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fe-semi-decent-scenarios · 4 years

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Heya if its ok could you do headcanons for slyvain, felix and Calude with an s/o that's constantly getting compared to there older siblings by they parents and they feel like there not good enough. Also I really like your work

{Hi! Sorry this took so long. It’s been a wild few weeks. thanks for the compliment and here ya go!}

Sylvain:

I think Sylvain would be at a loss and that his reaction would heavily rely on how he’d learn of your insecurities. This is because sibling rivalry is not something uncommon among nobility

It tears families apart, literally. Just look at how things turned out between him and Miklan. Status and competition ripped his family to shreds

He wants to be angry for you, but a part of him refuses. He basically feels as if he’s lost the right. It’s sad considering that his childhood wasn’t the greatest, but Sylvain feels that compared to the treatment Miklan received he got the better end of the bargain. He hates his crest, and how it pitted him against his brother. Yet he knows deep down that while Miklan was a jerk to him, the entire family treated his brother like garbage.

Sylvain also knows that what happened with Miklan wasn’t his fault, and that nothing excuses how his elder brother treated him while they grew up. Yet...he doesn’t know what being on the short end of sibling comparison feels like. All his life he’s always been the one with the crest, the one to inherit the title, the one viewed as worthy, and while he hates the ‘crest privilege,’ Sylvain knows that life could have been different. Worse.

He can’t have a heart-to-heart with his brother to talk it over either. Sylvain is aware he will never truly understand what Miklan was feeling.

He doesn’t want that for you. Sylvain doesn’t want your fate to match his brother’s and depending on your relationship with them he might encourage you to reach out to your sibling. He is involved and actively trying to find a peaceful solution that will get you away from the negativity.

He’s there for you and sets aside his personal feelings on the topic to be a support pillar. This knowledge won’t avidly change how you two interact, but he does make it clear that you can always come to him when you’re feeling inadequate. You may feel many emotions, ones that he might not fully understand. Yet you will never be alone.

Felix:

Your personal matters are not something Felix involves himself in often. He’s a firm believer of ‘privacy,’ and never pokes around in other peoples’ affairs. It’s unnecessary drama.

In other words: he views your relationship as two interlocked rings, sort of like a Venn diagram. You have your life, he has his, and whatever falls in the middle is what you two share.

Except for serious issues. If you are ever in danger, suffering, frightened, anxious, ill, etc. he bypasses the rule of personal segregation and forces his way in. He has a protective streak that clouds his sense of judgement from time to time, so be prepared. His personal feelings might come across strong.

If it were a simple sibling squabble Felix would tell you to get over it, but if you confide in him whole heartedly the situation will escalate. He does not like seeing you broken. Not over something that could be avoided.

You see, like Sylvain, this is a sore spot for Felix. His entire childhood he fought to break free from Glenn’s shadow and keep up with his friends. It left him emotionally tattooed with a failure complex, and his father’s behavior after Glenn’s death did not help. The difference is that it was himself doing the comparison, not his family. While Felix won’t openly say so, Rodrigue treated him with as much care as his brother. He was pushed to the best of his capabilities and the only one setting the expectations was himself.

He can’t comprehend why a parent would compare their children. To be so naive and insulting; he thinks they don’t deserve to have kids at all. Said thought filters into his solution to the problem.

He’s very direct with his involvement. If your family wants to behave like irresponsible twats then he will encourage you to separate from them. He’ll point out that family goes beyond blood, and that you don’t need negativity squandering your true potential. He’s certain that his father wouldn’t mind taking you in considering your relationship.

(No, he’s not proposing. We all know that Rodrigue would bend over backwards if Felix actually reached out for a favor. And while it kills Felix on the inside to ask, you’re worth it)

I know, it’s irrational and not something one would expect from Felix. He’s not the type to go out of his way to help like this. If anything, people would assume that he’d push you to go make a life of your own or ignore your family and move on.

He does this because you’re the one in trouble, not anyone else. He wants you to focus on being your best self and knows bland words of encouragement won’t have anything beyond a temporary effect. Removing the source of the issue is the best solution and reaching out to his Father is a small price to pay for it.

Claude:

Claude handles the situation more from an observational standpoint in the beginning. He most likely can tell something is off with your home life long before you mention it. With the amount of time you both spend together he picked up on subtle hints easily. Shortly after your meeting he had also gathered information on your family, which sealed the deal.

Now he couldn’t just sit idly and watch you self-destruct. No, he needed to act somehow. Claude could never leave someone in such an unhealthy environment, let alone that person being his s/o. It’s just that family matters are a delicate situation that require as much tactical planning as the battlefield.

He also is aware that information brokers can only tell him so much. Claude needs to hear the full story from you yourself, and to get that is much harder than it looks.

So, he waits. Eventually you’ll mention something that he can inquire further about. His pressing may upset you, possibly start an argument, but Claude knows it’s necessary. He doesn’t want you to feel as if he’s manipulating your every move, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Your mental health is no joke.

Claude will listen to you with full attention. No jokes, snide comments, interjections, etc. He just lets you pour everything out and absorbs it.

Then comes the contradictions. Anything negative you have to say about yourself will be shut down immediately. He knows that emotional scars like these cannot be healed with flattery, but that’s not what his goal is. His aim is temporary relief to stimulate critical questioning

He wants you to choose what to do next. Amidst the compliments he’ll ask questions like “‘why do you agree with them?” and “What do you want to do?”. Suddenly multiple resources are at your disposal and you have a smooth-talking golden boi ready to fly you off into the sunset. It’s all up to you. He just assures that no matter what your family says or does, you have the choice to move on and a herd of deer backing you up

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pandastern · 4 years

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Gravity (Bakugou x OC)

Part 11: First Round - New Challenges

If youd like to be added to the taglist for upcoming parts please dm me :)

Masterlist II AO3

Bakugou x Vigilante!OC

Warnings: angst, explicit language, violence

Word count: 2976

Genre: enemies to lovers ; angst ; romance, slow burn

When a new student makes an entrance, Bakugou has a real bad feeling. There is something about this girl that just doesnt feel right. From the flaming hair to the calculating glint in her green eyes, everything about her just pisses him off.

Little does he know that his fate is intertwined with the person he despises so much, defining his future path in a way he would have never expected

The hardest part about preparing for the Sports Festival was the fact that none of the students had any idea about what they were up against. They could have all the time in the world to train, but with no proper idea of how to apply it, the preparation would ultimately be useless. On top of that, Aizawa had kept his word, only allowing Artemis to watch her classmates during combat training instead of taking part herself.

While it was annoying, it did allow her to observe the abilities of her classmates and plan how to handle them should she be up against them in combat. In fact, she was surprised by just how willingly they shared every aspect of their powers with her. Midoriya, in particular, was always talking to her about quirks and strategy.

“Well, since you're not able to take part in combat training, you're missing a lot of material that you can't just grasp just by watching,” he said to her one day. “So, to make things fair, you're more than welcome to look at my notes!”

Artemis was grateful, of course, and she had to admit that his infectious smile was enough to lift her spirits every time. But this whole friendship thing still felt so odd to her. And yet with every passing day, she found it less and less exhausting. Often, she caught herself wondering if this was how it was like to be a normal kid.

Her own training, however, was beyond frustrating. Her body was healing so much more slowly than she was used to thanks to the poison still circulating her veins. Her quirk control was off and her stamina so much lower than she needed to fight effectively. She pushed herself regardless, training every day by herself until her body decided that enough was enough.

“Man, I really wish we could’ve worn our hero costumes instead of our PE uniforms,” Mina complained while Class 1A changed in the waiting room of the big arena.

“But this way, everyone has a fair chance,” Ojiro piped up.

Artemis sat at one of the tables, braiding the long side of her hair to keep it out of her eyes. The festival had arrived so much more quickly than she would have liked. Pulling another energy drink out of her bag, she tried to ignore the fatigue that seemed to accompany her constantly since the USJ incident.

She’d dragged herself through worse situations. All she had to do was get through the day. Shouldn't be too hard, right? After all, she sure as hell wasn't a weakling that needed to lay down at every minor inconvenience. Failure was not an option.

The sound of a door slamming jolted her out of her thoughts.

“Everyone, get ready! The competition is about to start,” Iida exclaimed in his usual student rep voice that he used to ‘organise’ class events.

But before anyone could actually leave for the arena, Todoroki got up and stepped into Midoriya's way.

“I think it’s safe to say that from an objective standpoint, I am stronger than you,” he said in his impossibly deep voice. “And since you have All Might in your corner, I’m going to make every effort to beat you.”

Artemis stood up without thinking. Something in the way Todoroki was hovering over her new friend made alarm bells go off in her head. There was genuine contempt in his declaration.

“Hey, now. No need to get all aggressive. We’re all in the same class.” Kirishima laughed awkwardly as he stepped between Todoroki and Midoriya.

“We’re not here to be friends,” Todoroki spat, shrugging off Kirishima's hand. “This is a competition to see who’s the best!”

Something in his tone of voice made Artemis hesitate. Was it because some time ago, she could have been the ones saying those words? It wasn't that she didn't agree with Todoroki, but the way he was talking to her friend didn't sit right with her. This sudden protectiveness over Midoriya surprised even herself.

“Todoroki… I don't know what you think you’re saying when you tell me you'll beat me. Of course you're better than me. I think you’re more capable than most people here,” said Midoriya. “But I’ll still be going at it with everything I have. I won't lose.”

The determination in Midoriya's voice was something Artemis hadn’t heard before. The usually kind, shy boy had a whole different look in his eyes. He really meant what he said. Artemis felt a smirk tug at the corners of her lips. Was she proud at how Midoriya was standing his ground? Perhaps he wasn’t the only one changing, after all.

The stadium was packed to the brim. The USJ incident had made class 1A so famous that it seemed like the entire city and media had their attention only on them. The first round was declared as an obstacle course around the stadium.

That seemed easy enough, Artemis thought, though knowing UA, there would probably be several extra challenges along the way. She just needed to get through it as fast as she could while making sure to preserve her strength for later.

Bakugou ground his teeth until they hurt. His lungs were burning, his breath ragged. The stinging of his arms told him he’d pushed his quirk to a painful level, and yet still he’d lost. How the hell had he only made it to third place in the first round, while Deku of all people had come first? His head pounded with rage as he glared at Midoriya. He'd been in the lead with Todoroki, and then Deku had just blasted himself into the sky, shooting past them at a speed neither he nor Todoroki had been able to catch up with.

Bakugou straightened his spine as Midnight explained that there would be a break to prepare for the next round. He wouldn't lose again.

Forcing himself to take a calming breath, he suddenly noticed that a certain redhead hadn’t placed anywhere near the top of the ranks.

His brows furrowed. He’d been surprised that she’d even taken part in the competition, considering what had happened just two weeks earlier. But she wouldn't have competed if she hadn't healed up properly… right? Yet her ranking said otherwise.

Bakugou turned slowly and looked around. Just where was Artemis, anyway? He scanned the crowd, an uneasy feeling settling in his stomach. He spotted her making her way towards the arena exit where the waiting rooms and restrooms could be found.

Even from a distance, he could tell that something was off. Artemis was hunched slightly as she walked, her face pale. Before he could stop himself, he was moving towards her.

Bakugou had been walking through the empty halls of the stadium for a few minutes when he suddenly heard a terrible retching and coughing, followed by a curse in a language he didn't speak.

Why was it that this girl had no sense of self preservation? Following the noises, he turned on his heels, strode towards the women's restroom and kicked the door open.

Sure enough, there she was, looking like death. She was kneeling down over the toilet bowl and clinging to the seat with white knuckles. Anger bubbled up in Bakugou’s gut as he watched her retch again. Artemis's whole body was shaking. Even Bakugou could tell she was in pain. Fucking hell.

How many nights had he woken up sweat drenched because he could still feel her blood soaking into his clothes? The image of her head falling back, her body growing cold in his arms as he saved her life, haunted him the moment he closed his eyes.

“What the fuck are you doing?” he growled.

Artemis flinched at the sound of his voice. Bakugou watched her wipe her mouth with trembling hands and look up at him. A myriad of emotions flickered across her face. Shock. Frustration. Rage.

“What are you doing here?” she rasped, falling back against the wall.

“What am I doing here? Seriously?” he hissed.

“This is the women's bathroom, dipshit. You really shouldn't-”

“Who gives a fuck? Look at you! If you're sick, you shouldnt be anywhere near the festival. Are you trying to kill yourself?”

Bakugou felt his body tremble, the look of defiance in her eyes fuelling the rage within him. Why wouldn't she just listen? And why was he even so worried in the first place? He shouldn’t care. He didn’t!

“I’m fine. A little overexertion never killed anyone,” Artemis huffed as she finally pulled herself to her feet. “This has nothing to do with you. Leave me alone.”

Something inside Bakugou snapped. If she was going to wreck herself beyond help, she could do that in her own time. He wasn’t about to watch her kill herself. Not when he’d worked so hard to save her.

“Enough,” he growled, marching towards her. “I will not have you carried out of this stadium in a fucking stretcher again.”

Before Artemis could say anything, Bakugou grabbed her by the wrist and threw her over his shoulder. She shrieked and struggled in his grasp, but her body was so weak, it did little to deter him. He barely felt her efforts to push him away.

“Bakugou, put me down this instant!” Artemis hissed, her fists drumming against his back.

“Quit it, squirt. I've had enough.”

Again, she tried to wriggle free, but Bakugou simply wrapped his arm tighter around her waist and picked up his pace.

“Where the fuck are you even taking me? Let me go!”

“The old lady’s office. You’re done for today.”

“Wait, what?”

Ignoring her complaints, Bakugou carried Artemis all the way to the second floor. When they got to Recovery Girl’s office, he didn't even bother knocking. He kicked the door open, strode into the room and dropped the girl onto the bed.

“What on earth is going on?” Recovery Girl asked, eyes flicking between Bakugou and the still-cursing Artemis.

“She's sick. I found her throwing up in the toilets. I need you to excuse her from the competition,” Bakugou said dryly, holding Artemis down on the bed.

“The fuck? I’m fine. Get your hands off me!”

Recovery Girl walked over and placed her hand on Artemis’s forehead. “Dark circles around the eyes, elevated heart rate, raised temperature. You've pushed yourself too hard again,” the old lady said with a scolding tone. “This is why I told Aizawa you shouldn't have participated in the festival at all. You're not properly healed yet.”

“For the hundredth time, I’m fine,” Artemis huffed, swatting away Recovery Girl’s hand. “I don’t need to be babied.”

“You are not fine. Tell me the truth, girl. Did you train after you were released from the hospital instead of taking it easy as I instructed you?” Recovery Girl’s eyes narrowed at the pouting girl.

Artemis didn’t look at her, which told everyone in the room exactly what they needed to know.

“Of course you did,” Bakugou growled with a shake of his head.

Before Artemis could utter another word, Recovery Girl got up and grabbed a handful of files. It was obvious that there would be no room to argue here.

“It was good of you to bring her, boy,” she said to Bakugou. “I’m going to go and fetch Aizawa. Can you stay with her and make sure she doesn't run off?”

Bakugou rolled his eyes. Of course he'd have to babysit again, though he’d rather stay if it minimised the chance of Artemis fucking off again.

Artemis sat on the bed, brimming with anger. Despite her exhaustion, she still had enough strength in her to glare holes into the back of Bakugou's head, though perhaps not enough to resist the urge to sucker punch him in the face.

Once the door closed behind Recovery Girl, silence fell over the room. Thoughts rushed through Artemis’s head so fast she could barely grasp them. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been this angry.

The fact that Bakugou just stood there, arms crossed, made everything worse. God, she wanted to strangle him.

“You had no right to do that,” she finally spat through gritted teeth. “I don’t need your fucking help. I don’t need anyone’s help.”

“Right,” Bakugou scoffed, turning to meet her gaze. “Because lying on the ground hunched over a toilet bowl is just a normal day for you, right?”

“That’s none of your fucking business. I would have been fine! It was just-”

“No, Artemis,” Bakugou snapped. “It's not ‘just’ anything. Holy shit. You can't destroy yourself in full view of the public and expect people not to take notice. You’re in a school for heroes, woman!”

“Oh, please,” Artemis hissed. “As if you care. We both know you hate my guts. So, what’s this really about, huh? Payback for kicking your arse? Are you so scared that I could beat you again that your only option is to take me out of the competition?”

For a moment, Bakugou just stared at her as he processed the words that had just come out of her mouth. Artemis noticed the vein on his forehead pulsating dangerously, the scent of nitroglycerin filling the air.

“You…” Bakugou's voice trembled as he spoke. “You really… think that's what this is about?”

“What else would it be? I'm sick and tired of everyone trying to baby me. None of you actually care. Just leave me alone!”

Artemis rose to her feet to meet him, her eyes blazing with fury.

“I don't understand what you want from me. Why can't you just let me be? Whatever happens to me is none of your concern.”

“None of my… You fucking dumbass! You almost died. You think that doesn’t affect people?” Bakugou roared. “Goddamnit. You know, I really thought you were smarter than this. You walk around pretending to be better than everyone else, but you can't get it through your skull that none of that matters when you're dead. If you can’t give your best, then why are you even here?” His hands balled into fists. “I dont know what the fuck is going on in that head of yours, but your reckless behaviour is driving me crazy! You think I didn’t notice how you dragged yourself through school the past two weeks? I knew this was going to happen the moment you heard about the Sports Festival.”

Artemis’s rage simmered down to confusion with every word he spat at her. Why was he so concerned? Despite the anger of his words, the look in his eyes was far from hatred. She watched him pace back and forth as he voiced his frustration.

“For fuck’s sake!” Bakugou stopped suddenly and ran his fingers through his hair. “You're so infuriating. I dont know what the fuck you went through to make you care so little about your own life, but I will not stand here and watch until someone has to bury your arse. If you’re incapable of keeping yourself alive, so help me God, I'll kick your arse until you learn.”

And that's when it clicked in her head. Bakugou didn't hate her. Artemis stared at him. Her mouth opened to speak, but she didn't find the right words to say. He cared. Katsuki Bakugou actually cared.

Artemis’s heart started to race. The realisation hit her like a sledgehammer to the head. No-one had ever cared whether she lived or died. No-one had ever been willing to fight for her or make an effort to keep her alive.

“You… care?” She asked in a hoarse whisper. “Whether I live or die… You care about that?”

Her heart was pounding so fast she was sure Bakugou could hear it. At her question, he turned to stare at her in disbelief.

“Did you not listen to what I just said?” Bakugou strode towards her and grabbed her by her shoulders. He shook her more gently than she’d been anticipating. “Of course I fucking care!”

Artemis didn't know what to say to that. No-one in her life had ever said something like that to her. And she knew Bakugou wasn't lying. She could read it in his heartbeat.

Bakugou had trusted her with his life in the USJ. He’d carried her to safety when her own body had given out. And here he was, trying to keep her safe again.

Artemis should have been angry. She should have pushed him away and told him to mind his own business. But the happiness that bubbled up in her was intoxicating.

Before she could stop herself, Artemis leaned forward, grabbed Bakugou by his jacket and pressed her lips to his.

Bakugou froze under her touch. Artemis didn't quite know what she was doing herself, but before she could pull back, his arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her closer, his eyes falling shut.

The scent of burned sugar filled her senses, clouding her mind in a way she’d never experienced before. Artemis released the fabric of his jacket to snake her arms around his neck.

Before she could do anything more, the sound of approaching footsteps made both of them freeze. They broke apart breathlessly.

Artemis looked up at Bakugou and recognised the same stunned confusion that she felt. Her cheeks started to burn, the heat spreading from her cheeks to her ears as she realised what she… they… had just done.

“Fuck,” she whispered.

Aizawa's muffled voice sounded dangerously close through the door. Bakugou's eyes widened. She opened her mouth to speak, but found herself being tossed back onto the bed. The next second, Bakugou was standing as far away from her as he possibly could.

Artemis didn't mind that at all. Her heart was beating so fast in her chest she was almost afraid it would jump out. What the hell had just happened?

#katsuki bakugou #bakugo #bakugou katsuki #gravity #mha #bnha #mha x reader #bnha x reader #mha x oc #bnha x oc #mha fanfic #bnha fanfic #bakugou x oc

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himluv · 5 years

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Hello, lovely, your secret admirer here! I know you love music, so I wanted to gather a few songs to share with you during this exchange. This isn't the most coherent playlist exactly because it encompasses Solas/Lavellan, Dorian/Lavellan, and just Dorian in general, but hopefully you can find at least a few songs you like.

(Apologies, I don't have a Spotify, otherwise I would have put these in a Spotify playlist for you for easy access. I hope you can find them. And I also hope you enjoy my little notes as to why I picked each song!)

Dangerous Man - Little Dume I've liked this song for a while now but it wasn't until I was putting this playlist together that it struck me as really having a Solas feel to it. To me, it just feels like what he must have felt in his "hot-blooded and cocky" youth, what he must have felt when he woke up to discover what had become of the world, and how it must have felt to fall in love with Lavellan. He wants to push her away - "they say I'm a dangerous man, better run as fast as you can" feels very big bad wolf, or in this case, "big bad Dread Wolf". Yet as much as he tries to resist, he's also at war with himself over these feelings. I think this really works for that.

Wolves Without Teeth - Of Monsters and Men I won't lie - this song caught my attention because it had "wolves" in the title, but I really feel like it works, particularly because it's a male/female duet. I feel like this is very much a Solas/Lavellan mood as they struggle against their feelings, relying on each other and being drawn to each other even so. There is such an intensity to the Sollavelan romance, and I think this song gets to the core of that really well.

Dear Fellow Traveler - Sea Wolf Solas is essentially a traveler - traveling the Fade, traveling the world, searching for dreams. He's solitary, particularly when he claims to be walking the Din'anshiral. But I find it fascinating that he keeps visiting Lavellan in her dreams, still thinking about her. Arlathan looms large in his mind, but in some ways, she looms larger. While this song isn't a perfect match, it really speaks to that notion I think, and the fact that Lavellan, for as different as the Dalish are to what Solas wants, represents a kindred spirit of sorts, a "fellow traveler".

Wolves - Selena Gomez This one is definitely a Lavellan song to me, speaking to what she must have felt when Solas walks away from her and what the healing process must have been to overcome that moment and all the other moments after he leaves. I love the idea of Lavellan going through all these emotions to try and heal, but also wanting to get back to the man she loves and the way he made her feel.

Little Talks - Of Monsters and Men As mentioned briefly before, I am fascinated by the notion of Solas returning to Lavellan in her dreams and I found that a particularly wonderful element of your fanfiction. Naturally, my mind went to this song. To me, this song has always been about a ghostly lover coming to the other after death, but the notion of a lover coming to the other in dreams also works, I think. And thus it screams Solas/Lavellan to me, that heartbreak and longing, the facade of being with each other in dreams. Imagine how lonely Skyhold must feel after Solas leaves. I can picture Lavellan having this conversation with her dream lover as she deals with it all.

Ready For It - Taylor Swift Although this one might not 100% work for your Riallan, this song has smacked of Solas/Lavellan to me since the first moment I heard it. If the last song lets Solas be a haunting presence - someone Lavellan can't shake - I like the notion of this song allowing Lavellan being the one to do a little haunting of her own. (Get it, Lavellan).

Without Me - Halsey Okay, so this one was originally on my list as sort of an option that felt like it fits the angry break up option in the game, but upon further reflection I don't know if it quite works, since the Inquisitor didn't really make Solas what he is (unless you count teaching him fashion sense XD). But it's still a great song and it was on here even before you said you like Halsey, so I had to keep it just for fun. ;)

No Promises - Cheat Codes This is another that I originally had marked as a Solavellan song, but the more I listened to it, the more I found myself wondering if it really fit them. I included it anyway because it could work on some level *or* it could potentially be a song for your Revan'ilan and Dorian, since you told me they initially pretended not to care for each other. I can see this potentially being their thought process there.

Shallow - from A Star Is Born This one might be a little bit too country for you, but I included it anyway. Like the previous song, I thought there was something very Solavellan about a male/female duet - both wanting change while also fearing themselves - but it doesn't fit them perfectly. Rather, some of the lyrics might again be a better fit for Revan'ilan and Dorian?? Especially because of your headcanon that they go to Qarinus while Revan'ilan recuperates and the water imagery in this song sort of fits the idea of being by the ocean and working through their struggles.

There Is a Light That Never Goes Out - The Smiths While this song works more from the standpoint of a modern AU, I think it still really works as a Dorian song in general. Whenever I hear this song, I think of Dorian - young and alone - having fled Tevinter after his father betrays him, desperately searching for love, doing anything to try to fix his broken heart, doing anything to feel good. The lyrics are so raw, emotional, and grim at times, which feels very true to Dorian, the man who joins the Inquisition fully expecting to die. But even through all of that, there is a light within him still. Yeah, this song makes me a little teary every time I hear it.

Your Love Could Start a War - The Unlikely Candidates Okay, this song is one of the very first songs I ever put on my "list of songs that remind me of Dragon Age and Dragon Age characters". From the first moment I heard it, it screamed Dorian and his romance to me. For (what I feel are) obvious reasons.

Burn - Ellie Goulding There is such an exuberance to this song, a defiance, a determination. And I just love it. Naturally, my mind can't help but go to Dorian - "can't hate you for hiding if you burn so brilliantly".

Sorry Not Sorry - Demi Lovato I'm totally kidding with this one, but I had to include it because it makes me laugh. I just love picturing Dorian going back to Tevinter post-Inquisition to "degrade the magisterium with his presence" and being hella fabulous while doing it and turning his nose up at everyone who ever gave him a hard time during his life. He deserves it. XD

I hope you enjoy!

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keiithmingo · 4 years

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Holistic Herbal Therapeutics and Influenza

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The other day I did one of our quarterly live Q&A sessions for all of the Evolutionary Herbalism students and someone asked a question about how we go about holistically treating influenza. It’s January of 2020, and as I’m sure you know, this tends to be the season where people are coming down with the flu or colds. I thought it would be really fun to share what I taught during that Q&A webinar as it’s a fitting discussion to be shared during the winter season, especially talking about the vitalist approach to treating influenza and the fever that often accompanies it.

The Danger of Fever Suppression

One of the reasons why I think this is particularly important is because it’s really conventional for people when they get the flu, and especially with the accompanying fever, to reach for something like aspirin to get that fever down. Unfortunately, when we suppress a fever, we actually end up prolonging the sickness. We can turn what would normally be maybe a two or three-day fever into a week-long fever by suppressing it. One of the wonderful things about herbal medicine, is that we have plants available to us that support the body in its natural responses in the way the body reacts to a fever.

I think it’s important for us as herbalists to remember that there’s a vital intelligence in the body. In the west, we oftentimes refer to this as the vital force. As holistic herbalists, we want to make sure that we’re always honoring and following the flow of the vital force, trusting in the intelligence of the body… trusting in the fact that our bodies know how to self regulate and to self heal.

Central to the concept of vitalist herbalism, is that our work with plants is supporting the body’s innate vital intelligence, rather than biochemically overriding what our body is trying to do. We are simply helping the body to self heal.

Lobelia inflata

Colds and Flu’s: What’s the difference?

Well, there’s a handful of things that I generally consider here in the treatment of the flu, but before getting into that, it’s worth acknowledging an interesting dynamic in our terminology where we tend to lump colds in with flu’s. We always say “colds and flu’s,” maybe because people tend to get them around the fall and winter time; but from a perspective of pathology, they’re actually quite different.

While both are generally viral infections affecting the respiratory system, but one of the big differences is that the common cold generally affects upper respiratory and sinuses. You get the stuffy nose, where your head feels like it’s floating on a balloon 10 feet above your head, kinda tired, sluggish, sometimes a sore throat.

Whereas with the flu, symptoms typically get much deeper into the respiratory system, so we oftentimes see a cough, usually associated with bronchitis; but the main differentiating factor is fever. An influenza infection, generally speaking, always is accompanied by a fever; whereas a common cold is not. This tends to change our approach to therapeutics.

The other thing that I think is worth mentioning is that no one has ever died from the common cold, but people die every year from influenza. It’s usually young children or elderly people that don’t have very strong immune systems or vitality; but nonetheless, people do die from the flu. Not to mention, every now and then there are those big flu pandemics that come out and can be very difficult to treat.

Pleurisy Root

When it does come to herbal treatment for the flu, there are a number of factors important to consider. The first is actually food. An old rule of thumb is that you fast a fever and feed a cold; so this is why during a cold, it’s nice to have a lot of hot soups and broth. You want to keep yourself nourished during a cold; but during a fever, eating food is actually not good. When someone has a working fever, they usually they don’t really have that much of an appetite anyway, but it’s good to keep that person in a fasting state.

The reason for that is because during a fever, all of the blood is being pushed out to the periphery and is circulating immunological components to keep things moving, to try to push heat out, and ultimately raise the internal body temperature to cook out that pathogen. When you eat a meal, all of your blood has to flow back into the digestive system, which can inhibit the process of a fever in pretty detrimental ways. So, rule #1: fast a fever, feed a cold.

The other important thing before I get into practical aspects of how I go about treating with herbs, is that a fever is a vital response. This is an intelligent response of the body’s vital force to a pathogen. From an allopathic perspective, we see the fever as the enemy. From a vitalist perspective, we see that the fever is the friend and it’s actually the intelligence of the body at work, fighting off this invading pathogen. It’s important that as vitalist herbalists, we work with the vital force, that we move with that intelligence of the body and don’t suppress it or try to, biochemically so to speak, shut it off. This is essentially what a lot of our over-the-counter, fever reducing, what we would call a febrifuge, type drugs do; aspirin, ibuprofen, etc. Those non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs work amazingly, but they biochemically turn off that fever response. And the fever is the body’s innate way of raising the internal temperature so it will denature whatever the pathogen is. Sure you feel better after taking an Aspirin, because you’re fever is effectively shut off, but during that downtime that pathogen is busy reproducing. Hence once that NSAID wears off you typically feel worse. The suppression of a fever is going to significantly extend the period of time one is sick versus a fever that’s just allowed to do its job.

Peppermint (Mentha piperita)

Stimulant and Relaxant Diaphoretics

From an herbal standpoint, as I said, we want to support the vital force, which means helping the fever do its job. We want to support the body, we want to encourage what the body’s already trying to do with our plants; and this is why we have this amazing category of remedies referred to as diaphoretics. This category of plants is incredible because successfully treat a fever by helping it along. They do this through a couple of different physiological mechanisms, which leads to our two main categories of diaphoretics: stimulants and relaxants.

Stimulant diaphoretics are typically pungent, hot, warming, circulatory stimulant plants that are going to help increase internal body temperature and help to bring blood from the core to the surface. Anything that tastes particularly spicy and makes you sweat is a stimulant diaphoretic, such as hot spicy peppers. Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) is a big one here and is a very powerful stimulant diaphoretic, along with Ginger (Zingiber officinale) and Black Pepper (Piper nigrum).

Stimulant diaphoretics are best used during an earlier phase of a fever, when someone feels cold, has pale skin, and is usually in an lower energy state. This is because the hypothalamus has set your basal body temperature from its baseline, 98.6 or whatever it might be; it’s saying, “okay, instead of 98.6 being the standard, 104 is standard, or 102 or 103.” That higher temperature is the new baseline, but you’re at still at 98-something degrees, so you feel cold. Relaxant diaphoretics are remedies typically used later on in a fever, when it’s “peaking.” This is when you feel hot, your skin’s red and dry, and there’s usually a lot of tension (both psychological and also physiological) in the sense that your muscles start to get achy, your back hurts, your head hurts, and everything feels tight. Sleep is often difficult. This is where we use relaxant diaphoretics.

These remedies function quite differently than the stimulants. Rather than warming you up and stimulating peripheral circulation, relaxant diaphoretics helps to ease tension in the capillary beds and skin pores. This helps the blood to flow more easily to the surface. I always say if a stimulating diaphoretic is like turning the heat up, a relaxing diaphoretic is like opening up the windows. Another way of looking at them, is that they “unkink the hose” so the blood can flow more smoothly. In Chinese Medicine they’re referred to as “surface relieving agents.” They’re opening up the pores and capillary beds, so all that internal heat can release and ultimately break the fever.

Whereas the stimulant diaphoretics are typically hot, spicy, pungent remedies, the relaxant diaphoretics are more often than not bitters or acrid plants. Good examples of that are Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum), Lobelia (Lobelia inflata), Blue Vervain (Verbena hastata), and Yarrow (Achillea millefolium).

Classic remedies here would be Lobelia (Lobelia inflata), Pleurisy root (Asclepius tuberosa), Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) is a major remedy here, Peppermint (Mentha piperita), Elderflower (Sambucus nigra), and Yarrow (Achillea millefolium). Some of those have mixed stimulant and relaxant diaphoretic properties, especially Yarrow; I find it works in both ways. These are all excellent remedies to consider working with in treating the fever side of influenza.

Elderflower (Sambucus nigra)

Administering Diaphoretics… Teas? Tinctures?

A big question I get all the time is what form of an herb should one take? Teas? Tinctures? Powders? Oils??

When it comes to treating a fever, and specifically using diaphoretics, is that these are best administered as hot infusions. The reason for this is that hot water on its own is naturally diaphoretic. Hot water rises, like steam, and when you take your herbs in hot water it naturally delivers them with an upward and outward directional flow, which is precisely what we’re going for here. Cold/room temperature water tends to be more diuretic in nature, delivering to the kidneys and urinary tract. Think of hot water. What does it do? It volatilizes, it steams, it moves up and out; that’s the whole energy of a fever, it’s the whole energy of a diaphoretic because we’re pushing things up and radiating things out. It’s like the Fire Element, which is precisely what a fever is, an excess of the body’s innate Fire.

Taking tinctures will work, but not nearly as well. But as herbalists there’s always times we find ourselves in situations where we have to improvise and work with what we have on hand. So if you only have a tincture, simply put the tincture in some hot water and have someone drink that.

Diaphoretic Herbs for Influenza

Lobelia (Lobelia inflata)

Pleurisy root (Asclepius tuberosa)

Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum)

Peppermint (Mentha piperita)

Elderflower (Sambucus nigra)

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Cayenne (Capsicum annuum)

Ginger (Zingiber officinale)

Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum)

I want to spotlight on Boneset a little bit here. Boneset is in my opinion one of the most improtant influenza remedies. It has antiviral properties, which of course is beneficial, but it’s an incredibly reliable, relaxant diaphoretic; specifically for the deep aches and pains in the muscles and bones during a fever. Boneset is very specific for that and it works very well. So, I just wanted to mention Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) is a must have remedy for the treatment of influenza. The only tricky thing about it is that it’s very bitter, which can be hard for people to get down as a tea. I’ve used tincture in water quite successfully with this remedy. The other aspect of this is working with antiviral plants. This is not always the way I think about it, but if someone has, for example, an accompanying cough with influenza, which is really common, we want to give indicated expectorants and respiratory route antiviral remedies to just support the body in clearing out that pathogen. Some of my tops here would be Lomatium (Lomatium dissectum), Osha (Ligusticum porteri), Poplar buds aka Balm of Gilead (Populus trichocarpa), Usnea lichen (Usnea spp.), and Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra)

Antiviral Herbs for Influenza

Lomatium (Lomatium dissectum)

Osha (Ligusticum porteri)

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra)

Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)

Oregano (Origanum vulgare)

Poplar buds (Populus trichocarpa)

Usnea (Usnea spp.)

Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis)

Also, we want to make sure that we’re giving remedies that are indicated for the tissue state of the respiratory system. If it’s really hot and dry, maybe giving them Osha isn’t the best way to go, right? If you do give Osha, you have to give it with moistening and cooling herbs to balance out the energetics to prevent imbalancing the tissue state. This is why Licorice is always an excellent herb to formulate with, as it not only tastes excellent, but brings much needed demulcent moistening effects to what are often very drying formulas.

While it’s important to consider our core herbal actions in therapeutics (stimulant and relaxant diaphoretics, antivirals, immune stimulants, expectorants etc.), it’s always critically important to always make sure to attend to the energetics.

The other thing that I really like giving people during fever is nervines. If they’re losing sleep, if they’re having a lot of muscle tension and muscle pain, sometimes I’ll give someone a really heavy dose of some herbs to just knock them out. If someone’s up all night with fever, if they’re having a real hard time sleeping at night, that is an obstacle to cure because the body is rejuvenating and replenishing itself during sleep, so I want to make sure people are sleeping really well. If needed, I will sometimes administer a heavy hitting nervine like Valerian (Valeriana officinalis), Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) or Hops (Humulus lupulus), or something just to relax someone, maybe relax their muscles a little bit and just get them to sleep.

Of course, the last thing is water, water, water!! We have to make sure people are staying hydrated during a fever as they are losing a lot of fluids, so we need make sure they stay hydrated. Administrating electrolytes can be really helpful if they are sweating a lot, and especially if they are getting a lot of that muscle pain, electrolytes are really helpful there too. I really like giving people some magnesium too, that can be helpful to provide some relief.

So, unless a fever is getting dangerously high, my approach is to support the body with diaphoretics and some of those other categories of plants I mentioned, and then just let the body run its course. Usually the fever will be taken care of within a day or two with the suggestions I mentioned.

The thing about this approach, is that you’re going to emerge on the other side stronger. Your immunity is stronger, your body is stronger. Ultimately you’re healthier than you are if you just take an antibiotic. Antibiotics are for bacteria, and these are viral infections anyway, so they usually don’t work so well, if at all, but for some reason doctors still give them. Also, if you’re taking something like aspirin or something that is really suppressive, you’re not giving your immune system an opportunity to learn.

So, every time you get sick like that and support the body with herbs, follow the vital force, allow the body to just do its job, you will emerge on the other side healthier and stronger and ultimately more vital. That’s really what we’re going for in a vitalist orientation of herbal medicine. Not just curing disease or fixing what’s broken, but practicing in a way that allows people to ultimately strengthen their overall vitality, which translates into a longer, happier, healthier life.

Holistic Herbal Therapeutics and Influenza published first on https://nutriherbsstore.tumblr.com/

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howtoloseweightfastsafely · 5 years

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The 10-second Trick That Can Slash Your Risk Of Cardiovascular Mortality By 37% (Most Traditional Cultures Have Done This For Centuries)

Did you know that people who ate less than 2 grams a day of this vital nutrient were 37% more likely to die of heart disease?

Did you know that this nutrient is constantly blamed for stroke, heart disease, high blood pressure, and various other ailments...but research shows it does the opposite of what most doctors and the media tell us?

And did you know that this nutrient is literally sitting in your kitchen cabinet at this very moment?

Well, I'll quit teasing you.

This nutrient is gold ol' "deadly, vicious, blood-pressure rising" salt.

Doctors and the media tell us salt is causing heart disease, is slowly killing us from the inside out, increasing our blood pressure and causing all sorts of issues.

And big pharma sells us expensive pills and emergency surgeries (while making millions, at our expense)...when we could pay less than $5 for an annual supply of simple heart-disease-preventing salt.

You see, the whole "salt = heart disease/increased death risk" hypothesis is based on a very poor "if (this), then (this)" thinking, without accurate backup research.

Basically, "experts" (including the American Heart Association and its inaccurate sodium recommendations) say:

1. Salt causes a slight increase in blood pressure

2. High blood pressure is related to heart disease and stroke risk

3. So, if we cut out salt, then we'll decrease our risk of heart disease and stroke

Sure, that sounds great in theory.

But since when, in the history of time, has one single nutrient or one single "anything" caused the downfall of our health (or any other issue for that matter).

Long-term problems are almost always due to a combination of poor choices, but never to just one single choice.

Just as obesity is likely due to excess calorie and nutrient consumption and limited exercise and underlying issues in the body...heart disease, stroke, and increased disease risk is likely due to poor dietary choices and poor lifestyle choices and possible genetic predispositions, etc.

But, no, of course, the "experts" don't consider this. They just come out and say "salt = heart disease and stroke", and don't even think to look at our evolutionary upbringing and samples of modern-day sodium usage. (These "experts" are ridiculous.)

Thankfully, I've come upon some good info in my readings that should help make this all clear.

If I haven't mentioned it already, I'm a big fan of ancestral health/longevity researches like Paul Jaminet, Chris Kresser, and Stephan Guyanet. And, in some of their findings and writings, you'll see that salt is actually well-documented as a staple nutrient in various cultures and as a necessity in our diets.

Let's jump into the facts.

Here's the truth about salt (and its disease-preventing properties):

1) A comprehensive study of sodium intake of 33 countries found that intake averaged 3.7 grams (about 1.6 teaspoons per day), decade after decade.

a. This level correlates with what can be thought of as a certain "reward threshold". The thinking is: the level is uniform in all countries, regardless of the culture or cuisine, because without that 3.7-gram intake level, we just don't feel adequately satiated.

2) From a biological standpoint, renin and aldosterone hormone levels jump significantly once sodium intake is below 1.5 teaspoons per day, in a clear-cut sign of sodium insufficiency.

3) A Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) showed that sodium excretion of both over 7 grams per day and under 3 grams per day was directly associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk

4) The "sweet spot" in the JAMA study was a level of roughly 4 to 6 grams of sodium per day.

a. For those having under 2 grams per day, cardiovascular mortality risk was increased by 37%!!

b. FYI: The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends a max of 1.5 grams per day! This is even less than the 2 grams per day threshold. If we follow these AHA guidelines, our cardiovascular mortality risk will be even more than 37%.

5) A 2011 American Journal of Hypertension study found no solid evidence that a reduction in salt intake prevents heart conditions.

What this means for you:

Disregard the government/doctor recommended levels, which may cause sodium insufficiency and increased disease risk

BUT, don't go so high that you still end up damaging your body.

The "sweet spot" is 4 to 6 grams of sodium per day, or roughly 1.6 to 3 teaspoons per day.

Increase your potassium intake. 4,700 mg per day is recommended, whereas most Americans get half that number. Potassium and sodium go hand in hand and the former can often prevent internal deficiencies caused by the latter.

If you have kidney problems, you may be one of the few people who should worry about keeping salt intake down. Please speak to your doctor.

You've now got the information you need. It's time to make the changes!

Interested in losing weight? Then click below to see the exact steps I took to lose weight and keep it off for good...

Read the previous article about "7 Steps To Reduce AGEs and Slow Aging"

Read the next article about "How To Clean Up Your Liver and Vital Organs"

Moving forward, there are several other articles/topics I'll share so you can lose weight even faster, and feel great doing it.

Below is a list of these topics and you can use this Table of Contents to jump to the part that interests you the most.

Topic 1: How I Lost 30 Pounds In 90 Days - And How You Can Too

Topic 2: How I Lost Weight By Not Following The Mainstream Media And Health Guru's Advice - Why The Health Industry Is Broken And How We Can Fix It

Topic 3: The #1 Ridiculous Diet Myth Pushed By 95% Of Doctors And "experts" That Is Keeping You From The Body Of Your Dreams

Topic 4: The Dangers of Low-Carb and Other "No Calorie Counting" Diets

Topic 5: Why Red Meat May Be Good For You And Eggs Won't Kill You

Topic 6: Two Critical Hormones That Are Quietly Making Americans Sicker and Heavier Than Ever Before

Topic 7: Everything Popular Is Wrong: The Real Key To Long-Term Weight Loss

Topic 8: Why That New Miracle Diet Isn't So Much of a Miracle After All (And Why You're Guaranteed To Hate Yourself On It Sooner or Later)

Topic 9: A Nutrition Crash Course To Build A Healthy Body and Happy Mind

Topic 10: How Much You Really Need To Eat For Steady Fat Loss (The Truth About Calories and Macronutrients)

Topic 11: The Easy Way To Determining Your Calorie Intake

Topic 12: Calculating A Weight Loss Deficit

Topic 13: How To Determine Your Optimal "Macros" (And How The Skinny On The 3-Phase Extreme Fat Loss Formula)

Topic 14: Two Dangerous "Invisible Thorn" Foods Masquerading as "Heart Healthy Super Nutrients"

Topic 15: The Truth About Whole Grains And Beans: What Traditional Cultures Know About These So-called "Healthy Foods" That Most Americans Don't

Topic 16: The Inflammation-Reducing, Immune-Fortifying Secret of All Long-Living Cultures (This 3-Step Process Can Reduce Chronic Pain and Heal Your Gut in Less Than 24 Hours)

Topic 17: The Foolproof Immune-enhancing Plan That Cleanses And Purifies Your Body, While "patching Up" Holes, Gaps, And Inefficiencies In Your Digestive System (And How To Do It Without Wasting $10+ Per "meal" On Ridiculous Juice Cleanses)

Topic 18: The Great Soy Myth (and The Truth About Soy in Eastern Asia)

Topic 19: How Chemicals In Food Make Us Fat (Plus 10 Banned Chemicals Still in the U.S. Food Supply)

Topic 20: 10 Banned Chemicals Still in the U.S. Food Supply

Topic 21: How To Protect Yourself Against Chronic Inflammation (What Time Magazine Calls A "Secret Killer")

Topic 22: The Truth About Buying Organic: Secrets The Health Food Industry Doesn't Want You To Know

Topic 23: Choosing High Quality Foods

Topic 24: A Recipe For Rapid Aging: The "Hidden" Compounds Stealing Your Youth, Minute by Minute

Topic 25: 7 Steps To Reduce AGEs and Slow Aging

Topic 26: The 10-second Trick That Can Slash Your Risk Of Cardiovascular Mortality By 37% (Most Traditional Cultures Have Done This For Centuries, But The Pharmaceutical Industry Would Be Up In Arms If More Modern-day Americans Knew About It)

Topic 27: How To Clean Up Your Liver and Vital Organs

Topic 28: The Simple Detox 'Cheat Sheet': How To Easily and Properly Cleanse, Nourish, and Rid Your Body of Dangerous Toxins (and Build a Lean Well-Oiled "Machine" in the Process)

Topic 29: How To Deal With the "Stress Hormone" Before It Deals With You

Topic 30: 7 Common Sense Ways to Have Uncommon Peace of Mind (or How To Stop Your "Stress Hormone" In Its Tracks)

Topic 31: How To Sleep Like A Baby (And Wake Up Feeling Like A Boss)

Topic 32: The 8-step Formula That Finally "fixes" Years Of Poor Sleep, Including Trouble Falling Asleep, Staying Asleep, And Waking Up Rested (If You Ever Find Yourself Hitting The Snooze Every Morning Or Dozing Off At Work, These Steps Will Change Your Life Forever)

Topic 33: For Even Better Leg Up And/or See Faster Results In Fixing Years Of Poor Sleep, Including Trouble Falling Asleep, Staying Asleep, And Waking Up Rested, Do The Following:

Topic 34: Solution To Overcoming Your Mental Barriers and Cultivating A Winner's Mentality

Topic 35: Part 1 of 4: Solution To Overcoming Your Mental Barriers and Cultivating A Winner's Mentality

Topic 36: Part 2 of 4: Solution To Overcoming Your Mental Barriers and Cultivating A Winner's Mentality

Topic 37: Part 3 of 4: Solution To Overcoming Your Mental Barriers and Cultivating A Winner's Mentality

Topic 38: Part 4 of 4: Solution To Overcoming Your Mental Barriers and Cultivating A Winner's Mentality

Topic 39: How To Beat Your Mental Roadblocks And Why It Can Be The Difference Between A Happy, Satisfying Life And A Sad, Fearful Existence (These Strategies Will Reduce Stress, Increase Productivity And Show You How To Fulfill All Your Dreams)

Topic 40: Maximum Fat Loss in Minimum Time: The Body Type Solution To Quick, Lasting Results

Topic 41: If You Want Maximum Results In Minimum Time You're Going To Have To Work Out (And Workout Hard, At That)

Topic 42: Food Planning For Maximum Fat Loss In Minimum Time

Topic 43: How To Lose Weight Fast If You're in Chronic Pain

Topic 44: Nutrition Basics for Fast Pain Relief (and Weight Loss)

Topic 45: How To Track Results (And Not Fall Into the Trap That Ruins 95% of Well-Thought Out Diets)

Topic 46: Advanced Fat Loss - Calorie Cycling, Carb Cycling and Intermittent Fasting

Topic 47: Advanced Fat Loss - Part I: Calorie Cycling

Topic 48: Advanced Fat Loss - Part II: Carb Cycling

Topic 49: Advanced Fat Loss - Part III: Intermittent Fasting

Topic 50: Putting It All Together

Learn more by visiting our website here: invigoratenow.com

#weightloss #diet

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renzywenzy · 7 years

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Logan Review

*Spoiler Alert*

“One Last Time”, said Hugh Jackman back in 2015. It was at that moment that I started to feel the pain. The pain of knowing we were going to lose someone who not only has been a huge part of the character that he played but has become the character. James Howlett. Weapon X. Logan. Wolverine. For over 15 years and for one role, he’s dedicated every facet of himself. His body. His mind. His heart. And now it has all culminated into this. With one last mission, we have finally arrived to his curtain call.

I was thinking not to let my emotions get the better of me for this review but then I thought that doing so would result in the best and most honest critique I can possible give. To dissect this film properly, I had to be a nostalgic nerd as much as a film critic because this is 17 years and 7 movies (9 if you include cameos) we’re talking about here. Whether those movies were great (Days of Future Past) or shit (Origins), he would never turn in a bad performance as the feral mutant. So with that being said, let’s delve deeper into the beloved hero’s final adventure.

The Good

1.) I just have to say this first. Hugh Jackman just fucking destroys it as Wolverine!! I always thought that his performance in the 2003 “X2″ was his best outing as the comic book icon and that his later performances, though fantastic, weren’t quite up to par…but this one is and actually surpasses it. For a role like this, he had to step his game up and he did so flawlessly. Wolverine is just a broken down mess of a man. He has been through hell and has the unhealed scars to prove it. What the writers did for Wolverine here is instill in the audience a sense of fear. Fear that he may actually die at any given moment. His healing powers are just not the same in his old age and the adamantium’s poison is finally catching up to him. I feel like I should tell some of you who may still be wondering what’s causing him to die what exactly is wrong with him. Well, to put it simply, Wolverine was the perfect test subject for the adamantium project because not only would his natural healing abilities help him survive the injection of adamantium but it would keep the metal from poisoning his blood after. However, now that he’s growing older (he’s not immortal, he just ages a LOT slower) his healing factor isn’t the same and because of that, his blood is finally feeling the effects of the poison. So now, he’s exponentially weaker and that’s what I love about it. We finally get rid of that feeling of “Oh well he’ll just heal in a few seconds. This is nothing to him”. No, that’s just not the case anymore. He’s relatively vulnerable now and that’s what makes Wolverine more engaging than ever before. He can feel the lasting results and not just from physical pain. Now, alcohol can make him drunk, his body can’t even heal enough to give him perfect vision and hell, maybe even a fucking snake bite can kill him for all we know. However, his physical deterioration is the least of his worries.

No longer the sharp, agile, and feral weapon that he once was, he is now a rusty, old, and mentally exhausted man running on whatever precious fumes he has left. A recurring motif is how tired he constantly is. Literally and figuratively. A far cry from the battle-ready and ever vigilant soldier that he once was. It takes a special kind of actor to pull this off but thankfully, Wolverine is played by a very talented man. Hugh Jackman, for all the positive adjectives I can give him, is just downright believable. You just believe every emotion he shows whether it’s anger (and there’s a lot of that), sorrow (even more of that), or happiness (so few that they have to be cherished). For example, that one scene at the barn where he, Laura (X-23), and Charles were having dinner with the nice family. Wolverine cracks a smile and it just feels genuinely warm. The fact that one smirk meant so much captures just how heavy-handed this film was and how convincingly depressed Wolverine was throughout. Another scene was when he was yelling at X-23 (I’m sorry but I’m just gonna call her that for the rest of this review since that's how I called her growing up) at how he and his friends “never asked for this”. You see the sadness and rage in his eyes at the same time. You see the decades of torment in his face and the toll it has taken on his body and mind. A body and mind that has been impaled, brainwashed, shot at, nuked, telekinetically thrown around, physically thrown around, and has even travelled through time. The perfect portrait of a man that has been through centuries of anguish.

A role like this requires a 100% from a physical and emotional standpoint and Hugh gives more than just 100. Maybe it’s experience, maybe it’s the fact that he has lot of hype to live up to knowing that this is his final outing, maybe it’s the love and the respect that he has for Wolverine. Maybe it’s all of the above. Whatever it is, I’m glad that he saved the best for last. I know that somewhere along the line, 20th Century Fox (or even Marvel Studios if they somehow get the movie rights) will just find a new actor to play Wolverine but this performance alone shows how it’s damn near impossible to fill Hugh Jackman’s shoes. I feel sorry for whoever has to replace Hugh because you would not just be replacing an actor. You’ll be replacing The Wolverine. Thank you, Mr. Jackman, for this bravura performance and thank you for 17 fucking years of unadulterated brilliance.

2.) This girl…holy fucking shit. This girl steals her scenes, man. Dafne Keen, in her first ever film role, absolutely amazing. She holds her own with Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart (who we’ll get to in a while). Honestly, I was genuinely surprised how solid this kid was. It was actually one of my initial worries that she wouldn’t pull it off because, if I’m being completely honest, we’re in a generation where good kid actors are a rarity these days. So it’s just refreshing to see this little child show off her visible acting chops and her potential to be an even better actress. What really makes her stand out is how so much of her emotions can be felt through her eyes alone and her eyes are fucking daggers that pierce right through you. When the camera closes in on her stare, you feel the coldness and the intensity. You feel that at any minute, if she’s pushed too much, she’ll unleash her fury on the poor soul she sets her eyes on. I was completely sold on her abilities in that final scene where Wolverine dies and she was required to cry. That scene right there was almost a litmus test to see if she can dial up the drama. It’s a scene that would make or break an actor and she made it.

The character of X-23 is properly developed (thank Jesus). She is handled just as well, if not better than her cartoon counterpart in X-Men: Evolution. Her life story is accompanied by such tragedy that doesn’t feel too manipulative. In fact, it garners a lot of sympathy. That’s why when the claws start flying, it feels extremely satisfying but I’ll talk more about the fight scenes later. Her tragic background, her attempts to become closer with her father, and her engaging search for a purpose make her a strong and compelling character who, if given the right direction, can replace Wolverine’s presence in future installments. I look forward to seeing more of Ms. Keen as X-23 and hopefully, her next adventures become as memorable as this one.

3.) Damn. Has Patrick Stewart ever given a bad performance? He’s just one of those dudes where acting just feels natural to him. Every line is delivered excellently and every emotion displayed perfectly. I will definitely miss Hugh Jackman as Wolverine but damned if I say nobody will miss Patrick Stewart once he leaves Professor X for good (I know he said that this will be his last outing but he expressed interest in appearing in future Deadpool films so there you go). He has proven time and time again that he is the perfect Professor Charles Xavier. McAvoy’s great too but this is the definitive Professor. In this film, every aspect of his personality is on full display. Whatever comedic potential he had was reached here. His vulgar cussing at Wolverine from time to time is just funny and is timed perfectly. His warm nature is still there but is mixed in with some bitterness and surliness which is appropriate given all the shit that he has been through directly and/or indirectly caused by Wolverine. The slight animosity that he has for Wolverine is earned because he is a man who believes in the idea of helping others while Logan seems to have forgotten that. Even with his sense of honor, more so than ever before, he is vulnerable. The most vulnerable that he can possibly get and it is dangerous for everybody around him. The greatest and most powerful mind in this cinematic universe suffers from seizures. Fatal seizures at that.

In X2, we’ve seen just how lethal his powers can truly be when he loses control. Imagine a powerful bomb that can potentially wipe out the entire world in a slow and very painful manner. Now imagine that bomb retains its level of destruction but now it has faulty wiring. That is how deadly Professor X has become in his ancient and deteriorating age. During his seizures, you see that his mind is eating away at the lives of those around him. I’m not sure what the fuck is happening to them but I sure as hell do not want to find out. All I can say for sure is that it’s not pretty and if left unchecked, it can kill people within a few minutes. How do we know? Well, apparently he has killed others already. It’s never explicitly said how (which is good) but the way I pieced it together was during his first seizure, he injured 600 people (some mutants and probably some humans) and killed 7. Those 7 were X-Men.

It’s really sad the more I think about it. The one person who gave Wolverine a home was the same person who destroyed it. You feel his guilt towards the end of his life and how he thought he doesn’t deserve to be happy. I’ll admit that I cried with him as he recalled that dark moment of his life and when he died, it was just horrible. Honestly, I thought that the way his death played was great. Not necessarily the way he was killed but what came after it. When Wolverine had him in his arms and he kept telling Chuck “It wasn’t me”. That was great and how Xavier was stroking the car and saying “Sun Seeker” as if he thought that he was on the boat that Wolverine promised to buy. It was shot beautifully. In the end, he died feeling both happiness and sorrow. If we ever get to see Professor X again, he may never top this performance but this newfound comedic timing would work wonders in a possible appearance in Deadpool. I enjoyed all the dynamics that were laid out among its 3 central figures. Whether it was the father-daughter relationship between Logan and X-23 or the friends/mentor-protector relationship between Wolverine and Professor X or the collective dynamic of all three characters together, the on-screen chemistry was just perfect and it really sums up the main vibe of the film.

4.) I think now it’s appropriate that I talk about the tone and pacing of the film. If anything else, this is probably the darkest,grittiest, and most down-to-earth movie in the X-Men Cinematic Universe. For Wolverine’s character, that tone fits perfectly. I think being an R-rated film really helped out here because not only does the R-rating show itself in the action sequences but it shows in the maturity of its storytelling. It takes a less fast-paced approach and becomes more methodical. There are plenty of stretches where there’s really no action happening and all you’re given is interesting character arcs that are handled with care and respect. It takes its time with these people and rightfully so. These moments could have easily been boring but because you care about these people, because the dialogue is so well-written, and because the chemistry between Wolverine, X-23, and Professor is so damn strong, you don’t really notice the slower pacing. The film is heavy handed and it wants you to feel the pain of these people through these character-driven moments.

It’s not all gloomy, though. The film balances drama with some humor and neither aspect ever makes the other an afterthought. There are also those bittersweet scenes of some subtle happiness sprinkled throughout. In fact, we needed some of these lighter moments to balance out all the depression surrounding their adventure. The sweet little barn scene, in particular, fleshed out X-23 more. With X-23 discovering music, it reminds the audience that she is still a child even with all that adamantium-filled rage within her. Scenes like her laying down on the floor and looking at her picture of friends reminds how this weapon created through test tubes and collected DNA is just someone who wants to have a normal childhood and have a family. That’s why seeing her have her momentary sense of sanctuary made me both happy and sad. Happy because at least gets to be a normal person for a few hours but sad because I know, right around the corner, the painful reality is slowly tracking them down.

5.) I just need to talk about the kick-ass action scenes. They are fucking bloody and gory as hell. Blood here, blood there, claws through the throat, through the eyes, through the chest, you got them all here. It’s superficially satisfying but awesome nonetheless and thankfully, there is a lot more of that in this film. Initially, I wondered how far would this movie go in terms of violence and within the first 5 minutes, they showed me just how. Wolverine is being messed around with by a few thugs and he just wastes them. One dude’s arm is just gone and I was like “Oh shit, that actually happened” and just from there, you get the sense that this is different from previous X-Men films. Also, there’s this one scene that takes it even a little further than. So X-23 is in a building eating cereal and this one massive dude comes in and attempts to apprehend her. The massive dude’s team is with him and the rest of his buddies are outside. You hear noise but you don’t see anything. X-23 comes out and is holding something and yes, that something is the guy’s severed head. This little girl established her bad-assery and didn’t even do anything on-screen yet but when she finally does unleash the claws for the first time, everyone just gets murdered and mutilated. I would like to thank Deadpool for being such a success because if it hadn’t, we probably would not get any of this. This is by far some of the best and most appropriate action sequences involving Wolverine and it’s just fucking awesome. I figured that maybe it might too gratuitous at times but then I said “Fuck it. This Hugh’s last outing so go out with all the bloodshed and severed limbs you want.” And just went you thought they would run out of ideas for these action scenes, they even use Professor X’s seizures cleverly. I don’t usually do this but I want to give massive props to the choreographers of these stunts because they did justice to the character here and hopefully, if X-23 gets her own films, we get to see plenty more of these.

6.) Finally, I have to talk about Wolverine’s death and I’m a little bit on the mixed side. The second part of this point will be #2 in my negative section. However, let’s first talk about why this death worked. He finally died and not as a punk. He died fighting like the rabid warrior that he is. It was an extremely sad point in the movie but what came after was even more melancholy. His final conversation with X-23 and how he tells her to not be the weapon that they her created to be was fantastic. Not only because of what he said to her but the fact that, out of all the people in the world, Wolverine knows that feeling better than anybody else. My favorite part was definitely when he said “So this is what it feels like”. There was something darkly funny about that moment because keep in mind: this is a man who, for centuries, has avoided death. He feels all the pain that he goes through but it’s never enough to kill him. Whatever gets thrown at him, he’ll just heal and come back stronger than ever. Yet, here he is. In the middle of the forest. Dying as both the wild animal they made him to be and as the honorable man that he thought he never was. It’s an emotionally powerful moment indeed.

Now that we’ve talked about the good parts of the film, here comes the less attractive job when talking about great movies: what didn’t work well.

The Bad

1.) This point is more of a two-parter, maybe even a three-parter because I will be talking about the main villains and their wasted potential. Seeing as how this is my biggest gripe, I felt it was appropriate to talk extensively about it.

The weak, vanilla villains. These dudes were generic as fuuuuck. You had the “relentless asshole soldier type” and “the evil doctor”. Oh joy. Thing is it’s sad because the two actors who played Zander Rice and Donald Pierce (above) gave solid performances but it’s just the development or lack there-of that was the movie’s biggest misstep. There was no real motivation behind these bad guys and nothing interesting about them. More importantly, there was really not enough character in there for me to hate. There was so little weight to their misdeeds and they were just not convincing enough. They were so over-the-top bad for no good reason that they just felt static and robotic so that’s why when they finally died, I didn’t feel any sort of satisfaction or hell, even that bare minimum “That asshole finally died. YES!” feeling. It’s not like Gaston from the animated Beauty and The Beast or Commodus from Gladiator or even Sebastian Shaw from X-Men: First Class where you let out an inner scream of triumph when you finally see the main villain die after a grueling adventure. I really wanted that triumphant feeling but sadly, it just wasn’t there. Hell, if they couldn’t make them convincingly villainous then at least make them insufferable and annoying like fucking Jesse Eisenberg from BvS. God, now that will be a death that I will cherish forever. For all who don’t know, I hate Jesse Eisenberg as “LEX” “LUTHOR” for reasons you can find in my BvS review.

But I digress. One thing that they could have done with these villains is build on those small character moments that they already showed. For example, that scene where Donald is talking to Wolverine and tells him that he looked up to Wolverine growing up as a kid. They could have made so much more out of that particular aspect but they didn’t and it would have made this cat-and-mouse chase all the more emotionally charged.

The biggest waste, however, is the character of Dr. Rice. The man who was apparently the reason for the extinction of the majority of mutants. He just comes in halfway into the film and I’m like “Woah, alright , that’s a bit sudden for a new villain.” and he does nothing to make the film any better. I really can’t talk too much about this guy because there’s really nothing too much to talk about anyways. He’s just there. He is, however, the creator of X-24.

X-24 is the younger, more feral, and more evil clone of Wolverine. Although, his healing abilites are limited and not quite up to par with the healing factor of Wolverine in his prime. He doesn’t have that much going for him but he’s not completely wasted as he does give Wolverine some pretty cool fight scenes. Again, though, they could have done so much more with this character and here’s why I say that. In his introduction scene where he kills Xavier, the nice family who owns the barn, and the family’s hostile neighbors, he gets a little too crazy and the doctor has to stop him by yelling at him. Now, that particular aspect of “Frankenstein trying to control his monster” felt unnecessary because they never went past that one scene. Then, there’s a scene where X-24 gets impaled and Doctor Rice is injecting this serum in him so that he can heal properly and he speaks to him in a way like a father does to his son. That right there showed a more human side of Dr. Rice that we sadly don’t get more of. Had the writer given more emphasis on this “father/son, evil genius/unstable creation” dynamic, it would have made this movie a lot better and it would have given Dr. Rice and X-24 a hell of a lot more development.

If maybe they would give us 15 to 20 more minutes of scenes like that, I would have been perfectly fine with it. They could given Logan the “Dark Knight Rises” treatment and make it 2 hours and 45 minutes. If Christian Bale’s Batman gets that much time than so can Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. I mean, honestly, it didn’t feel like it was dragging too much and extra scenes like the Dr. Rice/X-24 development would have kept things fresh. It’s a huge opportunity wasted.

2.) Here comes the continuation of positive point #6. This next point is a little complicated. You see, this point is about the fact that Wolverine didn’t go out in that grand and epic way that he deserves BUT the reason that it’s here in the negative section is only because of negative point #1. Had he been killed by a villain that actually mattered more and meant more then I would have been completely fine with the manner in which he died. As it stands, however, because he was killed by a rather bland villain, it doesn’t feel as grand as it should have. Don’t get me wrong though. It’s weird because I’m not necessarily talking about his final moments while he was dying but I’m talking more about the actual cause of his death. It’s not a huge problem in the grand scheme of things but still, for a character like Wolverine, we needed a little more. Guess it’s kind of appropriate, really, seeing as how his comic book counterpart canonically died rather anti-climatically. (Props to Marvel, by the way, for keeping Wolverine dead for 3 years and counting. None of this cheesy comic book resurrection bullshit).

BUT, and here’s a massive but, it still has some clever symbolism that makes it less negative. Remember throughout the entire film, Wolverine kept contemplating on whether or not he should kill himself. Also, remember when he was keeping that adamantium bullet for himself. Well, technically speaking, HE did kill himself just not in the conventional way and that bullet was used on HIM again not in the conventional way. I’m not sure if the writers meant that or if it was accident but the symbolism worked well as a whole.

Now that we have the major positives and negatives out of the way, here’s a new section that’s unique to Logan. It’s not really bad nor is it good but I feel like I have to mention it.

The Confusing

Where the fuck does this fit in with the X-Men movie timeline? It honestly does not make any sense and here’s why. After Days of Future Past (DoFP), the timeline of the films have changed. Basically, X-Men 1,2,3, Origins, and The Wolverine never happened. The timeline followed First Class, DoFP, and Apocalypse and James Mangold, the director, told people that this follows the timeline after DoFP BUT they make references to what happened in X-Men 1 and technically Wolverine got that adamantium bullet from Origins. It might not be the same bullet but I don’t see why it can’t be. There aren’t exactly any adamantium bullets lying around. So either they completely fucked with the timeline OR it’s an else-world story. Mangold, himself, did say that one of the main reasons the film is set in the future is to avoid following plot points from previous films. I get that. He wanted to tell a story and he felt that staying too much on the path of the previous films would limit the tale. I get it but it’s just so damn confusing. In the middle of it all, I accepted it because of how good the film is so that’s why it’s not good nor bad. It just is.

Quick Bullet Points

So because I can’t make paragraphs about everything, here are some quick positives and negatives for you

+ Cinematography is top notch.

+The settings they chose were beautiful.

- Caliban is a wasted character. More of a plot device than anything else and…

-….that’s why his death was just meh.

+ Soundtrack was pretty good.

+ Thank God they don’t use that fucking shaky cam

- They don’t really explain how they kept X-24 in control.

+ Some of Wolverine Uber-esque drives were pretty funny.

+ That Deadpool teaser at the beginning got me excited for the sequel.

- No Deadpool/Wolverine crossover

+ I’m glad there was no post-credits scene like previous X-Men films. That showed real closure.

Overall, this was a fantastic film. What Logan is to Marvel movies is what The Dark Knight is for DC. It goes beyond the comic book genre and instead becomes a gritty, dark, and dramatic tale of an old veteran looking for peace in this world. I am so glad that they made this movie and that it was every bit as good as it possibly could have and more. It’s the appropriate send-off to a beloved role that has become a part of people’s lives for 17 long years. Years from now when a new X-Men movie come out, something will feel different and you’ll realize it’s because a huge part of what made these movies so great has left this hole that may never be completely filled. For all the people who love and will miss Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, cherish this movie as much as you can. It’s funny when you think about how Hugh wasn’t even the first choice for Wolverine. Imagine what it would have been like had he never been chosen. They will find someone to replace him sooner or later (Tom Hardy is rumored while Hugh believes Scott Eastwood should do it) but deep down, we’ll all know nobody can really replace him. It won’t be because other dudes aren’t good enough actors. It’s because, like I said, this is 17 dedicated years and 7 full movies. That’s not easy to replicate or even add to so to the actor who’ll eventually play Wolverine, best of luck to you. You’re gonna need it.

And as for Hugh..

…goodbye and thank you.

#logan #movie review

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