called People’s Parties.  I do hope that I am not infringing on copyrights by doing so. As you read it, think of me and see where I am... I’ll bet you can pick me out, clear as day.  I see things, but don’t always read them...

People's Parties

by Joni Mitchell

All the people at this party They've got a lot of style They've got stamps of many countries They've got passport smiles Some are friendly Some are cutting Some are watching it from the wings Some are standing in the centre Giving to get something Photo beauty gets attention Then her eye paint's running down She's got a rose in her teeth And a lampshade crown One minute she's so happy Then she's crying on someone's knee Saying laughing and crying You know it's the same release I told you when I met you I was crazy Cry for us all beauty Cry for Eddie in the corner Thinking he's nobody And Jack behind his joker And stone-cold Grace behind her fan And me in my frightened silence Thinking I don't understand I feel like I'm sleeping Can you wake me You seem to have a broader sensibility I'm just living on nerves and feelings With a weak and a lazy mind And coming to peoples parties Fumbling deaf dumb and blind I wish I had more sense of humor Keeping the sadness at bay Throwing the lightness on these things Laughing it all away Laughing it alI away Laughing it all away

© 1973; Crazy Crow Music

Thank you, Joni Mitchell for understanding what it feels like for me...

I’m going to ask my friend with whom I spent the weekend to respond to this blog entry and then I will post part two of this. I believe that his perspective will help balance mine and maybe give me some insights to better understand other peoples’ cues.

Being a cancer patient, I am very aware of my physical and mental state.  I think that my search for happiness is linked to this and pushing myself back above ground after being driven down underground a few times by some bad situations.

I’d like to say that carpe diem is still my saying - but I’m adding an additional point to it: Seize the day attentively and wisely so that you don’t have any regrets and recognize the cues...

[iyelp]

How’d you get so fat?

A little while ago I went to visit my aunt and uncle that I hadn’t seen in a few months. Before I even had a chance to sit down my uncle asks me, “How’d you get so fat?”

I immediately had flashbacks to 10+ years ago when my (Chinese) neighbor came over and asked me the same thing. “Yeah, my grandson isn’t fat like you,” she added.

The funny thing is: my weight has stayed within a 5-pound range for the past 12 months…I know because I have a wifi scale, and there’s an app for that. Additionally, I had been going to the gym, playing volleyball, or biking >=3x weekly for the past several months. (On the other hand, I’m not sure how much that offsets stuffing my face with bacon or Ferrero Rocher a few times a week…)

If I weren’t as confident or secure in my masculine identity I might have shown my uncle a graph of my weight over the past few months and asked him if there’s something wrong with his eyesight…but instead I just said, “No, my weight’s been the same, I haven’t changed.”

I was actually pretty impressed with my own (lack of) response: my face didn’t get warm, my heart rate didn’t go up…I was genuinely confused why he thought I gained weight.

The whole experience felt like a chapter out of the Joy Luck Club, essentially a book of stories of how Chinese immigrant parents shame their second-generation US-born children because that’s the only way they knew how to do things. Tears and hilarity ensue. (Disclaimer: I only saw the movie.)

It was also a good reminder of how much I’ve grown in being comfortable in my own skin, and in particular, while working out at the gym. Even though I haven’t grown very much in most measurable areas (benchpress, pull-ups, bicep circumference, number of visible abs), this last exchange with my uncle made me realize that I grew where it mattered: my own sense of self-worth. Who cares if he thought I was fat? And more importantly, who cares if I did get fat? Why should I let other people’s opinion get in the way of how I feel about myself?

Since I didn’t really work out or play any sports in school, I’ve always felt somewhat self-conscious about my body growing up. I took a resistance training class in college with a friend, but didn’t really learn anything. After college I signed up for a gym membership and even went through a few personal trainers, but never stuck with anything long enough to make an impact. Every time January would roll around, though, I’d resolve anew that this is the year that I work out hard and get a beach body. And like clockwork, I’d return to old patterns of behavior by February.

From all appearances, it didn’t look like anything was changing. But in retrospect, I can recognize when growth happened…most often when I met people along the way. One of those people was my coworker Rob, who I met several years ago. Originally from the East Coast, Rob was tall with an athletic build, quick-witted, confident, and outgoing. We hit it off, and he asked me if I wanted to work out with him at the gym.

I was excited to (I had always wanted a work out buddy but was too lazy to do anything about it) and immediately said yes, but I felt super insecure about how this was going to go down. Which, in retrospect, seems silly to even wonder about. Yes, Rob lifted more weight than I did (in most cases, a lot more weight), but he was patient, encouraging, and honestly, the best trainer I had ever had. If I had it my way I would work out with Rob a lot more often, but our schedules are too different to get together more than once every couple months.

Fast forward to this year, which theoretically would have been my best shot at getting six pack abs by summer, no thanks to my friend Jon who insists on working out at 5:30. A.M. IN THE MORNING. If that sounds insane, it’s because IT IS. In a moment of weakness I had promised Jon over New Year’s that I’d work out with him for a month at 5:30 am, and now it has extended to 6 months. Fortunately (or unfortunately for my abs), the most we’ve worked out is 3x/week…but it’s still quite an accomplishment given my track record.

Half a year in, it’s gotten slightly easier to get up before sunrise and start the day with a workout. It’s also reinforced the fact that people are creatures of habit (myself included). The same people are there most days I go: the older Asian lady with the lifting gloves, the super-buff Latino guy with the tattoos, the super-buff Latino guy with the Beats earphones, the personal trainers with their clients, and the stereotypes go on.

One morning I decided to accost the super-buff Latino guy with the Beats earphones since I saw him wearing a volleyball shirt (I always try to get to know more people who play volleyball). I’m not sure why I was surprised that Sergio was friendly and easy to talk to…maybe it’s related to the insecurity I felt when I initially worked out with Rob. After meeting Sergio, I’d always say hi and make small talk whenever I saw him at the gym. He even asked me to spot him on benchpress a few times, which also reminded me of working out with Rob, since both of them lifted a lot more weight than me.

If it’s one thing I have learned from Rob, Sergio, Jon, and the others I’ve met along the way, it’s this: how many pounds you can lift doesn’t matter. How much weight you gain (or, in my case, don’t gain) between seeing relatives doesn’t matter. You can’t control how people are going to treat you, but you can control your own actions and how you respond to others. It’s a pretty basic truth, but it’s been a useful reminder to me every now and then. It’s also why I haven’t given up on my goal of having a beach body by summer.

So…2018, watch out, I’m coming for you.

Caption: Here I am with my crazy friend Jon on our morning workout.

[marlinav]

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The most rewarding part of #empowering others toward the best versions of themselves is witnessing their #progress. @dr_fred_russo said, "That felt so good to do that!" Over a year ago, he started drinking #AloeSelect and implemented several #Univera products in his own protocols and now recommending Univera to his patients with profound results they can see, feel and measure. He has access to many high quality products and loves Univera. Dr. Fred's undergraduate studies were in nursing then he earned his Master’s Degree of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. Dr. Russo moved to Seattle to continue his studies to fulfill his dream of earning his Doctorate in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine at Bastyr University. The curriculum focused on academia, Integrative Oncology, and Advanced Pain Management. Link in my bio. . . . #MuscleIsMagic #UniveraStrong #LiveYoungLiveUnivera #iHeartUnivera #WeAreAllBodybuilders #Muscle #FlexFriday #MuscleDevelopment #BenchPress #Deadlift #Powerlifting (at Emerald City Athletics - Seattle Stone Way)