#when to take creatine

[sac-bestsupplements]

Creatine Dosage Decoded: When to Take & How Much per Day? The Secrets to Max Gainz Revealed

Discover our top 10 best creatine supplements ranking: https://super-achiever.com/best-creatine-supplements

Read more on our website: https://super-achiever.com/how-much-creatine-should-i-take

#creatine #creatinebenefits #creatinedosage

👋 Hey, Achiever Fam! We're back to unravel the mysteries of creatine - how much to take and when. If you've caught our previous videos on Tongkat Ali, you're ready for this next level of fitness wisdom. Today, it's all about “Creatine Dosage Decoded: When to Take & How Much per Day?” Let's jump right in! 💪 Understanding Creatine: Your Fitness Game-Changer Creatine Basics - Essential for high-intensity activities. - More than just a muscle booster; it's a key player in your body's energy system. 🔍 The Right Creatine Dosage: Tailored to You Baseline Dosage - Start with 0.1 grams per kilogram of body weight. - Adjust based on activity level, muscle mass, and personal response. Dosage for Different Lifestyles - Highly active or muscular individuals may need slightly more. - Observe and adjust based on strength, endurance, and recovery. Consultation and Listening to Your Body - Seek professional advice for dosage adjustments. - Pay attention to your body's response.

⏰ Best Time to Take Creatine: Syncing with Your Routine Pre- or Post-Workout Debate - Potentially more beneficial post-workout due to increased muscle receptivity. - However, consistency in daily intake is more crucial than exact timing. Creatine with Meals - Taking with carbohydrates and protein may enhance absorption. Non-Workout Days - Timing is less critical; focus on consistency. Individual Preferences - Adjust timing based on digestive comfort and routine. 🌊 Staying Hydrated is Key - Important to maintain hydration due to increased water retention in muscles. 🚀 Creatine Loading: The Fast-Track Approach What is Creatine Loading? - Taking 20-25 grams daily for a week to rapidly saturate muscles. - Divided into smaller doses to reduce digestive discomfort and improve absorption. Benefits and Expectations - Increases muscle mass, strength, and endurance. - Supported by scientific studies. Tips for Successful Loading - Stay well-hydrated. - Monitor your body's response. - Use high-quality creatine monohydrate.

🏆 Wrapping Up Today’s Deep Dive into Creatine That’s the scoop on creatine dosage and timing. Remember, it's about finding what works best for you. Share your creatine experiences in the comments! 🔔 Subscribe for more fitness insights from the Super Achievers Club! See you in the next video!

[kkujo]

i calmed down btw it's fine . sorry abt that.

[corbinite]

Creatine HCL is not a product that should exist. I mean like from a market value perspective. It offers no benefits over regular creatine monohydrate other than it dissolves in water easier which is mildly convenient i guess, and the tradeoff is it literally tastes like vomit and can give you acid reflux. It literally just has no reason to exist

[mitigatedchaos]

Kontextmaschine is Dead

(~1,000 words, 5m)

Noted blogger @kontextmaschine is presumed dead, following the discovery that the sole resident at his most likely residence was found deceased during a wellness check initiated by concerned Redditors.

Prior to his last post on Aug 22, which indicated a serious health problem, he reported taking over twice the dose of creatine he had been taking at the beginning of his lengthy post-COVID health saga, in which he also reported becoming bisexual, having "zero" anxiety, gaining 3D vision after years of not having it, becoming incredibly convincing, and having to learn to walk and use his muscles properly again. At the time, he felt he was becoming trimmer and physically stronger, and reported engaging in a long project of yard work, although photos from the inside of his house generally looked somewhat messy.

A Tumblr user who met him briefly in person after the beginning of the health saga but before these most recent events reported that he was friendly, charismatic, hospitable, and clean, but "physically, a mess," with motor control issues on one side of his body.

Topics of discussion were similar to the content of kontextmaschine's blog, such as differences in east and west coast government in America, said to be "totally on brand," but it was said that the prolific poster seemed "less self-grandiose" in person.

Redditors theorize that the decline of kontextmaschine's health following his first self-report of COVID-19 infection may have been due to undiagnosed brain cancer, which could be more consistent with observed changes in behavior than the after-effects of a viral infection, given that most reports of "long covid" are about effects like fatigue, and not total loss of anxiety or alteration of sexual orientation.

Despite multiple suggestions, from both anonymous and pseudonymous users, kontextmaschine refused to seek professional medical care for his condition.

Regarding the mourning of public figures, in 2018, a period of increased Progressive sensitivity during the Trump Administration, kontextmaschine wrote,

through the years realized that through whatever blind groping the ‘90s-ass “edgelords” were desperately trying to save us from this, through proper gatekeeping and filtering at first I’d thought it was gratuitous and supported it being relaxed, maybe not shaming everyone who publicly mourned a suicide, mea culpa, mea culpa, I have debts to pay

In 2019, he added:

That was how we kept the internet culture from growing mawkish and cry-bullyish: basically, if you were so weak as to get weepy over corpsemeat you got cancelled, the shame would follow you forever and you’d never be allowed to forget it.

Given his writing, it is likely that kontextmaschine would not have supported excessive public mourning over his death, though in 2017, following the theft of his motorcycle, when the popular blogger @argumate jokingly criticized him by writing, "no references to pinball, no insight into historical Americana, this isn’t the kontext I signed up for," kontextmaschine wrote,

“when bad shit happens people mock me accurately” is the community I’ve been looking for my whole life so

Like argumate, perhaps the most famous of the rationalist-adjacent bloggers on Tumblr, screenshots of kontextmaschine's Tumblr posts would end up on outside websites.

Kontextmaschine was generally considered an interesting, if controversial writer. One Tumblr user characterized him as a member of the "obnoxious Tumblr right," though another user asked, "wait, how is kontextmaschine is right wing?" After another user claimed that the nuclear bombing of Oregon would be a net improvement in the world due to kontextmaschine's residence in Portland, tumblr user @random-thought-depository wrote a 2,400 word theory post arguing that kontextmaschine's philosophy was a means to coordinate to join a future political coalition favoring the formation of a more brutal and oppressive hierarchy in pursuit of his own advantage.

Though kontextmaschine's ideology advocates that humanity should adopt "r-selection," meaning more offspring with less investment in each (or youth, sex, and death), this blog dissented against the coalition theory, arguing that motorcycles, kung fu, women, Hollywood, and not having to report to HR are all traditionally cool, and the causality of the kontextmaschine ideology could easily run the other way.

Though he had a period of identifying as female in his youth, appropriately LGBTQ for a Tumblr user, his 2011 statement of principles, including "the lesser yields to the greater" and "suffering is the mark of a wrong person," and general body of work, could be described as a strain of right-wing thought, though not of the traditionalist Christian or rational technocratic varieties.

Prior to the post-covid health saga, kontextmaschine's health posting was primarily about his bipolar disorder, with both manic and depressive phases.

Kontextmaschine maintained generally friendly relations with other bloggers in his sphere of discourse, sometimes debating but rarely aggressive, except in response to anonymous hatemail. In response to one particular piece of hatemail, kontextmaschine stated that as a writer, of course his primary form of influence would be his posts.

In a post chain reblogged by dozens of Tumblr users, multiple Tumblr users wrote that they enjoyed his writing and are disappointed by his death, describing him as a unique thinker that will not be easily replaced. Several felt that there was not much they could have done, as after returning from his covid infection, he was not taking medical advice.

One Tumblr user wrote, "rip. Inspirational manic poster," while long-time and prolific poster argumate described him as, "one of the bloggers of all time."

Internet users speculate that Kontextmaschine is survived by his outdoor cat, Badger, about whom he posted frequently. He may also be survived by other members of his family, with whom he apparently did not live, and rarely spoke about.

It is recommended that enthusiasts of kontextmaschine's blog make backups of his writing for archival purposes.

[maximumkillshot]

I Got You

Warnings: Mentions of Self-Harm, Cutting and the Like, some mentions of blood, Fluff, Protective boys honestly

Pairing: Changbin x Reader

Characters: Changbin, BangChan, Felix, OC Manager,

A/N: It's a comfort piece for @orchid-mantis-petals and everyone else struggling... You are a warrior... Don't forget it.

‘This is bullshit!” You scream as you walk into the dorm. Slightly startling the inhabitants. 

Changbin rounds the corner to the living room where you just plopped, with creatine in hand, “You know hobbies are supposed to have the opposite effect on you, right, Jagi?” He knows you love doing your hobby. As much as you despise your job, if anything helps you, it's going out and indulging yourself. 

This was your only off day in the last two months. As much as you hate it, you need to be an adult, your words, not his. Your boyfriend and his friends know that he has offered thousands of times just to quit so that you can find a healthier job for you mentally, he’d take care of you. You just looked at him and said, “Yeah, no. I need to do things on my own, Binnie.” But this is what he was talking about. 

He put the supplement away and said, “Do you want to talk about it or give me an address so that I can put my muscles to good use?” as he sat, dragging you to his lap, “Because as much as I say I do it for the look, I do it to protect you. And someone hurt my Jagi so… You tell me who I need to beat up.”

You chuckled as you said, “They did it again…” 

Bin took a big breath and hissed out, “When you say ‘it’ you don’t mean scheduling you for a shift without telling you… right?”Then he took a breath and said, “Because if they did that then I… I am going to need addresses Jagi.”

Chan heard the big entrance and walked in from the bathroom, one look at Bin and he said, “Oh no.. okay how bad. On a scale of 1-10.” You could see that he just got out of the shower, some beads of water still clinging to his shoulders, sweatpants neatly tied on his hips.

Bin just looked at him and said, “They did it again…”

Chan’s face soured, “Oh ok so 11. Y/N. We talked about this.” he said as he crossed his arms. 

You see, this is a very common occurrence at your job. For some reason, they give you no notice and expect you to telepathically understand that you need to come in on your weekend. This pissed everyone off especially…

There’s a knock at the door and Felix just walks in… he takes one look at his Hyungs and he knows, especially with the frustrated tears that are now rolling down your cheeks. “What’s going on? What happened?”

He dropped the brownies he just baked in the kitchen and came back in. Bin wiped some of your tears away as he said, “They did it again.”

Felix is usually the nicest person in a room. His face however reflected nothing but disdain, “A day off is a day off…. How hard is it for them to get???” He wiped his forehead, trying to flatten the scowl he had on his face. 

“Guys it’s okay.” You said, knowing that all they are going to do is worry about you more.

Felix looked at you and said, “Actually not it isn’t, Cinnamon Roll. It’s not fucking okay. Not when you work so hard for so long that you can barely get out of bed… That is not okay.”

Chan said, “Okay screw this nooope.” He went into Bin’s room then his own and then his own. He emerged with his hoodie on and he threw the keys at Bin. “You are not going through this anymore, Angel. We told you. Naur.”

You looked and said, “Guys.”

Bin gently said, “Listen to me, okay. We talked about this. If they ever did this again, you said yourself that you couldn’t do it anymore. We told you, we are not going to let this happen, and you agreed, did you not?”

“Yes”

“Ookay so we are going right now. You’re done working there. Let’s go.” Bin left no room for discussion as you four piled into the car. These boys have seen you through it all, including passing out from exhaustion when they forced you to work doubles, and others spraining parts of your body you didn’t know you could sprain. That’s the times that are passing through Bin’s head. He hated seeing you like that… for a paycheck?? He couldn’t fathom it. Not when he makes enough and has a bed for you, a home if you say the word. No, he was done watching his Baby getting hurt for something he has plenty of. 

Chan was always worried sick about you. He knows about your history. He remembers the first times he noticed your scars. He didn’t pry, didn’t want you to feel bad. That made him fiercely protective of you. When you did tell him and you pulled up your right sleeve, he wanted to cry. He asked if he could touch it, and you said yes. He noticed some of them connected to make a pair of Angel wings. “Ah, you have the mark of an angel.” He traced it, “A warrior angel… You are so so strong… I’m gonna call you that, Angel.” Since then that has been your nickname.

Felix got so angry because he knew the trigger for you was emotion regulation, and while no one was watching you were digging into your right forearm with your left.  He caught you once, 5 weeks ago. He had tears in his eyes as he helped you clean it. He asked you how long, what triggered it, and how he could help. He just wanted to help his Cinamon Roll. He went with you to tell Bin of the relapse and since then at least 3 times a week he’s at your place, helping take your mind off of the stress, even if it means him staying with you until Bin comes to yours. 

He noticed in the car your left hand was scratching at the old scars again, he held his hand out and said, “hold my hand… I need affection.” as he fake cried. You giggled as you grabbed his hand, stopping the urge to fiddle. 

As soon as the car stopped Bin hopped out and opened the door for you. When they walked in Bin knew who he was looking for as your manager glared at you and said “You’re late.”

Bin laughed as he approached them, “late for what? Another shift you didn’t tell them about?”

They were speechless, as he continued, “Do you know what they go through for you? I love them so much and all you do is hurt them… That stops today, okay. No two weeks notice, no nothing.” 

Their jaw dropped and he said, “Oh doesn’t feel so nice does it? Not knowing if something was going to happen… Well your staff shortage, just got worse. If the last check isn’t in the mail on time, then we are coming back, and you will be dealing with 8 very pissed-off men who have a lot of connections and millions of people in their fanbase… Bad press wouldn’t begin to cover it. Okay? Am I clear?” 

They just nodded and he said, “Good. Jagia, do you have anything you need from your locker?” 

You said, “Yeah I do.”

Bin looked at Chan and he nodded, Chan switched out with Bin and said, “We’re going to have a little chat about leadership and manners. Okay?” 

Bin went to you and escorted you to get your things. Once you have everything you both went back to the front and signaled Felix and Chan to fall back. You couldn’t explain the relief as you walked to the car. When Felix and Chan got in the car. Bin opened the door for you. Before you got in he kissed your scars and said, “I love you… all of you, it’s over, okay? I got you.” Tears started to paint your face as he kissed you. Before he started crying he guided you in and closed the door. 

Right after he closed his door he said, “So I don’t know about everyone else but Y/N’s day is now free which means we go to their favorite pastry shop and get those Apple Cinamon Rolls and have a movie marathon. If you don’t like it too bad we are doing it anyway!!”

You started giggling as Chan cranked the stereo. You had a lot of things that you deal with yes, but this moment let you realize, that you weren’t going through it alone. Especially not with Binnie, Lixie, and Chan. ----------------------------------------------------------------

Liked it? Tell me so!

Want in on the tags? Shoot me an ask and consider it done!

THE CHAOS EXPRESS 🚂❤️❤️

@Fuckthinking, @feybin , @1-800-shedevil , @channiesbakery, @channieswhore , @hwangswhore , @seungminhour , @skzms, @angstraykids, @roseykat , @seventeenytiny , @dreaming-medium , @thunderous-wolf , @hanjsquokka , @moonjxsung , @diddybok , @fics-lovebot, @seungminssangel, @straykeedz, @tasteracha, @ven-fic-recs , @euphoric-univers, @camilagonzalex, @juskz, @antoniorhinothethird, @mariteez, @armystay89, @i-like-nougat, @yeonjunsfox, 

@laylasbunbunny ,@uwuitsjungwoo , @3racha-soup , @bandolls , @bomi-ja , @skzfairyyyf8te , @3rachababygirl , @symptoms-of-moonlight , @hiddlestandom , @stay-fr0sty-r0yal-milk-tea , @8rach4, @bear8585 , @tenshimara , @galamxy, @fairlylilo , @skzms, @lolareadsimagines , @lillithathecat , @manuosorioh , @jazziwritesthings , @soulsbbg , @tuskaruska , @emmxxsworld , @maaatyroshka , @orchid-mantis-petals , @thisrandomgoofy15 , @lolareadsimagines , @notastraykid , 

[writer-ishh]

My Dungeon Meshi Modern AU Thoughts Instead of Writing My Economics Research Paper lmao

Ughhhh,,,, okay have been thinking about them all day and if one person manages to make it through the void and hear me out and talk about them with me then I’ll be happy lol.

WARNING: this is stupidly long, like I spent an absurd time writing every single little detail down. With that being said here we go:

cw//mentions and minor graphic descriptions of death, bullying, discrimination, injury, abuse, trauma, mental health issues, and abandonment

• Laios

- currently 26 and living with his sister Falin

- studying zoology part-time at the local college

- mostly does night classes since he works 1-2 jobs during the day to help pay for his and Falin’s tuition and apartment

- he and Fallin took their dog Muimui when they moved out, they also feed the local stray cats

- lived on a farm with his sister and parents when he was a kid, and is where his love of animals comes from

- however did not have the best of childhoods, as he was a frequent target for bullying due to having undiagnosed autism, and his father was very much a “nothing is wrong with you, toughen up the world isn’t going to coddle you” kind of person

- this was further cemented when he cried going hunting with his dad for the first time and refused to eat any of the deer or rabbit they had caught

- his mom had her own mental health problems that she was never diagnosed for, so often she fell into the same mindset as her husband when it came to Laios’ and Fallin’s behaviour, only she was more erratic due to her fear of one or both of her kids becoming like her

- never forgave his father after he sent Fallin off to a private middle/high school far away from their home, little did he know it was because the severe bullying Fallin was receiving was too much for her, and he wanted to send her away before she got hurt or worse

- nearly tried to run away at 16, however was caught by the police almost immediately and returned home

- completed his high school diploma and took off with Muimui without even saying goodbye to his parents, Fallin nearly joined him in the city but since she was still under guardianship of her parents, she couldn’t leave until she became an adult

- once graduated, she reunited with Laios in his apartment where they now live

- works nearly full-time at Senshi’s restaurant and works part-time as a janitor at their local zoo (he wants to be close to the animals lol)

- very busy but he makes it work, Marcille and Kabru have no idea how he does it without any meds or caffeine

- either has a worn out picture of him and Falin with their old dogs, or has a hand-made drawing of his theoretical strongest monster in his pocket that he looks at whenever he needs inspiration

- both him and Falin live wayyy out of the city center since rent is fucking abysmal downtown

- insists on taking the bus or walking everywhere since taxis and buying a bike costs too much, even if the commute is like 2 hours with 3 transfers

- despite this, he still has a drivers license

- the kind of guy you would expect to be eating leafy green tofu bowls from your local hipster vegan bistro, but is actually the kind of guy who eats the dubious $4 ground beef chubs and off-brand deli ham from walmart

- socks and slides with free college club t-shirts and cargo pants from the gap that come with like 50 pockets so he can carry all his stuff (the stuff mostly being dog treats and loose bird feed) bro has no drip aside from one outfit put together by Marcille

- uses the same highlighter blue and yellow adidas backpack he’s had since middle school, carries literally everything in there

- doesn’t listen to music, but if he does it’s rain/nature sounds with the $2 headphones you get from the dollarstore

- not much of a gym freak and usually just goes casually, prefers sports to working out (will have a protein shake but does not invest in creatine or other pre-workout supplements)

- either uses the same recyclable water bottle with the label torn off from a pack of 50 he got 3 years ago, or just uses one of his protein shake bottles I can’t decide

- hangs out with Marcille and Falin the most often (since Marcille constantly makes excuses to study with Falin at their apartment), sometimes gets smoothies or juice with Kabru if they run into each other

- hangs out with Senshi and Chilchuck less often, their time spent together is usually limited to having a beer after closing the restaurant or meeting together with everyone else to have dinner every couple months

- goal is to become a wildlife biologist when he graduates

- more to add if I think of it

• Fallin

- currently 23 and lives with Laios

- in her second year of studying veterinary medicine at their city’s main university

- grew up with Laios and her parents on their farm, also developed a deep love and appreciation for animals early on, but while Laios was more interested in the study of their behaviour, she was more interested in healing them

- also has undiagnosed autism like her brother, only when it came to her behaviours, she stood out a lot more and was subsequently bullied heavily for stimming, having major sensitivities to light and sound, self-isolating, talking to inanimate objects or “ghosts”, having a special interest in things like bugs or plants, and having a very specific schedule that adults had to help her with

- never really understood why adults or other children treated her differently, as she thought it was normal for everyone, however was still affected by having no friends aside from her brother during her younger years

- the bullying got so bad that kids began physically tormenting her, and since she never told Laios (who was in middle school and couldn’t always be with her), there was essentially no one to defend her

- very sadly culminates in an incident where she was intentionally locked in a graveyard overnight, and although she didn’t sustain any injuries she was fairly traumatized by the event, it was the final straw for her father to send her away to a private school at 12 years old to finish her education

- moved to a different city the next year where she stayed in dormitories, had her own room due to enrolling late

- also initially had a hard time making friends, and often cried since she couldn’t be with Laios, however no one bullied her for her autism and most often ignored her or gossiped

- had Marcille as a “buddy” to help her get acclimated to school life, however their relationship was quite awkward initially as Marcille thought she was unnerving and frankly a little stupid, however was completely shocked at Fallin’s nearly perfect grades

- school policy at that time stipulated that students had to return to the main hall for dinner at a certain time, however when Fallin doesn’t show up, Marcille has to look for her

- she finds Fallin at her secret hangout spot, similar to her dungeon in the anime, a corner with a group of trees and thick bushes that opened up into a grassy nook and a little pond, there they talk about what she does there and why she skips

- also similar to the anime, a fox (rather than a slime) catches them by surprise, but as Marcille tries to get it to run away by throwing rocks at it, Fallin stops her and explains it never comes closer than the tree line, she then points out that hurting while it’s already injured (has a slight limp) will cause it to die, allowing for the prey animals like squirrels and rabbits to eat away at most of the fauna surrounding the school, basically emphasizing the importance of all animals in an ecosystem and how it’s wrong to try and shift the ecosystem solely for our comfort or benefit (cheesy I know but it’s for the plot)

- she then offers Marcille the raspberries that grow on some of the bushes, and soon after Marcille asks if she would like to be friends

- they remain as friends in school only for another year, as Marcille graduates early and leaves Fallin behind much to her heartbreak, however does promise that she’ll visit and reunite with her soon

- by the time she graduates, she moves in with Laios and begins attending the same university as Marcille, there their friendship is reaffirmed, and they both start to develop feelings for one another

- full-time student but does work a few shifts at one of her university’s coffee shops whenever she can (tends to feel guilty about Laios helping her out with tuition on top of taking care of everything at home)

- in the honours program, and although she gets good grades her commitment is often questioned due to her habit of skipping

- reason for skipping is because she often does volunteer work at a nearby veterinary clinic

- unlike Laios, Fallin likes to bike to and from her classes

- it’s her main source of exercise, though she also does go to the gym if she has time, girl is absolutely built and is much stronger than she appears

- lives off of daily sweet treats and fried bologna sandwiches or tomato soup made by Laios

- frequently raids the raspberry bush growing outside hers and Laios’ apartment building, as well as the crabapple tree that technically belongs to the house next door but has its branches growing over the fence separating them

- also does not rely on excessive caffeine, but she does enjoy tea and coffee unlike Laios

- has a fjällräven backpack that Marcille gifted her for her birthday, mostly full of her textbooks but she does use it to carry rocks or sticks she finds interesting

- water bottle is a very dented bright pink hydro flask (also gifted to her by Marcille)

- has the jean shorts, tucked in t-shirt, and long cardigan look on lockdown, also wears hiking boots or converse, rarely is she seen in flipflops

- no make-up either, Marcille had to practically beg her to at least start using a clear lipgloss

- isn’t picky about music and usually just listens to whatever Marcille or Laios plays, sometimes she indulges in some lofi hiphop beats if she’s studying

- obviously best friends with Marcille but does not know she has a crush on Marcille, and thinks that her intense feelings of love and happiness are just normal girl friendship feelings (oh you poor thing)

- only vaguely knows of Senshi through the leftover food Laios sometimes brings home after his shifts, with Chilchuck she is more familiar since she sometimes visits him with Marcille on the weekends

- favourite thing is when her, Laios, Marcille, Izutsumi, Chilchuck, and Senshi all gather to get dinner together

- when it comes to her parents, she still maintains contact unlike Laios, though her messages tend to be generalized or cordial (not necessarily her intention it’s just she isn’t sure what to talk about in regards to her life beyond school)

- goal is to become a travelling wildlife vet

- more to add when I think of it

• Marcille

- is currently 26 and lives by herself (due to it being a modern au I’m imagining all races have the same lifespan of around 70-80 years)

- had probably the most normal upbringing and early adulthood out of all of the characters, both of her parents were very loving and attentive, always encouraging her and supporting her keen intellect through her hobbies

- however, they weren’t always around due to being very busy as government lawyers and often working late, she has very distinct memories of winning math and science awards as a child, looking out towards the crowd only to see her parents weren’t there

- was generally quite lonely during her childhood since she had no siblings or cousins to play with, a similar situation at school where most kids considered her stuck up or bossy when in reality she was just smart and was blunt about telling people when they were wrong about something

- is very close with Chilchuck, having known him and his family since she was little, although them all getting together was fairly rare, some of her fondest memories have been when they’d go on family trips together and she would get to play with Chilchuck’s daughters

- lost touch with him from ages 9-15 but reunited with him at 16 while he crashed at their place after his work injury and during his divorce, became very close with him during this time and developed a deep familial fondness for him despite all his teasing

- at 19 years old, she suffered a great deal of mental anguish as Chilchuck began to lose contact with her, Fallin was considering moving to a different city for university, and her father died due to a very sudden and unexpected stroke, she felt as though everyone in her life was slipping through her grasp and as a result, developed severe depression that would last until she completed her masters

- luckily, she had a good support system during that time and she was able to make it through the worst of it, however she still does struggle with motivation over simple tasks such as doing her hair or brushing her teeth

- her mood and outlook is much better though, having mostly returned to the same bubbly and dramatic personality that she once had

- is best friends with Fallin, and met her while at private school, mostly explained above, but her initial reaction of Fallin was quite negative before switching around after she realized that her way of thinking isn’t always the right one, even if the facts are right, her perspective and way of interpreting them isn’t always going to be sound

- this new perspective is what caused Marcille to become so enamoured with Fallin, eventually becoming a stupid crush that sticks with her to this day

- has her own studio apartment downtown, brand new building and everything (both parents are government lawyers so you can imagine the kind of money she has lmao)

- has a fawn floppy-eared bunny named Ambrosia

- despite her wealth, she doesn’t look down on her friends whatsoever, if anything she buys them expensive gifts as an act of kindness rather than an act of arrogance or condescension

- in the middle of attaining her phd in microbiology while doing independent research specializing in the study of telomere function

- attends the same university as Fallin

- graduated from high school at 16 and was done with her undergraduate by 19 and her masters by 21, a lot of people tend to think she’s full of herself but she often disregards them as people who don’t try hard enough

- born to carry her baby blue apple ecosystem in a cute tote bag, forced to haul her 7 biology textbooks in an ugly ass dark purple swissgear backpack she picked out when she was 12

- she has an unhealthy addiction to coffee and diet coke, literally cannot function without at least one per day

- cannot cook to save her life, lives exclusively off of pre-made grocery store meals or the sandwiches her university’s grab-n-go store sells, the kitchen aid mixer in her kitchen is practically a decoration at this point

- is actually the kind of person to be eating the leafy green tofu bowl from the local hipster vegan bistro

- has her own car and license, but lives close enough to her university to walk, Laios cannot fathom why she pays insurance every month for it but hardly uses or let anyone else use it

- I personally think she likes to rollerblade too

- jogging is her main form of exercise, but will also do yoga or calisthenics occasionally, probably the type of person to fall for a juice cleanse scam until Laios or Chilchuck scolds her for not eating enough

- I feel like she would be an intense swiftie (sorry :3) other than that, she likes the typical pop radio stuff that is played constantly

- at least she’s not a Stanley cup girl, she will use her scuffed gallon water bottle with the printed times of day until she dies

- very fashionable and loves to wear makeup, like wide leg pants or pleated skirts with penny loafers and cutesy blouses, a firm believer that any Korean makeup brand is far superior than anything Sephora could offer

- practically attached to the hip with Fallin, girl will find any excuse to study with her (the most pathetic sapphic ever someone put her out of her misery)

- otherwise, she’s buddy-buddy with Laios and Kabru but that’s about the extent of it, she’s known Chilchuck since she was little so he’s like an uncle to her

- she is quite friendly with Senshi and enjoys his cooking but hasn’t known him for a long time like the others, Izutsumi she treats like a little sister/niece and is always buying her things

- more to add when I think of it

• Chilchuck (you can tell he’s my fav because he has one of longest backstories lmao)

- currently 49 and living with Senshi and Izutsumi

- owns a two bedroom bungalow outside of downtown but still within the city, saved up for it after his divorce

- used to live in the suburbs with his ex-wife and daughters, but before that it was a shitty apartment close to where Laios lives now

- teen father, had Mayjack when he and his wife were 17 and had to graduate early so they could move out, they had Fullertom soon after and then Puckpatty by the time they were both 20, they got married at 22

- since neither could afford university at the time, Chilchuck went straight into a locksmithing trades program so he could have a decent income, his father had instilled a deep sense of responsibility and honour towards being a provider so he threw himself into his work which caused his and his wife’s initial frustration with one another

- when he was done apprenticing and when the kids were old enough to go to school, his wife went to university to begin studying teaching so she could become a professor, despite having to be home more often, Chilchuck still remained somewhat emotionally detached from his family

- by the time his daughters entered middle school, they had bought a house in the suburbs and his wife became qualified to teach

- feeling pressured by the mortgage, debt, and having to save for his daughter’s college, he began drinking more and taking a lot more hours at work, if he wasn’t working he was at the bar with his coworkers, he often didn’t come home until it was very late

- the final straw for his wife was when he showed up to work severely hungover and exhausted, then proceeded to nearly die in a home renovation project (passed out standing up and fell of a 20ft scaffolding, broke his hip and pelvis pretty badly as well as his humerus and quite a few of his ribs, also had a life-threatening brain bleed due to a skull fracture)

- at that point, all three of his daughters were already in university or trade school so his wife moved out and sold their house while Chilchuck was recovering in the hospital, she moved into a townhouse closer to the city’s main university where she still lives now with Fullertom

- having basically nothing in his savings, he crashed at Marcille’s parent’s place until he could save up a bit and get an apartment or townhouse (he and Marcille’s dad were friends in high school), essentially lived on their couch for about two years

- during this time, he became known as “Uncle Chil” by 16 year old Marcille and he developed a close uncle/niece relationship with her

- teased her as much as any uncle would, but also took her out shopping every couple of months, could never afford the stuff she wanted but he always got her lunch

- eventually, he saved up enough for the down payment of the two bedroom bungalow he lives in now and moved in, initially lost touch with Marcille but started being there for her more after her dad died, even began getting in touch with his daughters again at Marcille’s suggestion

- from then on, he took his work life more easily and tried to make time for himself in between shifts so that he didn’t feel he needs to drink himself stupid every time he came home, tried to pick up multiple hobbies and eventually settled on pottery making and brewing his own alcohol (that he sells…. mostly lol)

- meets Senshi at 42 when he is called in to install the locks and security system of the new restaurant Senshi is building, initially they had not been super friendly with each other, as Chilchuck found it infuriating how Senshi kept on wanting changes to be made to his security system, and how he was basically a walking construction accident waiting to happen

- once everything was finished however, Senshi offered Chilchuck a free dinner at his place as an apology for being stubborn, and unable to say no to free food (and alcohol) Chilchuck agrees

- they become friends after the dinner, however proceed to dance around each other for another 4 years until Marcille threatens to tell Senshi about Chilchuck’s feelings if he doesn’t confess himself

- Chilchuck does eventually confess (during a very charged “guy’s trip” to a resort in Mexico) and they start dating, after the trip, Senshi and Izutsumi move into Chilchuck’s place where they still currently live

- thanks to living with Senshi, Chilchuck adopts a more healthy lifestyle where he stops smoking, eats more, and drinks less, in return, he helps Senshi manage Izutsumi during her teen years as well as help out around his restaurant when he has time

- is generally living comfortably now, with a nice salary and more free time to commit to his hobbies, despite this he still deeply cares about his work and is a union man at heart who is always willing to rally behind his coworkers and organize when something happens

- mostly listens to 80s dad rock and some 90s grunge, is very proud of his CD collection

- dresses similar to Laios, however ditches the college club t-shirt and cargo shorts for polos shirts and chino shorts or dress shirts and casual slacks, also wears tacky boomer sandals for his feet or his construction boots

- drives a land rover defender that he bought in high school, cares for it deeply but isn’t a car guy by any means, he does the bare minimum maintenance to keep it safe and functional

- carries his minimal stuff in a sling bag and lunch cooler, but he also has a survival backpack in the back of his land rover for emergencies

- is a Stanley cup owner, has two, one from the 70s that his dad gave to him, and another white modern one from Marcille, his older one is covered in princess stickers from when his daughters were young

- pretentious black coffee drinker, makes fun of Izutsumi all the time for the amount of simple syrup and cream she puts into her iced coffee

- is okay at cooking, but is definitely more of a grill master, never ask him to deep fry anything though

- is also surprisingly handy thanks to the skills his dad passed onto him, speaking of his family, he isn’t very close to his mother and siblings since they all moved back to their home continent after Chilchuck graduated, he still sometimes travels alone on special holidays or on the anniversary of his father’s death but only if he can afford it

- is now a supervisor of his own crew, initially he wanted to own his own locksmith company, but he also wants to retire soon so he needs to save up as much as he can

- has two main friend groups, one he refers to as “the freaks” which includes Laios, Marcille, Fallin, Kabru, Izutsumi, and Senshi, and the other he refers to as “work” which includes Namari, Mickbell, Kuro, and Dandan

- is closest to Senshi and Marcille, seeing them as his family, however is a bit more distant with Izutsumi since he doesn’t want to automatically take on a “step-dad” role in her life, the reasoning mainly stems from his respect of her and her decisions on who she gets to let in her life, but is also because he wants to avoid things becoming awkward between them

- is, if not begrudgingly, friendly with Laios and Fallin, deep down he cares about them more than he lets on, is mostly cordial with Kabru

- is surprisingly close to Namari, however they keep their relationship strictly within their workplace and the bar they sometimes hit up afterwards

- is closer to his ex-wife and daughters now, having dinner once a month at his ex-wife’s house, they still haven’t really reconciled but they’ve allowed each other to move on

- more to add when I think of it

• Senshi (also super long please forgive me)

- is currently 52 and living with Chilchuck and his adopted daughter Izutsumi

- lives in Chilchuck’s house, but used to own a condo near the restaurant he used to work for

- when he was a child, he lived on an entirely separate continent in the remote far north, the village he grew up in was known for its mining industry, most of the community including his parents were miners, however an accident killed his father and cancer killed his mother when he was a baby, so his father’s friend Gillin took Senshi in when he was 2

- due to the mining culture surrounding the village, it was expected that Senshi also become a miner when he grew up, this coupled with the hyper-masculine ideas of honouring his late father and carrying on the bloodline, made Senshi not really put in much effort into school since he believed it had no use for him, a decision that would later hinder his career and degree options greatly

- once graduated from high school, Gillin immediately had Senshi take his safety courses and get his certification so he could get a job as soon as possible, with some references from Gillin himself, Senshi was able to land a beginner’s position within the company Gillin was in

- worked 7 years mining coal until the mine ran dry and he had to look for work elsewhere, jumped positions between 3-4 companies over another 8 years mining iron and copper until he landed a 2 year contract at a remote but booming silver mine

- was put into a 6 man team composed of himself, Gillin, Brigan, Invar, Totan, and Noor, where they would descend into a highly unregulated and dangerous mountain mine and extract the massive veins of silver, they all were paid well, but the conditions were next to abysmal

- 1 year and 9 months into the contract, a rockslide on the south side of the mountain caused a cheap tunnel support to collapse over the only exit leading out of the stope they were mining in, effectively trapping them indefinitely

- luckily they had a ventilation shaft, but none of them could fit inside and escape or yell for attention since they were trapped over 200ft deep and 500ft in the mountain, so their only option was to ration their food and wait for help to arrive

- they do try to escape in other ways, such as mining through the collapsed support, however this only leads to injury among the group, and as much as Senshi wanted to help, he was under strict instruction by Gillin not to over-exert himself, even though he wasn’t a kid anymore, he still had the most strength and wits among them all, this also results in him receiving the most food much to Brigan’s rage

- in an attempt to be useful, Senshi started drawing up the maps of the mine to see if there was a tunnel close by they could mine into

- as more time passes and they realized no one would be coming to help them, their escape attempts become much more desperate, one attempt to blow up the collapsed tunnel entrance with their remaining explosives leads to the death of Totan, another attempt to start mining over the collapsed tunnel entrance leads to the death of Noor, one last attempt to remove the panelling lining the ventilation shaft so they could be able to fit through leads to the death of Invar, leaving only Brigan, Gillin, and Senshi left

- after six weeks of being trapped under ground, Brigan mentally snaps and tries to cannibalize Senshi so they could eat his flesh, this leads to a physical altercation between Gillin and Brigan which ends in an unstable overhang of rock to collapse and crush Brigan and for Gillin to succumb to his wounds and exhaustion

- alone and starving, Senshi realizes he is now skinny enough to fit through the ventilation shafts and crawl his way out, he uses a combination of ropes and support spikes to help aid him, but soon quickly realizes he mostly has to navigate in the dark

- for two more weeks, Senshi follows the map he memorized and the feeling of airflow to make his way out, only surviving off of his remaining water, in the end he managed to crawl out of a shaft just outside the mining camp

- relived and also deeply saddened, Senshi remains near the shaft until some workers doing a perimeter check find him in the morning, he is promptly taken into the hospital to treat his injuries

- after explaining the situation to the police and his boss, his boss offers him a $30,000 payout to keep quiet and say nothing, the officers say it is possible to take his boss and the company to court, however it would likely put him into massive debt trying to find a good lawyer, in the end Senshi takes the money and leaves the camp for his village

- what’s left to him by Gillin is another $50,000 in savings and property assets, the rest is given to his remaining family, the first thing Senshi buys with the money is his adamantine pot and mythril knife, using both to make a soup Gillin would often feed him, and leaving five bowls of it outside of the collapsed silver mine before moving out of his village for good at aged 35

- he moves to the continent and city where all the other characters are currently living, buying his condo and deciding to enter into 4 year culinary school program

- during these 4 years, Senshi comes to realize that cooking is his true passion, finding it immensely rewarding and fulfilling, and even though he didn’t make many friends due to his unorthodox taste and recipes, it was still the most happy he’s ever been

- about 1 year after graduating and getting a job as the main line cook for a high end restaurant, Senshi meets and adopts 5 year old Izutsumi

- he initially sees her wandering around the green belt outside and behind the restaurant, kicking rocks and occasionally running and hiding in trees, he was always worried she was homeless, however would always see she was gone by the time he was done his shifts

- around five months of this, Izutsumi notices and begins to approach Senshi, as if she had wanted food, Senshi would usually offer some of his packed lunches or leftovers and she would always accept and sit next to him while they ate

- Izutsumi usually never spoke but was always ravenous, Senshi often worried that she was being abused, but whenever he would ask she would always say no, and since she was a healthy weight and never had any bruises or welts, Senshi reluctantly believed her, after that though he began packing more food

- eventually, a woman (Maizuru) approaches Senshi after one of his shifts and bluntly asked if he would like to take care of Izutsumi from then on, baffled he asked who she was and why she knew he was feeding Izutsumi, and she explained that she is her caretaker

- she also explained that since Izutsumi seemed to trust and respect Senshi the most, that he would be the best person to give her a chance at a normal life and raise her into an adjusted adult, due to the fact that she has no regard or interest or respect in her or the rest of her foster family, she then conceded that her question was rather sudden, but still implored Senshi to take her into his care or otherwise she would be forced into an orphanage

- thinking of Gillin, and with the wound of his crew’s death still in his mind Senshi, perhaps impulsively, agrees to take Izutsumi in, much to Maizuru’s delight and thankfulness

- the next day, she returns with Izutsumi and her things and tells Senshi that she will handle most of the legal paperwork aside from the few forms that he will have to sign

- from that point onward, he took care of Izutsumi and made sure she got through school, although she wasn’t completely responsive and obedient, he was still very patient and understanding with her, except for the first few times she would keep on running away from school to join him for his lunch breaks

- they have a very trusting relationship with one another, and Senshi is the only one Izutsumi will open up to, Senshi often encouraged her talent of athleticism by signing her up for various sports, he was and still is very attentive towards her needs and is always feeding her the things she likes (and dislikes)

- Senshi works at the restaurant for another 9 years, simultaneously saving up for his own restaurant and saving for Izutsumi’s college, at age 45 he meets Chilchuck during the construction of his restaurant and they form a close friendship

- subsequently, he is introduced to Marcille, Fallin, Laios, and even Kabru, but still mostly interacts with Chilchuck and Itsuzumi

- however he is quite close with Laios since he works as a server at his restaurant and is very enthusiastic about his cooking technique, flavour pallet, and types of dishes he serves

- at age 49, he officially opens his restaurant and starts dating Chilchuck, the three of them all move in together and become a household unit

- is now very happy with where he is at in life, works and manages his restaurant while still making time for Izutsumi and her hobbies, is very close with Chilchuck and becomes the first person he opens up to about his past and what he went through, generally the grossest and most sappiest old couple you will ever meet

- made a Senshi-sized hole deep into the fabric of Chilchuck’s home, converting his backyard into a full vegetable and flower garden that he maintains, is super proud about it and often leaves the prettiest flowers on Chilchuck’s side of the bed or in a vase on Izutsumi’s bedside table

- head-chef and owner of his restaurant, his favourite part is being able to cook what he wants for a very specific audience (people like Laios)

- his food is not super high-end but also not like a family diner either, a healthy mix of both, like kid friendly while still being classy and opulent enough to take someone out on a date there

- drives his beloved suzuki carry to and from work every day, does a good job maintaining it on his own despite it being boring according to him

- I honestly don’t really know what Senshi would listen to, I feel like the most in character for him would be folk music from his home country or bossa nova i can’t really decide

- coffee with lots of sugar but no cream or milk, prefers drinking black tea with milk and honey if he has a choice

- bag is a basic backpack with minimal items like wallet, keys, lipbalm, mints, etc… always has a change of clothes in case his gets dirty at work, also has extra hair and beard nets, some stuff for Izutsumi is in there too

- water bottle is also a vintage stanley cup, but his is wayyy more dented than Chilchuck’s and older (from like the 50s) refuses to buy anything else until it is unusable, has had the same piece of duct tape sealing a leak near the bottom for the past 20 years

- also can’t decide if he’s a t-shirt or Hawaiian shirt kind of guy, probably a healthy mix of both, also mostly wears shorts or a kilt-like garment native to his home country, lives exclusively in sandals you will never find him in close-toed shoes unless he’s working

- funny story deriving from this fact, the first impression Chilchuck ever had of Senshi (aside from “damn he’s kinda hot”) was “oh my god how the fuck is this guy not dead” due to the fact that Senshi showed up to the construction sight with flip flops, no safety helmet, and no safety vest on whatsoever

- more to add when I think of it

• Izutsumi (still a cat-girl in this universe)

- currently 17 and living with Senshi and Chilchuck

- used to live with the Nakamoto’s as a foster child, however hated living there due to the unfamiliarity and attempts at sweeping her past trauma under the rug and refusing to treat her for it

- life before the Nakamoto’s is fuzzy, it’s implied by her councillor and confirmed by Maizuru later on that she was raised by her mother until she died or abandoned her at 3 years old, was then placed into the care of another foster home who physically and verbally abused her, keeping her chained up in the basement most of the day and hardly feeding her, if not forgetting about her all together

- she was taken in by the Nakamoto’s at aged 4, and had a very hard time managing her due to her stunted social skills, anger issues, and delayed language development manifesting itself in avoidance behaviours such as running away and lashing out violently

- had frequent nightmares during this time, resulting in her becoming very clingy during the night

- would often run away to the green belt close to her house, the same green belt that was connected to Senshi’s restaurant

- initially only approached him because of the smell of food, her prior abuse and malnutrition resulted in an early form of binge eating, so she often sought any sight, smell, or taste food as a way of safety and comfort

- unlike all her previous caretakers, she found Senshi to not be malicious or uncaring towards her, especially after he started sharing and bringing food for her, her ease around him didn’t go unnoticed by Maizuru who then offered Senshi the deal to take care of her

- initially hated living in Senshi’s condo since the small space reminded her of the basement she was kept in, but soon found it to be much more comfortable if she could smell the food Senshi would make

- Received counselling for her trauma and slowly began to get better, however she would still frequently act out or skip school as a coping mechanism, however, Senshi helped her regulate her energy and emotions through signing her up for various sports, she did volleyball, hockey, wrestling, swimming, etc… until she settled on gymnastics and Muay Thai

- has somewhat of a complex towards love and attachment, in that she doesn’t fully believe an individual cares for her or loves her so will often do whatever she likes both because she doesn’t think it affects the other person that much and because it will prevent people from wanting to get close to her and have a meaningful relationship, a complex that stems from her past abuse

- is now in a much better headspace than she was in, as she has two caretakers who are patient and understanding with her, but are also willing to discipline her and prepare her for the outside world, she also has a good external support system and even a friend at school whom she often hangs out with

- she is currently in her junior year of high school, with decent grades, but only because Senshi and Chilchuck want her to do well so she has more options for university

- her best subjects are science, phsy ed., english, has a hard time with social studies and math

- her one friend her age is Tade as they both are frequently sent to the after-school homework program to help improve their grades, Izutsumi is usually good at shouldering off her homework to her in exchange for ice cream or food, but she’s usually caught and forced to do double the work

- Tade is also a foster kid of the Nakamoto’s, in fact she was the one Izutsumi would usually go to sleep with if she had a nightmare, so they never hang out at her house and either stay at Izutsumi’s house or hang out at the local park/mall

- is very talented athletically, and has won multiple awards at gymnastics and Muay Thai competitions

- still a ravenous eater, but with a crazy fast metabolism so she gains almost no weight, still picky with vegetables and mushrooms but will still eat them as long as their hidden in her food well enough

- coffee flavoured milk drinker, if there’s even a hint of bitterness in her coffee she’s throwing it out

- is into most old alternative or indie rock, appreciates Chilchuck’s taste in music immensely, she’s been learning how to play the bass recently

- has been learning basic recipes from Senshi and can manage a few dishes on her own, is much better at baking overall, never leave her alone with the blowtorch or barbecue though

- aside from sports, she enjoys playing video games and sleeping, she likes mostly storytelling or competitive console games like Skyrim, God of War, and Call of Duty

- bag is a simple black backpack that has all of her papers and textbooks haphazardly shoved in with no regard for neatness or organization, on a good day a pencil will be in there too

- water bottle is non-existent, she uses drinks from the school water fountain as an excuse to get out of class and wander around for a bit

- is old enough to drive and has her license, but doesn’t have her own car yet and still has to catch the bus, if she does drive it’s Senshi’s suzuki, Chilchuck let her drive his land rover once and she backed into a pole

- lives in crop tops and shorts, is actually quite fashionable but doesn’t have the energy or motivation to pull anything off, either wears converse, slides, crocs, or doc martens as footwear, most would describe her style as grunge-ish

- makeup is hit or miss, sometimes she can muster some concealer and eyeliner, but for the most part she just washes her face and nothing else, she is big into jewelry though and likes to wear lots of accessories

- has been allowed to pierce her ears quite extensively, as well as her nose, however both Senshi and Chilchuck have drawn the line at any other face piercings until she’s an adult, much to her dismay

- outside of Senshi, Chilchuck, and Tade, she is probably the most friendly with Marcille and Fallin as they frequently visit and interact with her, Marcille especially loves to spoil Izutsumi with treats and gifts since she never had a little cousin growing up

- Izutsumi likes Fallin for her quietness and ability to keep out of her business, however saw first hand how weird she can be when she held up a massive rhinoceros beetle without even flinching, also when she kept on excusing herself to their backyard to go snack on their strawberry plants

- Laios and Kabru she knows of, also finds Laios to be very weird but is less friendly about it than she is with Fallin, his lack of understanding of social cues also confuses her

- more to add when I think of it

AND THATS IT!!! This was stupidly long, I hope I didn’t bore you to death lol. I’ll probably do another one of these so I can include Chilchuck’s daughters, Kabru, Namari, etc… maybe with some additions to the main cast, but yeah that’s about the extend of it, hope you enjoyed :3

[phoebepheebsphibs]

@phoebepheebsphibs and @boots-with-the-fur-club

Here's my take on Double-Mutated Mikey. :) ( Going by how you've described him through each chapter! )

I decided to keep his design the closest to the Basilisk. ( A part of me also REALLY wants to see this lil guy just sit by the water with his brothers, take a breath, and then proceed to SPRINT over the liquid's surface, doing that hilarious run that Basilisks always do, and his brothers just stand there like 0~0 " ... what the FRICK JUST HAPPENED-" "DUDE HE CAN FLY" "Actually, it's a normal feature of the Basilisk to be able to run on bodies of wate- " "-OUR BROTHER CAN FLYYYY"

I also kept his plastron on his chest, as well as having the same protective padding spread down his tail.

I don't usually draw creatures like this that often- so this was a really fun challenge! :)

Yes, both your story has once again got me creatin' like crazy, and yes there are more like this most likely on the way. :)

Enjoy!! Can't wait to read the next chapter when it comes! :)

~ Melissa

EEEEEEEEEEEEEE BOOTS BOOTS, LOOK AT THIS!!!

BOOTS GET OVER HERE LOOK AT THIS MASTERPIECE!!

LOOK AT THE BASILISK BOIII

(Also I do plan on including a chapter almost exactly how you described it lol)

~ Pheebs

@boots-with-the-fur-club @daboyau

[freetheshit-outofyou]

A French Soldier's View of US Soldiers in Afghanistan

Edited by Wes O'Donnell, Founder- Warrior Lodge.

What follows is an account from a French ISAF soldier that was stationed with American Warfighters in Afghanistan sometime in the past 6 years.  This was copied and translated from an editorial French newspaper.

A NOS FRERES D’ARMES AMERICAINS

"We have shared our daily life with two US units for quite a while - they are the first and fourth companies of a prestigious infantry battalion whose name I will withhold for the sake of military secrecy. To the common man it is a unit just like any other. But we live with them and got to know them, and we henceforth know that we have the honor to live with one of the most renowned units of the US Army - one that the movies brought to the public as series showing "ordinary soldiers thrust into extraordinary events". Who are they, those soldiers from abroad, how is their daily life, and what support do they bring to the men of our OMLT every day? Few of them belong to the Easy Company, the one the TV series focuses on. This one nowadays is named Echo Company, and it has become the support company. 

They have a terribly strong American accent - from our point of view the language they speak is not even English. How many times did I have to write down what I wanted to say rather than waste precious minutes trying various pronunciations of a seemingly common word? Whatever State they are from, no two accents are alike and they even admit that in some crisis situations they have difficulties understanding each other. Heavily built, fed at the earliest age with Gatorade, proteins and creatine- they are all heads and shoulders taller than us and their muscles remind us of Rambo. Our frames are amusingly skinny to them - we are wimps, even the strongest of us - and because of that they often mistake us for Afghans.

And they are impressive warriors! We have not come across bad ones, as strange at it may seem to you when you know how critical French people can be. Even if some of them are a bit on the heavy side, all of them provide us everyday with lessons in infantry know-how. Beyond the wearing of a combat kit that never seem to discomfort them (helmet strap, helmet, combat goggles, rifles etc.) the long hours of watch at the outpost never seem to annoy them in the slightest. On the one square meter wooden tower above the perimeter wall they stand the five consecutive hours in full battle rattle and night vision goggles on top, their sight unmoving in the directions of likely danger. No distractions, no pauses, they are like statues nights and days. At night, all movements are performed in the dark - only a handful of subdued red lights indicate the occasional presence of a soldier on the move. Same with the vehicles whose lights are covered - everything happens in pitch dark even filling the fuel tanks with the Japy pump.Here we discover America as it is often depicted: their values are taken to their paroxysm, often amplified by promiscuity and the loneliness of this outpost in the middle of that Afghan valley.

(This is the main area where I'd like to comment. Anyone with a passing knowledge of Kipling knows the lines from Chant Pagan: 'If your officer's dead and the sergeants look white/remember it's ruin to run from a fight./ So take open order, lie down, sit tight/ And wait for supports like a soldier./ This, in fact, is the basic philosophy of both British and Continental soldiers. 'In the absence of orders, take a defensive position.' Indeed, virtually every army in the world. The American soldier and Marine, however, are imbued from early in their training with the ethos: In the Absence of Orders: Attack! Where other forces, for good or ill, will wait for precise orders and plans to respond to an attack or any other 'incident', the American force will simply go, counting on firepower and SOP to carry the day.

This is one of the great strengths of the American force in combat and it is something that even our closest allies, such as the Brits and Aussies (that latter being closer by the way) find repeatedly surprising. No wonder is surprises the hell out of our enemies.)

We seldom hear any harsh word, and from 5 AM onwards the camp chores are performed in beautiful order and always with excellent spirit. A passing American helicopter stops near a stranded vehicle just to check that everything is alright; an American combat team will rush to support ours before even knowing how dangerous the mission is - from what we have been given to witness, the American soldier is a beautiful and worthy heir to those who liberated France and Europe.

To those who bestow us with the honor of sharing their combat outposts and who everyday give proof of their military excellence, to those who pay the daily tribute of America's army's deployment on Afghan soil, to those we owned this article, ourselves hoping that we will always remain worthy of them and to always continue hearing them say that we are all the same band of brothers".

Personal Thoughts About the Article:

For much of this article, the various veterans reading will go 'Well, duh. Of course we do our 'camp chores' and stand our posts in good order. There's a reason for them and if we didn't we'd get our heads handed to us eventually. And, yeah, we're in shape. Makes battle easier. The more you sweat, the less you bleed.'

What is hard for most people to comprehend is that that attitude represented only the most elite units of the past. Current everyday conventional boring 'leg infantry' units exceed the PT levels and training levels of most Special Forces during the Vietnam War. They exceed both of those as well as IQ and educational levels of: Waffen SS, WWII Rangers, WWII Airborne and British 'Commando' units during WWII. Their per-unit combat-functionality is essentially unmeasurable because it has to be compared to something and there's nothing comparable in industrial period combat history.

This group is so much better than 'The Greatest Generation' at war that WWII vets who really get a close look at how good these kids are stand in absolute awe.

This is 'The Greatest Generation' of soldiers.

They may never be equaled.

[sketchy-rosewitch]

Ours: Bo Sinclair x hinge!f!reader x Vincent Sinclair

Warnings: Bo’s a little drunky, also he confesses how obsessed he and Vincent are with you

A/N: Dead Ringers is like all up in my brain rn so that’s what you guys get.

Masterlist

Loud yelling and groaning comes from the TV as you and Bo watch a movie. Vincent had his head laying on your lap and you could tell by his steady breathing he was asleep. You couldn’t help but still play with his dark hair. Running your fingers carefully through it, braiding a few strands.

Bo sat on his chair that was angled so you could have conversation with him but he could still watch the TV.

It felt nice getting to sit here with both of them. It hardly ever happened with them practically having opposite sleep schedules. You took your wine cooler and sipped it, the condensation making your fingers wet. You playfully put your fingers on Vincent’s forehead and he flinches but continues to sleep. You giggle and Bo looks at you. He sips his beer and keeps staring, when you notice, you stop and look away. Bo had been the more intimidating of the two for you. You don’t know what it is but you feel like you have to listen to everything he says. Like he’ll snap if you just make one wrong move.

The room is silent again, you feel Bo still staring but you continue to play with a piece of Vincent’s hair.

Then the mechanic speaks up, his voice makes you jump, but you ease into the conversation when you realize how calm he is.

“You know, Vincent and I had to share a lot of things when we were younger.” He takes another sip of his beer.

You nod, not understanding a bit where this conversation was going.

“Shared a bed, birthdays, clothes, a brother, parents, thoughts, and feelings. Never had to share a girlfriend though. No matter how much both of us wanted to share one of them. We never did.” You look at him absolutely confused. He finishes his beer and sets it down, relaxing into the chair. Your hands have stopped playing with Vincent’s hair, they sit one on the top of his head and the other over his crossed hands.

“Now we don’t share shit, he works in his basement creatin’ and I work at the gas station destroyin’. Then some girl from god knows where came in this town bein’ so sweet and carin’ yet ended up the greediest thing ever. Needin’ both of us instead of one.”

Your heart clenches thinking Bo is gonna yell at you. Call you a slut and whore. You only liked those names in the bedroom but he’s called you them a few times outside of it, those were enough it freak you out enough to not get him mad again.

“Thank God you needed both of us, don’t think either one of us could stand not sharin’ again.”

Bo gets up, you watch him like a hawk as he walks up to you. Your head tilts up to meet his face. He leans down and kisses you, you taste the alcohol on his lips. He lets go.

“I love you Bo.”

He hums, and grabs his beer off the end table before going into the kitchen to throw it out, he passes through the living room.

“I’ll be upstairs whenever you two decide to come up.” Bo tilts his head towards the stairs. You nod.

-

It’s not long before you wake Vincent. He’s groggy and a groan cokes from his chest. You take his hand and guide him up the stairs. Bo is on the left side of the bed, he’s not asleep yet. You can tell because he flinches when the door opens. You don’t mean to scare him. You go to the other side of the bed and crawl in wrapping your arms around Bo, Vincent comes in after you and wraps his arms around you. Vincent kisses your shoulder gently, trying to fall asleep again.

You fall asleep easily between the two.

[sporesgalaxy]

[link]

EDIT: smirks evilly yet again. updated with some For The Future quotes n images

Anyways: BEHOLD. Short little annotations with pictures for each song! Enjoyable even if you don’t listen to the playlist!

rises the moon - introduction

Days fade into a watercolour blur Memories swim and haunt you But look into the lake, shimmering like smoke Rises the moon

The Lesson - "Caleb did his best to take care of his younger brother.”

It's best to not breathe in at all Your teachers say The toxins in the air will take your life away

But don't believe a word from them You'll be okay For I will breathe with you

The Ocean - “They tried to fit in with this town...and its unsavory practices. They became witch hunters.”

No one complains, ‘cause it’s got to be fed And they’re just glad that it didn’t see them.

And they shouldn’t blame themselves for that ‘Cause it’s really, really hard to break even.

Overgrown Garden - "...the brothers Wittebane met a real witch...and the older brother was spirited away.”  (“...I already let you go. Many times.”)

I wonder when you left me behind that day Asleep beneath the willow withering away If you were okay Because I would do anything for you I would do anything

Have You Seen My Sister Evelyn? - "Philip set off to save his brother, and bring the witch to justice.” (”Sounds like big bro got a hot witch girlfriend and little bro got upset”)

Did that ho-bag quit her job and run off With that dick-head Mike To Indio, Guantanamo Or Panama or Disneyland?

Heroes and Villains - "...neither were ever seen again!”

I've been in this town so long that back in the city I've been taken for lost and gone And unknown for a long long time

Sweet Bird - "I was trying to save your soul. It’s your fault this all happened!”

I can't recognize you Oh sweet bird of my youth Where have you flown to?

Now let's make one thing clear as crystal The blood is on your hands And the blood will stain your hands

Nightengale, Pt. 2 - A lament for Caleb

“Homer evokes the nightingale in the Odyssey, suggesting the myth of Philomela and Procne (one of whom, depending on the myth’s version, is turned into a nightingale).”

“Because of the violence of the myth, the nightingale’s song was long interpreted as a lament.”

(Wikipedia page for the Common Nightingale, “Cultural connotations” section)

Angel - “I’ll do anything to save humanity from evil.”

I believe that you believe that you're an angel Nowhere to rise, everywhere to fall I believe that you believe that there's a heaven Where you belong, where you belong

Neighborhood #2 (Laika) - “It does feel good to hear another human say that name. I had to change it when Philip was run out of too many towns.”

Alexander, our older brother Set out for a great adventure He tore our images out of his pictures He scratched our names out of all his letters

Hymn for a Scarecrow - “’Why,’ says [the bird catcher, laying his net], ‘I am laying the foundations of a city.’” (The Bird-Catcher and the Blackbird)

You hang around for a living Somewhere between all the land and the sky Being by never forgiving Nobody knows you and neither do I

Poison Tree - "All these weepy Palisman souls...their voices constantly nagging me...vile. But without them, I wouldn’t be able to do this.”

Make me feel like something powerful Is growing deep inside of me Turn me into a poison tree 

The Nowhere King - “Betrayed, beguiled, alone, decieved! We’ll have our revenge on-- ugh! ‘Unity’ is so hard to rhyme...”

Silent, secretive feeling Of fearsome hatred that reaches the skies

Open Hands - “A better version of an old friend.”

Here is what I lost forever Open hands, a certain laugh Here is what I thought I wanted Some lost smile in a photograph

Crocodile Tears -  “It hurts every time he chooses to betray me.”

Crocodile tears marching down your cheek Ooh, a small sob for the thing you did last week I look in your hands and there it is again You don't regret a single thing, friend

Pyre - Creating a Utopia, free from Wild Magic.

We're wresting now from our own hands a future Regret the flower of watered seed Are we the ghosts that swarm about us? We can begin We can begin again

Dancing in the Moonlight - "Collector. You’re free! Just as promised.”

We like our fun and we never fight You can't dance and stay uptight It's a supernatural delight Everybody was dancing in the moonlight

Christmas Kids - “I thought this one was another lost cause. Because of you, we can finish our work as witch hunters...”

You'll change your name, or change your mind And leave this fucked up place behind

But I'll know

Home - “I just have to live long enough to see this through.”

No, no, you can’t go home, she says, the world, where do you think you’re going? We’re not done with you. The world is never done with you.

Love Love Love - “...maybe he’s still chasing his brother...”

Raskolnikov felt sick, but he couldn't say why When he saw his face reflected in his victim's twinkling eye

Some things you'll do for money and some you'll do for fun But the things you do for love are going to come back to you one by one

(cw: suicide mention in the full song)

[ellie-s-list]

Light in the Darkness (1)

Abby Anderson X Fem!Reader, College AU, Multi-Part

Hello, I’m not dead, just twenty years old now. I’m also obsessed with Abby and Ellie from TLOU 2 so, here we are since I can’t stop thinking about them.

This will be a song-fic type thing, as I find it cool.

Pt. 2 can be found here

TW: Anxiety

Don’t come at me for typos, my brain’s confused

Chapter One

Drop Dead Gorgeous, Voila

“You take my breath away

With that face

Because she’s drop dead gorgeous”

Blondes were never your type. You didn’t really know for sure what your type was but one thing was for sure, it was that blondes never caught your eye. Yet this dumb, buff, Chad of a girl who always sat right in front of you, got your attention. She wasn’t dumb, like any meathead jock that snorted creatine like crack, she was quite intelligent. Maybe too smart. Definitely too smart for this pre-req Anatomy class. Yet, here she was, sitting in front of you in lecture, and sitting at a table across from you in lab as well.

During mid-term presentations, she was quite knowledgeable about the topic of cellular respiration. Her partner, rather, not so much. But that's when you knew. Just noticing this girl, Abigail as it read on the discussion boards, was just the beginning. Now, at the class after the midterm exams, you were staring holes in the back of her head. Eight weeks left, you weren’t going to make it without having emotional casualties.

“Of course,” The professor, Dr. Andrews, started talking as she walked to the front of the white board. “I know we just had mid-terms and a midterm presentation, but we have to start working on the final presentation.” She grabbed her clipboard, “I already picked partners for you, so no one is left out to do all the work this time.”

Her comment was directed at you. It had to be, since you were the only one to present alone. But it was okay, you didn’t care. Meeting new people was rough, awkward. Though, you couldn’t get away with doing projects alone forever. A couple students looked at you, then back to Dr. Andrews when she started talking again.

“Projects will be on whole systems this time, and it will correlate to lab, so these partners will also be your designated lab partner,” Dr. Andrews then looked down at her clipboard to seal your fate. “Abigail Anderson,” She called, looking up at the blonde sitting in front of you. Then she called your name, causing you to freeze. Dr. Andrews continued to call out names as Abigail turned to look at you, giving you a small smile. “You may now sit with your partners,” Dr. Andrews concluded.

There was a free spot next to you, so you nodded your head to it. Abigail seemed to understand as she gathered her things and stood up. You didn’t look at her when she pulled the chair out next to you.

You could feel Abigail’s eyes on you after she set up her laptop and notebook. Dr. Andrews gave the class ten minutes to socialize with their picked partner, but you didn’t know what to say.

“You can call me Abby,” The blonde said softly, “Do you have a nickname?”

“For you?” You asked, turning your head to face her.

“What?” Abby looked amused, “I meant for you.” She leaned a muscular arm on the table, propping her head on her hand.

You stared at her, “No,” You answered, looking down at the pencil you were playing with. Your hands were getting clammy, heart rate speeding up. She was actively talking to you, and she didn’t seem annoyed by your weird question. Although, this was your first conversation with her, so it could get worse.

“You had a nickname for me?” Abby asked, her eyes never left you making our anxiety spike. She was wearing a cut off tee with cargo pants, showing off her arm muscles. Her hair was in a Dutch braid, like it usually was.

“No.”

“Mmm, okay,” Abby chuckled, not pushing the topic. “You did the last project alone, right?”

That question caused you to look at her, eyes furrowed as you blinked at her. She seemed genuinely curious, even if her question had an obvious answer. She’s not dumb.

“I mean, yeah,” You answered, looking her in the eyes, then you looked at her face. Her skin was bright, slight acne scars, but nothing too bad. Her nose and cheeks had freckles, forehead and chin just lightly dotted. Abby’s lips were slightly chapped, but they were a pale red.

Abby licked her lips, bringing you out of your analysis of her face. She apparently said something, but you never caught it.

“What?” You ask.

The blonde smirked, her dark blue eyes scanning your face now. She then leaned slightly closer, causing you to stiffen.

“You do well with public speaking,” She relented, “Yet right now, this conversation seems one-sided. Are you nervous around me?”

Your mouth dropped at her question. Who was she to call out your anxieties? Immediately, you almost put up your defenses, almost cut her out of your life. But a rational thought brought you back. She was just being curious, maybe trying to become friends. And she wasn’t wrong about the one-sided conversation, or about you being nervous around her.

Closing your mouth, you turned your attention back to the pencil. “I don’t care what these idiots think about me, or how I talk.”

“But?” She prompted, her voice softening.

“You’re a potential friend,” You turn back to her. Surprised at the proximity she gained towards you, you flinch. Abby didn’t move, waiting for your answer. “Also, we’re stuck together for the next eight weeks.”

Abby stared at you, taking in the information. But she still didn’t move, instead asking, “Do you think I’m an idiot?”

“No,” Your answer was immediate, causing you to flush. “You seem to know what you’re talking about.” You turned your attention to your laptop, opening the projects rubric.

Abby hummed, seemingly satisfied with your answer, she leaned back into her seat.

After Dr. Andrews explained the project, she left the class to work amongst themselves. Abby didn’t push any further during class, instead pulling her own weight. You were thankful, having had partners in the past that forced you to do everything.

A few minutes before class ended, you decided to pack your items away. Abby decided to do the same, but you could feel her eyes watching you rearrange your items. As you zipped your backpack up, you heard Abby sigh.

“I should give you my number.”

You snapped your head to look at her, narrowing your eyes, “Why?”

The blonde didn’t seem phased by your reaction, instead she cocked her head, “So we can talk about the project.”

You thought her actions were cute, noticing how she kind of took on an innocence when she cocked her head at you. She seemed to not care about your hostility to the question, probably putting it together that you had anxiety. The conclusion warmed your heart, maybe friendship was possible. But, these qualities made the blond even more attractive to you.

Picking up your phone, you handed it to her, “You make a compelling argument.” She smiled, grabbing your phone gently. You watched her type her number in, then she placed your phone on your desk in front of you.

Abby grabbed her phone, handing it to you. You typed your number in, hitting save. Handing her phone back, you left your name blank so she could fill it with whatever she wanted.

“Do you want to join my table in lab?” You asked, changing her name in your phone.

Abby was silent for a moment, thinking your question over. You were nervous, having started the conversation this time.

“Sure.”

You nod, standing up, slinging your arms through the straps of your backpack, “See you then.”

The two of you had sent texts to make sure that you both had the right numbers. You smirked at her latest reply as you sat at your lab table.

From Abby (Chad) Chaderson

Hey

To Abby (Chad) Chaderson

Chad

From Abby (Chad) Chaderson

What?

You didn’t respond, rather you got your work for the class out. Thumbing through your lab book, you heard students start filing in. Movement out the corner of your eye caught your attention, causing you to look up. Abby was taking her seat across from you, placing her backpack on the table.

“Chad?” Was all she said. You smirked not looking up from your book, acting as if you were still reading.

“Hm?”

“So you’re secretly a gremlin,” Abby stated as Dr. Andrews walked in. You only shrugged at the blonde with a grin, turning your attention to the professor.

After a brief lecture, Dr. Andrews left the class alone to do the lab exercises. Abby was more talkative, not minding your brief answers as the two of you worked.

“What’s your major?” Abby asked.

“Reading,” You answer, writing down some data from your lab report.

“Funny,” Abby looked up at you from her own course work.

“I hope so, or else I’ll need a new job,” You smile, looking up to meet her eyes. Though, with that action, you froze. Your throat went dry as you took in her smiling face, the crinkles of the corners of her eyes highlighting just how often she smiled.

“So…?” Abby pressed, her smile turning into a sly smirk.

Swallowing thickly, you looked back down at your notes. Heat roast to your cheeks as you said, “Biochem.” Turning to a new page of your notebook you ask, “What about you?”

Abby hummed, “Pre-med.”

Tearing a piece of paper from your notebook, playing with it, “Rough.” You state, focusing on tearing it apart. Silence enveloped the table. God, why did you have to make things so awkward? “Why?” You decide to ask.

“My dad’s a doctor.”

“Makes sense,” You look at your paper pile that was forming in front of you. Humming you answer her curious stare, “You’re not dumb. You know what you’re talking about.” You then looked up at her, “You’re not the only one who noticed something during midterms.”

Abby smirked, “I guess not.”

There it was. The pit-fall in your stomach, your hands getting clammy. The racing of your heart, your eyes not being able to leave the person you’re getting attached to. The evidence was clear, with you not being able to get your mind off this buff, Olympic goddess of a woman.

Maybe Abigail Anderson was the blonde exception.

Posted: April 8, 2023

WC: probably 1,800

[robobarbie]

Sorry I’m really late to finding out about the new game but who are the LI in it?

I dont have any formal stuff for promo materials yet since I'm focused on making the actual game atm, but here's a rundown!

TITLE:

Adonia AI

PLOT:

You come to work as a temp employee at a controversial AI startup in Silicon Valley that specializes in making AI of dead people. Over the course of 2 weeks, you build friendships, make enemies, fall in love, and learn what it means to be truly "happy." This story will probably resonate with those who struggle with burnout, loss of passion, corporate sludge, death, and fears about depersonalization in a world of AI.

GAMEPLAY:

A computer sim mixed with some traditional vn elements -- all conversations, very little prose in the robobarbie tradition. Bit of a job simulator (yes you have to work) (CRINGE). There's little bonuses and an entire cross-route secret story you can unlock if you know where to look. The content warnings on this game are going to be incredible, for a variety of reasons.

LOVE INTERESTS:

Felix. 35yo, 6'2" (idk), white. A data scientist who is rather protective of his younger brother and not eager to have his schedule interrupted. He's got a bone to pick with god for waking him up every morning and takes his coffee black.

Jerri. 29, 5'6", viet. A software engineer who seems perpetually exhausted (yet in denial about it). She has some secrets she'd be willing to share with you -- if you can beat her in a game of chance.

Note: this picture is a clip of me fighting against christ the lord to make her not look like an oompa loompa. I demand she have green hair. She WILL have green hair. You can TAKE her GREEN HAIR off my COLD, MAGGOT FILLED-

Sungho. 27, 6'4", korean. The optimistic and energetic marketer with a seemingly endless supply of creatine. You can find him at 6am either pumping iron or complimenting milfs coming out of spin class.

Major. 40, 6'5", black. The executive who will make this company succeed at any cost. There's a rumor that he started Adonia in order to try to talk to someone he loves one last time. Wonder if that worked out.

Note: he recently got hair. I am a bald truther tho til I die.

ANYWAY

That's what it's all about. The 2 routes currently in development are Jerri's and Felix's. After that, it'll be into Major and Sungho (tho they won't take very long after Jerri/Felix are done). It's coming out in 2023 for PC and mobile (mobile will be a couple months after PC) -- release date will be posted when the game is sent to QA testers for their final check, whenever that happens.

Excited for you to meet them next year!

[alwaysfoggyqueen]

erm girlies.. remember when i said i ordered a skirt a size too small.

Why is it fitting???

TF IM A UK 10 NOW??? THAT WAS MY ORIGINAL GOAL

I guess Ill order Size 8 next time..

despite the weight on the scale isnt going down fast, i def look thinner, maybe im getting muscle? I started taking creatine and doing resistance training.

[cator99]

Some of you are on here running a masterclass on having a blog like it shows such intelligence to do what you do so effortlessly and I take mental notes at every turn. I am surrounded by genius. On the other hand some of you are here to be the little family guy playing in the corner cus I get bored a hell and need some retard shit going on to keep me grounded. Whatever that means (Grounded). I stole a $100 bag of protein powder today. Best on the market. They keep it next to the locked up $50 containers of creatine so its probably a sick trap but I've done it 3 times now and nothing has happened yet. But to be honest every time I walk over to the grocery store with the intention of stealing I spend that time inducing a state of meditative trance wherein i convince myself that I'm invisible and I genuinely feel like it kind of works because when I'm trying to walk through the hordes of indian men standing around on the street at night smoking none of them move out of my fucking way so that's pretty awesome

[beansidhebumbling]

feyneth (feyre x gywn) pls. they’re my recent obsession. lemon tarts are their thing if that helps

Feyre can't recall the precise moment she falls for her sister's best friend. In the haze of young adulthood, still so deep in the closet she was practically being strangled by scarves, she remembers liking Gwyn's hair.

Begging for a chance to play hairdresser for the seniors going to their house parties and formals, knowing she'd get a chance to run her hands through strands of copper and rust, and drown in the sweet scent of strawberry shampoo.

Gwyn, all smiles and bubbly laughter, freckles and sunlight would hug her. Nothing like her sister's awkward one armed embraces, these were hugs that warmed her from the inside out.

And when Nesta's gang would stumble into the night in a haze of vodka and Victoria Secret bodyspray, Gwyn would always turn back to wave at Feyre, a secret smile and flutter of manicured nails that would sustain that hidden part of her until their next encounter.

***

When her sister left for college things were quieter in Velaris. She was gone too, brilliant Gwyn, off to study Medieval History with her pretty boyfriend, Azriel Scatha, following her.

He was a model. They met at the lake, the hangout of Velarian youth since the dawn of time. He was handsome, Feyre supposed, in that clinical symmetrical way. Each angle accounted for, each feature blending perfectly with the other. Not exactly exciting to look at, not with Gwyn beside him, she who made sunflowers turn towards her over their namesake.

She loses Gwyn but finds herself in the years that follow. Grows into a body that never felt like hers in ruffles and skirts. Between bench presses and deadifts, creatine and whey protein she starts to like what she sees in the mirror.

Her mother despairs. Too big, too muscular, too much. She finds quiet acceptance in the way Elain cuts her hair, says nothing when she requests it short, her sister who has relished plaiting her hair since she was five simply asks for a Pinterest reference and picks up a scissors, bearing their mother's proceeding hysterics with saint-like patience. Nesta takes her clothes shopping on the holidays. Her sister, still sarcastic and so different to her, never comments on her sartorial choices and shuts down any festive family criticism thrown her way. In their own ways they tell her again and again she is enough.

***

She is half-way through her undergraduate degree when she meets Gwyn at a Christmas party. Drunk on eggnog and kisses from Mor, a casual college fling at her favourite hook-up spot, the old willow by the green, she doesn't recognise the lithe frame of Gwyneth Berdara splayed on the counter, pale legs blocking passageway to the gin.

'Hey gorgeous, mind moving please?'

She says, texting Lucien as she does, more focused on finding the exact emoji to convey her disgust with the Vanserra than another drunk body in a veritable sea of them.

'Little Fey!'

Glancing up, she feels the instinctual blush rise to her cheeks at the unappreciated childhood nickname. Gwyn, in sequined glory is scanning her from tip to toe in disbelief.

Coughing she murmurs, only just audible in the relative quiet of the kitchen,

'Not exactly little anymore, G.'

Gwyn blinks, pupils widening and teeth digging into her full lower lip, before giggling nervously, jumping from the counter. Now standing, she is just shorter than Feyre in her kitten heels. She extends her arms and Feyre engulfs her in a hug that tastes of long ago, warmth and sunshine.

That's where the comparison to the old embrace ends because now, with their bodies pressed close, her breath on Feyre’s neck, electricity spikes and singes her nerve endings. Judging from how Gwyn tenses before digging her nails in, just slightly, to Feyre's flanelled side and releasing a quiet whimper she feels it too.

Bolstered by that one small sound and the insatiable need to show Gwyn exactly how much she's grown from that awkward gangly freshman Feyre takes her sweet time letting go.

It wouldn't make sense when Gwyn fits so well in her toned arms. It is Gwyn who finally disentangles herself, but stays standing far too close to Feyre for polite company, so that the constellations of freckles that smatter her pretty upturned nose almost overwhelm the power of her gaze.

'I..I..haven't seen you around.'

Gwyn stutters, gaze fixed on Feyre’s mouth before she blinks and studies the tiled floor like it contains the meaning of life.

'I live off-campus.'

Feyre shrugs lazily, pathetically hoping Gwyn notices her traps as she moves. It was chest and back day today after all.

'Nesta mentioned you're living in that PhD accomodation on campus right, little G.'

That gets Gwyn's attention, her head darting indignantly up before she laughs at the teasing grin plastered on Feyre’s face.

'Yes I am, you brat.'

Her lip is being worried by her sharp teeth again, a job Feyre would happily volunteer to do.

'Where's Azriel?'

The words come out more gruff than the light and casual Feyre was aiming for.

'Not on the scene. Not for a while. Any girlfriends?'

Gwyn throws back.

'Not for a while.'

Feyre's smile sharpens, becoming all canines, when she spots Gwyn fixated on the hickey on her tanned neck.

Mor was a biter.

'Any girlfriends for you, little G?'

Feyre leans in a hair until she can smell the same strawberry sweetness, until Gwyn's lips are so close, divine temptation.

'Not...not yet.'

The words are breathless as manicured nails trace Feyre's bare forearm until like long ago she is utterly consumed by Gwyneth Berdara. Each atom of her straining to be closer, fizzing with excitement at the prospect of further touch.

When Feyre presses her thumb to those glossed lips to rub the faint teeth marks imprinted on plush pink, Gwyn's sooty lashes flutter shut.

She is loveliness incarnate in the harsh unforgiving light of the back kitchen.

Feyre swallows and gathers her courage

'How about I show you the willow tree, love?

[bearsbeetsbeskar]

pedro is taking creatine which can only mean one thing:

we are all going to die when Gladiator 2 comes out 🥲