#sauna during a dry fast

[dryfastingclub]

Is it ever safe to use a sauna during a dry fast?

Many people vouch for sauna during a dry fast. However, the risks associated with using a sauna while dry fasting is rarely discussed. Here, we will shed some light on it.

Why do dry fasters consider saunas?

While dry fasting, sauna use has been suggested for various health benefits. ● People often try to maximize the benefits of sauna use by combining it with dry fasting. ● Some people may view this as a means to speed up the cleansing procedure. ● Sweating out toxins in a sauna can be beneficial. ● Muscle tension and pain can be alleviated by spending some time in a sauna during a dry fast. ● Exercise and saunas are often cited as ways to hasten the loss of water and muscle glycogen that precedes ketosis.

As is the case with so many things in the modern world, everyone is looking for quicker results. The logic goes that you can get a head start on autophagy and improve your mental clarity if you enter ketosis sooner. Cutting corners during the first two days of a fast can be a huge motivation for people who have difficulty getting through the fast overall.

Combining dry fasting and other types of fasting.

The crucial point is that most people unintentionally confuse the principles of dry fasting with those of water fasting. There are many different opinions shared about water fasting and intermittent fasting, which are growing in popularity very quickly.

Dry fasting is much more obscure and is a less common type of fast. Dry fasters may be persuaded to try it because sauna use is encouraged by those who practice intermittent and water fasting.

Risk associated.

Risks associated with using the sauna during a dry fast include:

● Dehydration ● Lightheadedness ● Fainting, and ● Heat stroke

In addition to putting your heart under unnecessary strain, saunas are not recommended for people who are already dehydrated. Shorter dry fasts and sauna use, as well as soft dry fasts and sauna use, have their proponents, but it's common knowledge that the longer you dry fast, the more risky sauna use becomes. In light of these considerations, it is generally advised against using a sauna while dry fasting. Inquire with your physician about whether or not doing so would be risky before proceeding.

Points to note while dry fasting ● Saunas are generally frowned upon, but many continue using them regularly. It's crucial to remember that the longer you fast, the riskier it is to expose yourself to extreme heat. ● Maintaining a constant level of metabolic water replenishment is essential for your health. ● Using a sauna at these times can cause severe dehydration, which in turn can affect your kidneys and heart. ● Low blood pressure and impaired kidney function are two of the many adverse effects of dehydration. ● One of the many abnormalities in metabolism brought on by heat illness is a decrease in kidney function. This condition causes a breakdown in muscle tissue that ultimately leads to kidney failure. ● Sauna use during the dry fast can lead to extreme dehydration, which can cause kidney damage and the resulting symptoms of water retention.

We hope that these facts answer your questions.

[curiositydooropened]

WIP Wednesday - Teaser - Neighbors

Synopsis: When two new handsome boys move next door, you feel it's a gift from the Universe. At least, you do until both of them are vying for your attention and you have to choose between them.

A/N: Steve x Reader AND Eddie x Reader??? Yeah duh, I had to. This is the most recent plot bunny I've been chasing. We'll see where it takes me and how dark I go with it. xo

---

They moved in on a scorcher. It was one of those mornings where you couldn’t close your windows fast enough to trap in the evening breeze. You woke with hair sticking to your temples, night shirt stuck to the small of your back, and you started the day with an ice-cold shower. You ate your cereal dry, as to not release any cold from the fridge, and headed out the door in your scrubs just like every other Wednesday, wallet and car keys in hand. Only, when you opened your door to the concrete walkway and rickety wrought iron railing, you didn’t expect to be trapped in your doorway by a passing sectional being manhandled by a bunch of children. 

“Oh, hey!” A curly hair one greeted, nearly dropping an ottoman in front of your door. “Steve, Eddie! Your new neighbor’s a nurse!” He offered no information about himself, just followed the sweatshop assembly line into 11’s open door. 

You snorted, and didn’t bother correcting him, exiting quickly during a gap in furniture big enough to allow you to lock your door and skip down the staircase toward your car. A U-haul took up most of the lot, and you found your car wedged between it and a stoner van, but surveying the space between guaranteed you could twenty-point-turn your way out of it. Plus, the moving van had provided a little shade, so maybe the black interior of your car wouldn’t yet be a mid-morning sauna. 

“Oh, shit, didn’t realize we were blocking you in,” someone called out, and you turned to find a rather handsome young man, probably close to your age. He had a mess of brown hair, kind eyes, freckles, and his Hawkins High School Basketball t-shirt had darkened with sweat in the center of his broad chest and under the arms. He fished keys from the pockets of his Levis and jingled them at you. “Hold on a sec, I’ll back up.”

You smiled, intrigued, wondering if he, or one of the myriad of children, were your new neighbor. Cletus moved out months ago, and you had that little corner of your balcony to yourself. You supposed the nights of scenic balcony gazing were over. Or, if this guy was your neighbor, maybe not. 

You let yourself into your car, sputtering at the warmth the truck hadn’t shielded as hoped, and cranked your windows down. You watched in the rearview as the handsome stranger backed up enough to let you through, someone flagging him onto the entrance road from the back corner of the truck, a woman with an equally sweaty t-shirt, hair tucked under a ball cap. You tutted. Maybe neighbor boy shouldn’t be oggled after all. 

You rolled up beside the truck and waved in thanks, but the driver leaned himself out the window, all charming smile and shiny cheeks. 

“Sorry about that.” 

“Don’t be,” you waved him off, hands sticky against your steering wheel. 

“Is that your usual parking spot?” He pointed from whence you came.

You shrugged with a laugh. “They aren’t assigned, but yeah, I’ve been parking there.” 

“Well, I promise it’ll be empty when you get back.”

You bit back that kicking in your stomach and nodded. “It better.” And with that, you headed off to work. You couldn’t wait to tell Alejandra all about him. 

—

Work had been miserable. You’d been sent to three different stores to get ice, and of course they were out. Dogs were hosed down and put under wet blankets under tables to keep cool. Kennels were filling up fast as people tried to save animals from the heat. You’d ended up working hours later your shift, just for an extra set of caring hands, and, if you were being honest, to keep away from a sweltering apartment. 

The sun had dipped too low in the sky on your way home, kissing the horizon in blood reds and blurring your vision. The visor in your car was broken, and you had both windows rolled down for some semblance of air flow, but your back and ass still stuck to the seat. You pulled into a drive-thru behind a long line of cars and shut off the radio, listening only to the low, lazy buzz of crickets and air conditioners working over time. 

The ice cream machine was broken, because of course it was, but you treated yourself to a Coke and a large French fry, from which you picked nearly to the bottom on the rest of your drive home. And when you arrived, the drink was so satisfying pressed to the space between your breasts as you carried your haul up the rickety staircase to your apartment. 

Your fast food bag nearly flew from your fingertips when you summited the staircase to find a man leaning against your railing. He had a spindly frame, but broad shoulders, hunched over the bannister with his arms crossed and a cigarette dangling between two fingers. He wore a cut-off black t-shirt, which exposed pale, pale skin down his ribcage and a plethora of tattoos down his left bicep. His long, dark hair had been pulled back into a scraggly ponytail. 

You coughed to make yourself known. If you startled him like he had you, he might go toppling off the second story.

It half-worked. He was mid drag and stumbled a little at your sound. He sputtered and coughed, shoving his cigarette into a makeshift ashtray, and when he turned to see you, he was waving away smoke as it exited his nostrils. “Fuck, I mean shit, I mean, Jesus Christ.”

“Sorry,” you chuckled, fishing your keys from beneath your paper bag of fried food. 

“No, I’m sorry. I promise I’ll never smoke again, or at least never when your windows are open. It’s just been a long day. It’s a disgusting habit.” He rambled. “I just moved in, uh… Eleven? That’s me.” So this was Neighbor Boy. Interesting.

---

This is just a teaser, fic to come soon, but feel free to come talk to me about it! If you're interested in reading more of my work, masterlist is in my bio. xo

[saunasteamau]

How Do Saunas Help with Muscle Recovery and Stress Relief?

In today's fast-paced world, where stress and physical strain are commonplace, finding effective ways to rejuvenate both body and mind is essential. Among various relaxation and recovery methods, saunas stand out as a popular choice for enhancing well-being.

But how exactly do buy sauna Melbourne contribute to muscle recovery and stress relief? This blog delves into the science and benefits of saunas, shedding light on their role in improving physical health and mental relaxation.

The Science Behind Saunas

Saunas are small rooms or structures designed to produce heat, typically ranging from 150 to 195 degrees Fahrenheit. The heat can be dry, as in traditional saunas, or moist, as in steam rooms. The primary therapeutic benefit of saunas comes from the way heat interacts with the body. When exposed to high temperatures, the body undergoes several physiological changes that promote recovery and relaxation.

Muscle Recovery Benefits

Enhanced Blood Circulation: The heat from a sauna causes blood vessels to dilate, increasing blood flow and improving circulation. This enhanced blood flow delivers more oxygen and nutrients to muscle tissues, which helps in repairing and rebuilding muscle fibers damaged during exercise. Improved circulation also aids in the removal of metabolic waste products, such as lactic acid, which can contribute to muscle soreness.

Reduced Muscle Tension: The warmth of the sauna helps to relax muscle tissues and ease stiffness. The heat relaxes the muscles and joints, reducing tension and discomfort. This is particularly beneficial after intense physical activity, where muscles often become tight and sore.

Increased Flexibility: Regular use of a sauna can enhance flexibility by warming up the muscles and increasing their pliability. This can help in improving range of motion and reducing the risk of injuries. Stretching in a sauna can further amplify these benefits, as the heat makes the muscles more responsive to stretching.

Pain Relief: Saunas can provide relief from chronic pain conditions, such as arthritis and fibromyalgia. The heat has analgesic properties that can reduce pain and inflammation in affected areas, providing comfort and improved mobility.

Stress Relief Benefits

Endorphin Release: Exposure to heat in a sauna triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers and mood enhancers. Endorphins promote a sense of well-being and happiness, helping to alleviate stress and improve overall mood.

Reduced Cortisol Levels: Saunas can help lower cortisol levels, a hormone associated with stress. High cortisol levels can lead to various health issues, including anxiety and fatigue. By reducing cortisol, saunas can contribute to a more balanced and relaxed state of mind.

Enhanced Relaxation: The soothing environment of a sauna, combined with the heat, promotes deep relaxation. The quiet and warm atmosphere encourages mindfulness and helps to disconnect from daily stressors. This relaxation can have a cascading effect, improving sleep quality and overall mental health.

Improved Sleep Quality: Regular saunas Melbourne use has been linked to better sleep patterns. The relaxation and stress relief achieved in a sauna can extend to improved sleep quality, as the body and mind become more prepared for restful sleep. A good night’s sleep is crucial for both physical recovery and mental health.

Incorporating Saunas into Your Routine

To maximise the benefits of saunas for muscle recovery and stress relief, it is essential to use them correctly. Here are some tips for incorporating sauna sessions into your routine:

Hydrate: Ensure you drink plenty of water before and after your sauna session to stay hydrated. The heat causes sweating, which can lead to dehydration if fluids are not replenished.

Listen to Your Body: Start with shorter sessions (5-10 minutes) and gradually increase the duration as your body becomes accustomed to the heat. Pay attention to how you feel and exit the sauna if you experience any discomfort.

Cool Down: After your sauna session, allow your body to cool down gradually. A cool shower or a period of rest can help normalise your body temperature and further enhance the recovery process.

Combine with Stretching: Incorporate gentle stretching exercises before or after your sauna session to enhance flexibility and muscle recovery.

Final Words

Saunas offer a multitude of benefits for muscle recovery and stress relief, making them a valuable addition to a wellness routine. By improving blood circulation, reducing muscle tension, and promoting relaxation, saunas help the body recover from physical exertion and alleviate stress.

Incorporating saunas Melbourne sessions into your routine, coupled with proper hydration and stretching, can lead to enhanced physical well-being and mental tranquillity. So, the next time you seek relief from muscle soreness or stress, consider stepping into a sauna for a rejuvenating experience that benefits both body and mind.

[cryotherapy-sa]

The Ultimate Guide to Infrared Saunas: How to Choose the Best One

In our fast-paced world, the quest for relaxation and wellness is more important than ever. One of the most effective and luxurious ways to achieve both is through heat saunas. Saunas have been cherished for centuries for their numerous health benefits, from improving cardiovascular health to promoting detoxification and enhancing overall well-being.

In this comprehensive guide, let’s explore everything you need to know about infrared saunas, including their benefits, different types, and tips for choosing the best one to suit your needs.

The Science Behind Heat Saunas

At the core of a heat sauna's appeal is its ability to elevate the body’s temperature, inducing sweating and promoting various health benefits. When you sit in a sauna, the heat causes your blood vessels to dilate, increasing blood flow and improving circulation. This process helps to relax muscles, soothe aches and pains, and promote healing. Additionally, sweating is one of the body’s natural ways to detoxify, helping to eliminate toxins and impurities through the skin.

Health Benefits of Heat Saunas

Detoxification: Regular sauna use can help remove heavy metals and other toxins from the body, promoting a cleaner, healthier system.

Improved Circulation: The heat from the sauna increases blood flow, which can help reduce muscle soreness, improve joint movement, and enhance overall cardiovascular health.

Stress Relief: Saunas provide a tranquil environment that promotes relaxation, reduces stress, and improves mental clarity. The endorphins released during a sauna session can elevate your mood and leave you feeling refreshed.

Skin Health: Sweating helps to cleanse the skin, removing dead skin cells and promoting a healthy glow. Regular sauna use can improve skin tone, texture, and elasticity.

Pain Relief: The heat from a sauna can help to alleviate pain from conditions such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome. It also helps to reduce inflammation and improve mobility.

Types of Heat Saunas

There are several types of heat saunas available, each offering unique benefits and experiences. Understanding the differences can help you choose the best one for your needs.

Traditional Finnish Saunas: These saunas use a combination of high heat and low humidity, typically heated with a wood-burning stove or electric heater. They provide an intense, dry heat that can reach temperatures of 160-200°F (70-100°C). Traditional saunas are excellent for those who enjoy a robust and invigorating sauna experience.

Heat Saunas: Unlike traditional saunas, infrared saunas use infrared heaters to emit radiant heat that directly warms the body without heating the surrounding air. This type of sauna operates at lower temperatures, typically between 120-140°F (50-60°C), making it more comfortable for longer sessions. Saunas are known for their deep penetrating heat, which can provide more targeted relief for sore muscles and joints.

Steam Saunas (Steam Rooms): Steam saunas generate moist heat by producing steam from boiling water. They typically operate at lower temperatures (110-114°F or 43-46°C) but with higher humidity levels. Steam saunas are great for respiratory health, as the moist heat can help to open airways and alleviate congestion.

Portable Saunas: These compact and convenient options are perfect for those with limited space or those who want to enjoy the benefits of a sauna on the go. Portable saunas can be either infrared or steam-based and are designed to be easy to set up and take down.

How to Choose the Best Heat Sauna for You

Selecting the right heat sauna depends on several factors, including your personal preferences, health goals, and available space. Here are some tips to help you make an informed decision:

Determine Your Goals: Consider what you want to achieve with your sauna sessions. Are you looking for intense heat and detoxification, or do you prefer a gentler, more relaxing experience? Your goals will help guide you toward the right type of sauna.

Consider Your Space: Evaluate the space you have available for a sauna. If you have a dedicated room or outdoor area, a traditional or infrared sauna may be suitable. For smaller spaces, a portable sauna might be the best option.

Budget: Saunas come in a range of prices, so it's important to determine your budget beforehand. Traditional and heat saunas tend to be more expensive, while portable saunas offer a more affordable alternative.

Health Considerations: If you have any medical conditions or concerns, consult with your healthcare provider before using a sauna. Some individuals may need to avoid high heat or humidity, making an infrared or steam sauna a better choice.

Quality and Features: Look for saunas made from high-quality materials and with features that enhance your experience, such as adjustable temperature controls, timers, and ergonomic seating.

Final Words

Heat saunas offer a myriad of health benefits, from detoxification and improved circulation to stress relief and enhanced skin health. By understanding the different types of saunas and considering your personal needs and preferences, you can choose the best sauna to incorporate into your wellness routine.

Whether you opt for a traditional Finnish sauna, an infrared saunas, or a portable option, regular sauna sessions can be a transformative addition to your lifestyle, promoting relaxation, rejuvenation, and overall well-being.

Source From: The Ultimate Guide to Infrared Saunas: How to Choose the Best One

[oasisrelaxing]

Unwind & Rejuvenate At The Best Sauna Foot Massage Center Near Texas

In the heart of Texas, where the pace of life can be fast and demanding, finding a serene oasis to unwind and rejuvenate is a precious discovery. Enter the best sauna Foot Massage Center Near Texas, a place that offers not just relaxation but a journey to invigorate your senses and soothe your soul.

The Oasis Of Tranquillity With Sauna Bliss

Stepping into the Sauna Massage Center Texas is like entering an oasis of tranquillity. The ambiance is designed to transport you far from the hustle and bustle of daily life. The gentle lighting, calming scents, and soothing music create an environment that lulls you into relaxation from the moment you arrive.

Your massage session will start with a session in the sauna. The dry, heated air envelops your body, working wonders for your physical and mental well-being. The sauna session is more than just a way to break a sweat; it is a detoxifying experience that helps your muscles relax and your mind clear.

Personalized Foot Massage

Following your time in the sauna, it is time for the star of the show: the foot massage. This is not just any foot massage; it is a personalized experience tailored to your specific needs. The skilled therapists at the best Foot Massage Center Near Texas will begin by soaking your feet in warm water to soften the skin and relax your muscles.

The massage itself combines various techniques, including deep tissue, reflexology, and acupressure. By targeting specific pressure points on your feet, the therapist can provide relief from aches, and pains, and even promote overall well-being. It is an interactive experience where you can communicate your preferences and enjoy a session that's just right for you.

Healing Through Heat & Pressure

The combination of heat and pressure, offered at the Best Massage Center Texas brings about multiple health benefits. While the sauna helps with detoxification, improved circulation, and relaxation, the foot massage takes it a step further by directly addressing various concerns.

Stress Relief: The soothing massage techniques, along with the sauna's calming effects, can help alleviate stress and reduce anxiety.

Pain Management: The foot massage is an excellent way to address chronic pain issues, particularly in the feet, legs, and lower back.

Enhanced Circulation: The massage stimulates blood flow, which can aid in reducing swelling and enhancing overall circulation in the body.

Improved Sleep: The relaxation achieved during the session can promote better sleep patterns, leaving you feeling refreshed and recharged.

Holistic Well-Being: The combination of heat therapy and reflexology provides a holistic approach to physical and mental wellness.

A Journey To Complete Relaxation In Texas

The best sauna Foot Massage Center Near Texas offers more than a mere massage; it provides a journey to complete relaxation. From the moment you walk in, your senses are engaged, and as you step into the sauna, the warmth envelops you. The skilled therapists guide you through a personalized foot massage experience, paying close attention to your needs and preferences.

At the Best Massage Center Texas, the experience is more than just a massage. It is a chance to escape the chaos of the outside world and focus on your well-being. The combination of the sauna and foot massage offers a holistic approach to relaxation, ensuring you leave feeling recharged, refreshed, and ready to face the world with a renewed sense of vitality.

So why wait? Discover the best Sauna Massage Center Texas, book your appointment, and embark on a journey of well-being and rejuvenation. It will help you take a step back from the demands of life and invest in yourself.

For more details visit our website oasisrelaxing.com.

[santamedical-health]

The Benefits of Hot and Cold Therapy

Have you ever had a cold or the flu, only to find that your head feels like it’s going to explode? Or maybe you’ve tweaked your back during a workout and can barely move. In both cases, you’ve likely reached for a heating pad or ice pack in an effort to find relief. But have you ever wondered why Hot and Cold Pack therapy works? Let’s take a closer look at how these two opposite temperatures can offer such powerful benefits.

How Does Hot Therapy Work? Hot Pack therapy, also known as heat therapy, dilates blood vessels and increases blood flow to the area where it is applied. This increased blood flow brings with it more oxygen and nutrients, which can help reduce pain and promote healing. Heat therapy can also help loosen tight muscles and ease stiffness. moist heat are two common types of hot therapy.

Moist heat, as the name suggests, involves the use of moistening agents such as water or packs filled with rice or bean bags. This type of heat penetrates more deeply than dry heat and is often used for chronic pain relief or to prepare muscles for physical activity. Dry heat, on the other hand, comes from sources such as electric heating pads, saunas, or infrared lamps. dry heat penetrates more superficially than moist heat and is best used for temporary pain relief or to warm up muscles prior to exercise.

How Does Cold Pack Therapy Work? Cold therapy works by constricting blood vessels and reducing blood flow to the area where it is applied. This decrease in blood flow helps reduce inflammation and numbs nerve endings to provide pain relief. Cold therapy can also help reduce muscle spasms and swelling. Ice packs are the most common type of cold therapy, but you can also use things like gel packs, cold sponges, or ice baths.

Which Type of Therapy Is Right for Me? The answer to this question depends on your specific situation. If you have acute pain from an injury or recent surgery, then cold Pack therapy is probably your best bet as it will help reduce swelling and inflammation. If you have chronic pain or sore muscles, then hot therapy may be a better option as it will help increase blood flow and loosen tight muscles.

It’s important to note that you should never apply ice pack directly to your skin as it can cause frostbite. Always wrap your ice pack in a towel before applying it to your skin. And if you are using hot therapy, make sure not to set the temperature too high as this can burn your skin.

Conclusion: Whether you’re dealing with acute pain from an injury or chronic pain from arthritis, hot and cold therapy can offer some much-needed relief. These opposite temperatures work in different ways to provide a variety of benefits that can help reduce pain, inflammation, swelling, and muscle spasms. So next time you reach for an ice pack or heating pad, remember that there’s science behind why these therapies work—and why they just might be exactly what you need to feel better fast!

[funnyexel]

Yandere Villain x Reader

A/n: Wow. Since so many people liked my last “yandere” drabble. I’ve made another one. You could call this more of a yandere story. Enjoy, my lovely’s <3 Masterlist Mega List

Getting into this relationship wasn’t the problem per se you love him and this relationship but there are times he can be a bit extreme...

A few firm knocks are placed upon your door. You sigh and take slow footsteps to the door, unlocking it and cracking it open. “Good evening, Ma’am.” The officer greets you. “Evening, officer. Is there a problem?” You ask him in a calm manor. “Have you hear about the damages?” You hesitantly shake your head. “I just got back from the grocery store. What happened?” You ask with slight concern. “Long story short, there’s been some damages on and near the property. Since, you don’t know anything. We’ll be going.” You wave the officer off, closing your door and resting your back against it. With a sigh, you continue to unpack your groceries. 

“Good evening, Ma’am.” A strong masculine voice mocks. You roll your eyes at him, ignoring his presence as you put your beverages in your fridge. “Your not going to check on me? Darling, I was in a gun fight.” You scoff at his words. Putting the grocery bags away, you finally respond to him. “You’re mocking people like a child therefore you seem fine to me.” Your voice echoing through the kitchen. You see him before you hear him as you spin around on your heels. “I’ve been gone for two days and someone manifests a bratty attitude.” His rather dry palm caresses your cheek. Leaning in you can feel his breath on your neck, the sensation sending sparks of electricity through you. 

“Being a brat gets you nowhere, love.” You lowly whimper at his tone. Your hand strokes his clothed forearm, a little squish sound given at the action. You lean into him momentarily to smell him, soon pulling back. “You reek. What is that sewage water?” You pinch your nose during the statement.  “Yeah. Where do you think I’ve been for the past two days?” Pushing him into the bathroom, you shut your blinds and turn on the bath. “How am I going to get you to not smell like sewage water...” You mutter looking through your bathroom, for any candle, soap or something strong enough to get the stench out. You look to the tub expecting him to be inside, to your dismay he wasn’t. “get in the tub.”

You state. He shifts his head back, not fond of your wording. “please.” You add, looking back to the cabinet. The sound of water echoes in your bathroom. You find a strong candle and a rocky soap. Uncovering the candle and placing it at the edge of the tub, you put the soap next to it. “Could you?” You point to the candle, looking at him. With a faint hand motion he sets the candle ablaze. “I kinda like you taking care of me.” He exclaims as he sits back and relaxes in the tub. “Don’t get used to it.” Grabbing his clothes from the floor, you head straight to the wash room. Putting the clothes to wash on the longest mode. “sewer for two days.” You trail off as you look for a fresh towel and new clothes for him.

Stepping into the bathroom, steam flows out. “So, our bathroom is your own sauna now.” You say as you close the door. He hums to your statement. Putting the clothing and towel on the sink ledge, you kneel next to the tub. “This should help.” You say pouring a clear liquid in the tub. Setting the bottle on the floor you put your arm on the tub ledge and rest your head on it. Studying his relaxed state. “are you staying tonight?” You ask in a low voice. He smirks, turning to you with his eyes closed. “It looks so.” You smile at his words. “When your done with this come to the bedroom.” You rise to your feet and stop at the door. “I won’t hesitate to send you back in here if you still smell like sewage water.” 

Making your exit out the room, you quietly scramble. ‘Thank god, I got a wax yesterday.’ You race into your room to the closet. “Black or red.” You hold each pairs of the lingerie in either hand. “fuck it, red it is.” You basically rip your clothes of, put on the lingerie and an oversized shirt. Hearing footsteps approach, you jump into bed and put on the tv as if your going to watch something. “That was fast.” You say eyes not leaving the tv. Your eyes finally rip away and look to the door. You look around a bit more. “Honey?” You ask, slowly reaching under your pillow. The feeling of cold steel, fills your palm as you cock back a hand gun. 

Quickly putting on a pair of shorts, you scope out your room and closet. You hum in confusion, swiftly going to the hallway then living room and kitchen. Approaching the bathroom, you check behind you once more before entering. He was putting on his shirt. “Eager are w-” He cuts off his sentence as his eyes trail to the gun. “I think someone’s in the apartment.” You say in a low voice. He puts his arm in front of you, guiding you away from the door. With a towel still on his head, he steps out the bathroom. “what do you want?” His voice is muffled through the door. “You are under arrest.” A stern robotic voice orders. “I don’t feel like getting arrested right now. How about tomorrow? Better yet, never.” 

You groan, feeling annoyed that you don’t know what’s going on beyond the door. “If you do not comply, I will not hesitant to bring you by force.” She says. Your face fills with irritation and confusion. “If you feel the need to fight. I’ll gladly take this outside.” You could hear the balcony door open. “I believe there is no need for such action.” You busted through the bathroom door. “Nope! No one is fighting in here.” Your eyes land on a cloaked figure. “Fighting stays outside.” You point to the balcony door. “Who are you?” A genuine question is asked. “I’m the owner of this apartment. Who are you?” You finish your statement with a question. 

“I am a Special Services Officer, currently helping the heroes detain present villain Cold Flame.” She whips out a pair of special handcuffs. You stop her before she can get any closer. “Could you seriously take this outside? I’m not the only person living in this complex.” You ask. Without another word being uttered, she walks to the balcony and jumps off, expecting him to follow. “Thanks, darlin-” You place your finger to his lips to interrupt his sentence. He gets the idea, placing a lingering peck on your lips then jumping off the balcony aswell. You heavily sigh, slowly turning your head to the door as footsteps become louder. Your moves becoming quick, going into the bedroom and changing your clothes. 

All the while, packing a backpack of clothes. The click of the thigh holster echoes in the room. “hmm. I guess this did come in handy.” You say about the thigh fabric, placing the gun on safety and shoving it into the holster. Leaving the room and escaping onto the balcony, you pull down the ladder. Climbing down it with haste as you see splinters of the door fling out the apartment. “Running will only make things worst.” A voice pounds into your head but it soon gets put to rest, the sound of tires screeching replacing it. The rough wind blowing through your clothing as you struggle to place the helmet upon your head. “Great, now I have heroes following me.” 

Your voice muffles through the helmet, looking back you see two heroes on your tail. “Wouldn’t be the first.” You trail off, looking back to the front and taking a sharp right onto a bridge. Swerving in between cars, earning honks and annoyed yells. In the distance a figure stood in the middle of the road, squinting your eyes you see a familiar hero. Steadily approaching this hero, you think of a plan of interaction. Tires screeching, indicating a hard stop. You step off the bike slowly. “I’ve got her.” He says into a ear piece. Slowly removing your helmet, crouching down to place it gently on the floor. “Yeah, nice and slow. Now walk over to me.” You nod to his words but other thoughts run through your head. 

As your steps drifted to the side of the bridge he began to take notice. “Hey! No!” He called out to you as if that was going to change your actions. Beginning your movements with a backwards jump off the bridge. You reach in your holster, flicking the gun off safety and shooting the bike. Creating a perfect diversion, your body now turning mid-air, you put the gun back to its resting place as your body molds into a diving position fully off the bridge and into the water. The water wasn’t as harsh and cold as you expected it to be. Moving your limbs swiftly under the water, your hand meets a big metal piece. Swimming up to the surface of the liquid, you gasp for air and push some hair out your face. 

“If you want him unharmed come on the bridge.” You whip your head around the surroundings. “you’re sick.” You whisper as you climb onto the bridge leg. Steadying your breathing, you lean against the metal. A small whistle fills your ears for a split second, but by the time you realized what happened it was too late. You managed to close your eyes as you lose control of your body, falling back in the water....blacking out.

Your eyelids flutter open. Your pupils dilating at the orbs staring back. His scent smoky, his face filled with dark spots. Sitting up in his arms, you see... “is that a burning building?” You squint trying to confirm your allegations. “sh..sh..sh..lets go home.” He hugs onto you a bit more than before. “a movie?” You rap your arms around his neck as he lifts you up bridal style. “yes, the one you were talking about last week.” You give him smile as the fire bursts into a blaze heat. But that’s all behind us now as he says.

[philliamwrites]

The Dawn Will Come [Chpt.5]

Fandom: Fire Emblem Three Houses

Pairing: Dimitri x Reader, Claude x Reader, Edelgard x Reader, Yuri x Reader, Edelgard x Byleth, lots of minor pairings

Tags: #gn reader, # platonic love byleth & reader, #reader is a tactical unit, #angst, #slow burn, #subplots, #unreliable narrator, #pining, #remporary amnesia, #reluctant herp, #canon divergence, #lost twin au, #many chapters, #original content

Words: 5.4k

Summary: Waking up in a forest without any knowledge of your past and who you are, you join the house leaders of the Officers Academy to search for a way to return your memories. Unfortunately, the church has different plans for you, and Fate places you in the centre of a cruel game with deadly stakes. It certainly doesn’t help to fall in love with a house leader who is doomed to be your demise.

Notes: Chapter 4 | Chapter 6

Chapter 05: Born to Trouble

Man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward.

[Hiob 5:7]

    A breeze picks up loose leaves and carries them over a steep hill. The sun, directly above your heads, emits no blazing head and still, wearing light armour and carrying weapons leaves a layer of perspiration on your forehead. Every minute marching towards where the Eagle House students and their astute professor are waiting builds worry and the desire to turn around and put as much distance as possible between you and them but the rope tying you to the task called obligation makes it impossible to sate it.

    A slight pull makes you pause and scratch the thin skin under your eye, the feeling so strange as if someone is tugging your mind in the complete opposite direction. Now that is a new sensation, and you’re careful to remember that when answering the onslaught of questions Hanneman will surely prepare once he’s back. Feeling no pain, you write it off as exhaustion for now, already looking forward to relax in the sauna later and wind down.

    “Is something the matter, Herald?” Dimitri asks. Save for a few scratches and a smudged cheek, he looks fine and appears to be in great spirits. You want to lick your thumb and wipe off the dirt but smearing spit on the heir of a kingdom might not be a great idea in front of his future subjects.

    “Everything is fine,” you, the Liar, say with as much conviction as your conscience allows, which is surprisingly easy. Maybe you were a performer before your amnesia, acting on a stage for an audience that celebrated you switching roles with an ease like changing clothes. Dimitri as well trusts your words, though he could as well be playing the role just to lessen your worry.

    The last possibility to stall the unavoidable confrontation vanishes. They are waiting for you near the stronghold just beyond the forest from which you emerge after another painful, tense march. The remaining Black Eagle students are positioned in a triangle around Byleth. At its tip stands Edelgard, strong and tall, her axe ready to strike whoever stands between her and victory. Flanking her are ever-brooding Hubert and—

    “Linhardt?” you gasp, freezing on the spot which makes everyone sticking to your heels walk right into you. Sylvain only saves himself from falling because he quickly holds onto Dedue who tolerates it like a friendly bear allowing a little bird to sit on his back.

    “Is he doing something?” he asks, tiptoeing to get a better look. “What’s going on?”

    You point a finger at the Black Eagle student. “No one told me it was allowed to bring students back from the sidelines.”

    “Because it isn’t,” Dimitri says, patiently pulling a twig out of his hair. “Those who have lost cannot re-enter the mock battle.”

    You stare at everyone separately, hoping it carries enough weight for them to understand your problem—rather why is no one questioning the obvious? They consider you with as much confusion though, at least something you have in common.

    “Then why is Linhardt participating again?”

    They share worried glances.

    “Herald, what are you talking about?” asks Dimitri with a crease between his eyebrows.

    It is enough to make your next protest come out more desperate. “An hour ago, Felix and I dealt with Ferdinand and Linhardt. I told you!”

    “But—” Sylvain’s face goes blank with surprise. “Didn’t you say you guys got Ferdinand and Dorothea?”

    “Dorothea?” You didn’t even know she participated. “No, I swear, we— Why would I claim something different?” They lack the answer to that just as you and any minute pondering it longer is stolen by a vicious MiasmaΔ that splits a tree behind you in two.

    “Hey!” Sylvain shakes a fist at Hubert. “Use magic only in moderation!”

    His answer is another MiasmaΔ that nearly knocks Sylvain off his feet. Before you can form words, Edelgard takes a swing at you. The hit would have undoubtedly leave you with a concussion were it not for Dimitri’s quick intervention. He deflects her blow though his lance gives a worrying crack.

    “Dimitri.” Edelgard’s smile doesn’t reach her eyes. “It’s time. We can finally settle the question of who’s stronger.”

    “Very well.” Dimitri’s stance doesn’t falter even as sweat gathers at his temples. “I accept your challenge. With you as my opponent, I won’t hold anything back.”

    Edelgard’s mouth twitches. Dimitri demands with a sharp jut of his chin for you to get out of the way. You don’t argue. Not with the rest from the Eagle house approaching. Dedue, reading your mind, or rather the frantic look in your eyes, charges towards Byleth, leaving Linhardt and Hubert to Sylvain and you.

    You focus on Linhardt, mouth burning to question, “What spell did you use to switch places with Dorothea?”

    He is so baffled by that, you move without thinking—a swift strike, the sword turned midway so the blunt end smashes into his nose. He stumbles back with a sharp cry, a hand flying up to stop the blood running in rivers down his uniform. There is no time feeling bad for catching him off guard like that. A picture flashes before your eyes. You throw yourself to the ground and feel the lance swipe over your head not a second too soon. You roll back up on your feet, glaring at Hubert. He simply raises a brow in challenge. Sure, you accept, fully aware there is only one way to win against him.

    “Edelgard!” you gasp in horror. Hubert’s head twitches but he doesn’t fall for your scheme.

    “Really, Herald? I know Her Highness can take care of herself. You need a better trick than that.”

    “Really? Then how about this trick?”

    This time, Hubert whirls around and is greeted by Sylvain’s fist to his jaw. Combined with your MiasmaΔ, he doesn’t stand a chance. That victory is only short lived though. Out of nowhere, Byleth appears and knocks Sylvain out, not batting an eyelash. She towers like a vengeful spirit, arriving to seek retribution. Trying to move around her, you don’t leave her out of sight for once, your mouth dry and your heart beating so fast your ribcage hurts. The tension is thick enough your swords could cut right through it. It is so tense, in fact, you only manage a dry, “Hey.”

    Byleth raises her sword. “Hello.”

    “Great day to … you know.” You mirror her movement. “Clobber each other with wooden swords.”

    “Less talking, more fighting.” Byleth charges.

    You turn and run away.

    She immediately pursues like a wolf chasing after a deer. If you weren’t so focused on moving your legs as if your life depended on it and not tripping over something, you could swear someone from the sidelines is cheering for you. Someone sounding like Claude.

    “Herald, try a surprise attack! She’ll never expect you to stop and swing your sword at her!”

    No, no, no, he can come down here himself if he has a death wish. But another chance emerges before you, one waiting in the lush thicket that you disappear into in hope to lose her. That hope is quickly vanquished when twigs and dry leaves break right behind you shortly after you breach the edge of the forest. In your panic, you grab onto a branch and pull it with you until you’re sure the blow will at least make Byleth stagger to catch her breath. When you let go, she already knows what you’re up to. With a vicious blow, she breaks the branch and throws her sword at you when you try to run past her back to the field. The pain is unlike anything you’ve felt during training. It brings you to your knees, the stronghold in sight and yet so far away from the forest’s borders. The impact knocks all breath out of your lungs, making you unable to call out for help.

    Byleth stands before you, her sword back in her hand and risen to deliver righteous punishment—until it isn’t Byleth, it is a man, but you can’t see his face, his features hidden by dark shadows.

    Don’t, you think but your mouth forms “You don’t have it in you” instead and before you know it, you speak those words out loud. The picture disappears in a flash so bright, a paper bursting into flames, pain explodes in your head before everything zooms back into painfully sharp focus.

    Something changes in Byleth’s eyes, her hesitation a surprise immediately costing her gravely for Dimitri appears by your side, facing her and a desperate sound of relief escapes you because that means Edelgard is out of the game. It is only a battle of stamina at this point, the battle blurring as you stumble to your feet and help Dimitri to overpower Byleth even though your back is a medley of pain. Judging from how her reacting slower, you get a picture of who from the Black Eagles was fighting the most up until this point.

    Everything happens too fast. It takes one turn, one swipe of Dimitri’s lance, incredible luck that Byleth starts to get exhausted, and a second later, her knee gives in and she’s on the ground, a wooden edge to her throat. The silence is only disturbed by the second roar of trumpets signalling the end of the mock battle.

    You gasp.

    Dimitri gasps.

    Byleth blows a strand of hair out of her face, her face a blank slate.

    Screams and shouts erupt from where everyone else is waiting for you, drowning Jeralt declaring the Blue Lion’s win.

    “Herald.” Dimitri’s smile dazzles you more than the sun’s light, radiant and handsome. “We did it. We did it thanks to you.”

    “No, it was you—” A wave of fatigue washes over you from overusing your power. Exhaustion smothers you, so suddenly that your vision blurs around the edges. Your limbs are leaden; you feel as though you are sinking into mud. Before you hit the ground, Dimitri catches your arm and steadies you.

    It is the unpredictable comedic sort of timing were the cosmos decides it is the right timing for the rest of the students to catch up.

    Sylvain lets out a loud, suggestive whistle, appearing way too chipper for someone just brought back to consciousness thanks to white magic. “Who knew His Highness would decide to court someone wide out in the open like that? Did you invite our dear Herald to dinner first?”

    Ingrid pushes him hard. “His Highness isn’t like you,” she says at the same time Dimitri asks, “But I do plan to invite our Herald to dinner.” All eyes are on him. It is suddenly really hot even though his gauntlets around your arm are cold. “We all are invited to celebrate our victory with a feast in the dining hall.”

    “Aww, goddess help him,” Sylvain sighs, looking like he’s about to facepalm his hand through his forehead.

    Any response on your part is delayed by Rhea and Seteth reaching your group after congratulating each student who participated on their work.

    “Congratulations on winning the mock battle, Herald,” Rhea says, looking incredibly pleased. From the very beginning she’s probably expected nothing less and you wonder if her smile were as content had you failed. “You showed great leadership and trust in your students, who all did exceptionally well.” She’s smiling at every one of them like a proud mother. It leaves a warm, fuzzy feeling inside your chest, her contentment a beacon that banishes the last shadows of doubt in your heart. You could get addicted to this feeling.

    “Now, please return to the monastery,” Seteth advises the students. “We have a few matters to discuss with the faculty members.”

    As the students disperse, Dimitri quickly ducks his head in your direction. “We will speak more later.” He trails after his friends, falling into step with Dedue.

    “Look at them, being so excited. How adorable.” Manuela smiles, not showing any signs of anger about losing the fight or exhaustion flicking the students back together. “Good job leading them, Herald.”

    “And yet, I must advise you to participate more actively in the battle itself next time.” Seteth crosses his arms in front of his broad chest, not sharing Rhea’s idea on how a good job looks. “Professor Byleth showed great assistance and fighting spirit. You would do well to learn from her.”

    Byleth gives a little shrug when you glance at her. She doesn’t seem to care much for that.

    “Don’t be so stern, Seteth,” Rhea chastises him fondly. “There is still so much room to grow for all of them, our dear Herald, Professor Byleth and the students. For now, let us return and allow them a moment of respite. Their first real mission awaits them at the end of next month.”

    Seteth pulls a face as if he bit into a lemon but doesn’t object.

    “I have one concern myself,” you quickly throw in before tracking back, wondering how no one else mentions it. “When Linhardt and Dorothea—”

    “I would like a word,” Byleth suddenly says, grasping your wrist lightly in such an easy, familiar way you immediately shut up. They leave you two to it as you follow them a couple hundred feet behind, both silent though the voice in your mind doesn’t shut up about the dozen of questions bouncing back and forth. After what feels like hours, Byleth finally says, “You noticed it, didn’t you?”

    You stare at the road, a yawning void in your head where just a second ago a cacophony of questions caused a headache, unable to put two and two together. When it finally clicks, you wipe your head so fast in her direction it pops in your neck. “It was you? How did you do it?”

    Byleth doesn’t answer immediately. Her gaze drifts over the treetops, calmly swaying from left to right. The battle has concluded half an hour ago, but it already feels like a lifetime has passed and the peace and quiet of nature around you is like a completely different world. The land surrounding the monastery is exceptionally beautiful, luscious and overgrown with flora that covers the ground in a colourful patchwork rug. How the rest of Fódlan must look like…

    “When we first met, you asked how I could trust you. It will sound strange but you and I, we are connected.” She’s still looking up ahead, now at the towering spires of the monastery piercing the sky.

    Your mouth is dry. “Connected how?”

    She stops now. When she turns and looks at you, again the thread that ties you two together strums in an ancient tune. You stop breathing for that second.

    “You control the flow of the future, and I control the flow of the past.”

    You still don’t understand. Byleth reads as much from your lack of response. “What I mean to say is, I rewind time. When you defeated Linhardt, I turned back time’s hands to have Dorothea walk his path instead to keep my healer. I just never expected anyone would notice. And no one did. Except you.”

    It’s like those words don’t reach you. They recoil from a waterfall that rushes through your ears, distorting the words. When your brain finally finishes freaking out about it, only one thing appears of importance. “You cheated!”

    Byleth wears an expression that clearly states, That’s rich coming from you.

    “I— That—” How can she remain so calm? This information tilts your world, turning every hour you spent lying awake at night in your chambers wondering if you’re the only one with a power like that into a painful memory. “Does that mean you have a Crest as well? If our powers are alike, surely there must be an answer to why we have it. If we talk to Hanneman about it—”

    “You won’t,” Byleth cuts you off, her tone as sharp as her sword. “You will share no word with anyone about what I just revealed, or I will strike you down.”

    The wind picks up, flickering your robes left and right and rocking trees that bow in humility to a force much greater than them—a feeling you can relate to. Cold sweat runs down the back of your neck. This isn’t a threat. It’s a promise.

    “You spend too much time with Hubert,” you manage with a trembling smile only held together when the tension dissipates from Byleth’s face.

    “Professor Hanneman is still studying my Crest,” she says, a tinge of sorrow in her voice that strikes you harder than any danger or threat, “but I can assure you my abilities are not tied to it. I’m sorry.”

    She must have felt what you so desperately wished for: a connection. The assurance that you are not alone in this world with this strange power.

    It makes the way back to the monastery like a march through mud, laden limbs walking towards a goal you don’t know will be worth all the exertion. When the silence becomes too unbearable, you build up the courage to ask, “What are we, Byleth?”

    She drops her gaze to the ground. It is the very first time you see uncertainty hover like a shadow over her face. “I wish I could tell you, but I don’t know.”

    The sky turns an orange canvas when you finally return to the monastery. The last villagers from the small town downhill start returning home, their tools laid to rest inside their carriages. You can’t wait to sink into a nice hot bath, washing away the dried sweat and grime from the battle and change into loose, comfortable evening robes. You don’t come further than past the entrance hall. Leaning against a high pillar, Dimitri is adjusting the loops on his gauntlets, blond strands falling into his face like golden strips of sunshine. Before you reach him, Byleth says with a light touch to your elbow, “Please see Professor Manuela about your wound, okay? You did great today.” You promise her you will and watch her until she disappears through a hall leading to her personal quarters.

    With your attention on him, Dimitri looks up and stands straighter. He grins at you, his smile sudden and jarring like a thunderclap.

    “I have been waiting for you, Herald,” he says and takes you by the wrist. The cold of his gauntlets bites at your skin, making you hiss. His hand immediately drops, and he turns around in panic. “Oh, apologies. It is difficult to control my strength sometimes and—”

    “No, no, that’s not it. I was just a little surprised.”

    He sighs in relief. “Still, I am sorry. I will try to refrain from doing that in the future.”

    “Dimitri.” You graze his clothed underarm with a finger, unsure if that was a wise decision when his eyes widen in surprise. How is it you only notice now how long his eyelashes are? “I think we have seen today I am not that fragile.”

    His eyes jump away, avoiding contact, the blush creeping up his neck clearly standing out against his pale skin. He clears his throat. “I just wanted to make sure you will join us for dinner. I was not joking earlier when I said we should all celebrate our victory.”

    “Are you guys sure? I’m not your teacher and in the end, I didn’t do all too much.”

    Dimitri shakes his head. “Nonsense. You fought with us and led us to victory. We would love to celebrate with you, and while you won’t be with us all the time, I’d love nothing more than to share our happiness with you. Joy can be so fleeting, after all, and I’m sure the rest of the class feels the very same.”

    “If it really is okay with you all…” You glimpse over at him. Why not. Why not enjoy some leisure time with the students. You could surely use it to get to know them better and distract your thoughts from Byleth’s revelation. “Just give me some time to get ready. I’ll see you in the dining hall.”

    “Actually, please come to our classroom,” Dimitri says. “I don’t know how Sylvain managed it, but the kitchen’s head lady allowed us to dine in the classroom.”

    Your brows fly to your hairline. Dimitri answers with a little, low chuckle. You both have a pretty good idea how he managed to pull that stunt.

    Back in your quarters, you wash away the dirt and pick a simple robe the colour of freshly pressed parchment. The water’s heat renders today’s injuries to a dull pain save for the scrapes on your knees that still burn but are clean now. Hunger quickly catches up as well, dispersing your last doubts of intruding the class’ celebration. After leaving your room, you stop by the infirmary where Manuela makes quick work of your remaining wounds with her magic, turning purple bruises into faded yellow spots you immediately forget once you step out and head to your destination.

    The tables are already laid, arranged into a formation that resembles a circle allowing conversations to flow easily. You expected them to be already stuffing their faces but when you step into the Blue Lion’s classroom, the only source of light is a dim candle flickering in the middle of some students huddled together. Only Mercedes’ soft voice is audible, not counting the little whimpers from Annette or Ashe shuffling as he tries to hide behind Dimitri who appears to be the only one invested in her story.

    “… no one knows how deep the tunnels underneath the monastery run. But once they reach where walls are built from skulls and bones, they turn and go back … or try to do so, for who knows what horror lurks behind every corner.”

    “Nooooooo,” Annette cries, clutching to Dimitri’s sleeve. “Why would anyone go somewhere like that?”

    “A-and who built it in the first place? Tunnels lined with bones…” Ashe shudders, still looking smaller than Dimitri even though he is the one sitting.

    “A fascinating idea.” Dimitri’s excitement, bright as a spark, doesn’t bounce over to his friends. “To imagine there could be a whole civilisation living right in plain sight like that.”

    “I can’t imagine we wouldn’t notice,” Ashe reasons. His conviction would be more credible, would he not still cling to a white tail of Dimitri’s shirt. Before you can join and see if you would fare better listening to stories about haunted and forgotten places, Sylvain steals past you, his voice making you jump. “Shouldn’t you guys be finished by now?”

    Seeing your sour expression, he simply winks and hurries inside, carrying a big steaming pot. Followed by the rest of the Lions, they carry plates with dried meat, slices of bread, vegetables and cheese, and place them on the tables for everyone to just pick whatever they want. With a flick of your wrist flames flicker to life inside both fireplaces and the candles on top of the chandelier above your heads. Everyone hurries to find a seat. The students have all changed out of their battle garments into the academy’s summer uniform, its fabric much lighter than the heavy embroidered regular uniform they wore upon your first meeting.

    “My dear friends.” Dimitri raises a cup, holding the thin stem between slender fingers. It would look more elegant were its contents not simply orange juice. “To our victory today and many more to follow.”

    They raise their cups to toast except for Felix who knocks his drink back as if it were strong liquor he desperately needed to sit through this evening gathering. He doesn’t look as pale as before. A quick check up by Manuela after the battle affirmed that he was alright and simply fatigued from countless sleepless nights spent at the Training Grounds.

    The other participants don’t look too bad either. Bruises that vividly blossomed hours ago have faded, swollen purple eyes already start to heal—all certainly thanks to Manuela’s quick work. Sylvain surely won’t be as successful chasing girls with a shiner that makes the prettiest violet jealous of his colour and Dimitri tries to hide it but you don’t miss him tensing from time to time or moving his hand towards his side; probably a bruised rib he doesn’t want anyone to know. He catches your stare and offers a slight, boyish grin under half-closed eyes that only whispers of a shared secret only meant for you two. It does a funny thing to your stomach, a flip or drop, a light twist like missing a step and the fear of falling only to meet solid ground a split second later. You quickly look away and focus on spreading curd on a loaf of bread, not trying to think too much about how the muscles strained under his clothes wielding his lance or the fierce determination colouring his eyes a shade brighter when victory is in palpable proximity.

    You feel a piercing gaze, hot like a solid touch on your skin. Quickly whipping your head around, you catch Felix’s glare from across the room, completely ignoring whatever Sylvain is telling him. It leaves you completely tense for the rest of the dinner, wondering what his problem is and why he is so hostile towards Dimitri specifically. You’ve heard from some students who have walked into an argument those two had, something about a massacre two years ago but details, as is their nature, grow hazy over time and distort until they evolve into something completely different and unrecognisable.

    Felix holds your gaze for a long second, and it is only later after you all clean the classroom from your festivities and decide to retire to bed that you catch him by himself. The monastery at night is a desolate, lonely place save for a couple stray souls wandering about, either on their way to their chamber or out for a quick, last evening prayer inside the chapel. Felix’s destination is none of those as he strides towards the Training Grounds and you call out to him. He slows but doesn’t stop his step until you catch up. “You’re on your way to training, right? Shouldn’t you call it a day? Especially after what happened—”

    “I’ve got no time sitting around and making smalltalk,” Felix snaps, and a month ago you would have thought he aimed his anger towards you but recently you’ve discovered he’s towards the whole world—always glaring, always hissing like a cornered, wounded animal. “There are more important matters like growing stronger—”

    “And suffering from overexertion, I suppose.”

    Felix pulls a grimace. “It was a mistake I don’t intend to repeat. You saw Professor Byleth’s strength. It took two of you to win, and even then, it was mostly luck. I just want to try out some moves Professor Byleth exerted today so I can surpass her strength next time I challenger her.”

    “Why is it that you seek to fight so much?” you ask, deciding forwardness to be a better approach than idle chatter with a person like Felix. He doesn’t give immediate response, not because he ignores you, as is your first assumption, but because he gives it some thought.

    “Why, hm… I learnt to thrust a sword before I learnt to write my name. This is how it is for all children in my country, the perfect environment where I could live free of stodgy values and virtues. Grow strong so you may live, and live to grow stronger. That’s what I was taught.”

    It is no secret Faerghus is the land of knights and chivalry, and still it is hard to imagine a small version of Felix wielding a sword even before he learnt how to use a quill, scraped knees instead of black inked fingertips. What a strange world.

    “As long as you don’t forget to take a break should it get too much. Everyone was worried today.”

    “Everyone should mind their own business. I’m not their problem, and they aren’t mine.”

    You’re too tired to argue relationships don’t work like that, any minute longer on your feet and they’ll simply give out. Wishing Felix a goodnight, you turn towards the chapel but don’t get very far.

    “Herald.” Felix is halfway through the door. “Let me give you one advice.”

    “That is?”

    “Don’t get too close to that damn boar.”

    You’re about to ask what he’s talking about, but he continues, “Beneath all that princely polish, he’s an animal, nothing more. He’s strong and skilled, sure. But don’t place your trust in him as a human being. Take care he doesn’t chew you up and spit you out.”

    Not waiting for a response, Felix moves on, leaving you with more questions than answers. Every creature with two eyes can see hostility between Dimitri and Felix crackling like lightning about to strike the ground and burn down forests and villages. But to go this far and say these words about his future king … Words that couldn’t be more contrary to the impression he’s left on you.

    Whatever Felix wanted to accomplish, his words succeed to remain in your head the whole night, driving off any sleep you direly needed after that day. But even without that, your mind is occupied with questions. It is like stumbling into a spider web, sticky tangles everywhere with no way out.

    Who is that man you remembered? It was such a brief, yet striking memory, of what moment you cannot recall. His hostility was evident in his stance, sharp sword high up to drive down with enough force to cut your head from your shoulders. And yet here you are.

    And your words, You don’t have it in you. If you were familiar enough with that person to know this, who was he to you, and what had stopped him? Did he have a change of heart and instead used the blunt end, giving you a concussion and amnesia instead? Where is he now? And would he return to finish his work?

    Since that day, you look out for anyone fitting that built: tall and lean, visible even through robes with a design completely different from anything you’ve seen around the monastery. Asking Rhea or Seteth could be an option, but strangely enough, you don’t want to reveal it to anyone yet, not until you’ve found an answer yourself first.

    That is how your first moon at the monastery passes. Now there are more questions than before, more secrets to carry with no clear goal in sight. Lessons continue, you attend seminars and life unfolds in Garreg Mach, surprising you how easy it is growing accustomed and familiar with the place and its people—some more so than others.

    Byleth still invites you to her obligatory weekend-tea time sessions, rarely accepting no for an answer even though tea isn’t really what you consume to wind down. She’s acting like your talk after the mock battle has never happened and you do your best to mimic her even though you’d love nothing more than to see her power in battle. That opportunity shows at the end of the following month when Byleth and her class are tasked to deal with bandits the knights cornered in Zanado, the Red Canyon, but Rhea has different plans and instead sends you with the Golden Deer House to the village at the foot of the mountain to help clear debris a flooding left on one of the main roads leading to Alliance territory. It takes two days until the stench from the muddy riverbank is completely washed out of your hair.

    There is still no sight of the man from your memory, even though word about the Herald’s return has reached every corner of Fódlan by now. It makes you wonder if it’s less a matter of if and rather when he sets food inside the monastery. No additional memory has resurfaced, no sudden epiphany provides explanation and you doubt that will change even though Seteth drags you inside the chapel to pray for the goddess’ help whenever his time allows. Mostly, you use those occasions to ask her to make Raphael and Ingrid leave some Nirvana Cake for you.

    Then there is your other little secret of course. After another month of waking to an indistinguishable voice calling out to you every once in a while, you’ve grown used to it, finding a strange comfort in someone or something looking over you. Maybe it is the goddess. Maybe she is trying to reach out to tell you something important, to give divine insight and reach out to her followers. You just hope once she comes through to you, her words won’t proclaim hardships and sorrow.

[dumdumdrawstumtums]

You favourite F/G/O guys are each given a buffet/banquet. How would that go? Who eats the fastest would you think? Who do you think would eater other servants who get too close during this?

And which boys would you want to see compete against each other in an eating contest?

There's plenty of fave F/GO guys but I'll narrow it down a bit HAHA

In terms of who'd be eating the fastest, it'd be a tough call between A/chilles and C/u C/hulainn, but considering how A/chilles is one of the, if not THE, fastest heroes, that title might go to him. Still, watching either of them cramming their mouths with food and gulping it down with barely any time afforded to chewing, occasionally washing anything dry down by chugging down a whole glass, would be a sight to see (albeit one hard to keep up with). Especially when such fast eating isn't giving their stomachs time to register how full their getting, AND there's no time being afforded to burp, so the gas would build up until every meal of every spread is packed into their guts. By then it'll be hard to dislodge said air, so the Rider and Lancer will certainly be realizing too late how they played themselves, but when they DO manage to dislodge the air pockets with serious ministrations, it results in some absolutely seismic belches erupting from their gullets.

A/shwatthama (just gonna call him Ash for short) would absolutely be the one most likely to eat anyone who gets too close during his savage binging. He's the embodiment of white-hot righteous fury, and his manner of eating shows it. Tearing into thick meat, double-fisting bread rolls or fruit, juices running down his chin, he'll look more the part of a starved, feral animal than anything. And if some poor schmuck had the gall to butt in, he'd snatch them by their shirt collar, drag them real close to his scowling face so they can feel the full heat from the guttural burp he unleashes on them, and then growl out that if they wanna interrupt his feast, they can be part of it. Following that up by cramming their head in his maw and scarfing them down with just as much ferocity as he does any other dish, pounding his broad chest, and crassly belching up some article of their clothing. Then, he resumes his duty of making sure there isn't a crumb of food left in his wake, not paying his interloper-turned-second-course any more mind as they get buried in all that food within his sauna of a stomach.

I think my first answer kind of already confirmed who I'd most like to watch face against each other in an eating contest HAHAH// C/u C/hulainn and A/chilles going at it and feeding off each other's charismatic confidence while they feed themselves is just too good. Although I also think it'd be fun for the Celtic heroes C/u and D/iarmuid to compete against each other too. As I've shown in other official art, despite D/iarmuid's chivalrous personality he can gobble up food just as passionately as any boisterous warrior. Wanting to show his stuff to a legend like the Child of Light, who goads him on to have a serious competition, would give D/iarmuid the determination to eat just as quickly as him and just as ferociously as Ash. It'd be pretty hard to determine who'd be the victor there, what with Celtic heroes apparently having a big thing for loving great fights, but what is certain is they'd both be stuffed to the gills, with C/u nudging at D/iarmuid's taut gut to force some hefty belches out of the otherwise dashing hero.

[ayellowcurtain]

I love the song 1950 by King Princess, I don't have any idea how or what, but do you think you could write something related to it?

Will you write about the first time of robbe and sander without protection?

This is some not-too-graphic smut - and if you want to, please read it while listening to the song 

It wasn’t planned. Robbe and Sander wanted it to happen naturally. But it was clearly in the back of their minds constantly even though they never talked about it again since that first time.

If you think about it, and Robbe has done a lot of thinking since that day, it’s not that big of a deal. It’s a detail in the great scheme of things, not much will change, he thinks. And yet, he can’t stop wondering how it’s going to feel, how different it’ll be for both of them. Sander has some experience and it stings in the deepest part of Robbe’s chest but his experience is not with Robbe and he would like to think him being the other person will make Sander just as nervous as he is, no experience and all. It will feel more meaningful, better, hopefully.

“This place feels like a sauna.” Robbe’s brain registers Jens’ complaints, accidentally bumping into him while he takes his jacket off, throwing it at Aaron for him to leave next to him on the couch.

Robbe checks the time on his watch, almost midnight. Sander should be here any minute now.

He was with his friends at some other party, celebrating someone’s birthday. Any other time Robbe would make the effort to remember the conversation they had about it to discover whose birthday is, just not tonight. He can’t think straight tonight.

The universe seems to be moving in their favor again. Sander’s parents are both out of town for the whole weekend on some business trips, and Sander asked if Robbe wanted to stay at his place while they’re gone. Nothing odd about none of that: Robbe usually stays with Sander anyway, at his place or Robbe’s, especially during the weekends and his parents are very busy, work-driven people so they travel a lot.

Robbe shakes his head, trying to stop himself from thinking, drinking his beer before it gets weirdly soggy in a way and too warm to be enjoyable to drink.

It’s just sex. They have done that a lot, in so many different scenarios, places, times of the day.

“Look who’s finally here!” Moyo says over the dubstep music, clapping his hand to the beat of the song over his head, and Robbe doesn’t need to look over his shoulder to know but he does it anyway.

Sander is finally here. He’s saying hello to the girls a few meters from them, his smile still being the most beautiful and honest smile Robbe has ever seen, grabbing something to drink, and he introduces all his friends to them, both groups very excited to shake hands, analyzing each one with no shame.

His boyfriend leaves them back a little while they’re all still talking, walking up to Robbe that’s also sitting on the couch now, putting his head back, seeing Sander upside down.

“Hi...”

“Hello, you...” Robbe smiles wider with how soft his boyfriend’s voice goes when he’s talking to him, his eyes can’t focus on anything else except Sander’s lips meeting his for a quick kiss, his hand around Robbe’s neck in a way that shouldn’t affect him as much but there’s something about the way he’s very gently squeezing his neck.

And Robbe knows it has no meaning behind it, Sander is just trying to keep Robbe looking up so they can properly welcome each other with a kiss. Nobody is thinking that deeply about his hand softly around Robbe’s neck, probably feeling how fast his heart is beating. It’s just that Robbe is really on edge, thinking too deeply about everything.

Sander walks away way too soon to say hello to everyone else, shaking hands and giving each boy a half hug, half handshake. Aaron could very well get up to give them some extra room but he doesn’t really notice it so Sander makes room on the other side of Robbe, sitting with his arm already behind Robbe’s neck, talking about his night, and Robbe is just staring, trying to keep himself from staring with his mouth open, mesmerized and in so much need for more kisses and definitely more touch.

-

The night feels warmer than when Robbe got to that party, and it’s so much later. They’re as deep in the night and as far from the morning as they can possibly be and Robbe still feels a tiny bit too warm inside his clothes.

Robbe leans against Sander, the countless beers he drank tonight mostly out of his brain already, leaving him just a little bit sleepy and looser, looking at his hand up and against his chest, his fingers intertwined with Sander’s, their hands playing with each other a little, opening sometimes or holding each other’s hands tightly.

“For once I don’t have to worry if there are condoms waiting for us at home.” Sander makes a joke, smiling and Robbe feels every hair in his body stick up. That’s the first real comment they made about their unplanned plans for the rest of their night. And it doesn’t feel heavy or full of expectations. More like a conversation they’ve been quietly having for weeks in the shared spaces that connects their brains for being soulmates.

“Me neither...It feels nice.”

“Yeah?” Sander’s lips touch his hair when he whispers with a hint of a smile on his voice.

Robbe nods his head, not able to use his words for a second, swallowing hard to see if it helps, “Yeah, it feels more natural, I don’t know...”

They go back to quietly talking inside their brains until they’re home, Sander fumbling to find his keys, for once not needing to worry about keeping the lights off while they close the door, leaving their shoes and socks at the entrance, moving on to his bedroom on the second floor.

“Come on...” Sander whispers even though they’re alone. It feels like the right tone to use so late at night. He’s holding Robbe’s hand after a minute of settling, taking their jackets off, stretching a little, walking aimlessly around the bedroom, closing the curtains, turning on the lamps on both their nightstands.

They take their time taking their clothes off, leaving just their underwear on while they brush their teeth looking at the big mirror over the bathroom sink. Sander moves on first, standing on one foot while taking his underwear off, throwing it on the dirty clothes sack, turning the shower on, putting his hand under the water to check the temperature before standing underneath it, looking at Robbe with a soft smile on his lips.

Nothing really happens in the shower. They just take a very long shower, making sure to be completely clean throughout and that’s enough to make Robbe lose a little bit of the strength in his legs, very aware of how it makes Sander look up at him, a little smug smile right at the right corner of his mouth.

Robbe really shouldn’t be that affected by this because Sander is making sure to look and feel as surgical as possible, not hiding how this is just a careful preparation, means to a very long end that hasn’t even started yet. It doesn’t change that is him, touching Robbe under a very hot stream of water, bringing back some of the best memories Robbe has in his brain.

He leans against the wall behind the shower after Sander throws some hot water in it to make it comfortable for him and lets his boyfriend do whatever he feels like he needs to do to get both of them as clean as humanly possible, as relaxed as they can be for what’s to come.

Robbe is sure all of this is unnecessary, that Sander is just doing because it’s fun for him but Robbe lets him because it is good too, he’ll not complain. Ever.

“Sander...” he can’t help but say a few times, trying to check if Sander is still irreducible about making this shower this long. Sander ignores him until he thinks they’re both done with it, finally turning the water off next to Robbe, kissing his cheek.

Robbe doesn’t know how he can put one foot in front of the other and walk but he does it, throwing the towel on his head to dry a little bit of his hair just so it doesn’t instantly soak the sheets, leaving it to fall to the floor when he turns around, finding his boyfriend following him slowly, looking at him with the hungriest eyes Robbe has ever seen.

He’s not ashamed to instantly attach them by their mouths, dirty kissing while stumbling to bed.

“I’m-” Robbe needs to breathe again, his lungs don’t seem to be able to hold much air right now, “ ‘am not going to last....”

Sander smiles against his lips, nodding his head slowly, “Yes, you are because we’re going to take it slow. Even slower when you’re closer so” He licks Robbe’s neck from his clavicle to the back of his ear, “we can enjoy it for longer.”

Robbe whines, arching his back because he knows that’s how it’s going to be and he can’t wait another second. Sander smiles at him and kisses him again, a lot slower this time, telling Robbe all about their love without saying a word.

Sander keeps his promise and Robbe is so glad he does. It lasts forever and Robbe can’t seem to get enough. As soon as they’re done and slightly recovered, Robbe is ready to go again because he needs to feel everything he just felt all over again. Sander smiles tiredly and lets them start again.

It feels like Robbe is in the clouds in some way, his whole body feeling like a feather except where they’re connected, and when Sander’s hands are, holding his waist tightly but not tight enough where it hurts, it’s the perfect grip. His other hand goes up and down slowly every time, holding Robbe’s hands over his head, making him tilt his head up and keep it that way while Sander kisses and licks and bites his neck, playing with his hair while they try to kiss, breathing the same hot, heavy air.

Robbe knows he’s being loud, louder than he ever intends to be but he can’t control it and Sander seems to like it too, moaning with him sometimes, watching him close his eyes and contract every muscle in his body.

It feels like an out of body experience. There’s not enough Sander for him to grab, scratch, feel and Robbe loves him so much.

He arches his back and scratch Sander’s lower abs when he reaches his climax for the thousandth time, at least it feels like it is. He melts down, resting his forehead against Sander’s bony sternum, noticing how out of breath he and Sander are.

A heavy hand flops on the back of his neck and Robbe smiles, needing to just lie here for another minute. He doesn’t want to move, doesn’t want to let Sander slip out of him. This feels so nice.

“Fuck...” Sander exhales loudly, his chest still moving kind of fast under Robbe’s head.

“You said we were going to take it slow so it could last longer.”

Sander laughs and Robbe finally finds the strength to move his face just enough so they can see each other. Sander’s sweaty hair pointing everywhere, some sticking to his forehead and ears, his cheeks red for once, his lips swollen lips and dark eyes, he looks tired and so sexy.

“Was it good?”

“Do you need to ask?” Sander still has the strength to lift his eyebrows, a hint of a smile on his lips. Robbe shakes his head because he doesn’t but it would be nice to hear, “Best night of my life.”

“It’s not even over yet.” Robbe presses his lips against Sander’s chest in an attempt to kiss it.

They stay like that for a little longer until Sander is able to move them around. He gently takes Robbe off him and helps him lie down under the blankets, wrapping the heavy and warm comforter around him, cleaning what he can with the little strength and will he has before falling next to Robbe, putting his head on his shoulder, both of them falling asleep almost instantly.

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Hii!! I saw that your requests are open again so I hope u don't mind cosidering mine!! Maybe some Hcs of the THH bois being sad and their s/o comforts them and when they think they're asleep, they sing them a lullaby? the idea makes me very soft 👉👈🥺

Oop this idea makes me v soft, too ;w;

..........

Taka

You knew how emotional Taka tends to get, even over simple things like you reminding him that you appreciated him in your life.

Though one day, you find him laying on the bed, crying into a pillow.

The fact he neglected to greet you when you came home was especially concerning, since he always did that.

So you lay down beside him and hug him closely, asking what’s wrong.

He just buries his head into your chest and sobs about a quiz he failed, believing his life was ruined because of it.

Anyone else would’ve probably laughed at him for bawling his eyes out over something that insignificant.

But you never do. 

You understand he takes a lot of pride in success...and that he could be harsh on himself for little mistakes.

Instead you hold him tighter and reassure him that one bad grade doesn’t mean his future is in shambles.

Eventually he calms down, thanking you for those words he often needed to hear.

Before seemingly passing out from the exhaustion of crying.

You pet his black hair for a bit, and then quietly sing a short lullaby.

In response, his arms hug you tighter.

Mondo

Usually, he’s scary when he’s upset. 

But around you, however, he looks like a kicked puppy.

This especially becomes true when he comes home after an argument with his gang.

He takes a shower and comes back out to greet you, his infamous pompadour now shoulder-length brown hair.

Now he looks like a wet kicked puppy.

If you ask him what’s wrong, he’ll just say it was another stupid fight with his gang, who still doubt his capabilities as a leader.

You knew he was trying his best to keep them in one piece--fulfilling his late brother’s dying wish.

So you understood he could take those insults to heart.

He doesn’t wanna go into much detail, knowing he’ll just get angrier (and probably break the coffee table for the third time this week).

You just pat your lap, inviting him to lay his head down there for a while.

He obliges and just closes his eyes as you run your fingers through his hair.

It soothes him to sleep real fast.

And you hum a small song to help ease his mind and forget his frustrations.

Leon

It’s quite easy to tell when he’s sad, even if he doesn’t say anything directly to you.

Oftentimes, it’s when you enter the bedroom or living room and see him curled up with a pillow, eyes moist and red.

The moment he sees you, though, the pillow’s on the ground and he opens his arms up.

It’s like he’s saying “hold me right now or I will die”.

So you oblige and let him cuddle with you like a teddy bear, already feeling better now that you’re here.

He’ll talk about what’s bothering him if you ask.

Usually it’s either growing pressures of baseball practice or his own insecurities eating away at him.

Though sometimes he just says he wants to sleep the day away.

You’re fine with that, and you help him relax by singing a bit of a lullaby.

All he can pay attention to is your calming voice as he dozes off.

After the nap, he feels a lot better.

Hifumi

It’s typical for him to come crying to you about being bullied again.

Though when he asks if you truly loved him...that becomes a shock to you.

Of course you did! What idiot would try to tell him you didn’t?

You swear this is the last time anyone would mess with your big and lovable fanfic writer.

Usually the perfect solution is to sit down on the couch with his head in your lap, while you brush away his tears and list all of the things you loved about him.

No really. You have an actual list you keep in case someone has the nerve to ask you what you see in him.

He might get choked up all over again as he realizes he shouldn’t listen to those idiots.

At some point, he does fall asleep, and you catch yourself humming the tune of some anime song you recently heard.

Funny enough--he sometimes mumbles the lyrics in his sleep.

Yasuhiro

You find him sitting alone in his room, looking sad as he stares down at a crystal ball in his hands.

At first you scared him when you rush over to ask him what’s wrong (fortunately you save him another million yen by catching the ball before it hit the floor).

But once he calms down, he just says he feels like a “useless idiot” during trials sometimes.

He wonders why Monokuma insists everyone participates if he can’t contribute anything good.

What breaks your heart most is when he asks if you think he’s an idiot.

You just take his hands and reassure him he’s far from that.

You remind him that he did bring up some important topics that helped piece the crimes together.

So he’s not useless at all.

He feels much better after those reassurances, though also tired since he was doing a lot of thinking.

So you two just cuddle, and when you think he’s fully out, you quietly sing a random song.

Though he mumbles a “wow you sing rly good” before dozing off.

Makoto

Sometimes the guilt of class trials weighs heavily on him.

Especially when he leaves knowing he basically sent someone to their death.

Even though he knows he has to if everyone else wants to survive.

But that doesn’t stop the nightmares he has of the victims and blackeneds taunting him, blaming him for their deaths instead of Monokuma.

Fortunately, you sleep with him on those nights.

And when he wakes up suddenly, you’re quick to bring him into your arms.

Though if you’re a heavy sleeper, expect to be shaken awake by a teary-eyed Makoto who was scared you died.

When you’re awake, you comfort him by resting your chin on top of his head, while he listens to your heartbeat.

A reminder that you’re still alive.

And you end up singing a short lullaby once he falls back to sleep, ensuring he stayed asleep knowing you were safe.

Chihiro

Knowing Chihiro, it was easy for him to get upset over many things.

But all day long, he’s kept things bottled up, afraid you’d see him as “less manly”.

Though it all backfires horribly when he’s working on a program that keeps having pop-up errors and other glitches.

It’s just one after another and he can’t fix them all.

He feels like he’s faltering in his talent--the one thing he was confident in.

How could he be an “Ultimate Programmer” if he couldn’t fix simple errors?

Sometime later, you find him crying at his desk. You can easily tell your poor bf is overwhelmed again.

So you carry him away from his computer and to the bed, where you both cuddle.

He ends up breaking down into tears again, spilling his heart out to you--the guilt of ignoring you, the frustrations with the program, everything.

And you hold him and listen, letting him talk before you give him your own reassurances/advice.

Eventually, he passes out from exhaustion, and you take the opportunity to sing something to help him calm down more.

Byakuya

There’s not much of a sensitive side to him. He learned to toughed up in the face of many hardships--all to rightfully earn his position in the family.

But not even the heir himself was immune to the stress, suffering, and doubt--especially when he was all alone.

And when you saw that mask crack for the first time..it was a shock.

You came home earlier than expected one day, and you saw the prodigy pacing around the living room, trying to dry both his glasses and eyes while taking shaky breaths.

“You’re better than this...stronger than this..y-you’re..gonna be head of your family...”

The crack in his voice prompts you to intervene.

Of course, he tries playing it off as nothing, though you take him to the couch anyway and hold his hands.

You don’t say or do anything; you just let him calm down by himself, with your presence being more than enough.

Once he does, you convince him to rest for a bit. He just scoffs and says he already planned to.

You hum a song when he finally dozes off.

Your voice is actually soothing to listen to, though he’s not gonna outright say it.

But you know it from his small smile.

Kiyondo

Despite his brash attitude and tendency to mimic Mondo..you knew that deep down, your beloved Taka was in there--still heartbroken and grieving.

It became more apparent when you found him crying in the bathhouse (around the same time he was when he first went there with Mondo).

He shut himself into the sauna, but with luck you managed to convince him to leave and go to your dorm.

At first he aggressively cuddles with you, though as you brush away the hot tears that streaked down his face, his voice becomes less rough and more...soft.

Like his old self.

He admits he’s scared you’ll be taken away from him, too.

But you just hold him, promising him you will be okay...and you’ll help him through this, no matter what it takes.

It’s hard convincing him to sleep, but when he finally does, you just stay awake for a bit longer, petting his hair and singing a short lullaby.

By the morning, he’s back to normal--still gaunt and depressed.

Yet he seems more hopeful, as he remembers you’re still with him.

[saunasteamau]

How Do Saunas Help with Muscle Recovery and Stress Relief?

In today's fast-paced world, where stress and physical strain are commonplace, finding effective ways to rejuvenate both body and mind is essential. Among various relaxation and recovery methods, saunas stand out as a popular choice for enhancing well-being.

But how exactly do buy sauna Melbourne contribute to muscle recovery and stress relief? This blog delves into the science and benefits of saunas, shedding light on their role in improving physical health and mental relaxation.

The Science Behind Saunas

Saunas are small rooms or structures designed to produce heat, typically ranging from 150 to 195 degrees Fahrenheit. The heat can be dry, as in traditional saunas, or moist, as in steam rooms. The primary therapeutic benefit of saunas comes from the way heat interacts with the body. When exposed to high temperatures, the body undergoes several physiological changes that promote recovery and relaxation.

Muscle Recovery Benefits

Enhanced Blood Circulation: The heat from a sauna causes blood vessels to dilate, increasing blood flow and improving circulation. This enhanced blood flow delivers more oxygen and nutrients to muscle tissues, which helps in repairing and rebuilding muscle fibers damaged during exercise. Improved circulation also aids in the removal of metabolic waste products, such as lactic acid, which can contribute to muscle soreness.

Reduced Muscle Tension: The warmth of the sauna helps to relax muscle tissues and ease stiffness. The heat relaxes the muscles and joints, reducing tension and discomfort. This is particularly beneficial after intense physical activity, where muscles often become tight and sore.

Increased Flexibility: Regular use of a sauna can enhance flexibility by warming up the muscles and increasing their pliability. This can help in improving range of motion and reducing the risk of injuries. Stretching in a sauna can further amplify these benefits, as the heat makes the muscles more responsive to stretching.

Pain Relief: Saunas can provide relief from chronic pain conditions, such as arthritis and fibromyalgia. The heat has analgesic properties that can reduce pain and inflammation in affected areas, providing comfort and improved mobility.

Stress Relief Benefits

Endorphin Release: Exposure to heat in a sauna triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers and mood enhancers. Endorphins promote a sense of well-being and happiness, helping to alleviate stress and improve overall mood.

Reduced Cortisol Levels: Saunas can help lower cortisol levels, a hormone associated with stress. High cortisol levels can lead to various health issues, including anxiety and fatigue. By reducing cortisol, saunas can contribute to a more balanced and relaxed state of mind.

Enhanced Relaxation: The soothing environment of a sauna, combined with the heat, promotes deep relaxation. The quiet and warm atmosphere encourages mindfulness and helps to disconnect from daily stressors. This relaxation can have a cascading effect, improving sleep quality and overall mental health.

Improved Sleep Quality: Regular saunas Melbourne use has been linked to better sleep patterns. The relaxation and stress relief achieved in a sauna can extend to improved sleep quality, as the body and mind become more prepared for restful sleep. A good night’s sleep is crucial for both physical recovery and mental health.

Incorporating Saunas into Your Routine

To maximise the benefits of saunas for muscle recovery and stress relief, it is essential to use them correctly. Here are some tips for incorporating sauna sessions into your routine:

Hydrate: Ensure you drink plenty of water before and after your sauna session to stay hydrated. The heat causes sweating, which can lead to dehydration if fluids are not replenished.

Listen to Your Body: Start with shorter sessions (5-10 minutes) and gradually increase the duration as your body becomes accustomed to the heat. Pay attention to how you feel and exit the sauna if you experience any discomfort.

Cool Down: After your sauna session, allow your body to cool down gradually. A cool shower or a period of rest can help normalise your body temperature and further enhance the recovery process.

Combine with Stretching: Incorporate gentle stretching exercises before or after your sauna session to enhance flexibility and muscle recovery.

Final Words

Saunas offer a multitude of benefits for muscle recovery and stress relief, making them a valuable addition to a wellness routine. By improving blood circulation, reducing muscle tension, and promoting relaxation, saunas help the body recover from physical exertion and alleviate stress.

Incorporating saunas Melbourne sessions into your routine, coupled with proper hydration and stretching, can lead to enhanced physical well-being and mental tranquillity. So, the next time you seek relief from muscle soreness or stress, consider stepping into a sauna for a rejuvenating experience that benefits both body and mind.

[sugar-petals]

18+ Tarot Reading: BTS In Bed

↳ Caro’s Note › decks out for the end of spooktober! here goes a different type of content aka my lil’ hobbyhorse. even if you’re new to tarot or find it quirky, i hope i can interest a curious soul or two. late september i gave in to temptation and pulled 5 cards for yoongi, asking what sexual style he could have. it was so much fun i did it for ot7 & want to share the results with you. besides listing the card names i don’t use tarot-specific terms so anybody can understand. i also scanned the spreads so you can see the imagery i take clues from. ignore that they’re labeled in german, it’s all in english below. enjoy! 

⇢ disclaimer ♡ this is subjective interpretation; there’s no guarantee for precision and things aren’t definite. divination relies on perspective, believing in tarot is a choice. the reading is for entertainment purposes only, all portrayals are fictive/speculative. 

WARNINGS ⚠️ smut ahead, not suited for minors.

↪ kim taehyung

⌈ THREE OF CUPS ⇁ romantically, more parties could be involved than just two. he might meet his partner in autumn. there will be a lot of upbeat and luxurious activity around sex, especially drinking and eating. his partner could feed him delicious fruits for dessert. 

⌈ QUEEN OF PENTACLES ⇁ taehyung likes to be taken care of. sex might go down in the kitchen. his partner likely has the same vintage fashion sense as him, perhaps even more extravagant. taehyung could become shy but his lover will dissolve all doubts. 

⌈ FIVE OF WANDS ⇁ playfights or roughhousing are common, as is copious teasing and making jokes, it’ll be lighthearted. particularly in a group sex setting, this tendency will come out. sex standing up or even one carrying the other might take place.

⌈ QUEEN OF SWORDS ⇁ his lover can be assertive. it could be a battle of the wits. teasing is all good and well, but at one point, it’ll get serious. he’s the type to really enjoy sex in marriage, particularly with female partners (three cards in his pile have women with long veils).  

⌈ THE HIGH PRIESTESS ⇁ sex is intuitive. he’ll be head-in-the-clouds, almost dreamy in the sheets. he prefers to do it at nighttime. taehyung might often find himself indecisive between trying two new things, eventually deliberating to choose either: the more, the merrier. 

↪ park jimin

⌈ JUDGEMENT ⇁ bragging about his partner isn’t rare, as a fan of praise he also loves to praise right back. when jimin has sex, his friends will know. it’s something he can’t hide, deliberately or not. he’ll have a lasting positive reputation for sex and many suitors.

⌈ EIGHT OF WANDS ⇁ toys, toys, toys. also: jimin needs it fast, one position can sometimes suffice. he makes it so good and cuts to the chase, foreplay won’t draw out. drives it home like no other. might get it on with his partner on a plane or in a car, again, speed is key.

⌈ SIX OF SWORDS ⇁ jimin often moves from one kink to the other. he enjoys deep and tireless penetration, can go on for a long time. to him, sensuality is relief and a restart for the next day. might like sex on ships (yachts, sailing boats, cruise liners) or by the water.

⌈ SIX OF CUPS ⇁ jimin can create an almost fairy tale-like life for his partner. he’ll woo them with flowers. he enjoys sex in the countryside and at daytime. there, it will be playful, spontaneous, and often vanilla. it’ll elicit a lot of his innocence and bring both partners great joy.

⌈ QUEEN OF WANDS ⇁ he likes energetic, determined, and bold partners who are social butterflies just like him. summertime is jimin’s favorite season to make love. a vacation in a hot country (i’m getting egypt from the card) will ignite a lot of sensual activity.

↪ kim seokjin

⌈ THE MAGICIAN ⇁ the type to give roses to his partner in a gentlemanly way, but he’ll also be cheeky. loves using many toys at once, particularly at the beginning of a relationship or during foreplay which can get very heated. does multiple rounds, perhaps on a table. 

⌈ FIVE OF CUPS ⇁ cum has to spill over. any play with semen and saliva excites him. it has to be messy. there might be one partner who’s into contortionism. any stimulation of the back is possible, or positions that involve looking at his back in its full glory. 

⌈ PAGE OF SWORDS ⇁ sex is always dynamic, jin likes quickies. things are guaranteed to rarely stagnate, he keeps it all moving. sometimes, he might enjoy engaging in a one-night-stand via online services, or meet a permanent sexual partner through a respective app. 

⌈ THE HERMIT ⇁ might masturbate a lot in the evening when he has time for himself in a dark room. even if sex is frequent, there will be days to recharge. jin loves cooling off after pleasing his lover. the card also tells me that he’s got a long dick that he knows how to use.

⌈ EIGHT OF PENTACLES ⇁ could meet his partner at work. sex means business. puts effort into all things intimate. fucks good, can really make a nailing save the afternoon. like jimin, jin might have an affinity for sex in rural areas. it could happen on vacation close to a village. 

↪ min yoongi

⌈ THE EMPRESS ⇁ scent and taste are important to yoongi. he’ll set up a lot of pillows, candles, cook nice food and bake. he likes a person who’s really feeling themselves. always winds up with calm, and dignified partners who have a lot to offer and a ton of sex appeal.

⌈ NINE OF WANDS ⇁ big on defining boundaries and fairness. resilient lover. likes rough sex/playing hide and seek with his partner as a form of foreplay. a hunter or huntress-prey dynamic might be part of his repertoire, although he might be hesitant to suggest it. 

⌈ ACE OF WANDS ⇁ yoongi is potent. the guy can keep his cock hard for you. no issues with staying power. enjoys handjobs and primal sex to the max, has a lot of semen for his partner. any penetration is going to end up refreshing and fiery. prone to morning wood. 

⌈ TEN OF SWORDS ⇁ he wants to be pinned down, wrestled, defeated. penetration by several men or toys is possible. he likes doing anal. a position that will occur often is prone bone. sex might take place during late dawn. yoongi also loves to fuck during thunderstorms.

⌈ SIX OF PENTACLES ⇁ a giver, but also knows how to appreciate being pleased on the other hand. one partner will be kneeling or begging, with the dominant party being jovial to the submissive. sex wrapped in blankets might take place, in that case, a third party joins. 

↪ jung hoseok

⌈ PAGE OF CUPS ⇁ hoseok likes to get it on in the shower, bathtub, the sea, or a pool. hoseok admires his partner, there will be a lot of body worship involved. he is curious about a variety of kinks and is likely very creative with postions. his partner will never be bored.

⌈ TEN OF WANDS ⇁ unafraid of strenous romps. he’ll mobilize all his endurance to please. especially after a long day, he’s still ready to give his lover everything. nobody has to worry about not being satisfied, there will be release. hobi is responsible, especially with protection.

⌈ KING OF CUPS ⇁ he knows how to make sex and relationships work out like a pro. loves to make his partner hot and bothered, dripping wet. hoseok is the number one guy to splurge on lube and vibrators. will fancy wearing necklaces or other jewelry during sex. 

⌈ TWO OF SWORDS ⇁ he’s a big fan of orgasm denial, giving or receiving is possible. there might be blindfolding involved, or one orders the other to stay completely still while pleasing them. hoseok likes to have sex sitting up, particularly on a chair. 

⌈ NINE OF SWORDS ⇁ hobi will dream about making love a lot. waking up in the middle of the night and going down on each other won’t be a rare occasion, especially when either partner is stressed. sex in pjs happens often. loves to have his face cupped and fondled. 

↪ kim namjoon

⌈ FOUR OF SWORDS ⇁ a part of him needs to rationalize sexuality, rm takes time to retreat and think things over in silence every now and then. as far as positions are concerned: he’ll be on his back a lot of times. it’s the most comfortable to him. might enjoy erotic art on the walls. 

⌈ WHEEL OF FORTUNE ⇁ sexting is a huge forte. also, he might read erotic books or know a lot about sex in mythology. he tends not to initiate, things develop naturally— namjoon’s appearance and charisma bring it all to him, he doesn’t have to crook a single finger. 

⌈ THREE OF PENTACLES ⇁ joon will do a lot of planning around sex. he might write down a list with kinks to try. there might be an old and sophisticated building involved, or sex on a bench. clothed sex could be his thing, dry humping, threesomes, making out in the dark. 

⌈ FOUR OF CUPS ⇁ has sensual daydreams, could be oblivious to actual advances. masturbates a lot. again, there’s a connection to nature, intimacy outside might take place. likes to be woken up by his partner’s hands gripping him. sleepy sex is frequent.

⌈ EIGHT OF CUPS ⇁ there’s a certain calm to his style. escapism is a frequent topic, sex brings him to a different time and place. he likes to fuck with the moonlight coming through the window (yes, the tarot knows he’s a moonchild), or when he hikes with his significant other.   

↪ jeon jungkook

⌈ KING OF SWORDS ⇁ jk might enjoy giving or receiving butterfly kisses. he is confident and smart with sex, or enjoys someone who embodies these qualities. intercourse is something he takes seriously and likes to be 100% clear about what he wants to do. 

⌈ ACE OF PENTACLES ⇁ big on stroking, caressing, tickling, mutual masturbation. hands are so, so important. all things lavish in the bedroom are great. he is very keen to establish a constant in his life that involves regular sex. hasn’t to be asked twice, he takes chances. 

⌈ THE SUN ⇁ jungkook craves harmony and romance in bed. smiling is important during sex. physical contact brings him tremendous happiness, jungkook is carefree when he’s naked. might enjoy warm places for sex, maybe a sauna or hidden garden. favorite position: riding.

⌈ DEATH ⇁ meeting a sexual partner wil reprogram his entire life. it’ll be like rebirth. jungkook will stop at nothing to create a good time and discard a lot of old habits that get in the way. because he’s a keeper. sex isn’t just sex, his partner will impact him greatly. 

⌈ TEN OF PENTACLES ⇁ spends generous amounts of money on intimate activities. it’ll be the good life, making love is wholesome. all erotic things can easily be discussed in relaxed, domestic settings. will be sexually active for a long time in life.

× end note feel free to ask any questions 👋 the deck i used is the classic rider-waite one, no card reversals. i might do a post like this in the future should i pull another relevant reading. if you’d like to learn tarot yourself or want an overview of the cards, i can link you resources, just give me a quick shout. 

[sandalwoodhusbands]

kiss like real people do

It's a thing they do, sometimes. At first it would be everywhere, anywhere, after every concert and before every rehearsal. Between tours, during vacations, Chloe would be waiting for him by his apartment and he'd be at a hotel room with Eliott's dick in his mouth. And then it stopped.

And now Lucas has to settle for a quick drunken fuck every time they're away from home.

Lucas looks across the room, and falls in love. 

The hand on his shoulder is warm. Familiar. Comforting. Pink raspberry lips press to his jaw and then a nose tickles his neck, and Lucas is in love. 

"He's good, isn't he? The fans would eat him up." Chloe whispers into his ear. Lucas nods without turning to look at her, eyes set on the boy with a guitar strapped to his chest and wild grey eyes staring back. "I think he's it."

"Hmm."

The boy moves his long fingers expertly over the frets, fast, tongue peeking out of his mouth every time he plays a rift. It's beautiful, whatever he's playing, and Lucas' hands start to sweat when the boy's eyes find his again as one last strum fades out inside of the room. 

Everyone's silent. Yann, Arthur and Basile turn to look at each other with matching grins in their faces, but Lucas doesn't budge. His heart beats in his throat as the boy stares at them expectantly, a look of contained excitement and hope making him look painfully young, and when he goes to ruffle his already messy hair, Lucas swallows. 

"Dude?" Arthur hisses with a sharp nudge to his ribs. 

Lucas turns his head and blinks, dazed. "Yeah. Yeah, he's it." He repeats Chloe's words on autopilot. "We're keeping him."

A beautiful smile blooms in the boy's face at his words, a smile that sends Lucas' heart into overdrive again. He hides his face in his hands for one long second where Lucas already misses his face before turning to thank them. 

And then 

"Sorry, I didn't catch your name earlier?" 

The boy looks at him curiously, eyes ranking up and down Lucas' body, and Lucas wants to hide, but he doesn't. The boy smiles beautifully then, tilting his head up, and offers up his hand. "Eliott."

Lucas takes it. 

"My name is Eliott." Eliott repeats. Their hands hang between them as Eliott wets his lips, and Lucas' mouth goes dry. "I think we're gonna have fun together, Lucas."

"Me, too."

***

 The loud music is still ringing in his ears when he opens the door to his room. They're cute, the rooms in this hotel. White sheets with baby blue walls. Yellow curtains. A white plastic table with a couple of chairs on one side of the room, a huge bed right in the middle that takes up most of the space. 

It's not like Lucas is planning on using the room for anything other than sleeping, so he doesn't mind the squished suitcase half-blocking the path to the balcony. With a roll of his shoulders he bends to pick up a discarded t-shirt by the foot of the bed, smiling to himself when he hears the sound of happy laugher and loud voices over the music that filters through the open balcony. 

Oslo is breathtaking in June, he's decided. A city in a time when the sun never sets. Happy people and soft sunlight at midnight. Warmth against his skin, and inside his chest. He hasn't smiled like this in months. And they just got here last night.

He makes his way to the en-suite bathroom, eager to take a quick shower before joining the guys for dinner. He hasn't real dinner in so fucking long. Grimacing, he peels off his t-shirt, damp at the back with sweat, and maybe he shouldn't have gone with black today, but Eliott's eyes hungrily staring at the curve of his hips all day had made it worth it. 

He knows how to put on a good show. 

And the thing is, Eliott looked so beautiful today. With pink, yellow and blue adorning his cheeks; big, bright eyes lighting up every time someone would comment on the paint on his face, rose gold sunglasses sitting on top of his nose. A satin shirt with the buttons halfway done, loose enough that if Lucas walked too closely he'd get a full view of his toned stomach. 

He wonders how many times he can use the "different country, different rules" excuse until it gets old. He hopes it never does. 

A quiet knock on the door startles him, and he tosses the t-shirt on the sink before walking towards the door. He blinks confusedly when his eyes find Eliott behind it, but his expression quickly turns smug as he watches the older boy's eyes trail up and down his naked chest before they set on his face. 

"Hello" Eliott exhales, a faint blush high on his cheeks. 

Lucas quirks up an eyebrow. "Hey, you." He snorts a little as he watches Eliott ogling him. Good to know there's still something there. With Eliott, he can never be too sure. "Did you need something, or…?" 

Eliott shakes himself out of his daze, eyes widening as if he's just remembered something. "Yeah! Yes. You see, thermostats and I don't get along on a good day, and the ones in this hotel aren't even in French." He makes a sour face at that, and Lucas' heart melts a little. "Well,  obviously, we're in Norway. Anyway- can you please help me? I think I fucked up somewhere, it's like a literal sauna in there."

"Why is it that this doesn't surprise me?" Lucas chuckles. "But I was about to shower," he explains, looking between the lit up bathroom and Eliott. "I can drop by later?" 

"Or," Eliott trails off, assessing Lucas carefully. Somehow that glance alone makes him feel painfully naked, despite having done far less innocent things under the sheets with him on multiple occasions. "You can shower in my room, if you want. I'll even let you steal my rehearsals sweatpants for a bit." He gives Lucas a sweet smile. "I know how much you love them." 

And maybe it's just because he never learns (he doesn't) and has no self-preservation skills (also true). Or maybe it's because Eliott makes him stupid, and he's never been good at saying no to him. Maybe it's the fire low in the pit of his stomach, that makes him equally excited and scared, but he agrees. 

"Alright."

That's that, then. 

Eliott's room is a sauna. The hot air immediately sticks to his face uncomfortably when Eliott opens the door, and Lucas has to take a step back to get used to the overwhelming warmth radiating off the room. 

"Jesus fuck, did you turn it up to 50° or something?" Lucas coughs into his elbow. Eliott chuckles behind him, looking over his shoulder as Lucas fiddles with the buttons on the thermostat. His breath is hot against Lucas' neck, and something twitches in his pants as a hand brushes his bare waist. 

"Also," he clears his throat. "Also, the English translation is under the words in Norwegian, you idiot." He says, readjusting the room temperature before turning to Eliott, but his voice dies when their noses almost bump together. "You just…" he swallows, and Eliott only grins at him, his arm brushing softly against Lucas'. "You just had to pay more attention." 

Eliott hums. Lucas feels the vibrations in his own throat, and he digs his nails into the palm of his hands. He won't cave in first. Not this time. 

Eliott takes one step closer, so close their feet bump together, leaning in. Lips brush against the shell of his ear, a touch so tender it leaves Lucas trembling. "Silly me, then." He whispers at last. And then he takes a step back, knowing smirk on his face as Lucas is left panting against the wall. "You know where the shower is, right? I'll hang some spare clothes for you on the door." He moves towards the balcony, grabbing the packet of cigarettes on the bedside table before turning to Lucas and winking. "Have fun."

Alright. Eliott 1 - Lucas 0. 

The shower is a short one. He has enough dignity left that he doesn't waste time to jerk off in his friend's hotel room bathroom - even if the obvious hard on he's sporting is said friend's fault. He won't waste a perfectly good orgasm when the real thing is smoking one room away. And if he plays his cards right, he might get more than one satisfying orgasm tonight. 

He quickly puts on the clothes Eliott has left for him, raising an eyebrow at the black underwear before deciding to ditch it. There's a cotton burgundy t-shirt, soft between his fingers, and it's a bit over-sized at the shoulders, but Lucas loves the way it feels against his skin. 

The black sweatpants are soft too; he used to steal them all the time when this (whatever this is) was a regular thing. The soft fabric drags against his half-hard dick, and he hisses, tucking himself carefully until the tent in his front is almost unnoticeable. 

He can see the back of Eliott's head through the glass, swirls of grey smoke dancing above his head. Lucas wants to reach out and smooth out the tension in his shoulders. Instead, he walks over to the balcony and stands quietly next to him. 

No one says anything for a while. The silence is calm, underlaid with tension of the best kind. Lucas looks straight ahead, watching as the sky starts to turn into a darker shade of orange, the light catching on the tall buildings made of glass. The low murmur of people under their feet is painfully human. Busy people with busy lives. Infinite stories being told. 

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Lucas asks as Eliott takes one last drag of his cigarette before burning it on the railing. 

"So fucking beautiful." Eliott exhales. "The lights. The noise. It's so alive. Everything is so alive." The wonder in his voice makes Lucas take a quick look at him, and he feels his walls starting to crumble at the small smile he finds there. "I can imagine myself falling in love to this exact sight."

Lucas takes his bottom lip in his mouth, rolling it between his teeth. He nods. Once. Twice. Eliott accepts his silence. 

"How are things with, uhm-" 

Eliott shrugs, cutting him off. "You?" 

Lucas curls his fingers around the railing, pushing forward once before letting go of it. 

"We were never really back together." He nods towards Eliott, flashing him a tight lipped smile. "We wanted different things, I guess. Or well, not that different." He lets out a self-deprecating chuckle. "Maybe that was the problem." 

"What do you mean?" 

He looks at Eliott dead in the eye. "Let's just say we both wanted to suck someone's dick really bad."

The silent is deadly then. Lucas doesn't dare move, patiently waiting for Eliott's response. To pick it back up or to carelessly discard it on the ground. It can always go both ways, with him, and sometimes it drives him absolutely crazy. The hairs on his neck stand up, and he grips the railing harder, knuckles turning white the more the silence drags on. 

And then

"Fucking hell." Eliott suddenly rasps out. It's such a big difference, the rough drag of his words in contrast with the sweet, melodic tone he usually uses. A shiver runs up his spine at the memories it sparks. "You can't say that."

Lucas turns his whole body towards Eliott, getting in his space. His face feels hot, the fire sitting in the pit of his stomach leaking through his veins and shaking his body with confusion. With anger. With desire. With desperation at Eliott's words. 

Eliott moves to take a step back, but Lucas stops him, hands gripping his hips tightly. The pressure makes him gasp, and the sound goes straight to Lucas' pants. 

"I can say whatever the fuck I want," he whispers, spits out, a lot less intimidating and a lot more breathless than he'd intended "whenever the fuck I want. Got it?" 

Eliott groans, throwing his head back. 

"You can't." He says, covering Lucas' hands with his own, going up, up, up his arms until they settle on his shoulders. He pulls, making Lucas stumble forward, and stops the fall with firm hands. "Because every time you say stuff like that I want to do stupid shit, like- like kiss you all over and never let you go."

So it's a pick it back up kind of day, then. Those are Lucas' favorite. 

With a quick yank he presses their fronts together, chests heaving against each other with short breaths. Game on.

"Well," Lucas whispers, trapping one knee between Eliott's legs. The hand wrapped around his neck pulls at his hair. He smirks. "Why don't you?"

The words are still rolling out of his mouth when Eliott's lips are suddenly on his. Lucas kisses back eagerly, hungrily, his tongue sliding over Eliott's bottom lip before coaxing his mouth open with no finesse whatsoever. He feels Eliott's jaw work under his fingers, a hand pulling at his hair. Fingers playing with the waistband of his sweatpants teasingly. Stomach quivering against stomach in anticipation. Ragged breathing against his cheek, red and orange behind his eyelids, and everything around him is Eliott. Belongs to him. Everything he wants to take, he’ll give.

Lucas presses against him, hard, pushing and pushing until the railing digs into Eliott's back, smirking into the kiss when he hears a quiet gasp.

“Fuck.”

Lucas hums, smiling wider, lips still glued together. His hands are restless, fingers running up and down his neck and thumbs pressing into his jaw with a kind of desperation he hasn’t felt in months. “Yeah, fuck.” He breaks the kiss, nosing at Eliott's cheek, breathing hard against his face. Eliott makes a wounded sound, hands tightening in his hair. “You could fall in love to this sight?”

Eliott's breath hitches. 

“Fall in love with these hands?” He slides one hand down his chest, settling over his stomach, feeling the way it clenches under his touch. “Hands that take you apart, over and over again.” He presses his lips to Eliott's jaw. “Will you? Will you fall in love with my tongue? With my mouth? With my body?” 

Eliott makes a sound high in his throat at that, and the fire in Lucas' veins burn in the best possible way. He unclasps Eliott's hand digging into his waist and guides it inside his sweatpants, leaning back to look at his face. Eliott looks at him with a wrecked expression, flushed cheeks and stormy eyes blind with want. He moans.

“Will you fall in love with my body for tonight, Eli?” He asks, breathless, squeezing Eliott's hand against his hard-on. Their eyes flutter closed at the contact for a second. “For the sake of old times? I’d let you, you know.” He whispers between them, leaning in, brushing their lips together. “I’d let you do anything, if you promise to fall in love with me tonight.”

And then Eliott is surging forward, hand still inside his pants, his other hand cupping the back of his head to stop most of the hit as Lucas' back hits the glass door. “Shut the fuck up, asshole.” Eliott pants against his mouth. His hand moves at a slow pace inside his pants. “Shut up, you know I will.” He twists his wrist in a way that has Lucas arching his back. “You know I will.”

Lucas digs his nails into the base of Eliott's neck, anywhere he can reach, falling into him, completely giving up control. His chest rises and falls, eyes rolling in the back of his head, enjoying the touch of Eliott's hands on his skin. It’s hot. It’s too hot. Too much. But not enough. Never, with him. He thrusts his hips against the hand in his pants, forcefully, urging Eliott on, to touch him, to kiss him, to break him.

Eliott grips him tighter with a hard kiss on the mouth, swallowing the little sounds Lucas is making, catching them on his tongue, lips molding together hungrily and desperately. He keeps kissing him, open-mouthed kisses that fogs Lucas' mind, tongues curling together, the tug of a bottom lip between a set of teeth. The rise of their chests moving in beat with Eliott's hand. 

And then it’s gone.

Lucas pull back with a frown, blinking confusedly, eyes fogged with want and mind too drunk to understand anything but the hands on his hips. Eliott only grins wickedly at him, and he doesn’t have time to process anything before hands are gripping the back of his thighs. And then his legs are wrapping around Eliott's waist, the older boy’s hands sneaking inside the sweatpants once again, but this time they’re cupping his ass, kneading and squeezing as Lucas curls his arms around Eliott's neck, bringing their mouths together again.

He grinds down in Eliott's hold, making him stumble over the threshold, pressing kisses everywhere he can reach, on his cheeks, on his temple, on the bridge of his nose. Wet lips pressing to his jaw and dragging across his stubble. Fast kisses, slow ones, his nose tickling the side of his face eliciting a squeaky noise from Eliott, something close to a laugh, and Lucas' heart fills in his chest. 

Lucas bounces a little when Eliott drops him unceremoniously right in the middle of the bed, bringing him down with him, the both of them laughing a little into each other’s mouths when an elbow digs into someone’s stomach, and the water bottle on the bedside table rattles to the floor, and the t-shirt he’s wearing gets stuck on his head as he tries to take it off. They’ve always caused hurricanes wherever they go, the two of them. It’s partly why Lucas' so terrified of all this.

They make a quick job at undressing themselves, an eagerness in the room that makes him feel like a teenager again, and this part is good. When everything else is going to hell, sex is always good between them. Eliott yanks his sweatpants off before spreading his legs by the knees and kneeling between them, and Lucas throws his head back on the mattress at the image between his legs. Red lips. Flushed cheeks. An excited glint in his eyes that has him falling apart.

Eliott lowers his head to drop a kiss to the inside of his thigh, hands resting of his hips. Lucas breathes out a moan. “Fuck,” he buries his hands in Eliott's hair. "It's been a while."

Eliott hums against his skin, lips dangerously close to his crotch. He bites the inside of his thigh gently before licking over the bruise, tongue traveling up until it’s grazing the base of his dick. "Far too long, if you ask me." He raises his head to smirk up at Lucas.

Lucas groans.

"Yeah?” He breathes, guiding Eliott's ' head towards his erection. Eliott complies, wrapping his mouth around him experimentally before sinking his head down. The wet heat around him has Lucas losing his breath, making it hard for him to remember his trail of thoughts as Eliott begins to bob his head up and down in a steady rhythm. “And whose…” Eliott pulls back with a loud pop, instead running his tongue flat up his length. “And whose fault is that?" 

"Lucas…" Eliott whispers, breath hot against his dick, and although the stimulation should set fire inside his belly, the tone of his voice only tugs at his heart.

No.

He pulls on Eliott's hair, scratches at his shoulders, anywhere his fingers can reach, frantically, desperately, until Eliott is hovering over him. "Just fucking kiss me.” He begs, pushing him down. “Just shut up. Kiss me."

Eliott does. 

He bumps their noses together, teasing him with his mouth before closing the distance between them. "Demanding.” He murmurs against Lucas' lips. Lucas' hands settle on the small of his back, pressing them together in all the right places. “I missed your bossy ass."

Lucas huffs, slapping Eliott's ass lightly. "You love my ass."

“Fuck.” Eliott groans, nosing at his neck, pressing his lips to the hollow of his throat. "I do."

The older boy keeps his ministrations on his neck, nipping and licking, hips rocking together almost involuntarily. His breaths turn shallow, loving the firm press of Eliott's body pinning him to the bed, letting him do anything and everything, putty in his hands. The friction against his dick is enough to make his head spin, damp chests sliding together in a way that has him panting beneath him.  

“What do you want?” Eliott asks between kisses. He rolls his hips down, harder than he’s done all day, and Lucas sees stars behind his eyes. He presses a kiss to his jaw, thumbs pressing down on his bottom lip, coaxing his mouth open. Lucas parts his lips immediately, staring at Eliott with glassy eyes. “What do you want, baby?”

Lucas swears under his breath.

“No.” He shakes himself out of his haze. Eliott looks at him confusedly. “No,” he repeats, sure of himself, hooking his legs around Eliott's waist and rolling them over. He sits on his stomach, and Eliott blinks up at him. “Let me do all the work today.”

“Holy shit.” Eliott exhales dreamily, staring at him in awe, and Lucas has to bite back a grin. 

He bends to drop a kiss to the hollow of his chest, where he sees a drop of sweat forming, and licks it off. He’s been wanting to do that all fucking day. Eliott's breath hitches again, and his hands tighten on the hold in his thighs.

“Do you have stuff?” 

Eliott nods eagerly. “In my wallet.”

Lucas reaches behind him to grab Eliott's jeans, the constant brush of Eliott's hands running up and down his thighs making it hard to concentrate, but he gets a hold of them at last, letting out a sigh of victory when he finds a condom and a packet of traveling lube on the inside pocket. He turns to look at Eliott with a smug smirk, raising an eyebrow. Eliott shrugs, matching smile on his face, and grips Lucas' dick in his hand.

“Always have to be prepared.” Eliott gives him a challenging smile, jerking him off in his hand.

“You’re the smuggest motherfucker I know.”

“Hmm.” Eliott concedes. “And you’re easy.”

Lucas snorts out an undignified huff. “Shut the fuck up.” He rips the packet of lube with his teeth, staring down at Eliott with a meaningful look. “Keep that up, and you’re fucking yourself tonight.”

Eliott grins pleasedly. He sits up slightly to grab Lucas' wrists and makes him bend down. Lucas goes willingly, because he’s an idiot. And easy. “You wouldn’t leave me and my hard-on. You started this, remember?” He muses, a breath away from Lucas' lips, before releasing his wrists. 

Lucas huffs again, rolling his eyes before dropping a quick kiss to his lips. Because he wouldn’t, and Eliott knows that. Nonetheless, he shoots him a pointed look, nothing but for show, before sitting up again. Eliott's hands fly back to the top of his thighs as he coats his fingers with lube, moving back to open himself up and Eliott's hands run up and down his legs, thumbs brushing dangerously close to where he wants him the most, but never quite there.

He makes sure to put on a show, stomach muscles clenching and unclenching, legs quivering with tension as he works himself open. Mouth parted as ragged breaths escape his lips, hooded eyes and flushed cheeks that he knows Eliott absolutely adores. Because this isn’t the first time he does this, and he knows what gets him going. Eliott's eyes don't leave his face as he twists his wrist the right way, scratching his thighs teasingly with his nails. 

They’re so fucking good together. 

Lucas whimpers as his fingers brush against the right spot inside of him again, sucking his bottom lip into his mouth, because he knows Eliott likes that. Likes it when his lips look thoroughly kissed. As if on the clock, Eliott groans under him, and Lucas opens his eyes to beam down at him.

Eliott beams back, moving one had to brush against his cheek, thumb playing with his bottom lip. Lucas lets him, pushing a third finger in, pressing his other hand on top of Eliott's heart to support himself. And then the phone rings. 

Everything stops in the room. Eliott looks at him with wide eyes. Lucas' heart picks up, a cold sweat breaking across the back of his neck. 

"It's probably-" 

Lucas knows who it probably is. He doesn’t need to hear the words. This isn’t Paris.  This  is supposed to be safe here. They’re supposed to be safe here. He clutches at Eliott's hands clumsily, hard, maybe too hard, trapping Eliott under him. Just a breath away from breaking.

"Let's forget about the rest of the world tonight, please.” He whispers, his breath catching in his throat. “Let me have this." 

Eliott breathes through his nose once, and Lucas waits for the other shoe to drop, hands trembling slightly in Eliott's. He hates the vulnerability in his voice. The power Eliott holds over him. The power to wreck him for everyone else. It feels like waiting on a death sentence, with the way Eliott doesn’t move a muscle, doesn’t even breathe, not one hint to know what he’s thinking. Because he never does, really, when it comes to them. Because he’d once asked, are you afraid? And Eliott had answered, with you, I never am. And then nothing had changed. 

He surprises them both when he turns his hold in Lucas' hands, fingers trailing up, up, up his chest until the settle on his neck, propping himself up in bed and pulling Lucas into his lap, pulling him closer, closer, close enough that their foreheads bump against each other. And while reaching for the discarded condom on the bed, he answers, letting the phone ring, a whispered breath that makes Lucas' entire fucking month "Yeah, okay."

He passes the condom to Lucas, who tears it open the second it’s in his hands, and reaches behind his back to put it on Eliott, slicking his dick up with some remains of lube he manages to squeeze out from the package. Eliott holds his jaw in place, tilting his chin up and leaving a trail of small kisses down his throat, nuzzling his nose on the sensitive spot behind his ear as Lucas works him to a full hard-on. 

Eliott makes these little breathy sounds against his neck as Lucas moves his wrist up and down gently, hips trashing up and down as if he doesn’t know wether to get closer or as far as possible. Lucas takes pity on him, rising himself up slightly, lining Eliott's erection up before sinking down. 

They let an unison groan at the feeling. It really has been too fucking long. Lucas slowly sinks himself down, inch by inch, as Eliott's hands fit on the small of his back, fingers digging into the dimples there, nails scratching, and a shudder breaks through his body. 

“You’re so fucking beautiful.” Eliott whispers, fingers burying on the flesh of his ass, and Lucas moans again, knocking their foreheads together. He moves his arms to wrap around Eliott's neck. “So fucking beautiful, I can’t believe you’re real.” Lucas whines high in his throat at the words, drunk on him. “Just look at you.”

“So are you.” Lucas confesses between them, clenching up, ass flush against Eliott's thighs. Eliott lets out a loud growl, gripping handfuls of his ass and pulling him apart. “So are you, so are you, so are you.”

It turns into incoherent mumbling after that, Lucas raising himself up and down again and again as Eliott chases his body, hips moving expertly to the beat of their heartbeats and backs arching up obscenely. He leans back to look at Eliott's face, flushed red and beautiful, lips bitten red, mouth hanging open with every thrust and eyes wide. The image makes warmth coil in his belly, and he speeds up his movements, mouth open against Eliott's as their lips drags together. It doesn’t look like anything that resembles a kiss, just the brush of their lips together and the hot breath shared between their mouths, tongues curled together as Lucas pants desperately. Hard breathing. Low moans. All pressed against cheeks or swallowed between frantic kisses. 

Lucas feels the sounds he’s making escape from the back of his throat, nothing he’s heard coming from himself, and when Eliott grabs his hips to press him down against him at a new angle his eyes roll back in his head. Lucas cries in Eliott's mouth, digging his fingers harder on his shoulders. 

“I’m so close. Please. Holy shit.” Eliott nods in acknowledgement, speeding up his pace at the same angle, rocking his hips up as much as Lucas will let him. “You’re so good, you’re so fucking good.”

Eliott presses a wet kiss to his forehead, taking him in his hand, synching up the thrust of his hips with the up and down movement of his hand, making Lucas' eyes fill with tears. He holds on to Eliott's body like an anchor, instinctively moving his body up and down at a brutal pace, pace never faltering as Eliott fucks into him with everything he has. He’s so close, can feel it in every cell of his body, in the tension in his legs, in the quivering of his stomach, and it only takes Eliott's thumb brushing the head of his dick to turn his vision white.

His whole body shakes as he lets himself go, head falling against Eliott's shoulder. His hips rut against Eliott's, lips trembling, letting Eliott take everything from him, anything he wants, it’s his to take and to have. And finally Eliott groans too, tightening his grip on Lucas' hips as his shoulders tense up before letting go, and it’s the most beautiful sound Lucas' ever heard.

They stay like that for some time, just breathing against each other, Lucas'head resting on the hollow of Eliott's neck, and Eliott's hands running up and down his back soothingly as he presses kisses to the top of his head. 

"Best post-pride sex ever." Eliott whispers a little while later, when they’ve cleaned up and pulled the curtains over the windows. 

Lucas turns his head to look at him in the dark, a safe space between their bodies in bed. Because that’s a thing they do now. Eliott won’t kick him out of bed, because he’s too nice for that, and Lucas will stick to his side of the bed, because he knows his place.

Eliott only flashes him a small smile, reaching with his hand for a strand of hair on the pillow, and brushes it behind Lucas' ear.

"Yeah?" And Lucas smiles back.

"Yeah."

And Oslo really is a breathtaking city, Lucas muses. A city full of life, and full of miracles. Because Eliott breaks the distance between their bodies, curling his body against Lucas, head resting on his chest, and closes his eyes. 

Lucas hesitates for a second, hand in the air, before brushing Eliott's hair off his face. "Well, good."

[jemichi90]

I wanted to share some tips for surviving in the cold. As a Finn this is something I experience every year. Unfortunately that experience doesn't make me the best person to talk about survival tips as people in here tend to take all that for granted, but here's what I thought of.

Here we live in houses with thick walls and insulation (I live in an old house though so the heat is not such a given), but your house probably wasn't built with freezing temperatures in mind, so this is what you can do:

Gather all your family, pets and plants in a single room. Preferably an inner room that doesn't have any walls in touch with the cold air outside. A bathroom or a room directly connected to a bathroom would be the best for obvious reasons, if possible.

Gather everything you (and your family and pets) need in that room so you won't need to open the door unnecessarily as you want to keep the air in that one room warm and keep the warm air inside that room.

If it's an inner room, the rooms around it will protect it from the cold wind and act as a type of insulation. But in any case you want to seal all the gaps in the doors and windows, if there are any. Materials for this can be anything you can think of from newspapers to towels, or wool or even bubblewrap. You can use tape to seal the gaps. Only open the door if there is an emergency, like if the room really runs out of air.

Gather as many blankets and towels you can find. If your room has windows, cover them with blankets and towels to keep the heat from escaping through the glass. If your walls are really thin and can't keep the heat inside, you might want to cover them with blankets or towels as well.

The floor is going to be cold, so don't sit on the bare floor. If your room has a bed or a couch, sit on that. If not, bring a mattress.

Wear as many layers of clothing as you need. But not too much, as sweat will make your clothes damp and the moisture draws heat out of your body. So if your feet are cold, put more socks on. Multiple shirts or multiple coats, or whatever you need. If you have any blankets left, now is the time to use them to stay warm. Feel free to live in a pile of blankets now. Wear a hat or a hood or a scarf on your head to keep your ears warm. Headphones can do the trick too. Now isn't the time to think about fashion.

If you have electricity (a generator or batteries work too), and a small heater, bring that to your room of choice. Some electronics, like computers produce plenty of heat too, so if you have electricity and the use isn't restricted you can take advantage of that too.

I've never tried it, but the tips about candles under an earthenware pot should work as a heat source quite well (works similar to a sauna stove that heats the rocks on top of the fire, just in smaller scale). Support the pot upsidedown slightly above the ground level with something fire-resistant to allow air to get in and out and place the candle under it. Just be very careful when dealing with fire and don't leave it unattended. Also, don't use too many candles in your sealed room as the fire will use the oxygen and you don't want to run out of air to breathe.

Bring battery-powered flashlights to the room with you if there is no electricity (and just in case it goes out).

Just like your house, your water pipes probably weren't made with freezing temperatures in mind. Water will freeze if it's standing still and that might break the pipes so keep them running – leaving them dripping just a little should do the trick. You can have them drip into a bucket and use the water later for whatever you need.

Avoid going outside, but if you absolutely must, wear even more layers of clothing. Your worst enemies are the wind and getting wet because that will make the cold much worse.

Wear boots if you can, and have your pants tucked inside the boots. The outer layer of your clothes should be something made to resist the wind. A rain coat will do in an emergency (but seriously, that's just the outer layer, you should have a lot of warm clothes under it!). Cover your ears and hands. Gloves and mittens are great, but if you don't own any, you can totally wear socks on your hands! Long sleeves are great too. Hands stay warmer as fists so keep your fingers together!

If the snow isn't too deep, it's better for walking than icy roads. But a thin layer of powderlike snow on an icy road is super treacherous so beware of that. It's going to be slippery! Same goes for a layer of water on an icy road. If you have to walk on ice, step carefully and place your whole foot down. If you fall, it's safer to crawl to a less slippery ground than try to stand up right away. This is no time to feel ashamed! Also, avoid going out alone. It’s easy to break bones if you fall on ice and you’ll need someone to help you. Keep your mobile available and charged at least, and keep it warm. Electronics don’t handle cold well so you might want to keep your phone inside your shirt or in your sleeve instead of a pocket so it works when you need it.

You can make your driveway less slippery by sprinkling some sand or gravel over the ice. Saw dust will work too.

Avoid driving a car, and if you must, go slowly and avoid any sudden movements such as braking or turning too fast because the car will just keep sliding forward or start spinning out of control. If your car is spinning, let go of the pedals and don't try to steer. The car will stop on its own. When it has stopped, take a deep breath and if there is no damage you can start driving very slowly. But really, don't drive a car unless it's an emergency. In Finland we basically have spikes on the tires during winter, but you don't so driving is just way more risky there!

Also, if you get stranded outside with no buildings nearby, your car is probably the safest place for you to wait for help. In such a situation it's like that small room and you want to keep it as insulated and warm as possible. Have some blankets inside in case of an emergency so you can insulate the windows from the inside as well as keep yourself warm. A layer of snow on the car can help keep the warmth inside, but never idle the car for warmth, especially if you are stuck and covered in snow because it will keep the toxic Carbon Monoxide in as well! (In some cases it’s best to get the snow off the car so the rescuers can find you more easily. A car that’s covered in snow is hard to find in snowy environment. Use common sense to decide what’s best in your situation.)

If you get stranded in the cold without a car, create your ”small room” from the snow. It will protect you from the freezing wind and at least keep you warmer than you'd be outside.

Don't walk on the ice over a body of water unless you know what you are doing. But if you end up falling through the ice, try to stay calm. Call for help. Push yourself forward, not up. When you get your body on the ice again, don't stand up. Crawl back to safety. Being wet is your worst enemy so get rid of your wet clothes and replace them with dry clothes asap!  

For this same reason, don't go outside with wet hair, it will literally freeze. I know because I don't follow my own advice, but I'm a crazy Finn and we also swim in freezing waters so unless you'd do that too, you don't want to go out wet.  

You can also use the cold to your advantage, especially if the electricity runs out by keeping your food products outside so they stay cold. One idea is to place them in a bucket or a plastic box with a lid and covering it with snow.

So yeah. Stay safe and warm out there!