#4 Ways to Treat Yourself in 2020

[sanakiras]

LIAR, LIAR! [TEASER]

PAIRING — kim mingyu x reader

WORD COUNT — 1.4k (full fic will be 20k+)

RELEASE DATE — TBA, will probably take a while!

SYNOPSIS — in a dramatic turn of events, a rich businessman is found dead in his lavish estate, and the authorities believe it was no accident. as the detectives dig deeper, they ultimately end up with two key suspects: you, the businessman’s very own daughter, and your sworn enemy, kim mingyu. as the time progresses, tensions rise and secrets spill — and the truth has the power to either bring you closer together or tear you apart.

TAGS — murder mystery, rich rivals to partners in crime to lovers, whole lotta plot, dark comedy if u ask me, explicit sexual content, somewhat graphic depictions of death, everyone and everything is dysfunctional™, mentions of suicide, moral compass is nowhere to be found, angst

♪ aquartos - crystal city,, verydeadly - wolves (kanye west cover),, blue foundation - eyes on fire (4 ave version),, low - dancing and blood,, vessel - red sex

NOTE — one of my favorite episodes of going seventeen remains bad clue 2020, i loved mingyu’s role in it and i could totally see him portraying darker/morally grey characters and rock tf out of it so. i wrote this solely based on that idea. enjoy :D

i. TWO WEEKS SINCE THE MURDER

the interrogation room is unnecessarily bright, the noise of the water dispenser in the corner and the flickering led light above you running through your ears. the chair you’re seated on is uncomfortable, though it’s nothing compared to the tension you feel as the man in front of you treats you like you’re guilty of something.

“on september 2nd, sometime around six o’clock, your father reportedly got unwell, so he left his office early, choosing to do the rest of his paperwork at home. according to the information we got from the gps tracker in his car, he went straight home, took no detours. he arrived at your family estate thirty minutes later. then at eight o’clock, the police received a call from you, saying your father’s hung himself.”

you stare at the the inspector whose name you did not bother remembering before waving with your hand. “i’m aware. i’ve heard the recap of events many times at this point. this isn’t the first time i’m being interrogated, surprisingly enough.”

with a puzzled look, he raises his brow at you. “you don’t think you should be a suspect?”

“no, i don’t.”

“at the time of the incident, you were home, as well as two members of the staff. since the staff were on their dinner break and you were apparently in your room, it’s hard to say what happened, since there were no witnesses.”

“do you mind me asking why you think it’s murder and not just a suicide?”

he’s intrigued by the way you discuss the topic so casually. “your father was an important man. wouldn’t you want to know who killed him if that is the case?”

“sure. i’d thank them.” you smile at him, the hatred for your father shining through. “believe me, inspector — my father was a miserable man who surrounded himself with other miserable people. i wasn’t there by choice.”

“did he treat you badly, then?” he continues, trying to pry any information out of you.

you can only sigh. “i was his daughter by blood only. that’s all.”

with your demeanor softening into something sadder, the inspector’s tone changes into something different. “aside from you, and the staff, of course, we do have another suspect who we think could have something to do with your father’s death.”

that sparks your interest. “who?”

the inspector grabs his small pile of documents to pull a printed photo out of it, putting it before you. you visibly frown, because the person on the photo is someone you’re unfortunately awfully familiar with.

“kim mingyu is a suspect? seriously?” you ask, completely in shock. ironically, he’s the last person you’d suspect in a scenario like the one you currently find yourself in.

“what can you tell me about him?”

“he’s a year younger than me. we went to the same high school, same university, have some of the same friends. though all of that is relatively common in our social circle.”

“anything else?”

keeping the insults to yourself for now, you press your lips together. “our parents are good friends. well, were, now that my father’s gone. mingyu and i hate eachother to the bone, though.”

“any particular reason why?”

“i’m not sure where it started… there’s just something off about him. it’s always been there. he’s—beyond arrogant. always showing off his looks, his wealth, his charm, his intelligence. everything. he insults me, i insult him. we simply don’t get along, never have. nothing you haven’t seen before, i’m sure.”

the inspector raises his brow. “i think you may have left something out.”

“such as?”

his hand moves into the blue folder sitting on the table, taking another photo out of it, holding it up before you. “your father was often spotted with him. at events, business meetings — you name it. matter of fact, your father seemed to be accompanied by kim mingyu more than anyone else. which is interesting, considering you are his only child.”

your gaze turns sour, voice softer yet more hateful than before. “don’t tell me this is the reason i’m a suspect.”

“let’s just say it doesn’t make you look good.”

“you really believe i murdered my own father in cold blood because he cared more about kim mingyu than he ever did about me? that’s pathetic and ridiculous.”

“you wouldn’t be the first. it’s a plausible story.”

scoffing at the accusation, you shake your head. “we’re done here. the moment you have an actual lead, i’ll talk, but not like this. i’m still here grieving and you’re accusing me of being the culprit.” you get up in anger, taking your bag with you before slamming the door shut, not bothering to listen to what the man is trying to tell you to make you stay.

this whole shit-train started two weeks ago. your father was found dead in your childhood home, hung by a rope around his neck. instead of calling it a death by suicide, the police apparently have enough reason to suspect it was a homicide.

you’ve been questioned several times in the past few weeks, but there’s been a gradual shift in the behavior of the inspector and his handimen — they’re treating you like a suspect now.

which you are, for whatever reason. they have yet to come up with any actual evidence.

your contact in the police force mentioned to you that you’re not just any suspect — you’re one of the two main suspects.

and that is unsettling, especially when you discovered who else is.

as you go down the hall, you suddenly lock eyes with kim mingyu himself, who’s leaning against the wall with his hands in the pockets of his trousers. a few strands of hair hover by his cheeks, framing his strong features.

“what the fuck are you doing here?” you ask in a rather hostile manner, the scowl on your face deepening.

his lips part before he starts explaining. “they wanted to talk to me. again.”

“haven’t you heard the rumors, gyu?” you mockingly use the nickname, taking a step closer to him, “they’re saying there’s a possibility you killed him.”

your arch-nemesis looks back at you with a furrowed brow. “that’s ridiculous.”

“is it? you were always with him… it’s perhaps the only thing that makes sense in all of this.”

he seems offended you’d even insinuate something like that. “it’s really the other way around, though. you’re the one who hated him. i had nothing against the man.”

it’s true that you and your father didn’t exactly get along, especially the past few years, to put it lightly. you always considered him to be greedy, cold and unforgiving, and you certainly didn’t cry the moment they told you he had passed away.

“no, we all know how much you liked him,” you hardly make an effort to hide your disdain, “but they must not believe that, considering you’re just as much of a suspect as i am.”

he clenches his jaw. “i’m not guilty.”

“neither am i.”

it’s quiet for a moment as you’re both unsure of what to say next, a rarity between you.

a few years ago, your father mentioned you and mingyu could make a good pair. you proceeded to laugh in his face.

mingyu is a constant reminder of what you could be, and that’s the last thing you need in your life.

“if i find out you’re somehow involved in this—”

instead of immediately refuting the statement, he narrows his eyes at you. “then what?”

you realize you need to be careful with your words here — you can’t throw around threats to kill people as the top suspect in a murder investigation. “i’ll make sure you pay for it. they might buy your little golden-boy act, but i sure as shit don’t. i never have.”

a smirk subtly tugs at his lips as he leans more down, eyes flicking lower before they meet yours again. “i’d be careful with my words if i were you,” he firmly tells you, his lashes fluttering, “there’s always someone watching.”

only now do you take notice of how close you’re standing to him, and you look behind you, seeing the inspector that just interrogated you observing you and mingyu from a distance.

so you push yourself away from him, giving him a last glare before walking away.

mingyu’s eyes remain on you until you move past the corner. he only moves from his spot once you’re gone from his field of view, greeting the inspector with a kind smile.

if you’d like to be tagged in this once it’s released, leave a comment! <3

® SANAKIRAS — do not repost, remake or copy my work in any way whatsoever. translations are not allowed.

[wooahaeruby]

Chapter 4: You've Given Me A Piece of Happiness

Chapter Word Count: 3,683

Anything in Bold Italics are Korean/Another language

Master List | Prev | Next

2020

Everything went to hell for a while.

March brought the shutdown of New York. Covid-19 was running rampant across the entire world. You didn’t know what to make of it. Though your job didn’t lay you off, you were working one-hundred percent from home. It was killing you, months of staring at the same walls, trying to navigate the unknown of the world around you to survive. Many days held anxiety for your loved ones, worried for their wellbeing, their soulmates. Being in one of the epicenters of the breakout, you took care to self-isolate and keep inside as much as possible.

It was hard, but over the years, your mental health got better, you spoke with your friends, your family, and started making more friends here in the city. You had moved up in the past three years at your job, you had an amazing team behind you that was open minded and ready to work unlike many of the other coworkers you’ve dealt with in the past. You made the comment of being alone but never lonely.

“Mimi, you really should just let me have groceries delivered to your house, I can afford it if it’s too much for you.” You sighed into the phone, laying back on your couch. “Or let me reach out to Jay and have her help you since she is in town.” 

“ Sweetie, you know I don’t really mind going out, I need it! I might be old but your grandfather and I are healthy, we are letting the soulbond do its magic.” Mimi laughed, moving something around in the background. She huffed and more rustling was heard. “ I’m taking precautions; masks, washing my hands, and I’m taking those damned vitamins you sent us every day – which is annoying as hell by the way. And your grandfather is being a peach fixing all the little problems we’ve had in this house for years now.” 

Shaking her head, you blankly stared at the ceiling before rolling your eyes. “Just don’t do anything reckless. I have Jay keeping an eye on you and I can get the neighbors to-” 

“ Goodbye Y/N, I love you. Don’t pester me-” And she hung up on you.

Not long after your abruptly ended call, a video call came in, one from your coworkers turned close friend, James, or Jamie as you call him. He has been calling you nearly every day since he was bored at home since his boyfriend, who worked in the Japanese business aspect of the company, was across the country with his family. Swiping your finger across the screen, you were met with a similar sight to yourself, Jamie laying back with his phone above his head. 

“Babes, listen up, I have the best announcement of the year.” You scoffed but said nothing in protest. “Seventeen is having a comeback next month.”

Ah yes, that was a recent development. For about a year now you have fallen into the trap of Kpop – thanks to Jamie. Seventeen was the first group he introduced you to when you noticed a guy as his background, who you thought was his boyfriend at first. Turned out to be a member named Mingyu, who you jokingly called Big Sexy once while drinking, and his boyfriend’s – well, soulmate – Kazuk ‘bias’ as they called it, was Jeonghan. 

“Didn’t they just release Fallin’ Flower a little over a month ago?” 

“Yes and? Moving on, we need to start saving money for when they have another world tour since we didn’t go to the one before the pandemic.” 

“You won’t take no for an answer?”

“Never, you have accepted yourself into this hole and I’m going to drag you in every way I possibly can.” At that, you laughed now, letting a snort out at the foolishness. Jamie only grinned and wiggled his eyebrows. “And you can see your favorite, most handsome bias in the whole world live, Scoups~” 

“That isn’t so unappealing…” You sat up from your lying position and shook your head. “If we work hard and can get everything done from now until then without an issue, how about I treat us to it. Deal?” 

“Deal, boss lady.” 

Jamie laughed now, jumping up and off his bed as he paced energetically about his apartment. “You better start saving your money because I’m going to knock this shit out of the ballpark. Do you understand me? I’ll hold this bet over your head now!” 

The sudden shift in languages wasn’t uncommon now. You had finished your linguistics degree, having proficiency in four languages, and were currently in the processes of your Masters in business and international relations. It only reminded you of when Jamie first introduced you to Kpop the year prior. 

“Wait wait wait, you speak, read, breathe Korean in your job, you literally deal with international business from there and you don’t know Kpop?” He had asked, eyes wide and disbelief across his face. 

“I hate to tell you this Jamie, I’ve been living under a rock trying to keep my head above the water and moving up in my job. It isn’t like I had a lot of free time between that and finishing my first degree.” You replied as you typed away on the computer at your office desk. “Plus, I’ve listened to kpop, just never dove deep into all the fandom and group mumbo-jumbo.”

“ I don’t doubt that at all my dear friend.” Something Jamie liked to joke about was that your voice became softer each time you spoke in Korean, Japanese as well. “ But don’t just be working hard for a concert, understand? If your performance drops after, I can and will fire you as your boss.” 

“Oh because you would totally want to fire me, basically secretary and best friend.” Sarcasm bled into his words. “ You wouldn’t have a piece of entertainment in that boring off all day when we go back in the building or in your quiet studio apartment if i never called you so often. ”

Thinking back at those memories never failed to bring warmth to your chest. Jamie’s relationship with Kazuki, or just Kazu as he liked to be called, had given you some hope of the relationship you hope to have with your soulmate; communication, love, support, and understanding. From what you can tell, your soulmate wasn’t someone from your country, you’ve had many sleepless nights because of their sleep schedule being opposite of your own. 

Many of those nights you wondered what kind of person they were, what they did for a living, so much more, but you didn’t ponder too much. You held hope for yourself and your soulbond unlike your parents did. Those same nights you looked down at the countdown on your wrist, feeling whatever emotion they were experiencing, and wondered what that day will bring when you meet them. 

“I don’t even feel sick but we have to be holed up in our rooms for two weeks.” Seungkwan complained in their zoom call ‘schedule’ before they were recording. “ It just sucks we can’t do the stages and see Carats.” The pout was permanent on his expression currently. 

“ Yah, just be grateful we aren’t feeling sick like millions of others in the world.” Mingyu rolls his eyes, leaning back in his desk chair. 

“ Mingyu-hyung, you know I don’t mean it like that!” 

“Both of you, quiet. Let’s just get through this and pray the next two weeks go quickly so we can move on from this.” Joshua sighed, adjusting his laptop for a better view of himself once the recording started. 

Getting Covid right after the release of a new mini album wasn’t the worst thing so far. Or at least that’s what Jihoon told himself. Well, aside from the fact that he didn’t have much of his recording equipment…or a palace where he can work out properly…and all he really could do was watch anime. That wasn’t so bad.  There were plenty of new anime that were released or some that were getting another season. 

That began the longest two weeks of his life. Boredom was the overarching feeling. While he was a homebody (or studio-body as everyone liked to say for him), he hated the feeling of being locked up and unable to do anything. Jihoon had started a workout routine with the items he found around his room or calisthenics. He had taken to sleeping the majority of the days and while on a normal schedule, that would be fine for a day off, but after his third nap of the day and still days on end to go, he resorted to reading tweets, instagram posts, and more entertainingly, Tik Toks. 

Carats, despite Seventeen’s inability to perform for them, were great at entertaining themselves. Edits, assumptions, and just overall weird or funny tweets were simple joys they could pursue. In his mindless state, he began sending them into the groupchat the thirteen of them had. Jokes were exchanged regarding Jihoon of all people sending Seventeen memes into the chat, but not long after, a few others joined in on the antics. It was better than them watching netflix in bed, now it was just social media flipping before going back to netflix. So amusing. 

While Jihoon was glad his members, his staff, and himself were safe and only had mild symptoms for a few, he held immense relief that his soulmate was alright. There were some days over the past few months that he had anxiety bubble up in his chest at random times, how sometimes he had felt their worry but it didn’t last long from you.

It was funny how you had such a vast bank of emotions. While he did have many emotions, his own didn’t seem as deep as yours. While he worried, you had fear or anxiety pocketed with it. While he had excitement for comebacks and new music in general, when you felt excited, it was electrifying as if it was sparking him to life. He held partial envy concerning it. Your emotions alone reminded him of Seokmin, Soonyoung or even Minghao now, so emotionally mature to a point, so intune with their emotional expressions. It drove his music most days. 

Soonyoung actually made a list of some of their recent songs that had to do with the emotions he felt from his soulmate. Together was one from their recent album. It was inspired by the idea that one day he will walk on the same path with his soulmate and go through the hardships together. Jeonghan and Joshua had a field day making fun of him when they found out about Second Life . While he is someone who speaks comfortably with his brothers about how he feels and what runs through his head, he kept many of the feelings you subconsciously shared with him to himself. 

“ ...ung….Hyung…Woozi-Hyung.” Jihoon shook his head, sitting up from his slowly reclining position in his desk chair to look down at his ipad screen. 

“ Thank you for coming back to earth.” Mingyu snorted, starting to wiggle his eyebrows. “ Are they awake?” 

A few of them insisted on video chatting today since they had been so bored. It was a majority of the Maknae line that blessed his screen. At the question, snickers were heard through his speakers causing him to roll his eyes.

“ No, I was thinking about somethi-”

“Thinking about how in Loooooove you are with your soulmate.” Seokmin and Seungkwan hollard out with extra obnoxious energy. 

Closing his eyes, Jihoon took in one long breath, flattening his lips in his signature ‘bread face’. He held his breath in for a moment before opening his eyes and stared deadpan at the people on his screen. 

“ I know where you sleep.” 

“Hey hey, wow, six feet apart, Hyung, can’t have us getting sick again.” Seungkwan’s words flowed out quickly, holding a hand out towards his screen.

Jihoon’s expression went from flat to somewhat disgusted. Once again, he rolled his eyes.

“ We are already- You know what I’m not even going to attempt to argue this with you because you will just continue to make jokes.” 

From his point of view, he saw his bandmate’s faces light up in victory and grin wide. 

Glancing down at his wrist though, he traced his thumb over the dark numbers on his skin. He just needs to be patient. Just over two more years.

2022 

From all the hard work from the three of you and the rest of your team, you all had received decent bonuses and a healthy promotion for yourself, advancing up to an assistant manager position in the sector of the international business section of the company. You felt accomplished outside of it all. Your masters was finished, you were advancing in your job, and you felt genuinely happy. Your grandparents were still around, your friends only got closer, and you had on and off butterflies knowing that you were so close to meeting your soulmate. 

As you sat in your office, leaning back in the cushioned chair, you lazily read through some of the files you needed to get through by the end of the week. So far, you were ahead of schedule so you didn’t stress too much, however you wanted to just peek at the information you needed to know. It was a quiet Tuesday so far, nothing too serious popping out at you. 

Your soulmate had been up all night, they were jittery, both excited and nervous. It had been building for the past couple of days, but it was nothing too major until now. 

It was later in the work day for yourself, closer to 4:30. You were passively getting work done before you clocked out at five and went home. Somewhere on your organized mess of a desk, your phone vibrated, but you paid no mind to it, knowing you can check it later. Not long after, you hear hurried steps from down the hall thanks to your office door being open and the out of breath call of your name as Jamie bends over in the doorway. 

You sat up, dropping the files on the desk and standing up. 

“Hey, is everything alrig-”

“Just…” He heaved a breath in, “Check twitter now!” 

Confused, you were taken back when Kazuki appeared behind Jamie, eyes wide and absolutely beaming at you. You’ve seen him animated before, he was bounding on the balls of his feet. It didn’t dawn on you yet but as you picked up your phone and opened twitter, it hit you. 

Staring down at your phone, you laughed to the point tears bloomed in your eyes. 

“Oh my god. You both are ridiculous.” You leaned forward with your hand on your desk. Though tear hazed eyes, you shook your head, seeing the two standing just beyond your desk now, giddy and nearly childlike. The fancy suits only added to the comedic scene.

To be far, you didn’t expect Jamie and Kazu to actually take your bet as seriously as they did, but yeah. It happened. You owed them (and yourself) tickets to the Seventeen concert now. 

“Jamie, Kazu, we are going to see Seventeen!” 

In the first days of June, Jamie, Kazuki, and yourself sat shoulder to shoulder on your living room floor. Though it wasn’t ideal, the three of you took the day off in advance for this. Each of you unsurprisingly had the Weverse membership, but you sat early in the queue for the ticketmaster sales to go live for early access. Your laptop rested on the coffee table before you, taunting you. On September 6th of this year, the group will be performing in Newark, New Jersey. You had decided to go there instead of New York itself. 

Your body buzzed with excitement, hands shaking and unable to stop your leg from bouncing. Jamie was doom scrolling through twitter, Kazuki was attempting to focus on the video he was watching, but your eyes never left the computer screen. Over the last hour, you triple checked your credit card information and the amount of money in your account. Now you sat, listening to the idle words leaving Jamie’s lips when he found an amusing tweet. The words never processed in your head, melding together with the brainless thoughts. 

“You look ready to throw up.” Kazuki placed his arm around your shoulder, making you tense but let out a breath of relaxation after. 

Turning your gaze to him, physically you deflated. “Nervous energy is building up. I’m excited, dizzy, and a little stunned that we are sitting on the floor of my apartment sitting in early access queue for all this. I just want to get us good seats.” 

“Babes, no matter what seats you get us, you know we won’t mind.” Jamie now threw his arm over your shoulder from the other side, squishing you between them. “All I care about is us seeing them and you getting to meet your soulmate! Hopefully they are cute, and who knows,” He began to wiggle his eyebrows, “Maybe it’s your bias.” 

The look of pure disbelief at his words had both of them cackling. To be honest, it wasn’t like you didn’t think about it. Kazuki did make that joke when you started to bias Seungcheol, but you never took it seriously. That was some delulu shit. 

Returning your eyes to the computer screen, your heart dropped. You were in the proper queue. You voiced the change and suddenly the three of you were sitting forward. As the number slowly got closer to zero, your heart jumped to your throat as the floor plans appeared. 

Fast fingers work on the bluetooth mouse and keyboard, quickly finding open seats that nearly had you keeling over. Floor seats, front row just off center to the left from the extended stage. You took no time to secure the tickets, bated breaths praying you were able to get them in time. From past ticket sales along, you knew the competition was cutthroat to put it lightly. As you watched the screen load, you froze in awe. Before you on the screen were three confirmed seats for the concert, front row.

Jamie’s hand on your shoulder slowly traveled to your back and began patting slowly at first but turned into semi-hard slaps of elation. “YN, YN you got them!” He yelled in your ear, breaking your unblinking stare at the confirmed screen. Your phone buzzed with an email regarding the purchase and a copy of the tickets. 

You blinked once, twice, three times, then the tears just…started to fall from your eyes and you let out a high pitched squeal. The sounds that began to leave you were really coherent, rather babbling of unnecessary doubt about the situation. 

“Holy fuck!” You were finally able to form proper words. “I just spent over a thousand dollars for this, you better get me food and stuff for the rest of my life! Kiss the ground I work on! Worship me like a Goddess!” 

Standing up, you jumped around the room, unable to keep yourself still even for a moment, believing that if you stopped, you’d wake up from this dear. 

“We’ll need outfits, a hotel, take the time off to-” You rattled off necessary things, but Jamie laughed and wrapped his arms around you, jumping in a circle. 

“One step at a time! I’ll make sure everything gets in order for this.” He placed the fattest, wettest kiss on your cheek. Half gagging as a joke, you push him away and snort.

It was going to be a night you will never forget for sure. 

“ I’m telling you hyung, they have to be a carat. No one can be that restless on a weekday and the time matches up with-.” It was the third time Jihoon said something similar to that in the last hour. 

Sitting in his studio, the animated energy that his soulmate pushed through to him was keeping him up. To no one’s surprise, Seungcheol and Soonyoung were lazing around on the couch on their phones, however it was nearing 4 in the morning. 

“ Jihoonie, if you repeat yourself one more time, I’m going to kick you out of your own studio.” Seungcheol dropped the arm holding his phone over his head, huffing before he continued. “ Take a chill pill and breathe. ” 

Turning around in his chair, Jihoon physically deflated despite the curiosity he held within himself. Beside the leader, Soonyoung hit his arm gently against the former’s chest. “ Leave him alone, let him be a love sick puppy and believe his soulmate is a carat. ” 

“ Yah, I’m not a love sick puppy-” 

“Yes you are.” His counterparts retaliated. Soonyoung continued sitting up to look level with Jihoon, “ For a guy that doesn’t want to talk about their soulmate much because you want to keep their emotions private, you sure do talk about them a lot.”

As he was about to counter argue the point, a tightness formed in his chest. The excitement he felt turned into pure unfiltered adrenaline. The sudden rush of emotions had him dizzy, using his elbows on his knees to hold his head up. That adrenaline only lasted moments before a bloom of bliss washed through his limbs. Soonyoung was kneeling in front of him when he came down from the shared high, shaking his head to clear the fog that was forming. It was like they had dipped themselves in euphoria and were riding out the glee. 

“ Tickets just went on sale in the US, right? ” Jihoon asked, giving no explanation to his friends, but Seungcheol gave him confirmation nonetheless. 

Soonyoung frowned, eyebrows knitting together as he sat back on the small ointment pushed against the wall behind his desk. 

“ I’m probably right by the way, assholes.” 

Scoffing in disbelief, the three shared a laugh. 

This year was going to be interesting.

[heyftinally]

https://www.tumblr.com/heyftinally/748388217187958784/i-love-bitching-about-taylor-swift-and-im-glad?source=share

Hi I saw this on my dash and wanted to say I agree with your anon and your reply so much. The thing that annoys me the most isn't that she stays silent about x issues it's that she constantly claims to be a massive ally/activist for x groups/issues but when it's actually time to be an active ally she says NOTHING. It's clear in her doc she only said all that she did about being an ally and how actions speak louder than words to make herself look good bc people were calling her out, not bc she actually cared. What has she done since that doc was made in 2020? She hasn't done many actions and even with just words she's been mostly silent on things.

It's like her constantly claiming she is a massive feminist and cares about women's issues but when many women [along with trans men and NBs] had to deal with abortions being banded/illegal on a federal level in the USA she didn't say anything until after the decision was finalized why bc she's billionaire rich and worldwide famous so it wouldn't effect her. Her fans claim her speaking up before hand wouldn't have done anything and that is the dumbest shit I've heard given her fame and power status. She only cares about feminism or any women's issues when she gets to be at the center of it and she just uses it as a weapon so others can't hate on her.

Let's not even get started how she's the appitmy of "white feminism" [or how I see it caring about feminism only when it benefits herself] bc she screams feminism but I didn't see her saying anything when a poor innocent young woc was getting racist death threats from HER fanbase bc of a tweet SHE made. Wasn't the actresses fault that one line joke was made blame the writers of that netflix show! This situation alone tells me she hasn't "changed/learned" like she claimed in her doc.

She's the exact same as she was back in the day when she was silent on the fact white supremist groups idolized her and claimed her as "one of them". She was silent for years on the matter and only said something when she changed from typical southern country gal to liberal pop girlie and her older pop fanbase was like umm what is this? I honestly don't understand how ANYONE over looks the ws group situation. It's very alarming. She's not a kind of done some questionable things person it's VERY red flag things she has done or in this case not done.

When it comes to the music portion it's just like you said if she wasn't shoved down our throats 24/7 and treated like the greatest artist who ever lived we wouldn't care so much her music is average and her latest album was awful. All the lyrics I've seen on SM are so wtf? Who wrote this? THIS is the "greatest writer of our generation"? Outing her ex as someone with mental health issues and how you just wanted him to "easily get better" so you could love him? Outing yourself as awful [yet again] by saying the things your other ex did was just "bad jokes" and you thougut you could fix him bc racism, misogyny and SAing workers on stage at your concerts are just "bad jokes". Romanticizing 1800s America. Acting like you had a lower class upbringing with many bills to pay when really you had a rich upbringing and your daddy bought your way into the music industry.

Also her putting out 20+ versions of one damn album so she can make as much money as possible and have as many streams as possible is so 😵‍💫. It was such a cash grab when she had the backs of midnight vinyls be a puzzle picture that forced fans to buy 4 vinyl copies of 1 damn album or it just looked like an incomplete shelf piece for fans.

Lastly it's just like you said most of us who dislike her don't dislike her because she's a women it's bc she's an awful person who uses x issues and people to further her own agenda and only really cares about herself and will step on anyone just to make herself look better and more of a victim. The only victim thing she has actually dealt with was her music being bought from under her BUT now she owns her own music and found a way to make it a huge cash grab for herself so she could get that billionaire status. 🤩 She needs to stop using feminism as a means to try and stop people from calling her ass out for being problematic!!!

The post anon is referring to is here, for those wondering

Anon, you are so very, very right, and I personally want to give you a round of applause: 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

One thing I want to elaborate on (because I find it endlessly funny/ironic), is where you said "She was silent for years on the matter and only said something when she changed from typical southern country gal to liberal pop girlie..."

Taylor Swift was *never* a "southern country gal". She's from Pennsylvania. A big white McMansion with a swimming pool in Pennsylvania. All those old songs about summer nights in the country? The cowboy boots? Sweet Tea (referenced in an unreleased song)? Yeah, lies. She painted the image of a good ol' Tennessee princess pretty darn well, didn't she? I'll admit, she fooled me for a while on that, too. But no, she built her career on fraud from day one.

The rest of your ask I'm going to hit point by point, because it's beautiful and made my day and you deserve it.

Performative is her middle name. I about choked when she - a self proclaimed LGBTQ+ ally (side note: you don't get to just decide you're an ally, it's not that easy) - got up on stage in a known LGBTQ+ safe state to make a statement about queer rights, and somehow left queer people out of the statement. It was all "it's so hard for us as friends, family, and allies to see our loved ones face such hatred". As if being an ally is harder than being the queer person actively afraid of getting hate crimed???????? She somehow managed to center herself even when actively talking about an oppressed minority group she has nothing to do with unless she can profit off of us. And she can't even put us at the center of our own oppression. If I hadn't stripped her of her ally status before, that would have done it.

If Taylor Swift can make the impact that she does on economies, the environment, and social trends, she could absolutely speak up about human rights and make a positive change in the world. But she doesn't. Her feral mob loves to brag about how much power they have, but they/their hive mind leader never uses it for anything good. They're just her minions to go bully whoever she's decided deserves her high school mean girl nastiness next. So many artists with ⅛ the reach she does make positive change every day, and she can't be bothered to pay someone to tweet her fake support for oppressed minorities or to stand against a genocide. And it's because she cares about money above all else. Her fans accept the bare minimum of scraps, so she's able to play both sides - before it was the white supremacists and people who weren't raging bigot trash, and now it's homophobes/racists/genocide supporters and people who don't see those things as bad enough to stop supporting someone who happily aligns herself with bigots. It's pure self serving greed.

Is her music shit? Yes. Has it been shit for a while? Yes. But there's alose a lot of music I don't like, for one reason or another. I've never been a fan of "Hey There Delilah" even though it was a MAJORLY popular song. I'm not much of a fan of Maroon 5, or Post Malone, or Yungblood. But unlike those bands, if I turn on the radio at any point, I *will* hear a Taylor Swift song withing twenty minutes. And another one twenty minutes after that. Despite having her blocked/filtered on every social media possible, I see more about her than artists I actively follow the personal accounts of. That's a PROBLEM. Because it's not just that I think both she as a person and her music suck - I'd ignore her as much as I could if that were the case - it's that despite ACTIVELY trying to avoid her, I'm forcibly subjected to her shitty music and shitty actions daily. And her shitty actions aren't just annoying! As a queer person who has queer, black, and disabled friends, her bullshit actively impacts our lives. One of my disabled friends was totally blindsided by this recent "asylum" bullshit, and was so shocked and hurt because, in a different time, they would have been sent to an asylum. They're physically disabled with a degenerative condition. They would have been sent away, drugged up, and forcibly given electroshock and brain surgeries until they died/were murdered. And Taylor Swift is using that aesthetic - disabled people being exploited, abused, tortured, neglected, and murdered - to be "edgy". In turn, she's minimizing just HOW bad that abuse was. That waters down disabled history, and considering disabled people still have to fight SO hard just for basic respect, nevermind access rights and fair treatment, it's an overall thoughtless and disgusting thing for someone with so much money and access to feedback to do.

The multiple releases of albums is nothing short of a scam that her fans keep falling for. I've never in my life heard of an artist doing such a thing. Sometimes you'll get a platinum or deluxe edition if they hit a milestone with that album, which usually has 4-6 new songs and some new art/bonus pictures/a mini poster/etc inside. And that's it, that's the only "duplicate" album we got. Meanwhile, Taylor Swift will release the same album five times in one day, each with one different song and a different cover. She's actively preying on consumerism to line her already fat pockets. At least donate the money to charity! Pick an album = pick a charity? Nope, because she's incapable of not scamming her fans. Case in point: all the Eras merch that requires a masters in chemistry to wash without destroying you $60+ shirt.

She truly has such a huge victim complex that it might ACTUALLY be bigger than her ego. She's no feminist - she'll tear a woman to shreds as soon as it serves her purposes. Hell, she'll tear ANYONE apart just because she's bored. Whether it's siccing her fans on an actress for reading a script she didn't like or basic her ex (AGAIN) for the "crime" of having a mental illness, all she cares about is how other people effect her. She's incapable of compassion, yet weaponizes is and cries big white woman crocodile tears any time her conniving bullshit comes back to bite her in the ass. Then she begs for all the compassion she never shows anyone else. Hell, remember the fan that DIED at her Brazil show? Yeah, that poor girl's family had to CROWD FUND to afford to bring their daughter's *dead body* home for the funeral. Taylor Swift posted a half assed "thoughts and prayers" on her Instagram story - gone forever in 24hrs. But as soon as she gets called out for dating a known racist who gets off to abuse porn? She has every defense in the book as to why "poor little Taylor" doesn't deserve all that mean ol' accountability for her actions. And if she doesn't have the defense? Doesn't matter, her fans can - and have, and will - justify everything up to and including racist harassment, stalking, and death threats!

Genuinely, my dislike of Taylor Swift can be summed up in this: she's a shit person with shit music who uses her disgusting amount of power and money to do nothing but serve herself, regardless of who she hurts in the process. And the rest of us are forced to watch it happen because if you don't worship the chair she farted on people act like you're either stupid, a piece of shit, or both. And then those same people will go on tumblr and post "eat the rich" and "be trans, throw hands" memes as if they didn't just give $300 to a billionaire who couldn't give less of a fuck about any minority to ever exist.

Anyway, thank you again for this, anon. You cleared my skin, watered my crops, and gave me a small amount of faith in humanity back.

[star-struck01]

Pudding and Whiskers Pt. 4.5

You meet someone cute at your work and your friend gives them your number

Masterlist | Pt. 4

(Not my photo)

Kenma Kouzume x GN!Reader

Word Count: 654

Written: 12/10/2020

Edited: 08/17/2023

You have been with Kenma for almost a year now, and every day has been amazing. He’s definitely changed your view of relationships, that’s for sure. You were saving up money for a new game he was into that was coming out soon, just in time for your anniversary. As you walked into the cafe, checking how much money you still needed for the game, something felt wrong. You looked up and around, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary so far. You made your way to the staff room, changed into your uniform, and headed to the front of the store, changing the sign from closed to open. You carefully make your way through the purrs and meows to the register, but you still can’t shake this weird feeling. You take a few steps from behind the register, looking around at the cafe. It clicks in your head that you don’t know where Yui is, and you quickly and carefully look around the cafe, searching in all her usual spots. You begin calling Yui, even shaking a box of treats, which only attracts the other cats. As you slowly begin to panic, Hina walks in, and you make your way to her. “Hey Hina? Have you seen Yui? I can’t find her anywhere.” You furrowed your brows, looking at your friend.

“Yui? Oh…Y/N she was adopted yesterday.” Hina looked heartbroken, like she didn’t want to tell you this.

Your heart dropped into your stomach, and your bottom lip quivered slightly. A shaky smile spread across your face. Oh, that’s good; I’m happy for her.” You started walking to the staff room, breaking down as soon as you shut the door. After crying for what felt like hours, you dried your tears and stood up, grabbing your water bottle and taking a swig of water. You calmed your breathing and changed out of your uniform, throwing your hood up and walking out of the building, keeping your head low. You stuck an earbud in and played your music, finding a sad playlist to listen to while you walked to Kenma’s apartment, wishing that it was raining to represent your feelings. You opened his door, upset with the events of the day. You always told yourself that you didn't care if she got adopted, but that wasn't true; you did care, and you really wanted her. You dropped your work bag near the door, just as you shut it with your foot. You looked up to see Kenma's head pop out of his bedroom, concern written on his face. "What's wrong, Y/N?" He frowned but didn't make any movement to come closer to you or out of his room.

You sighed and took off your jacket. "Yui was adopted today." Your bottom lip quivers slightly. "I really wanted her as my own, and I was stupid to think she wouldn't be adopted. She's just so perfect." You made your way closer to Kenma just as he shifted out of the door, a small Calico cat in his arms.

"Would it make you feel better if I was the one who adopted her?" A small smile graced his features just as your jaw dropped.

"You didn't."

"I did; I saw how sad you looked every day that you couldn't keep her, and then we started dating, so I decided that I would adopt her so you could see her all the time, and I'd be caring for her so you wouldn't be stressed about caring for her, school, and work." Your bottom lip began quivering again as you ran over and embraced Kenma, burying your face in his shoulder and muttering, Thank you. When you finished crying tears of joy (which you denied even happened), you plucked Yui from his arms and peppered kisses all over her fur before turning to look at Kenma with a wide smile on your face.

"I love you."

[plurapony]

what does it mean to be a host? are you the main one and everyone else is you alters? does being host mean it's your job to make decisions? your job to look after everyone?

it seems there's a popular consensus that some, if not all, of those are true from experiences of popular content creators with DID to the way you're treated by love ones. and as a host myself, I don't agree with any.

DID is an incredibly personal experience meaning that for each individual they'll have a different meaning on what it means to live with DID and you shouldn't compare yourself.

Now onto myself, I became host of the system at the end of 2020 and if I told you I took care of the body I would be lying. I spiralled through addiction and unhealthy coping mechanisms - desperately trying to get the voices in my head to stop. I didn't care about myself but failed to realize neglecting my own needs didn't just hurt me but hurt everyone else in the system too.

4 years later and I'm no longer engaging in the type of behavior I once was, and my feelings regarding being host are present now more than ever. I'm fragile and vulnerable, and the others protect me far more than I ever protect them. My memory is fractured and so I rely on Roxy to remember. Sometimes I wonder if I should step down from host, because whilst I'm fronting the most I don't do anything to benefit the system - I'm only in need to be looked after and cared for myself.

When people look at me and acted like they're all my alters, it seems so silly to me given everything. I haven't been here forever and I lied on my resume to get this job, now I'm just doing my best to keep going forward.

[shiningthroughpcos]

Maximising Your Laser Results: Preparation, Aftercare, and Realistic Expectations

Hello again! If you’ve been following along, you’ll know that LBHR is one of the most popular treatments for managing excessive hair growth caused by PCOS. But as we dive deeper into this process, it’s important to recognise that booking your consultation is only the first step. Preparation, aftercare, and understanding how to maintain your results are key, especially since, for many of us with PCOS, the typical six sessions recommended for most people will not be enough (Liew, 2002).

Preparation for LBHR: Setting Yourself Up for Success

Avoiding Prolonged/Excessive Sun Exposure: One of the most important pre-session steps is to avoid direct sun exposure. Tanned skin can increase the risk of burns or pigmentation changes due to the laser (Alamri et al., 2023).

Shaving Before Treatment: Make sure to shave the treatment area a day before your session—this allows the laser to effectively target the root of the hair follicle without the hair shaft getting in the way (Mustafa & Jaafar, 2015).

Avoid Waxing or Plucking: It’s crucial not to remove the hair from the root (like with waxing or plucking) before your laser sessions, as the laser needs the follicle intact to adequately target the melanin within the hair follicle.

Check Medications and Skincare Products: Some medications or topical skincare products, known as ‘photosensitisers,’ can increase your skin’s sensitivity to the laser. Always inform your clinician about your prescriptions and skincare routine, even if it seems minor (Kerstein et al., 2014).

Aftercare: Protecting Your Skin for Optimal Healing

Cool Down: During your session, cooling methods like a cold air attachment or cooling gel may be used to soothe the skin. At home, continue to keep the area cool—use ice packs or aloe vera gel to relieve any redness or irritation. This is particularly important for darker skin tones, as clinical endpoints (like redness and swelling) may appear later (Vaidya et al., 2023).

Moisturise Regularly: Keep the treated area moisturised using a thick, emollient-type moisturiser to help protect the skin from excessive water loss. Avoid any products with ingredients like retinol or AHAs/BHAs for 2-3 days post-treatment, as these can irritate the more sensitive, lasered skin (Vaidya et al., 2023).

Avoid Sun Exposure: Just like before your treatment, protecting your skin from the sun afterward is essential. Use a broad-spectrum SPF 50+ to prevent hyperpigmentation (Hamzavi et al., 2020).

Gentle Cleansing: Stick to mild cleansers, and avoid hot showers, saunas, or strenuous workouts that cause sweating for at least 24-36 hours post-treatment. Sweating can trap moisture in swollen hair follicles, potentially leading to rashes or infections (Arsiwala & Majid, 2019).

Maintaining Results and Understanding the Process

While LBHR offers long-term reduction in hair growth, it’s important to remember that this journey is a process—it’s not an instant fix. For those with PCOS, the typically recommended six sessions are often not enough, and you’ll likely need additional treatments to see significant changes. Here’s why:

Hormonal Impact: With PCOS, fluctuating hormone levels continuously stimulate hair growth, which means more than six sessions are often necessary to achieve lasting results. Each session weakens the hair follicles further, which is why consistency is key. Remember, if you’re waxing between sessions, you’re removing the root that the laser targets, so it’s best to stick with shaving.

Regular Treatments: Consistent treatments, spaced every 4-6 weeks, are essential for targeting hair during its active growth phase. While this may feel frequent at first, patience and consistency are what lead to noticeable results. You’ll likely notice slower hair growth, and the hair that does return will be thinner and sparser. In my experience treating patients with PCOS, most clients start seeing these effects around the 6-7 session mark, with hair shedding naturally after it weakens.

Maximising My Results: What Else Should I Do?

Stay on Top of Hormonal Management: Since PCOS is closely linked to hormone imbalances, working with a healthcare provider to manage your hormones—whether through medication or lifestyle changes—can enhance the effectiveness of your laser treatments. For me personally, hormonal management became much more controllable after I was prescribed Metformin by a specialist. While I can’t recommend specific treatments, I strongly encourage seeing a medical professional to keep your PCOS under control.

Choosing the Right Clinic/Clinician: Not all lasers are created equal. Ensure you select a clinic with advanced technology and experience in treating individuals with PCOS, especially across diverse skin tones. You may have heard that darker hair on lighter skin achieves quicker results, but modern laser modalities can effectively treat all skin types. Regardless of your skin tone, as long as you have dark hair, there’s a suitable laser for you.

LBHR is a powerful tool for managing PCOS-related hair growth, but achieving the best results requires thoughtful preparation, diligent aftercare, and realistic expectations. With consistency and proper support, this journey can lead to significant, long-lasting results. Don’t hesitate to consult with your healthcare provider to tailor your treatment plan, and always be patient with the process. By following these guidelines, you’ll be well on your way to maintaining and maximising your results

Luciana 🤍

References

Alamri, G. E., Bondagji, M., Kinkar, L. I., Almasoudi, E., Fageeh, S. M., Asiri, L. G., & Bahashwan, E. (2023). Knowledge and attitude regarding the use of sun protection to prevent adverse laser events among the general population in Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study. Cureus. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.50157

Arsiwala, S., & Majid, I. (2019). Methods to overcome poor responses and challenges of laser hair removal in dark skin. Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology, 85(1), 3. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijdvl.ijdvl_1103_16

Hamzavi, I., Fatima, S., Braunberger, T., Mohammad, T., & Kohli, I. (2020). The role of sunscreen in melasma and postinflammatory hyperpigmentation. Indian Journal of Dermatology, 65(1), 5. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijd.ijd_295_18

Kerstein, R. L., Lister, T., & Cole, R. (2014). Laser therapy and photosensitive medication: A review of the evidence. Lasers in Medical Science, 29(4), 1449-1452. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10103-014-1553-0

Liew, S. H. (2002). Laser hair removal. American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 3(2), 107-115. https://doi.org/10.2165/00128071-200203020-00004

Mustafa, F. H., & Jaafar, M. S. (2015). Shaving area of unwanted hair before laser operation is useful in cosmetic procedure: A simulation study. Journal of Dermatology & Dermatologic Surgery, 19(1), 36-42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jssdds.2013.10.001

Spritzer, P. M., Marchesan, L. B., Santos, B. R., & Fighera, T. M. (2022). Hirsutism, normal androgens and diagnosis of PCOS. Diagnostics, 12(8), 1922. https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics12081922

Vaidya T., Hohman, M. H., & Kumar, D. D. (2023). Laser Hair Removal. StatPearls. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507861/

[thedroloisms]

Never understood the insistence by the greater mcyt fandom that chasing an entire group of people out of a fandom space because of the person they watched was this great achievement. It’s alienating a group of people, treating them like an other, and patting yourself on the back because “at least I’m not like those people” when the wider internet doesn’t give a shit and call you a Dream Stan regardless because that’s what he is? It happened within the DSMP fandom as well and it made me scratch my head because it gave off bootlicking (?) vibes? People who hated the server didn’t care if you were a ranboo stan or not you were still going to be called a Dream Stan regardless. Strangely enough it kind of coincides with the beginning of Dream’s own alienation from the MC Community as a whole and how he voiced that he didn’t feel as though he was allowed to participate in mc community events (like mob vote) despite the game being his entire career and especially when his friends and colleagues were able to participate without scrutiny.

like, congrats on the harassment i guess? the way that people made it all about "protecting their spaces from bad people" too, when uh 1) the alienation of people who liked dream in mcytblr spaces way precedes anything to do with the allegations, yall might act coy but i was there for the sleepytwt wars of 2020, lmao, and 2) the same people who they're throwing out for being Bad People (tm) sure weren't being dropped by the very content creators they base their entire online personalities about? like, in cases like forever and illumina, ccs were very damn quick to show that they didn't support them. and meanwhile people unfollowing dream a whole year after the original allegations is somehow because of the drituation? don't make me laugh. the double standards were craaaazy. i have no clue how these people managed to pat themselves on the back abt content creators that sure were staying completely mum on the subject when they had already convinced themselves that dream is 100% guilty in every respect, get rid of the whole guy. but i digress.

frankly i would say that dream's alienation from the mc community was. early. i mean, speedrunning drama happened in 2020, basically a year or less after he blew up. and when it comes to stantwt? sleepytwt wasn't exactly welcoming in 2020, lmao. the harassment campaign against dream extended long before the allegations and honestly have kind of followed him for his entire career. people continue to hate dream like theyre doing some kind of revolutionary thing (#forActivism!!!) as if they don't sound exactly like the sbi fans that have ragged on him for the last 4 years. like, don't make me laugh, your group circlejerk of oh at least you guys hate dream at least you're not dream stans whenever anything happens (even when said thing might be something like mcytblr drama that has jack shit to do with the guy whose fans you literally expelled from your midsts or allegations against someone completely different) doesn't make you look like praiseworthy activists against a great evil, it just makes you look self-righteous.

[literaticat]

Hi Jenn. Thinking about the Goodreads category changes with no more MG, GN, or poetry. Do you think that reflects a change in the market? Are MG and GNs on their way out?

short answer: No.

long answer: This person is talking about the GoodReads Choice Awards -- in previous years there have been more categories, this year they took away the Children's & MG, GN and Poetry categories. You can read more about it in this PW article.

In the words of GR, "[the] Goodreads Choice Awards reflect the books that are most popular with our members" -- the people who most use GoodReads are adults who are big time readers of YA and grown-up books. The people who care most about kids books and GN are, well... kids. Kids don't use GoodReads.

You can see the difference for yourself -- just look at MG vs adult books and how many ratings each get. I just randomly looked at DOGMAN: GRIME AND PUNISHMENT. Published in 2020, it's an insanely popular MG GN in an insanely popular series that has sold tens of millions of copies. This installment alone has sold 2.5 million copies. It has 7,816 ratings on GoodReads.

I randomly picked a 2020 book from author Sarah J Maas to compare to. It's called HOUSE OF EARTH AND BLOOD -- not a title I'm familiar with, book one of a series I've never heard of (compared to her other huge series that I def have heard of!!) -- I'm saying, obviously she's a super popular author and this book did great by anyone's reckoning, but it's VERY far from the most popular book by Maas, and has sold a fraction of what GRIME AND PUNISHMENT sold in the same amount of time. It has 492,584 ratings on GoodReads. Her more popular have GR ratings numbers in the millions -- whereas Dav Pilkey, who again, in the real world, sells significantly better than Maas, has ratings that hover in the low thousands across the board.

So to recap: 1) GoodReads just isn't catering toward kids/MG/GN readers; 2) The world in general treats kids/MG/GN books as less-than and "not real" books, this is more of the disrespect we are used to. 3) GR is trash -- er, I MEAN, GR is not an accurate reflection of the real world and real readers. 4) Kids books and GN are not going anywhere.

[luucypevensie]

🐰 gimme some Grace plss!

YAS, FINALLY YOU ASKED ABOUT MY FAIRY QUEEN!! THANK YOU, ANNA!

1. Their berserk button: Grace HATES when someone doesn’t clean up their mess; she thinks it’s rude when you don’t pick up after yourself, and if you’ve done it twice around her, look out!

2. Why their name was chosen: When finding out they were having a girl, Grace’s mother knew immediately that she wanted something that was timeless. Classic in its own right. Then, she happened upon Grace when Grace’s father was taking her out for dinner and they passed by a church that had Grace in the title. She saw that name, turned to Grace’s father, and said “That’s her name, Grace”

3. Their favorite 2020s song: seven by Taylor Swift

4. Their biggest fear: Losing Lucas in any capacity

5. One turn-on of theirs: Confidence (Grace especially loves Lucas’s quiet confidence in himself and his abilities)

6. Their go-to sleepover activities: Grace always bakes delicious treats whenever the girls are over, and once the treats are ready to go, there’s surprisingly a lot of card games (one favorite is a card game called Nertz that some of Grace’s dance troupe taught her that’s like double Solitaire, but with more people and WAY more chaos)

7. What candle they’d get at Bath & Body Works: Grace LOVES the Champagne Toast candle; she likes the crisp smell of it

8. A moment where they reached their breaking point: I think that would be when she finally finds out about the supernatural, and that she’s listed on the Deadpool. Finding out that not only are all of your friends not necessarily normal, but you’re also not normal and have no idea what you could be really does do a lot of damage to one’s psyche. Grace’s freak out was so bad, it turned into a panic attack

9. Whether they’re organized or slobby: Are you kidding me? Grace is the QUEEN of organization; it’s what gives her calm in the middle of the supernatural storm

10. Their favorite feature about themselves: Her arms (she has those toned, beautiful, dancer arms)

[davidmariottecomics]

Mr. Piggy

Howdy! 

Pretty brief one this week. You may've seen that Feb 1 was Hourly Comics Day. This is an annual event where people make a comic every hour. Lots of them are super short--a panel or two--and often biographical. I participated and what I've wrought can only be described as Mr. Piggy. 

Apologies to Alec "Mr. Boop" Robbins, Jim Henson, and Lizzo. Know that the recommended soundtrack is a canned laugh track repeating at a regular interval that cannot distinguish from the comedy and the drama. 

If anyone has a good recommendation for a therapist in the San Diego area that takes Anthem, my inbox is open! I know hard it can be to be kind to yourself, to treat yourself well, to do things you need to to not have bad brain days and find balance in your emotions when things are, genuinely, very bad in the world. But it's worth it to try. 

Thanks! David

P.S. A funny little work story from this week. I was emailing with a creator who works under a pseudonym, and they mentioned that in reference to how their paperwork would have a different name. I'm looking at it and I'm like "Whoa, no wonder. It must be really hard being named Wells Fargo." I was, of course, looking at their bank information and am dumb. 

What I enjoyed this week: Blank Check (Podcast), Honkai Impact (Video game), House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski (Book), Persona 4 Golden (Video game), Poker Face (TV show), our new mattress, receiving mail, Dungeons & Daddies (Podcast), Barry (TV show), Genshin Impact (Manga--I finally went and caught up on that from a couple of years ago), other people's Hourly Comics. 

New Releases this week (2/1/2022): Off week for my books!

New releases next week (2/8/2022): Godzilla: Monsters & Protectors - All Hail the King #5 (Editor) Sonic the Hedgehog #57 (Editor) Sonic the Hedgehog, Vol. 13: Battle for the Empire (Editor, collecting Sonic #50, 51, the 2022 Annual, and I think the 2022 Free Comic Book Day short?) 

Final Order Cutoff (2/6/2023): Sonic the Hedgehog: The IDW Collection, Vol. 3 (Editor, collecting Sonic #21-32 and the 2020 Annual)

Announcements: Arizona Comic Book Arts Festival - 2/25! Just a couple more weeks! They've got a heckuva guest list including me, Becca, Elizabeth Brei, Danny Djeljosevic, Mitch Gerads, Steve Rude, John Layman, Henry Barajas, Jay Fotos, Jeff Mariotte, Marcy Rockwell, John Yurcaba, Andrew MacLean, Alexis Zirrit, Meredith McClaren, James Owen, Ryan Cody, and many more! Come and see us! Becca'll have some very cool new merch, too! And tickets are only $10! 

Speaking of Becca, did you know they have a Patreon? They're doing weekly drawing prompts that're uploading Sundays, so lots of new stuff up there as well as a pretty impressive backcatalog from the past few years. This month, if you sign-up at any level, your support's actually going to a really amazing local organization, The Brown Building. 

And final Becca news, they contributed to Aradia Beat, a Magical Girl Anthology Magazine! It's now on Kickstarter! It's both a tribute to 90s magical girl stories and part of a larger project about the overall preservation and mutual support of magical girl stories! There're two weeks left to back, so throw some money their way to make this happen and tell your friends!  

[sun-in-retrograde]

Salacia Opposing Makemake

On 15 March Makemake and Salacia will oppose one another with Salacia at 9 degrees of Aries and Makemake at 10 degrees of Libra. They’ll remain within 1 degree of each other until 30 April as Makemake retrogrades back into Salacia. Then, for a few months Salacia will be ahead until it retrogrades back into Makemake and enters a close conjunction again 4 September to 21 October. 

This is something that happens every year right now. Salacia has been opposing Makemake at a wide orb since 1998 when it was in Pisces and it will continue to do so until 2045 when Salacia will be in Taurus. Close oppositions (under one degree) between the two planets will pop up in the Summer of 2012-2019; in the Spring and Autumn of 2020-2030; then the opposition will ebb away with the last few in the winter of 2031-2038. What this means is that this opposition is currently at its strongest - we’ve had 12 years of it and we have 14 years to go. 

The Planets

Makemake is relatively large for a dwarf planet - it takes 306.2 years to cross the zodiac. Salacia is the smallest of the dwarf planets to be named. It’s smaller and a little bit faster - it makes it across the zodiac in 274 years. Because of their relatively similar speeds, aspects last a long time. As far as I can see they were last conjunct in the 11th century. 

This means for most people alive now, if Makemake and Salacia have anything to do with one another, it’ll be oppositional. And this is a real shame because I genuinely don’t think they’re naturally hostile to one another. Makemake and Salacia seem to work in the same area - how you use resources and systems. 

My view is, Makemake takes a bit of a birds eye view of something while Salacia is about being very much in it. Makemake is interested in how things fit together and how to use that. Salacia is more about vibes. If Makemake wanted to sell you something it could talk you into it. Salacia would have a shop you’re naturally interested in going into. When I think of Makemake I think of nationalism, patriotism, and manipulating resources. When I think of Salacia I think of forms of media, ways of networking, and things that are hidden or hard to see. 

The Opposition

When Makemake and Salacia oppose, look for systems that are hiding, or things hidden in systems. Particularly, look for things hidden in how systems made up of people.

Manipulative nationalism or cult behaviour strikes me as very appropriate for the Makemake-Salacia opposition. Basically you have the manipulative abilities of Makemake working alongside the hiddenness of Salacia. Malware, gaslighting, parasocial relationships and scams are all very relevant for this, but particularly situations where the core of the scam is how you identify and what you identify with. 

The core lie to watch out for is “You can trust me because we’re the same”. The core lie to watch out for in yourself is the belief that someone is going to treat you well because they’re in your church, or political movement, or share your interest in astrology, or share your queer identity. We often think of scams, cults, abuse and grooming as things that happen to other people. In the UK “Muslim grooming gangs” have been a huge issue even though there’s no evidence that you’re more likely to be abused by a Muslim than a white person. It’s comforting to believe that evil is somehow different to your own community because it’s far easier to believe that than to recognise that the risk is always from people who look like you, talk like you, think like you, live with you.

So, yeah, keep your hand on your wallet. Be safe. Don’t put your passwords or bank details into anything surprising without thinking about it first. Explore new ideas all you like but remain genuinely curious, and that means not just staying open minded but also being critical of the person telling you about UFOs, or how to vote, or how to lose weight, or dwarf planet astrology. They might be just bullshitting you.

The Positives

You know what, it’s good to be part of a group, it’s good to be seduced, and we do have elections coming up and a genocide in Gaza to fight. In Salacia and Makemake we have two somewhat cerebral and manipulative energies in close aspect for a long period of time. Now could be a good time to sweep someone off their feet, or be swept. It might not be as meaningful as you think at the time but that doesn’t mean it’s not potentially fun. Propaganda and group identification might be kicked into overdrive for the next few weeks but that also means there’s possibilities to get a message out and solidify your groups. Maybe don’t expect truth to get as far as lies or genuine community to win out over cultish devotion - but we have the cosmic energy we have and all we can do is work with it ethically. 

Also, sometimes it might be good to be a part of a crowd. Makemake is direct and Salacia is retrograde so now would be a good time for collective actions - the Eurovision fandom is doing this at the moment. People have formed relationships through a shared interest, got angry about the war in Gaza, and now they’re working out how to act on that. A movement emerges where there wasn’t one visible before. It emerges in conflict and sadness, but that’s powerful. More of that please.

I’ve got notes underneath about examples of this aspect in the past and a schedule of when it happened and will happen.  

Oppositions started 1998 Salacia in Pisces (within 5 degrees)

Oppositions Within 1 

9 June 2012-27 June 2012

22 May 2013-18 July 2013

12 May 2014-31 July 2014

5 May 2015-10 August 2015

27 April 2016-19 August 2016

22 April 2017-27 August 2017

16 April 2018-5 September 2018

11 April 2019-13 September 2019

5 April 2020-3 June 2020; 23 July-20 September

2021: 31 March-22 May; 6 August 2021-28 September

2022: 26 March-14 May; 17 August-6 Obctober

2023: 22 March-7 May; 27 August- 14 October

2024: 15 March-30 April; 4 September-21 October

2025: 10 March-24 April; 13 September-29 October

2026: 4 March-19 April; 21 September-7 November

2027: 26 February-14 April; 29 September-17 November

2028: 20 February-8 April; 5 October-26 November

2029: 11 February-3 April; 13 October-9 December

2030: 1 February-29 March; 21 October-5 January 2031

2031: 7 January-24 March; 

2031/2032: 29 October 2031-18 March 2032

2032/2033: 5 November 2032-13 March 2033

2033/4: 14 November 2033-7 March 2034

2034/5: 23 November 2034-28 February 2035

2035/6: 3 December 2035-21 February 2036

2036/7: 15 December 2036-10 February 2037

2038: 5 January 2038-23 January 2038

Ends (at 5 degrees 2045) Salacia in Taurus

Julian Assange when he hid in the embassy - Makemake was conjunct his natal Pluto and Salacia was Conjunct Chariklo - so survival and hidden knowledge were issues related to hiding by attaching himself to a nation. Makemake opposes Gonggong along his MC. Gongong is associated with major upsets and upheavals and Makemake is associated with national identity. Pretty appropriate for someone who shocked the world by revealing national secrets

Brexit happened with an opposition between the 8th house Makemake (what the country is owed) and 2nd house Salacia (our place in a global economy)

Zelenskyy had a Makemake - Gonggong opposition along his MC, again, appropriate for someone whose election has led to such an upheaval and a change in Ukraine's self-image and image in the world. When he was elected president the Makemake-Salacia opposition had a positive aspect with him Sun and Venus which really shines a light on his charm and charisma.

[adanistoreys]

Guide for Ahmedabad Residential Real Estate Investment

Ahmedabad, one of Gujarat’s major industrial hubs and an upcoming smart city, has generally continued to be a popular place to invest in real estate. Although the mass mid-segment has historically dominated the market, the luxury segment is now the main investor destination. Up until June 2022, 8,197 residential units were sold in Ahmedabad. This exceeds the 4,208 units that were sold in the same time frame in 2021. Despite a 3% increase in the cost of residential properties, sales rose. In addition, the number of newly announced housing developments in Ahmedabad increased by 67% at the start of 2022. 10,385 housing units have been launched as of mid-2022, compared to 6,226 new units launched in the same period in 2021. If you are looking for luxurious flats in Ahmedabad then “The Storeys” luxurious homes are effortlessly designed to redefine the meaning of luxurious living also our magnificent 4/5 BHK apartments in Ahmedabad will elevate your way of life.

Tops Reasons to Invest in Ahmedabad

Tidiness and Top-Notch Facilities:

Ahmedabad’s contemporary residential neighbourhoods are well-known for having plenty of green space and state-of-the-art facilities. This city provides well-maintained, low-pollution highways that are clean. As per Swachh Survekshan 2020, Ahmedabad ranks fifth among India’s cleanest cities.

Education Hub:

This city has emerged as a major hub for education in recent times. Many students travel from all over the nation to this metropolis in order to receive a top-notch education. This is the location of IIM Ahmedabad, the Dream Business school for all MBA hopefuls. Consequently, it would appear wise to invest in Ahmedabad apartments.

Plenty of Employment Opportunities:

Job options abound in this city. It’s a major hub for the automotive sector, home to numerous active plants of well-known brands such as Hero Moto Corp, Suzuki, Honda, and Tata Motors. Apart from this, this city’s expansion and connectivity are the main draws for investors. Discover luxurious living combined with comfort at The Storeys. Improve your quality of life with our luxurious 4/5 BHK apartments in Ahmedabad. Your ideal house is waiting for you; treat yourself to elegance and room, and start redefining your life right now.

Areas in Ahmedabad where you can invest in 4/5 BHK Flats in Ahmedabad:

Satellite:

Located on Ahmedabad’s western suburbs, Satellite is a posh and established residential neighbourhood. Satellite is home to a range of residential properties, including villas and flats, and has good access to places like Vastrapur, Ambawadi, Vasna, and more. The costs of residential properties in this neighbourhood range from ₹5,700 to ₹9,900 per square foot on average.

Bopal:

The majority of the properties in this area are multi-story flats and villas that fall into the mid-range and economical price range. The majority of these projects have contemporary amenities, making them suitable for residential real estate investments. The cost of residential real estate in this area can vary from ₹4,600 to ₹7,000 per square foot.

Gandhinagar and Vaishnodevi Circle:

Ahmedabad’s Gandhinagar and Vaishnodevi Circle are excellent areas to make investments. Gujarat’s capital city, Gandhinagar, is a stable and expanding region. Ahmedabad’s Vaishnodevi Circle is a bustling, contemporary area with convenient access. These are smart regions to invest in because they provide economic opportunity, stability, and continuous progress, all of which increase the likelihood of long-term positive returns. Improve the quality of your life with our Spacious and Luxurious 4 BHK apartments in Ahmedabad. Your ideal house is waiting for you; take advantage of this chance to live in unparalleled luxury and elegance. Get your piece of luxury at The Storeys now, and transform your way of life.

Vastrapur:

This residential area is located on the western outskirts known as Vastrapur in Ahmedabad. It is well connected to developing areas such as Mahavir Nagar and Bodakdev. This region is primarily made up of multi-story apartment complexes and single-family homes. Residential real estate may be purchased for between ₹4,800 and ₹7,200 per square foot.

Before investing in commercial or residential properties in Ahmedabad, it is necessary to thoroughly investigate a location and comprehend its real estate trends. Making an informed real estate investment decision might be challenging with so many possibilities available. UB Heritage is the one-stop shop for all real estate needs, which is why one must rely on them. They have some of the greatest properties available for investment, and their knowledgeable staff is available to address any questions.

This blog originally posted here: https://thestoreys.in/guide-for-ahmedabad-residential-real-estate-investment/

[fentrashcat]

Some things that I've changed in my environment that have SEVERELY increased my quality of life in terms of dealing with my limitations-

1. Trashcans in every room. We used to only have a kitchen trash can and a bathroom trashcan, and when you can barely get out of bed/off the couch, it's really nice having a trash can nearby.

2. The only things that go in lower cabinets are either rarely used, or something I certainly won't forget about. No food in lower cabinets EVER. (While cleaning out my kitchen in like 2020 we found things that expired in like 2009 in the bottom cabinets bc they were so underused)

3. Easily perishable or forgettable things (fruit, veggies, meat) are all eye level in the fridge/freezer/pantry. Memorable things (treats, drinks) can go lower. I also removed one of the drawers from my fridge and made that just a water bottle shelf.

4. Easy meals live in the house at all times. Frozen chicken nuggets, ramen, and canned soup are my go-tos. All of them can be microwaved and ready in under 5min.

5. I can't actually remove my cabinet doors for Reasons but if they can be, my upper cabinets stay open.

6. I got a freestanding pantry from like home depot, and that's where most of the food goes. That way it's all together and I can see it all at once.

7. Snack Box. I always forgot about my bread in the bread box because I couldn't see it, so now the bread lives in the fridge (keeps longer) and snacks live in the bread box. They're usually long keeping snacks like nuts and microwave popcorn. I also used neon stickers to label it as snack box so it draws my eye.

8. I hang ALL of my clothes that I can, and they're hung on a rack in the living room. Things in a dresser or closet would vanish for me, and I HATE folding clothes. This came in sections until I found the best solution. When I was younger we just piled clean clothes on a couch and left them. Then I started keeping clean clothes in my hamper, dirty clothes on the floor. Now I keep most clean clothes on hangers, socks and undies just tossed in some fabric storage boxes since those don't have to be seen to be remembered, and hampers are for dirty clothes only.

9. When possible, I have 2 rescue inhalers. One lives in my backpack and the other stays in the house. If I have three then I have one by my bed and one in the living room.

10. Blankets and plush toys are in arms reach of anywhere I sit for a long time. They can help my anxiety and my tics.

11. I have a one month pill organizer that uses dates not week days. I also have alarms that tell me it's time for my meds. I found voice clips of someone saying "stop what you're doing and take your meds or you'll forget" for my night meds, and a song that's like "just go take your medicine right now, I'll wait" for the morning. The pill organizer lives next to my favorite spot in the living room. Fill it up once a month and be set.

12. This is a big one- forget about "normal". So what if it's not normal for my clothes to be in the livingroom? Now that I see them I wear a bigger variety of clothes. Also- don't let people guilt you for doing what works. My refrigerator water dispenser is broken and I hate drinking water out of cups, so I get water bottles. Yes, plastic bottles are bad for the environment, but dehydration is a lot worse for my health (i have a reusable water bottle i use sometimes but i dont always have energy to fill it). If what works for you isn't like the "correct" choice, that's okay.

Take care of yourself, in whatever way works.

The was long but maybe it'll help someone else. I learned a lot of these solutions on my own once I stopped caring about "normal" and just played around to see what works.

More How To Manage ADHD

“I never remember to take out the trash until my trash can is full, at which point the trash bag is really heavy and the stuff at the bottom has been rotting a while, and it’s awful!”

Small brain: “Try to train yourself to take out the trash on certain days at certain times.”

Large brain: “Buy a tiny trash can. Now you HAVE to empty it.”

[treadmilltreats]

Don't make New Year's resolutions, make life resolutions

Every year, we all make New Year's resolutions. We vow to go to the gym more, eat right, make more money, and do the things we should be doing already but aren't. Us gym rats know that the gym is packed the first month of the year, but by the last week in January, not so much. By the second week in February, it's just us die-hards that are in there again.

So why do we do that to ourselves? Why do we make these resolutions only to break them and then make ourselves feel bad? Nine years ago, I decided I wasn't going to make any more resolutions. I was going to make life resolutions to do something to change who I was as a person inside.

These have been my life resolutions that have literally changed my life.

2014 was: Let go and let God

This meant I couldn't control everything. I couldn't figure out all of my problems, so if I wanted to change my life, I had to let go of control and give it to God. See, God kept giving me messages, but I thought I knew better. This was a game changer for me.

2015 was: Pray and let God worry

I remember while I was getting divorced, I was stressing so much that I couldn't eat. I couldn't sleep and my hair was falling out. I even thought I was having a heart attack at one point. I couldn't go on believing in God and keep stressing. It didn't make sense, did I believe it or not? Do I have faith or not? So I chose to pray and let God worry, and that was the best decision I ever made.

2016 was: Be present in my purpose

I know I am here for a purpose. I know God gave me this gift of writing to be able to touch others with my words. So, in 2016, I chose to be present in that purpose and know that this is where I am supposed to be.

My bible verse has always been: Romans 8.28

"God causes everything to happen for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them"

I have been present in this verse and in my life ever since.

2017 was: Be real to yourself

For me, it's listening to that voice inside yourself. It's feeling what makes you happy, trusting what God is telling you, and what is real. We often poo poo things in our minds. We know deep down what the message is, but we don't want to listen.

I heard the messages, and I have acted quickly on them as I now trust God and my intuition. This was a hard one for me, and sometimes I reverted into my old ways, but since this resolution, I have been quicker to learn my lessons and move on.

2018: Knowing your self-worth.

This was also a hard one for me, as I've lost my self-worth a long time ago and hadn't gotten it back. I used to let men use me. I'd run after men who aren't worth my time. I've made excuses for bad behavior of people and given way too many chances to people who've hurt me.

I had to practice what I preached, the things I write about to my readers. I needed to show others how to treat me, with love and respect, and if not, then you're outta here. I now know my self-worth, and it's a wonderful feeling.

2019: To realize that I am a soldier.

I had to realize that God only gives his toughest battles to his strongest soldiers, and that's me. Whether I want it or not, this is who he called me to be. This is so I can share my testimony with others.

2020 was to be happy within myself.

It doesn't matter what people say, whether they think it's right or wrong, this is your life. You can be dead tomorrow, and I know this as I lost many loved ones suddenly, and so I know how short life can truly be. You need to do what makes you happy now. Don't try to live your life pleasing others, because most times they will never be happy with themselves. I will do what makes me happy, as long as I am not hurting anyone. This is my life, and I will live it my way.

For 2021, my life resolution was

Do not lose heart

It is from 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, inwardly we are being renewed day by day. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is"

2022, it was: Be happy

Was about being happy with yourself. You can not make anyone else happy, but you can find the happiness within.

2023 was : Shit happens

A lot of shit happened, and I've realized that's just life.

Shit will happen, and life goes on, but we can't let it bring us down or knock us out. There will be some great years, and there will be some really shitty years, but our attitude is the only thing we can change.

2024 life resolutions is: There is always room for improvement

This year, I learned that I wasn't over my PTSD. I allowed someone to push my buttons and bring me back to a place I thought I was done with. I learned that money or a job is not worth your peace of mind. And that you can always make a change to fix yourself, which I did by going back to therapy.

I know this life is only temporary, and through it all, I have not lost heart. Even when I couldn't see what was coming at me, I held on to my faith, and I looked for the lessons in this craziness in the world. I was grateful for things even when the world seemed bleak.

See, you can not change, you cannot get this if you still will not let go. If you still do not have faith...it's all on you. Can you get out of your own way to make things happen?

Once we let go of these things, once we let go of control, once we learn faith and we pray and let God worry, things will change. Once we are present in our purpose, once we are real with ourselves, once we own who we are called to be, once we are happy with ourselves and our life then everything we ever wanted, everything we ever lost, everything that was stolen from us, will be returned in abundance.

So today, my friends, I tell you that this is your year, you are the only one that can change things in your life. If you truly want them to change, you have to do the work and believe me, sometimes it's not easy.

If I can do it, then you can, too. Change your life today...

Don't make New Year's resolutions, make life resolutions... start today.

"Be the change you want to see,"

@TreadmillTreats

[minenhlembatha]

OVERALL REFLECTION ON MY COMMUNITY BLOCK AT CATO MANOR

If you have never had an experience on a rollercoaster ride, tag along on a community block and you’ll feel all emotions at once. These 4 weeks have been nothing, but a journey filled with mixed emotions, enjoyment and floods of tears of nothing but feeling like a failure. You’ll cry and pull yourself up. If you want to discover yourself even more, this block is for you, you shall move out of your comfort zone, it’ll break you and fix you up into a hardcore person who mostly is emotionless and yearn to fight for themselves throughout. Overall, there’s no rose without a thorn.

(Nat-stimmy,2020)

This gif is a reflection of my ride within the 4 weeks in this block. As it moves, I want you to follow along with the ride, can you feel how scary it is when going downhill but feels better when it goes up. That is exactly how it felt whenever I lost control and felt like ending the journey but on the other hand pull myself up though it was hard.

The community block didn’t only always make me feel blue but there was a silver lining across the cloud. The highlights of my weeks in this block have to be how the community of Cato Manor was welcoming and was able to treat me as part of them and gelled well together as they could see the need for OT in their lives and the community. As occupational therapists, we are tasked with improving the health and well-being of our clients, and collaborative strategies can help achieve this goal. By working with other healthcare professionals, community organizations, and clients, we can address social determinants of health and improve access to resources for our clients. This made me realize the importance of making each client’s intervention to be client-centred and also taking into consideration the culture. According to Rodríguez-Bailón et al. (2022), it is stated that greater occupational performance satisfaction is a result of a client-centred approach. This indicates that occupational therapy patients may find it easier to accept the new restrictions on their occupational performance when their needs are centred around them. Client-centred intervention approach helps clients develop a stronger sense of self-identity and self-worth. In addition, individuals who attend therapy sessions that use this approach often improve their self-awareness and problem-solving abilities.

(Person-centred-approach - Manton Heights ABI Unit, 2018)

This picture shows the benefits of using a person-centred care intervention approach.

Personally, I learnt more about how to communicate effectively because as they would say a child who doesn’t cry dies in the mother’s back and me being me, I was and still am not ready to die just yet. By dying, I mean failure to not stand up for myself leading to being taken advantage of. This block surely turned me into a new version of myself, the weak fragile me who was a people pleaser and would keep quiet and be dying inside, is gone. I found my voice and I am striving for it to be heard. Not only in my practicals but in my personal life as well.

"No matter how bad things get, eventually the sun is going to shine. If you just keep at it, pursuing your goals, eventually good things happen to decent people. For a person who is set on his goals, good things will happen." ~ Daniel Cormier

The way forward in community service is that the people need advocacy, because Cato Manor is a rural settlement with limited resources, most of the people may have limited access to knowledge about things that could help better their standard of living. As by  Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain and Process (3rd Edition) (2014), "Advocacy" also refers to actions taken to advance occupational justice and provide clients with the authority to look for and acquire the resources they need to participate fully in their daily occupations. At the individual and systemic levels, advocacy and self-advocacy results improve health, well-being, and employment.   We did health promotions in the clinic every Tuesday and Friday and everywhere in the community with people who wanted to know about us, to educate people about Occupational Therapy, what we offer, and how it can benefit them this was to ensure that people can get access to knowledge and health care as most people in the community would have things impacting their functionality negatively but don’t know whom they’ll get the help from.  According to WHO (n.d.), health promotion is essential as people may exert more control over their own health by promoting it. It includes a wide variety of social and environmental interventions that aim to improve and maintain each person's health and quality of life by addressing and preventing the underlying causes of illness rather than only concentrating on treatment and cure. Prevention is better than cure.

(R, 2023)

In conclusion, I am grateful for the person I have become, and I have learnt a lot personally and professionally. This block made me change my perspective on life and overall, I have grown as an individual. The experience shaped me into whom I am right now as George Patton says, 'pressure makes diamonds'. The stories coming from the community about the lives they live made me eager to be an OT that brings back to the community and strives for what's also best for the community and advocates for them.

REFERENCES

Health promotion. (n.d.). https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/health-promotion

N. (2020, December 21). nat-stimmy. Tumblr. https://nat-stimmy.tumblr.com/post/638154591711756288/intimidator-305-source

Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain and Process (3rd Edition). (2014). American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 68(Supplement_1), S1–S48. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2014.682006

Person-centred-approach - Manton Heights ABI Unit. (2018, November 1). Manton Heights ABI Unit. https://www.mantonheightsabi.co.uk/professionals/what-we-do/attachment/person-centred-approach/

R. (2023, February 3). SCOTUS Considers When Students With Disabilities Can Sue for Damages. Tumblr. https://royfmc.tumblr.com/post/708255183509028864/scotus-considers-when-students-with-disabilities

Rodríguez-Bailón, M., López-González, L., & Merchán-Baeza, J. A. (2022). Client-centred practice in occupational therapy after stroke: A systematic review. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 29(2), 89–103. https://doi.org/10.1080/11038128.2020.1856181

[hampirtengahmalam]

2022 – The Year of Resilience

I genuinely thought that I am done with 2022 due to the huge heartbreak that I felt.

Since 2019 I never make a goal to start a new year, just continuously reflecting on what I have done and I have achieved.

From December 2021 until May 2022, I was occupied preparing my university and scholarship application to some universities. I got no time for unnecessary things like hanging out with friends, getting along with my co-workers, or even thinking about love.

I knew that 2022 was supposed to teach me about how failure and blessing could co-exist. But in the mid of 2022-in June to be exact, you came into my life. You reoriented the rest of the year making it more colourful and it felt like you painted my whole skies. When I failed, you tried your best to cheer me up. Nothing sexier than effort and knowing that there is someone who wants you so much.

Some people said that stay single until you feel that love is easy, as simple as breathing. Despite the differences among us, I am grateful to have him right now.

So, writing this reflection reminds myself that this year is full of ups and downs, tears and laughs, loneliness, resilience, anxiety, and joy.

First: Failure

Half of my 2022 was full of hustling in preparing for university and scholarship applications. My desire to pursue a high level of education is still the same every year. All I want is to get my master's degree, a new experience to broaden my horizon, and get a better job for a better life. I applied to Oxford, MIT, Freiburg University, 4 universities in Sweden, Hong Kong University, and Sussex University. From all those applications to universities, I got accepted to HKU and Sussex Uni, but not the scholarship.

During preparing these applications, I realised that I am more aware of what I want and what I need. I learned that it’s ok if your dreams change and it’s not the same dream as 5 years ago. I realised that I evolved and my dreams as well. Preparing the applications takes time and requires deep focus. I can say that my half-life in 2022 is juggling with personal statements, reference letters, tons of essays, documents, and not being able to move from my desk (ups! My bad).

When I got an email from ADB-HKU (which was my last hope back then) telling me that I didn’t get the scholarship, I was shocked and all I could do was sit in silence and cried until I slept. But the universe has its own way to remind me about failure. One of the TEDTalk videos I watched before I slept was about how a high-level mindset can help you to achieve your dream. It was such an enlightening talk for me because the talks remind me to keep my head up and not every chapter in life is going to be perfect. So, it’s ok if you fail, you will learn and grow.

Second: Growth

I always believe that rejection means redirection. When I failed, I didn’t tell myself to be strong or “yeah let's do it again”. No. It is not how I treat myself to face failure. I learned that in order to make yourself stronger you have to give room for yourself to be vulnerable. Accept the situation and feel the emotion. So, when I cried, I let myself feel all of the emotions like anger, sadness, confusion, etc.

My failure has taught me that I shouldn’t hold on to something too tightly. It’s like when you hold sand in your hand too tight, it will come out from your fingers and it won’t stay. I also try to believe in what God has prepared for me because God is the best planner and executor. My failure gives me room to grow and evolve. It teaches me that life is about to catch and release.

Third: Joy

The rest of 2022 was an epic journey for me. I never expected could meet someone like you. Well, of course, we met in 2020 but I mean we really ‘meet’ at an unexpected time which…both of us know the story. HEHE. It took almost 3 months for me to really form a feeling for you and during that time you always prove to me your consistency which is ‘sexy’ for me. I have to say that neither of us expected to walk down a road that leads us here. (Read: kamu genit banget dari dulu sampe aku gamau deket tapi sekarang malah seneng kalau spending time sama kamu)

We met at the point where I was done with wanting to be with someone. I was done about meeting and knowing people to start a relationship. Then, there is you. All of the efforts you make, the sweetness, the weirdness, the awkwardness, and the silliness, all of these make me rethink about love. Despite our differences, you treat me well and make me one of your priorities. Even though I hate when you ‘ngomong gak jelas’ but you still steal my heart. Asik :D We went from one art exhibition to another, make a list of ‘Saturdate’ activities, re-watch Harry Potter, went to Ubud and Besakih and almost ‘died’, and many activities.

It’s weird how I started 2022 with hustling, and overthinking and ended with me smiling and laughing almost every day.

Since nothing is permanent in this world, including this state of happiness…so I guess let’s embrace our moments. The only thing we can do is cheerish it while it lasts.

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Jkt / January 1st, 2023 / 11.28pm