#the THIS IS A DILL PICKLE SCENT IT SMELLS LIKE PICKLES DO YOU UNDERSTAND. PICKLES

[trifoliate-undergrowth]

wuh oh I'm on an indie fragrance kick again! anyway. environmental storytelling spotted here

you just know some pickle hater bought the Dill Pickle Scent and then contacted the store like WHY DOES IT SMELL LIKE PICKLES!!! ONE STAR!!!!

[rotworld]

1: Hellhound

you get an unexpected visitor on the night of a hunt.

->explicit. contains gore, murder, feral behavior, very ambiguous consent (consent not explicitly given but you have a good time), and knotting.

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Molly says there’ll be a hunt tonight.

You’re visiting the village market together when she suddenly stops in the middle of the road, the evening crowd parting around her. Her hands tremble at her sides, her head turned towards the sky. “Do you feel that?” she whispers. “That heat? That prickle in the air? Like a storm, but I know it’s not. They’re coming. Herbs—you need herbs. Can’t be out late.” You don’t feel anything but you take her word for it. They call her Mad Molly, but only when you aren’t around to smack some sense into them. Not just anyone survives being stranded outside on the night of a hunt. You’d like to see them try.

“How do you tell the difference?” you ask her. “Between a storm and a hunt?” 

Molly taps her nose. “The smell,” she says. “Storms are wet. Earth and sky. Hunts are something else. Try and see.” 

You close your eyes and take a deep breath. Crisp autumn air fills your lungs. You smell the savory aroma of meat pies, the musk of herbs, the sharp scent of pickled vegetables, but nothing like what Molly describes. You trip on an uneven patch of road and she catches you, snickering. Somehow, she’s still twice as graceful as you, even without her eyes.

Dusk settles in the sky by the time you reach Molly’s. She gives you a basketful of herbs from her garden, flowering purple stalks of betony and clary sage. “Put the dill and rosemary over your door. The betony, you’ll want that once the night’s through. Clary sage is for the eyes, but you knew that already.” She sends you off with a stern reminder, “Stay inside. Lock your doors. And don’t get in their way.” She taps the side of her face, the whorls of scar tissue where her eyes used to be. “But don’t be scared,” she says quietly. “They can be surprisingly gentle.”

It’s a long trek home from Molly’s, back through the woods and the village square. The shadows are long and the sky dim. Children chase each other, chickens run loose, and a couple of persistent women haggle with the butcher for cured meats. But when the church bells toll, everything changes. Fear grips the market. People scatter like frightened animals. Stalls are hastily abandoned, artisan goods trampled in the streets. Doors slam and windows are shuttered. A town crier rings his hand bell and shouts to be heard over the commotion. He, too, is running. “Hear ye, hear ye! The hounds come to hunt this eve!” You catch glimpses through the stampede, fur like night sky and eyes like burning coals. The beasts come pouring from dark places, shaking the clinging shadows from their coats. You smell ash and sulfur, see the heat haze fizzling around their claws. The howling starts. You’ve never run so fast in your life.

They’re everywhere, slinking through the alleys and prowling between the trees. You see them watching, waiting, their gazes burning into you as you pass. You wonder if this is how sheep feel under the scrutiny of herd dogs. The crowd thins the further you go from town until you’re alone in the woods, sprinting for the soft glow of a lantern left outside your front door. You’re breathless when you stumble inside, hunched over, legs aching. You realize, belatedly, that you lost your basket of herbs somewhere in the chaos, but you’ll manage without. All you need right now is some tea. 

The water is just starting to boil when you hear an ungodly commotion, a wet sound, a clattering, banging and screaming. It takes you a moment to come out from beneath your table and realize someone is knocking frantically at your door, begging for help. “Please, please help me, please I don’t, I don’t want to die, please—!”

Cautiously, you peer through the foggy glass. You can just make out a young man standing there. You open the door and the sight of him churns your stomach. Vicious claw marks cut through one side of his face, leaving the flesh mangled and hanging limp. That wet sound is the splatter of blood every time he moves, dribbling from his face and his hands. The hounds will smell that, clamor for a taste of it. “I didn’t know,” he sobs. “I’m not from here, I didn’t—I had no idea what it meant! The bells started ringing and everyone ran, and I—I don’t have anywhere to go!”

You let him in. He comes stumbling through and collapses, sinking to his knees against the wall. His cloak is torn and the clothes underneath ragged, everything saturated with blood. The first thing you do is clean the wound and cover him in gauze and bandages, anything to staunch the flow and cover the metallic scent. He croaks miserably, pale as death. You aren’t sure he’ll make it through the night, but you’ll do what you can.

“The bells mean there’s a hunt on,” you tell him, sopping up a red, watery mess oozing from his chin. It makes little difference now, but if it were you, you’d want to know. “The hounds are just doing their job, hunting for monsters and infernal things. But we have to be careful. They’ll attack anything that gets between them and their prey, and blood excites them.” 

“Monsters?” the young man says weakly. “Infernal things? What does that mean?” 

You shrug. “I’ve never seen one. It’s just what I’ve heard.” 

“Then how do you even know it’s true? What if they’re just running amok out there, killing whoever they want?” 

“I just know,” you insist. It’s a common rumor whispered around the village; humans are the real prey. The stories of monsters are just to keep them obedient, never getting in the way of a hunt. But Molly told you it’s not like that. She said she saw something. The hounds, she whispered, weren’t what took her eyes.

“Doesn’t that scare you?” the young man presses. “Not knowing what a monster even looks like? Whether or not you’d recognize one if you saw it?” Thin, bony fingers wrap around your wrist. He has claws, you realize, your heart skipping a beat. “It should,” he purrs. His teeth are inhumanly sharp. Eyes flutter open and shut along the uninjured side of his face, yellow and glowing like a creature of the night. He stands, suddenly steady on his feet. Your blood runs cold as you understand that his corpse-like complexion is natural. More hands unfold from beneath his tattered cloak and slam you back against the wall. 

“Let me go,” you say quickly, a frightened tremor sneaking into your words.

The monster you let into your home leans in close, smirking. A long, forked tongue slithers along your jaw. “I don’t think so,” he hisses. “I’m staying until sunrise. If the hounds come, you will send them away. If you don’t…” His jaw cracks at the joints, unhinging, his mouth opening even wider revealing a maw lined with rows upon rows of teeth. “Then there will be nothing left of you come morning.” Just like that, he drops you, watching you squirm on the floor with cold amusement. “Get up,” he says. “We have to prepare.” He doesn’t wait for you to begin shoving furniture against your door, lifting the heavy oak table as though it weighs nothing. You slowly climb to your feet and stand there, paralyzed.

“It won’t work,” you say.

He stops, dropping a chair and letting it clatter loudly to the floor. You regret speaking when those eyes flutter open in shut again, fixing you with an unnerving glare. Silently, he slinks towards you, backing you into a corner. “It will,” he says lowly. “You’ll turn them away or you’ll die. It’s that simple.” 

You swallow a ball of cold, hard dread stopping up your throat. He doesn’t understand. There is no turning away a hound. A long howl cuts through the silence and you both look at the door. Another howl rises in answer, much closer than the first. A glow like distant fire burns in the woods. The monster grabs you with three hands and shoves you closer to the door. It stands behind you, draped against your back with a claw pressed threateningly against your throat. You hear a beast’s trotting steps, leaves crunching along the path to your home. A large silhouette looms outside. There’s sniffing, and then a low growl. Something scrapes against your front door.

“Huuuuuman,” comes a low, velvety purr.  It almost sounds like a man, distinctly masculine but with a deep, animalistic rumble coloring every sound. “I see you standing there. Good evening.” 

“G...good evening,” you manage to stammer through the shock and fear. You had no idea hounds could speak. You can’t make out a face, canid or otherwise, but you see his eyes glowing in the dark, red and blazing. 

“I smell something delicious,” the hound says. “May I come in? I think you might have an uninvited guest and not even know it.”

You take too long to reply. You hear the sound of flesh peeling, the monster’s jaw unhinging behind your head, and scramble to force out the words, “There’s no one here but me!” 

The hound lowers itself. You hear more sniffing, see unnatural shadows swirling beneath your door and seeping into the house. “Are you certain, human?” the hound says. “I’m not often wrong.”

“I’m sure,” you say, as firmly as you can with hot saliva dribbling on your shoulders. You hear one last frustrated, sniff, a huff, and then the hound’s footstep’s retreating as he slinks back the way he came. Neither you nor the monster can quite believe it at first, remaining perfectly still until the fiery glow dissipates and everything is dark outside. The next howl is far, far away. 

“Good,” the monster mutters, sounding nearly as exhausted as you feel. He shoves you away and begins throwing anything else he can find into the barricade. “Now help me with this—”

He smells it only a second before you do. Sulfur. Burning. Hellfire. The unearthly glow sparks to life right outside your door once again. Time slows to a crawl as the monster turns, looking back at you with a snarl frozen on his half-mangled face. All of his eyes open wide and you hear just the beginning of a frightened whimper before flames erupt from the barricade. The fire is red like blood and the force of it bursting through knocks the monster back, sending him sprawling to the ground where it circles him, engulfs him like a living thing and eats him alive.

You can’t tear your eyes away as the flames take the shape of the biggest dog you’ve ever seen, wolf-like and ferocious, one massive paw on the monster’s chest as its maw tears his belly open and rips into his guts. The terrible, sharp stench of death seemingly burns away, overpowered by cleansing smoke and fire. The screams will haunt you for the rest of your life.

When you come back to your senses, the inferno has disappeared. Rings of scorch marks are seared into the floor around a charred corpse so horribly mutilated you couldn’t begin to guess at what it once was. A man crouches over it, licking his bloodied lips. You know he’s the hound. His wild hair writhes with shadows and the fire is still burning in his eyes. He turns to you, stands to his full height, and you fight to keep your gaze respectfully above his collarbones as you realize he’s completely naked. He takes a step towards you. You take two stumbling back.

“I didn’t want to get in your way,” you say, helpless. If he decides to kill you, there’s nothing you can do. “He told me to lie to you. He threatened me.”

“Lucky for you, you’re a terrible liar,” the hound sneers. He stalks towards you like you’re prey, a snarl pulling at the corner of his lips exposing the teeth that just tore the monster apart. “Did no one ever teach you not to open your door to strangers on the night of a hunt?”

“I didn’t know!” Any further excuses die on your tongue when he shoves you, barely more than a gentle push on his part but it knocks you to the ground. He’s on you before you can squirm away and you realize suddenly just how big he is. He’s enormous, a good head taller, all rippling muscle and faded scars. And he’s—you don’t look, but you can feel that he’s hard. His cock twitches where it’s nestled between your bodies, smearing precum on your clothes. “Please don’t...don’t hurt me.”

“I’m not going to,” he says, but it certainly stings a bit when he rakes his claws down your body and shreds through your clothes. He ignores your protests as he shoves the fabric aside and then his hands are on you. He has claws like the monster, but even thicker and more frightening. Somehow, they barely graze you even as he caresses your skin. You flinch when he leans in suddenly, but he doesn’t bite you. He’s smelling you, you realize. His nose grazes the hollow of your throat and he licks you, a rumble building in his chest. “This is what I smelled,” he murmurs. 

You don’t understand. He doesn’t bother to explain, either, but he pulls back far enough to meet your eyes. You expect him to reek of sulfur, but without the fire, there’s only the lingering scent of the forest. His gaze wanders your body and he presses his hand against your chest, right over your pounding heart. 

“I want you,” he purrs. “I’m going to have you.” You nod shakily. What are you going to do, fight him about it? You just watched him burn his way into your house and kill somebody in a flurry of fire and entrails. “Turn over. Let me taste what’s mine.” You hesitate. He doesn’t ask twice. You’re flipped unceremoniously onto your stomach, breath catching in your throat when he tugs your hips higher. 

You feel his breath, scalding like chimney air, against your sex. The wet press of his tongue on your flesh makes you flinch and whimper. It’s hotter than you expected. The warmth is just shy of painful. You bury your face in your arms, face heating in embarrassment, as he laps at your sex like he’s starving for it, saliva dribbling down his chin. You find yourself shivering, moving back against his face, whining when his hands catch your hips and hold you in place. 

You think that growl is pleased, almost affectionate. He adjusts his position ever so slightly, his thumbs pressing into tender flesh to spread you open. And then his tongue is inside of you. You cry out in shock, the sensation foreign and overwhelming. It’s like nothing you’ve ever experienced before. His tongue is long and thick, twisting inside of you, opening you wider as he makes encouraging sounds. “That’s it,” he hisses, licking a lazy circle around your entrance. “That’s it, human. Let me in.”

It’s not long before you’re shivering in his grasp, gasping, even begging. You hear a chuckle, feel his tongue leave you empty and wanting. “You’re ready,” he murmurs. You hear a slick sound. His hand on his cock, maybe, but you don’t get the chance to look and see. His claws land heavily on your head, shoving your face into the floor. He’s going to fuck you like an animal. The thought drifts almost absently through your head as he mounts you, blankets your back with his body and begins rutting his hips against you. His length, hot and pulsing, shoves between your thighs in teasing thrusts, letting you feel how thick he is. What can only be a knot drags against your sex, the friction making you whine. “Do you want me, human?” he growls. “Do you hunger as I do?” 

You make a noise, something humiliating, needy, more animal than human. It’s exactly what he wants. With a playful bite to the nape of your neck, he presses his cockhead against you. He pushes slowly, patiently, his hands smoothing along your sides. You hear him speaking against your skin, rumbling into the side of your neck or your shoulder. The words are low and indistinct but you feel the intent behind them, the desire in every sound. “Fuck me,” you beg him. He makes a bestial sound and with a harsh, forward motion, spears you on his cock. 

It’s blinding, the pain and the pressure, but it’s so good, so filling. Your fingers scrabble over the floor with nothing to hold onto. The hound rocks his hips, driving into you harder and faster, building a rhythm that makes you see stars. “Fuck, just like that,” he pants against your ear. “You take me like you were made for me.” He sinks deeper and your eyes roll back in your head. You can feel him in your stomach, can see the bulge of him through your skin. It’s impossible to hold your voice in, every thrust dragging a yelp or a whimper from your lips. “Don’t hold back,” he growls, nipping at your ear. “Scream for me. I want my brothers to hear you. I want the whole village to know you’re mine.” 

You won’t last long, and neither will he. The exhaustion of the night catches up with you, the primal terror, the relief, the lust burning in your veins. You feel the hound losing rhythm as he loses himself to his frenzy, groaning and growling, driving into you with bruising thrusts. He tries to force his knot inside of you and it won’t fit, you’re sure it won’t. You try to tell him it won’t and he makes a truly inhuman sound, a laugh and a bark and a roar all at once. One of his claws lands on your head again, keeping you trapped and still as he rotates his hips and pushes harder, fucks you harder, drives his cock as deep inside as he can get.

The sound is small. The muted, wet pop of something locking into place. But the sensations are too much, too good, too painful. The force of your orgasm nearly leaves you unconscious. You feel him cum, hear him let out a long moan as his hips move in frantic little thrusts against your ass. He stuff you full and collapses on top of you, his legs hooked inside of yours. You gasp for breath as he keeps rutting, still riding the high of his climax. You smell blood. You feel his jaw come unclamped from the space between your neck and shoulder, his tongue lapping gently at the wound. 

He shifts slightly and your hips are dragged with him, the pull on your insides making you wince. “Sorry. We won’t be going anywhere for a while,” he murmurs, nuzzling into your hair. He soothes you with a hand along your side, peppering kisses between your shoulders. “Hunt’s not over. I’ll have to leave as soon as I’m able. Are you well? I didn’t hurt you?”

You don’t feel terrible, all things considered. There’s a deep soreness that might bring regret in the morning, but mostly you’re content. His heat, the fire at the core of his being, dampens the worst of the pain. There must be some magic at work. You can’t believe he’s still inside you. “I’m okay,” you say slowly.

“Good.” The hound nuzzles his face against you, taking in your scent again. You could almost call the behavior affectionate or gentle, a stark difference from how he fucked you earlier. 

Molly’s words come back to you, the strange little smile on her face. You have some questions for her in the morning.

[professorpalmarosa]

Kefkaesque (Kefka Palazzo - Final Fantasy)

@light-of-judgment was one of the people who donated for my friend Kat’s situation back in late August 2017. Due to the amount of money donated, this placed this donor in the category of having a bath bomb produced in a future batch.

I have emailed them the recipe on how to make this at home, but am posting images now so folks can see the end result! So behold the “Kefkaesque” bath bomb!

Note: This bath bomb was unfortunately part of the September 2017 batch which (you will remember) fell to pieces after a week of curing. Hurricane weather messed the whole batch up, leaving the above beauties looking like sad deflated sports balls. Since this batch was meant to be a gift for someone who did a good deed and paid it forward to someone else, I’ll be remaking this bomb before mailing it out.

I will reblog later this week to show the replacement batch.

Sandalwood Essential Oil

Sandalwood is all the rage these days and infused in several men’s products. It’s been used in several colognes, body sprays, and even incense burners in recent years, but has been used by humanity for millennia. Take one whiff of its distinct woody, welcoming scent and you’ll understand why!

There are also three major types of Sandalwood on the market (Indian, Australian, and Hawaiian). The demand is highest for Indian Sandalwood, making it one of the most expensive oils in the world. Immature trees are being scrapped for this process and the regrowth methods aren’t sustainable at present. Indian Sandalwood has a legitimate threat of becoming endangered if this keeps up.

While some essential oil snobs will tell you “use Indian or use nothing at all,” I’ve had no problems whatsoever with Hawaiian and Australian Sandalwood. If anything, I tend to buy the Australian version because I have a weakness for Australian essential oils (like Fragonia, Niaouli, etc.) and the price isn’t so insanely expensive. It’s also grown and produced in a more ethical, sustainable process; so if that’s important to you, you can buy the oil with a clear conscience.

Pros:

De-stress and decompress after a nerve-rattling day! One of the most beautiful things about Sandalwood is its ability to bring some clarity and peace of mind to you after a troubling experience. There’s a natural calming effect that comes from inhaling its distinct fragrance.

It’s an aphrodisiac! Even ancient civilizations recognized that the scent of sandalwood made men more vigorous, and its pleasant scent is liked by most people. Try replacing your AXE body spray with a diluted version of this oil and add some pep to your step!

Boost your memory! Using Sandalwood Essential Oil can make it easier to concentrate and therefore retain more information. Try using it the next time you have a cram session before a big exam!

Keep your skin clean and well-toned! Sandalwood Essential Oil is a mild astringent and antiseptic. You can use it as part of a skincare regimen to clean out your pores, add it to your aftershave for a boost, and reduce the intensity of acne outbreaks. Dr. Axe also mentions that gargling hot water with a couple drops of Sandalwood Essential Oil can combat a sore throat. Just remember not to swallow it, as ingesting essential oils can be dangerous!

Break up mucus blockages and fight a cold! Sandalwood Essential Oil has mild expectorant properties. Add a couple drops to a handkerchief and breathe in. The effects of your cough will become more mild, and it’ll be easier to get that crud out of your body. Delightfully, Sandalwood Essential Oil also has anti-inflammatory properties, meaning those airways won’t be as inflamed and swollen, making it easier to breathe.

Lower your blood pressure! A study conducted on laboratory mice showed that Sandalwood Essential Oil was able to lower their blood pressure. In another study where people applied it neat (undiluted) on the skin, their systolic blood pressure proved lower than the control group.

Reduce the effects of outward aging! Add 5 drops of Sandalwood Essential Oil to your lotion and apply it regularly to cut down on the appearance of sagging, wrinkled skin.

Cons:

Sandalwood Essential Oil is considered to be universally safe, though a few people have reported irritation when using it neat on the skin. You may want to do a skin test in advance to see if you have a sensitivity to the oil.

However, if you are taking Lithium, you may want to consult your physician to make sure there are no contraindications before using Sandalwood.

Frankincense Essential Oil

Frankincense is one of the safest and most commonly used essential oils on the planet. Like Elemi and Myrrh, it comes from the resin of a specific type of gum tree (Boswellia carterii) and is used for a variety of purposes. Its scent is slightly sappy, slightly spicy, and a bit amber-like.

It should also sound familiar to the Christian community, since Frankincense (like Myrrh and gold) was one of the gifts the three wise men provided for the baby Jesus in the Nativity story. Considering Frankincense is a great aid for colic, that gift was probably more to help out Mary and Joseph!

Pros:

Frankincense Essential Oil has been shown to do all kinds of wonderful things!

Relieve stress & anxiety! The smell of Frankincense immediately induces a calm, peaceful, serene feeling: which is probably why it’s one of the most popular essential oils to diffuse for personal use around the home. Many people believe Frankincense can increase your intuition and spiritual connection. Try diffusing it or applying it in your lotion during meditation, tai chi, or yoga!

Fight off the signs of aging! Frankincense Essential Oil has strong astringent properties, meaning it helps protect and clean skin cells. It can reduce the appearance of large pores, wrinkles, fresh scars, liver spots, and acne blemishes. Try putting it (with a carrier oil) anywhere your skin is starting to sag. Just be sure to do a patch test first to make sure you aren’t allergic!

Relieve symptoms of indigestion! If you’re like me and occasionally get digestive distress (gas, constipation, IBS, stomach aches, PMS, or cramps), guess what? Frankincense Essential Oil can be a good friend and help sort that nonsense out! It speeds up the digestion of food if you apply it over your stomach or abdomen.

Although Dr. Axe’s website says you can add two drops to a tablespoon of honey for GI relief, I want you to ere on the side of caution with that. First, you’d need to make sure it’s 100% pure food grade oil, since ingesting a fragrance oil, perfume oil, or even a diluted essential oil could be toxic and very, very, dangerous. Secondly, NEVER ingest an essential oil without first consulting your doctor.

Reduce the appearance of scars, stretch marks, and acne! Frankincense Essential Oil can decrease the appearance of flaws in your skin, as well as tighten up saggy skin. Mix two to three drops of Frankincense Essential Oil with an unscented base oil (like apricot kernel or argan) or lotion and apply directly to the skin. Healing skin and scabs are fine, but don’t apply it on broken skin.

Speed up your recovery time from a cold or the flu! The next time you have a bad cold or a respiratory infection, consider using Frankincense Essential Oil. It’s been used for centuries to expel phlegm from the lungs and throat. In fact, it’s best known as an expectorant! Breathing becomes easier, the inflammation in your nasal passage and throat goes down, and all it takes is inhaling a few drops’ worth in a steaming hot washcloth for a few minutes!

Note: Everyone’s body is different. When it comes to clearing up a stuffy nose, I’ve had the best luck with Cajeput Essential Oil and Camphor Essential Oil, but Frankincense Essential Oil works wonders for reducing inflammation (another benefit).

Cons:

Frankincense Essential Oil is considered to be one of the safest essential oils you can buy, and is even safe to diffuse in small quantities around babies and newborns. In a very small percentage of the population, minor skin rashes or digestive issues (stomach pains or nausea) may occur. This essential oil is asthma-safe and kid-safe.

Elemi Essential Oil

Elemi (like Frankincense and Myrrh) is a resin-based essential oil. It has a smell similar to tree sap, but with a bit of a dill-like undernote. One coworker said it reminded him of pine sap. Another said dill pickles (I didn’t get that at all, but it does kind of smell like dill weed flower). I think it’s a bit spicier than both and a bit amber-like in its fragrance.

Pros: Elemi is used to treat stomach conditions and bad cough. It’s also remarkable for topical treatment to scars and problem areas on your skin, as it helps speed up the rejuvenation process.

Cons: Elemi Essential Oil is generally considered to be universally safe. However, a small percentage of people experience nauseous symptoms when exposed to resin-based essential oils like Elemi, Frankincense, and Myrrh.  Elemi is considered to be the mildest of the three.

Cassia Cinnamon Essential Oil

Everyone knows the soothing, savory, spicy scent of cinnamon. It’s used in Asian cuisines to add flavor to meats and savory dishes. In the Western world, cinnamon can also be used in candies and sweets. It’s one of the most recognized, universal scents in the world.

The type of essential oil I used came from Cassia (Chinese) Cinnamon. This type of cinnamon is the most commonly purchased type of cinnamon (as opposed to Ceylon Cinnamon) within the United States.

Pros:

Cassia Cinnamon can be used to assist with issues pertaining to diabetes, intestinal gas, muscle and stomach spasms, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, infections, loss of appetite, chest pain, hernias, high blood pressure, kidney disorders, and the common cold.

Some people use it to treat bed-wetting in small children.

In part of a multi-ingredient treatment, Cassia Cinnamon can be used to treat erectile dysfunction. This is probably due to the numbing properties of eugenol (a chemical in Cassia Cinnamon).

For female health, Cassia Cinnamon can also be your friend and assist you through menopausal symptoms, menstrual problems, cramps, and heavy menstrual flow.

Cassia Cinnamon contains hydroxychalcone and similar chemicals. These chemicals seem to improve insulin sensitivity. Cassia cinnamon also contains chemicals that may activate blood proteins that increase blood sugar uptake. These effects may improve blood sugar control in patients with diabetes.

Cassia cinnamon also contains cinnamaldehyde. This chemical might have activity against bacteria and fungi. It also seems to stop the growth of some types of solid tumor cells.

Cons:

Due to the high eugenol content of this essential oil, Cassia Cinnamon Essential Oil is toxic (and potentially fatal) to cats and dogs. If you plan to diffuse this, don’t trap your poor pet in the room with you!

In some countries, Cassia Cinnamon is used as an intentional abortifacent, since it can bring forward your menstrual flow and cause a miscarriage. If you’re pregnant or trying to become pregnant, avoid this essential oil.

Cassia Cinnamon can be overused and abused. Too much of it over a long period of time may cause side effects in some people. One of its chemicals (coumarin) may cause or worsen existing liver disease.

If you’re diabetic, Cassia Cinnamon may lower your blood sugar levels. Watch for signs of hypoglycemia and monitor your blood sugar carefully.

Cassia Cinnamon may lower your blood sugar and interfere with blood sugar control during and after surgery. If you’re scheduled for surgery in 2 weeks, don’t use this essential oil.

[insanereddragon]

11 Questions (x4!)

1. always post the rules. 2. answer the questions given by the person who tagged you. 3. write 11 questions of your own and tag 11 (or however many) people to answer them.

Apparently, you guys are thirsty to know more about me. I was tagged by @hisreindeerjumper @thisbirdhadflown​ @corabe​ and @elletromil​! So 44 answers incoming, under the cut.

(from hisreindeerjumper)

1. What fandom have you been involved in that’s your favorite to date?

Are you seriously going to make me choose between Hannibal and Kingsman? I’ve met so many wonderful people in both fandoms, and while every fandom has their occasional drama and discourse, I’ve found both of these ones are generally such positive and welcoming places, full of top notch creators and consumers alike.

*sighs* Okay, I guess if push came to shove, I’d choose Kingsman, if for no other reason that it is where I met @elletromil, and I’m sure you all know how much I absolutely adore that woman.

2. What did you want to grow up to be when you were little?

Paleontologist, then a cop, and then a forensic psychologist. I figured out at the end of my first year uni that psychology wasn’t for me, but ended up getting a degree in it anyways.

3. Favorite places to shop online?

I don’t shop much online anymore, but when I do it’s mostly on Society6 and Redbubble because I adore supporting all the wonderful artists in our fandoms.

4. first kiss! tell me all about it! and i you haven’t been kissed yet, how do you want it to go down? do you want to be kissed at all?

It was kindergarten (about 6 years old), and I dragged a boy behind the toy cubbies. 

5. who was the first author that you read with a voracious hunger?

Brian Jacques and the Redwall series. It was my first ‘fandom’, and it lead to me doing email RPs for a few years.

6. what color looks best on you?

Black or green, but I can pull off certain shades of red on occasion.

7. do you read your horoscope?

Nope.

8. what are you most proud of in your life?

I guess maybe starting a long running anime convention.

9. favorite food & why!

It’s a toss up between my family potato soup or biscuits and gravy. Both remind me of feeling warm and loved during times that were sometimes less in both of those things.

10. what scent do you have the strongest memory association with?

There is one scent, and I don’t even know what it is -- I can’t even describe it -- but whenever I smell it I vividly remember this one summer when I was a child. I don’t smell it often at all, but it always hits me like a punch to the gut just how vividly I remember everything from that summer.

11. favorite tea flavor!

Chamomile, but I like white and other herbal teas too.

(from thisbirdhadflown)

1. We all did embarrassing things as teenagers. Share a story!

I tried to dye my hair blue while I was at boarding school, and instead it failed miserably and I ended up with this sea foam green hair. It was awful. For my birthday that year my mom paid for a stylist to dye it back to my normal brown color because it was so embarrassing I didn’t want to wait for it to grow out.

2. What is a headcanon for one of your OTPs?

Thanks to @deepdarkwaters I will always think that Harry and Merlin communicate secretly to each other (morse code or sign language, or the one time that Harry actually had to use flag semaphore XD)

3. One book that had a huge influence on you?

Hrm, I’m not sure that I have a single book that was a ‘huge influence’ on me. I certainly have favourites, and I’m sure that I’ve taken lessons or ideas from many of the books that I’ve read, but never one that sticks out like a beacon of light.

4. Who is one misunderstood character?

No Face from Spirited Away

5. What are your pet peeves?

Sheets that aren’t laying flat. People flushing with the lid to the toilet open. People who refuse to move to the back of the bus. Wet socks.

6. One thing you wish you knew as a child/teen that you know now?

That the anger and resentment wasn’t worth it, and that forgiveness would be something that I'd be able to find.

7. Would you like to be famous? In what way?

God no, I could never stand my life ending up under the scrutiny that seems to inevitably come from fame.

8. Best part about getting older?

The freedom to do what you want, once you realize that it’s okay to let yourself do those things.

9. One thing you really enjoy and one thing you really dislike about fandom?

I love the sheer creative output - so many unique ‘verses and ideas all starting with the (sometimes very) limited source material. Just an endless amount of ideas that I never would have thought of, but are amazing and wonderful all the same (even if I don’t like them personally).

I hate that sometimes expressing non-popular viewpoints, even politely and in the confines of one's own personal blog, can spiral out of control into massive discourse and drama. The downfall of connecting to fandom on a site like tumblr and the internet in general really.

10. What makes and breaks a fic for you?

The moment I can’t believe in what’s happening. A well considered crack fic is guaranteed to keep my interest, but I poorly thought out canon one is going to have me clicking the back button.

Also, formatting. Sorry guys, I try so hard not to let formatting keep me from reading a fic, but I recognize that I’m very picky about aesthetics. If it’s not laid out with proper spacing and standard book-like formatting, I’m probably not going to stick it out.

(from corbe)

1. What are you top five fandoms right now?

Hannibal, Kingsman, Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them... I don’t really do any other fandoms with any consistency.

2. What are your top five go to books right now?

I haven’t read a proper novel in a long time, so my top go to books right now are all origami books XD

3. What are your top five go to movies right now?

Kingsman, Victor Frankenstein, Mad Max Fury Road, Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, Deadpool

4. Do you have pets?

2 cats, Spork and Fruit

5.  If you could have dinner with one person from history dead or amongst the living who would you have dinner with?

I know you’re looking for someone famous or important, but if I could actually do this, I’d have one final dinner with my grandmother, before the dementia had taken over.

6. Do you like pumpkin spice?  Is it a problem for you that I absolutely adore pumpkin spice and will willing cut someone for a pumpkin spice latte?

Haha, I don’t go gaga over pumpkin spice specialty items (you could gladly have my latte, I wouldn’t drink it), but I do love the abundance of actual pumpkin items in the fall. I tend to overindulge on pumpkin pie, pumpkin muffins, and pumpkin cookies XD

7. Do you have a favorite holiday?

It’ll always be Halloween. I was a costume maker up until my kids were born. I’d start my costumes in April, and I’d spend a lot of time and money on them. Now I just do my best to give the kids decent costumes that won’t break the bank, and eat lots of chocolate.

8. Do you have a favorite rare fandom pairing, a pairing that’s hard to find fic for or not as popular?

Meeklo Braca / Scorpius (with or without the addition of Sikozu) from Farscape. I’ve reread the 33 total fic on AO3 at least a dozen times, and even keep the tags saved in the hopes something new may pop up some day, but the fandom is well and truly dead :(

9. Do you like pickles?

Yes, but only if they are dill.

10. Do you sleep with a stuffed animal? Just to make you feel better I do, I sleep with the bear my husband bought me when my Dad passed away.

I don’t - most of mine have been divided amongst my boys.

11.  Do you like doing crafty hobbies like sewing, knitting, metal working, or do you enjoy hobbies that involve collecting?

Haha, crafty hobbies are my thing. I sew, crochet, do origami, and make chain maille and jewelry.

(from elletromil)

1. Who was your first celebrity crush?

Jensen Ackles XD

2. For what meal do you prefer going to a restaurant? Breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner? Only a quick coffee/tea/dessert?

Breakfast, or rather breakfast food. Give me an omelette or benedicte or skillet any time, but they are always infinitely better coming from a well seasoned grill or pan. I can’t replicate that at home.

3. Would you rather clean the dishes or dry them?

DRY THEM. I hate washing dishes so very much. Thankfully Mr. Red agreed for that to be his chore around the house.

4. Are you the kind of person who puts a song on repeat until you’re tired of listening to it or do you have to always change songs?

Repeat. I’ll listen to a single song on repeat for days at a time XD

5. What supernatural/fantastic creatures would you like to be and why?

Phoenix, because I relate to the idea of rebirth from the ashes. I have one planned in one of my tattoos I hope to get.

6. Are you more afraid of what is at the bottom of the oceans or what we could find while travelling in space?

Space, because there are going to be things that we just can’t comprehend or understand.

7. You’re favourite kind of weather and why?

Bright, warm sun with a cool breeze, so I can just sit outside all day at the perfect temperature.

8. You can live anywhere you want, where would it be?

Honestly, I’m pretty happy where I am. We’ve been here for 10 years, just bought our first house. I don’t really want to be anywhere else :)

9. If you use the tumblr app on your phone, did you prefer when the bar was at the top or do you like now that it’s at the bottom? (am i still bitter about this sudden change? why yes i am XD)

Top, stupid update.

10. Did you ever watch a movie/tv show just for an actor/actress and you were sure it would be horrible, but it ended up actually being good? What was it?

I was sure I was going to hate Men & Chicken, but I was compelled by Mads and the Fannibals, and I was surprised how much I liked it. It is bizarre and definitely not for everyone, but turns it was just the right amount of strange for me.

11. You can decide on a tv show that would get a new season, a movie or a book that would get a sequel, what would it be? In a hypothetical world where the sequel/new season would be fantastic and all that you’ve ever wanted.

Hannibal Season 4. HANNIBAL SEASON 4. HANNIBAL SEASON 4. HANNIBAL SEASON 4. 

(Also Sense8, Leverage, and Dominion)

Darlings, this was too many questions. So no tags or new questions of my own. Sorry, I’m burnt!