#I’m also making travel prep for in a few months

[chronicillnesscaneffoffplease]

I’ve had a few “whoops this thing I stopped doing is actually helping me” moments recently.

I’ve felt wretched and like I was coming down with the flu recently. It felt more than my normal PEM symptoms, and I was really concerned. And then I realise it’s spring, a bunch of stuff is blooming, and it’s been sooooo windy. And I stopped taking antihistamines and my nasonex sometime last year (antihistamines bc we thought it might have been causing some side effects, nasonex bc I hate the sensation of nasal sprays and need motivation to use it). Pesky hayfever. Needless to say I’m feeling much better having restarted my regimen. I felt a bit silly that I could have avoided feeing miserable though.

I went out for an appointment yesterday in my “knock about the house” shoes that are podiatrist loathed (nil ankle support, nil arch support, worn down), rather than my lace up shoes with my orthotics. After that appointment, I thought I’d check out a new store that’s opened at the shops nearby. I ended up doing a LOT of walking at the shops and today my ankles are sooooo painful and my hips been acting up. I guess it’s good to know that my shoes and orthotics are doing good things in terms of symptom prevention (as well as better longer-term outcomes) but damn do I feel ouchie.

I’m framing it as “yay negative data also tells us important things” because I gotta remember it’s not my fault when these things happen but it is good to try learn from them. And frankly, when there’s so many things going on with your health and condition management as a disabled person, it’s okay when things fall through the cracks. It’s gonna happen. Especially when there’s lots of non-disability stuff going on too. It’s okay.

[bunnywonyo]

I THINK I READ THE WRONG PINOCCHIO

g!p puppet yujin x toy maker’s daughter! reader

synopsis: classic puppet becomes a human but instead of going out to get swallowed by a whale, this puppet fucks their toy maker’s daughter.

word count: 1.8k

tags: agalmatophilia, smut

growing up with your father, you grew to also love the toys he made. from the wooden dolls to the mini animal sculptures that he himself carved. but your favorite type of toys that your father has made were the puppets.

the puppets, there was something about them that has drawn you. it might be their realistic faces or their names or even the fact that they kept you company whenever your father goes out of town to buy toy making materials. this day is another one of those occasions when your father will be gone for a few days to buy materials.

“it won’t take long y/n, i’ll be back in no time. now you be careful here, ok? you know where our food is kept right? i also asked our neighbors to occasionally check up on you, if you run into any trouble just yell for them. also, don’t for to lock the— ”

“i know dad, we go through this every two months since i can remember, i’m already used to it by now.”

“i know, but your old man just can’t help himself. i don’t want anything to happen to you.”

“It’s ok dad besides like you said the neighbors are here plus the puppets keep me company!”

"alright, but promise me you'll be careful," he added, hugging you tightly before grabbing his travel bag.

"i promise, dad," you said with a smile, hoping to reassure him. You slammed the door behind him and turned to face the room full of his works.

you approached the shelf, where the puppets were carefully placed, each with its own unique personality. there was wonyoung, the elegant princess; kazuha, the graceful ballerina; and giselle, the trendy fashionista. however, one puppet struck you the most: yujin, a mysterious puppet with hauntingly gorgeous eyes and a face that was both feminine and masculine.

yujin was by far your favorite among the countless puppets that your father has created. the way her face was sculpted to perfection, those dark brown eyes that seem to be alive, and the way her skin looks so soft despite being made of wood. her unexpected appendage down there was also a bonus(your father explained that yujin was supposed to be a boy but later changed his decision).

you reached out and picked up yujin, feeling a sense of comfort rush over you while holding her in your hands.

as the day passed by, you always had yujin by your side. whether it was to feed the chickens or to bring in the clothes that were set to dry. there was something about her that drew you in, something that, unlike everyone else, gave you the impression that you in some way, were understood.

before long, darkness fell and you had to remain indoors with your puppet companion, even though you have kind neighbors all around you, you never know when danger is around.

after making sure that you’ve locked all possible entrances, you’ve decided to light a few candles and turned on the kitchen light, creating a cozy, warm atmosphere. you then decided to cook some warm vegetable soup. the comforting aroma soon spread out through the whole house making you hum in delight.

once in a while you would glance at yujin who you propped by the dining table. the gentle flicker of the candles danced across yujin's face, giving the puppet an almost lifelike appearance. time passed by and you were soon done cooking. you prepped up the table and got all the necessary utensils to finally eat.

“yujin!! dinner’s ready!” you yelled even though you knew she was a puppet.

‘damn i must be going crazy’

sitting down, you took a sip of the soup, moaning in delight at the taste.

“you know yujin,” you started. “with you here, it doesn’t really feel lonely at all”

the puppet, unresponsive, just sat there yet her wooden eyes somehow looked like they were focused and listening intently to you.

shaking your head, you continued “i wish you were alive yuj, oh the stories i could tell you and the things we could do together.”

“you could walk independently, you could taste my cooking, you could……you could feel love—my love” you lighty ranted

but what you didn’t know was this simple wish of yours could lead to you getting any sleep at all tonight wink wink

after finishing dinner, you cleaned up the dining room and kitchen and also put away the leftovers. you did your nightly routines before putting yujin beside you in your bed.

“goodnight yuj” you say before kissing her on the lips and turning off the lights. you glanced at her one more time before closing your eyes as your consciousness drifts off to dreamland

“y/n”

“psst y/n”

“y/n wake up”

rubbing your eyes, you groaned in annoyance as your sweet slumber was interrupted.

“who is it? what happened? is the kitchen burning?” you asked but you were only answered by the sound of someone giggling.

“who the—WHAT THE FUCK!” you began to talk, but your words were cut short when you lost your balance.

falling off the bed with a bang, you landed on the floor in a tangle of bedding and limb. the force of the fall jolted you completely awake, and you sat up, scratching your head and looking around in confusion. as you struggled to get your bearings, you noticed Yujin sitting up on the bed, her eyes wide with concern. except yujin was no longer a puppet; she was fully alive, with human-like features and a concerned look.

"are you okay?" yujin asked, her voice quiet but filled with concern.

you blinked, trying to fully take in what you were seeing. "yujin? how... how are you alive?" you gasped, looking at her with surprise.

yujin looked down at herself, then back at you, equally bewildered. "i don't know," she said, shaking her head slightly. "one moment i was a puppet, and the next... i'm like this."

you stood up still trying to take in the whole situation when she spoke up again

“y/n i think it might be the kiss” she said

“the kiss?” you repeat feeling your cheeks flush as you remembered what you did a while ago

“yeah the kiss, it might’ve been some kind of magic” she explained while standing up, her tall figure towering over you.

as everything sank in, you realized how close yujin was standing in front of you. you stared at her and you could see her staring back at you. slowly, like a dream, you both leaned in. your breaths mingled, your eyes locked, and suddenly, as if driven by an invisible force, your lips touched in a soft, long kiss. it was delicate at first, but soon turned rough.

yujin placed her hands on your shoulders and deepened the kiss, her lips soft and warm on yours. your heart raced in your chest, and you felt yourself melting into the moment. before you knew it, yujin has already pushed you back to your bed, her body hovering over you.

the two of you locking lips for a while before you broke the kiss “i can’t believe this is real,” you gasped “i’ve been dreaming of this moment for a long time now.”

yujin smirks, hands squeezing your ass before replying, “me too princess, ever since i became conscious.”

you blush at the nickname before feeling something hard press against your thigh.

“yujin is this?..........” you trailed off, pertaining to the ‘thing’ poking your thigh.

“it’s exactly what you think it is princess” her smirk still there, her hand now rubbing your crotch. “i know you want this too.”

“let me take care of you” she whispered, her voice dropping an octave.

you nod in response, heart beating rapidly in anticipation. yujin’s hand moved smoothly across your bodies, slowly undressing the two you. your body shivered at the cold air when she finally finished undressing you. yujin stared at your body with a predatory gaze causing you to cover yourself with your arms. she chuckles at your attempt to cover yourself before grabbing your arms, preventing you from further trying to.

“don’t cover your body princess, your beautiful” she says as she leans to your neck, gently nipping it making you blush

with the two of you now bare, you could finally properly her length. if you had to guess, it was around 8 inches and it was quite girthy. it was veiny and had a huge prominent vein stemming from the base to the underside of the tip.

yujin positioned herself between you, looking into your eyes searching for any signs of discomfort or hesitation. seeing none, she guided her length to your core.

she penetrated you with a slow, deliberate thrust, and you yelped in pleasure. yujin stopped, giving you a moment to adjust, her gaze never leaving yours. "are you okay?" she said softly, her voice full of worry and love.

"yes," you whispered, your body craving more. "please, yujin... don't stop."

with your consent, yujin starts thrusting. each thrust harder and faster than the last one, this lead to you being a moaning and panting mess.

“you like that?” she pants, sweat running down her cheeks. “you like it when i turn you into a moaning mess?”

“yes!” you gasped. “i…–ahhh love it yujin! harder please i–ahhh want more.”

hearing this, yujin smirks before gripping your hips as she increases her pace, her eyes locked straight into yours. her gaze making you feel small.

"you're mine," she whispered, her voice a low growl that sent shivers down your spine. "and i'm gonna make you feel so good."

her words drove you over the edge, sending waves of pleasure crashing through you. you screamed out her name, your nails clawing her back, pulling her closer as your climax came.

yujin continued to thrust into you, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she chased her release. when she finally reached it, her body tightened, a loud, guttural cry from her lips as she gushed inside you, filling you entirely.

for a few moments, you both lay there, tangled together, your breaths mingling as you came down from your high. yujin brushed a strand of hair away from your face, her gaze softening with affection that made your heart flutter.

“i know we might be going a bit too fast but i love you y/n.” she whispered, her voice filled with sincerity.

you blush at her words before replying “it’s okay yuj, we’re in this together” you cup her cheeks. “and i love you too.”

yujin smiles at your words, leaning in to kiss you. “i’m gonna cherish this chance of being alive to prove to you how much i love you.” she promises.

you held her close, experiencing an overwhelming feeling of completeness and happiness you had never had before. the two of leaned in for one last before getting settled in bed to sleep.

“............”

“hey y/n?”

“hmm?”

“i think i’m getting hard again”

oh boy……..

[akookminsupporter]

Jin and Hobi’s video about their 2025 resolutions—such a funny video, btw—got me thinking about what the guys might do once the rest of them complete their military service and they’re finally back together as a group. That led me to wonder what I’d like them to do when all seven of them are reunited, or how I’d organise their schedule if they asked me.

This is all just for fun—and probably because I haven’t slept properly in three days, and my mattress is so uncomfortable it desperately needs replacing.

Hobi will be on tour until 31st May, which is about 20 days before Yoongi finishes his military service, making him the last member to be discharged. I imagine Hobi will take that time off to rest and recharge, both physically and mentally, for everything that’s coming next. Around then, it will also be their debut anniversary, so he’ll likely want to do something to mark the occasion, which leads me to my next thought.

Jimin, Jungkook, Joon, and Tae will finish their service just a few days before the group’s debut anniversary—right before FESTA, as we all know it. They might do something small for that day, like a Wlive or something similar, but I don’t think it’ll be anything major since Yoongi won’t be back yet. After that, I don’t think they’ll have much going on until Yoongi is officially discharged. Once they’re all back together, this is how I’d plan their schedule:

Late June to mid-July: Rest. Proper holidays for them to relax and fully adjust to civilian life again.

Mid-July to mid-October: Return to work. Focus on recording a studio album, filming MVs, and managing everything that comes with it.

Late October: Take 1–2 weeks to film another season of Bon Voyage or In The Soop. Ideally, they could travel abroad for Bon Voyage, though staying in Korea could be just as fun.

November: Release a single that would, of course, be part of the upcoming album. This would serve as a reminder to the world that they’re back and that 2026 is going to be their year. Promote the single and rehearse choreographies from the new album’s tracks, plus start prepping for the 2026 tour.

December: Attend one or two year-end award shows iSK and possibly perform at the New Year’s Eve concert in NYC.

January: Briefly return to Korea to wrap up things with brands, sponsors and stuff like that. Do interviews about the upcoming album etc.

January: On the second of January, officially announce the new album and tour, kicking off the countdown to its release. They’ll also head back to the US for additional rehearsals and preparations.

February: The new studio album drops. Along with that, they’ll announce the dates for their world tour, which will kick off in late March. They will spend the month promoting the new album and the world tour.

They won’t participate in Korean music shows.

Diablos, I need a more active social life, something to help me sleep, and a better mattress, haha. Anyway, this is roughly how I would organise the guys’ schedule from June this year onwards. Obviously, they’d have days off for rest, other activities, etc. It’s not very detailed, I’m not that obsessed yet, haha. How would you guys do it?

[ask-a-vetblr]

Hi I’m starting a book set in Australia (I’m an Aussie!) and it’s about Rabies getting loose in Australia but going to be like a sci/fi and horror novel. I thought I’d ask actual vets if you knew what could happen if rabies got loose in Australia?

gettingvetted here.

Our founder and native Aussie, drferox, is on hiatus, so I will give this a go.

Unfortunately for your book, rabies is one of the easiest diseases to control and eradicate, especially on a small scale and especially if you know the animal of origin. Vaccinations literally have to be upwards of 95% effective (at least in the US) in order to become licensed for use, and the immunity derived from rabies vaccines is long lasting at 1-3 years at minimum; it probably lasts longer but official studies to license vaccines for that long have not been done due to expense. Likewise, the vaccines are usually inexpensive compared to other vaccines like Lyme, as you can vaccinate a cat or dog for 3 years for roughly $25 per vaccine. You typically have plenty of time (weeks to months) after a possible exposure to determine if the biting animal is rabid, and even if you never find that out, rabies vaccination will prevent rabies in an exposed individual as long as they themselves are not showing symptoms (aka, there's a handful of known rabies positive animals in the country and you/your dog just got bitten by a kangaroo? get vaccinated, you're going to be fine even if they can't find the kangaroo again). The symptoms are pretty obvious and pretty classic, making the animal easily identifiable even among its peers, and once the stage of being symptomatic has arrived and thus transmission is possible, the animal will die in a handful of days, thus self-limiting the spread. The only "treatment" is humane euthanasia and as wildlife are the usual reservoir of the virus, there isn't much of an uproar when a select few are euthanized for testing or prevention each year. An interesting factoid is that while the US still has rabies, we *only* have wildlife strains present (not canine rabies). So even if a dog gets rabies from another dog, they will still have acquired skunk, bat, or raccoon strains of rabies. This is due to years of regulating that cats, dogs, and ferrets (domesticated carnivores) be vaccinated for rabies and euthanized for biting if unvaccinated until the canine strain was eradicated. Canine rabies is still an issue in countries with lots of feral dogs.

As a vet in the US, it is a MAJOR headache to ship animals from rabies-endemic areas to non-rabies-endemic areas. Even Hawaii is extremely difficult to pull off. Not only do they have to be vaccinated early (usually within 6 months of travel), they also often have to have rabies titers performed within the same time frame or sometimes even closer to the travel date. An extended quarantine period (I seem to recall that it is 6 months in some cases?) is also required prior to entry for countries such as Australia so that even if the rabies vaccination and titers were incorrect or forged and the animal has rabies, they would still show symptoms prior to entry into the country. Also, while unrelated to rabies, Australia requires veterinarians (not animal owners) to personally administer very specific parasite prevention to animals at very specific intervals to prevent certain parasites from entering the country too, so the amount of prep work required for export itself is often long enough such that if the animal had rabies, you would find out before they left the country. The regulations also differ depending on country of origin - countries with less control over their rabies status are either banned from importing animals or face even stricter import regulations. If any of these steps are performed incorrectly or without pristine official evidence of doing so, the animal gets right back on the plane and goes back to its country of origin, or is held in official government quarantine at customs. So it would be quite difficult to get a rabid animal into the country. Humans are a different story of course, so that may be the best way to bring rabies into Australia in your story. However, humans getting rabies is extremely rare, and considering the excellent healthcare in AUS, a human would probably seek care and be diagnosed before they could become insane enough to start biting wildlife (again, the only real scenario I could think of that could feasibly bring rabies to AUS, because if a rabies positive human bit another human or even a dog, you simply vaccinate that human or dog for rabies and they will be fine).

So, let's assume that you got rabies into the country and a handful of wild animals of various species are exposed. We'll even assume that it was a dog that somehow brought it in despite all the red tape designed to make it impossible, and that dog is ownerless or escaped so there is nobody to tell officials what type or how many animals it bit before it died of its symptoms. It would probably take a significant amount of time for anyone to figure out what was going on. Vets who are educated in countries that have endemic rabies are taught that any animal with any neurologic symptoms should be treated as if they have rabies unless they recover. I.e., if a neurologic animal dies without a definitive diagnosis of some other neurologic disease (such as EPM, distemper, etc) and especially if that animal is unvaccinated for rabies, you MUST assume they had rabies and send them for postmortem testing so that any human or animal who was exposed to the potentially rabid animal can be vaccinated if necessary. However, vets who are educated in non-endemic countries are of course aware of the disease, but probably wouldn't have it on their radar for a neurologic animal. It would probably take a few wildlife or pet animal cases being sent for necropsy and testing after sudden neurologic death before rabies was diagnosed, which probably wouldn't happen until a few months to a year after the first case arrived in the country, at the earliest. Then a few things would happen.

First, the owners of the pet animals and the organizations dealing with wildlife would be extensively interviewed to determine location and possibly the species of animal that bit the now-dead-and-necropsied rabid animal. These areas would be surveyed extensively and unfortunately a lot of local wildlife mammals would probably be preventively eradicated especially if positive cases were found in a given species. Import/export of ANY animals from the country would be immediately halted and mandatory vaccination of all owned animals in the country would likely be established and enforced. Travel of humans likely wouldn't be stopped, but rabies vaccination would be added to the list of recommended vaccines for travel to AUS, similar to malaria vaccines in endemic countries. Again, the excellent and affordable healthcare system of AUS (at least compared to the US) would probably lead many or most Australians to be vaccinated for rabies prophylactially, which can cost thousands of dollars in the US and is usually not covered by health insurance. There would probably be a huge push for vaccination of wildlife with rabies vaccines dropped from aircraft, which could be done both within the area that suspected exposed or definitively positive animals have been found, as well as a radius around those areas as prevention. Vets would be mandated to report any neurologic or behaviorally abnormal animal even if rabies wasn't the suspected cause, and unfortunately would likely be forced to euthanize many animals that were not rabid. There is a chance that with these measures, rabies could be eradicated, but it wouldn't be certain, probably ever. Longer term, surveillance measures would be taken (and I don't mean surveillance like the FBI, I mean epidemiologic surveillance such as monitoring cases that pop up and physically checking on and sampling the typical populations of wildlife that carry the disease). Regardless, it would be extremely difficult to cause any kind of fatal epidemic using a standard rabies virus. Ounce of prevention/pound of cure and all that, but Australia currently chooses a pound of prevention.

Definitely an interesting concept for a book, but I would go with a carnivore parvovirus or canine distemper virus that mutates quickly enough that it can't be vaccinated for, and is transmissible from animals to humans. Parvovirus, specifically, is extremely hardy in the environment and is far more contagious than rabies. Without effective vaccines, I'm betting that either distemper or parvo would cause more death than the plague, especially among pediatrics. I'm not familiar with hendravirus given that we don't have it in the US, but to my knowledge that is also a horrific and contagious disease that is already present in AUS.

Hope this helps!

[the-lighthouse-lit]

BBRae Week Day 4: “You’re burning up”

Length: 1,639 words

Rating: K

Excerpt:

But she was left wondering what if she’d hurried. Taken him up on that date, been a little warmer, trusted a little faster. If she’d made herself important to him a little quicker, maybe he wouldn’t have cared when his ex came calling again.

She’d just thought she had a little more time.

@bbraeweek24 📣

───

Raven’s hands laid idly over the keyboard. In front of her was the catalogue of new arrivals, but her eyes were on Garfield past her monitor. He looked at her stricken, like he hadn’t been the one to say the words.

The, “I’m probably moving away… at the end of the month, or something.”

It was nine twenty in a fucking Tuesday. Raven had been eying the growing pile of books on the reshelving pile and giving herself strength to load them up and file them back in their places, and generally prepping herself to get through a particularly miserable day of work, when he’d come in.

And usually his presence was enough to turn her morning for the better, not that she was admitting that yet. So when he’d come in, it hadn’t immediately registered with her how serious he’d looked—she wasn’t in her best frame of mind herself. She’d been waiting for him to notice she was off and ask what’s wrong. It didn’t click that today was different until he started talking.

“I’m… my ex, actually, contacted me, and… she wants to make things work. And I want that too. So…”

His hands opened and closed as he strived to explain—that he was moving for her, that she had a place in Bloomington and she was getting him a job there. The movement made her think how she’d never held his hand. It would’ve been unprofessional here, in front of the patrons of the library, and they’d never gotten out to that date he kept floating. And now they never would.

She nudged her keyboard to be centered on her desk, pulled up a random tab on her computer, like she did when she really got to work in front of him on any normal day, while talked about anything across for her. Today his worried stare burned her like it never did when that was the case.

“The ex you mentioned,” she said, for something to say.

His eyes widened a little. “I mentioned her,” he remarked, almost a question.

“The one who left to travel the world?”

It was funny how a story he’d told her to explain why he’d moved here, and consequentially come into her life, now became the reason he was leaving it.

She had to suppress a shiver. A gust of wind filtered through the cracks in the window, the kind of change in the atmosphere she wouldn’t normally notice. She’d been about to get her jacket when he’d come in.

“Yes. Her,” he admitted. Clearly, thought Raven, she’d been in his mind more than even he realized.

And then a stretch of silence.

She could’ve gone, ‘Why are you telling me this?’ She could’ve forced him to say it. But she didn’t feel like drawing it out. In fact, she felt like letting him right off the hook. “So I guess you won’t be coming around anymore.”

His explaining hand dropped, with hopelessness, but also possibly with some relief, she thought. “I’m sorry.”

The simple confirmation brought on a fresh wave of nausea she thought she’d curbed this morning when she’d skipped breakfast in favor of plain tea. She took a deep breath before she started loading the books to reshelf onto the cart.

She told herself she was being ridiculous. You couldn’t get your heart broken from a guy you’d only known a few months. She bet if she did the math she’d find she had known him for less than that.

He’d come into the library by accident the first time. He’d been looking for some store that sold rare video games memorabilia, that Google Maps swore should be next door.

She couldn’t get him out of the library fast enough that first day. She’d fought him on the fact that there had never been such a store next door, and it was pure bravado on her part: the truth was Raven didn’t know the neighborhood, just this library. She got on a bus in the morning and rode fifteen minutes to this part of town she hadn’t bothered to get to know yet.

When it turned out the store had recently changed locations, and Gar found out about it, he’d come back to the library to tell her about it. Then he’d kept finding reasons to come in. He had never hid that he kept coming back to talk to her. He was new in town, he said, and he could use a friend. She had always wondered if he could somehow tell she had no friends here either.

And now it was back to the real world for her. Back to her thoughts being hers and hers alone. Back to closing up what he’d been prying open slowly over the course of weeks. Why had she got so used to having him here?

Just like all the others, the thought snuck into her brain before she could check it. It was weakness of character to think on those terms—like her life was organized by some dire prophecy that dictated she should always wind up alone again, but it really did seem that way. Nothing good seem to last.

“I couldn’t forgive myself if I didn’t try to make it work,” Gar was saying now. “...I didn’t know how it would feel to see her again.” At that point she made an effort to tune him out.

Her heart thumped against her chest as she fixed the books neatly on the cart. It was hard to breathe, but then, it had been all morning. It didn’t have to be about him.

He was just a guy who’d made a friend at a town he’d lived in for a while, and she was just a lonely librarian who was being notified she’d no longer have that hyper blond distraction in her day to day.

But she was left wondering what if she’d hurried. Taken him up on that date, been a little warmer, trusted a little faster. If she’d made herself important to him a little quicker, maybe he wouldn’t have cared when his ex came calling again.

She’d just thought she had a little more time.

She shivered. This proved too much and he could finally see what was in front of him. Suddenly she was feeling his touch on her forehead: a warm hand connecting with her hot forehead, erupting into her cold morning. She slapped his hand away, but not before he’d felt it.

“You’re burning up.”

She was so, so angry—the feeling had taken over her before her mind parsed the reason why: it was the first time he touched her, and it was just as he was leaving her life.

“It’s just a cold,” she spat. And she faced him defiantly. She hoped her eyes said it: ‘Why would you care? It’s not your problem anymore.’

She was red in the face from wrath, but ironically it supported the fever he’d discovered: it was like he’d made her sprung into color with his touch, brought out all the symptoms she was struggling to keep at bay. It enraged her because it exposed her: no carefree guy on a random visit to the library reached out to feel the forehead of an uncared-for librarian. With a move he’d uncovered everything she’d tried to bury.

She looked away from his useless contrite expression, which she assumed he kept on her as long as he stood in front of her—all the way until a patron coming up behind him forced him to step aside.

The teenage girl smiled at the librarian, oblivious, as she returned two books and checked another one out.

Out of the corner of her eyes Raven saw Gar had stepped aside, and now made as if he was looking at the books on the front desk. She was annoyed—maybe if the girl had only come a moment later, he could’ve taken his leave. Now they had to wait out the whole transaction, and for what? He was leaving anyway.

Inside her was some vindication, and she dug to find out why; she guessed it was because she’d made him say his piece before he noticed she was sick. If he’d noticed before, he might not have said it. She didn’t know why that made her feel better, but she’d take it.

She would get over him and the cold together, she told herself: when in a few days her lungs were clear and she felt strong again, she wouldn’t remember how he made the world feel. She willed it to be true.

When the girl left, Garfield still stood by. Raven put her hands on the cart. She knew if she left now, he’d be there when she came back, and the thought made anger mount inside her again.

Why was he here, and why was she here? He was going back to his ex, and now she knew that. Why were they lingering?

Now, as she began to push the cart, she faced him at the last second and said, “Well…” a sign of finality, a final snapping of the feeble cord that united them.

And when she said it she found out why neither of them were making the cut.

His eyes met hers, and she felt like she’d brought forth a catastrophe. She wished she could take it back.

But he obeyed. He left the book he’d picked up and left, sparing her the humiliation of another ‘Sorry.’ She followed his steps out of the library, as it may well be the last time she saw him.

She couldn’t wait for him to leave and she never wanted him to finish crossing that door. But in the end he did.

When she went to refile the books, she decided not to pick up her jacket, so that she may pretend a little longer that the feeling she was left with was just cold.

───

Notes:

NO idea if I I did what I envisioned in my mind with this one (probably not) but here it is! 😔 This one seems like a thing I would've left in my files for months and eventually rewritten completely but fuck it! Out it comes now!

I’m late but I have an excuse! A thunderstorm forced me to flee my computer after work yesterday and I didn't want to post without a last read-over!😁

[cowboybarzy]

unexpected part 3 — mat barzal

tbh I didn’t realize how popular this was with you guys which is why I didn’t hurry to write this next part. but if y’all really love it and give me your thoughts (& even ideas on how to continue) I’m definitely willing to write more!!

word count: 4k

I’m just gonna make this part of my summer series bc they did travel and it gives me an excuse (to literally my brain lol) to post this part now! an insta edit will follow shortly! come along the rest of the trip

📍vancouver, canada with mat barzal this is part of the unexpected series, so if you want to see how we got to this point, read PART ONE and TWO

June

"Sshh, sshh. It's okay, it's okay." Mat's soft voice woke you from a short, but deep sleep. You turned as your eyes fluttered open to see him sat up against the headboard soothing your baby girl. "I'm here. You're okay."

Your hand reached up to cradle her tiny head. "She might be hungry. What time is it?"

"Almost four. It hasn't been that long since you last fed her. But look, she's already falling back asleep." His smile grew and you sat up as well to see her eyes slowly closing. "She's so cute."

"She is." You kissed her head and then leaned against Mat's shoulder. "And so big. One month already."

"It went by so fast. I don't want her to grow up."

The last month since you baby girl, Myla, was born was the most stressful and tiring but also the most beautiful and exciting time. The new sleeping schedule was difficult to adjust to and your recovery was harder than expected. People really should talk about it more. But getting to experience both you and Mat become parents and your baby explore the world was indescribable. She already outgrew her newborn sized clothes and loved being awake looking around the room. She loved sleeping in her stroller while you took her on walks, where you and Mat stopped to get ice cream or coffee. Both of your families had come to visit, too, and of course all of your friends. They loved her and you were so grateful for the amazing support system.

Mat's season had ended a couple of days after Myla's birth, but not after his birthday which you unfortunately had to spend apart. But he was home now and took such good care of the both of you. Although the three of you did spend a lot of time in bed, you made it a goal to go outside for walks at least a few times a week. Your family didn't live far so they were able to visit and you even went to visit them a few times when you felt brave enough to leave the house.

"Oh, my god!" Mats voice brought you back to consciousness. You hadn't realized you were falling back asleep on his shoulder until his voice brought you back.

"What?"

"She pooped. Did you not hear that? That was gr– Oh! Ew! Babe, it's leaking out." He started panicking, then gagged as he held her away from his body. "What do I do? What do I do?"

You laughed, falling back into the pillows as you watched him struggle for what his next move should be. "Babe! This is so gross! Help me!"

"Well, go change her!" You watched him, still laughing, as he carried her with extended arms, trying not to gag again. "It doesn't even smell. There's only one baby in this room and it's not her."

He started undressing her, groaning from the mess she had made. "Oh my god, it's everywhere. How? How is her stomach so big to hold that much?"

You got up to see for yourself, making sure beforehand to take a video of Mat trying to handle this situation. "Yeah, we should give her a bath. That is pretty bad."

"It's the middle of the night!"

"So? She's dirty." You laughed patting him on the shoulder. "Welcome to parenthood."

At one month old, babies couldn't laugh yet, but the noises she made could definitely count as it. So you prepped her bathtub. She was small enough to do it in the sink, so it didn't take long to fill the tub with the right temperature water. When Mat put her in, she started screaming. She hated baths for the most part, but unfortunately she had to get through it. She calmed down after a while, enjoying the little massage you were giving her to get her clean. Mat put his arm around you and kissed the top of your head.

"You know, a year ago I definitely would not have imagined us doing this at 4 a.m., but I wouldn't change it for the world."

July

"Ugh, she's so cute."

"So adorable."

"Her little nose. And those cheeks."

"I love her so much," you said, not being able to look up from where your daughter was sleeping in her stroller. You stood around her with Mat's sister and mother, just staring at her. You were supposed to go on a walk to go get lunch, but for some reason (a very cute and sleeping reason) you still hadn't left yet.

"Me, too. Watch out I might steel her," Liana said jokingly. She hugged you tightly. "Thank you for making me an auntie. I thought I'd have to wait for years."

"You almost had to." You didn't want to call your daughter an accident, because she truly was a blessing, but let's not pretend you were trying to become parents. You both tried to contain your laughs, as their mother was right there.

"Okay, let's go," Nadia broke you two up and took ahold of the stroller, before walked out of the house. You followed her, Liana fighting her mother for the right to push the stroller.

A couple days ago, Mat, Myla, and you made it up to Vancouver to spend a few weeks with his family. Myla just turned two months a few days ago and you finally felt comfortable enough to fly with her. A lot of family and friends came over to see her, but things had finally calmed down a bit.

"So, any wedding plans?," Liana asked, after you had made it to the restaurant and the food arrived.

You raised your eyebrows, a small laugh escaping. "How long have you been waiting to ask me that?" She laughed. "Since last time!" And that was about a year ago when you had told her you were pregnant. Mat shut her down immediately, saying you'd wait until after she was born. "Well...?"

"I don't know," you answered. "We haven't really thought about it."

"Oh, come on. You need to get married! For her and for me!" You laughed and her mother elbowed her. "What? I know it's selfish, but please! It would be the most beautiful wedding, I just know it."

She started gushing about her dream wedding for you, detailing everything from flowers to venue to table cloths. Her mother chimed in, equally as excited about the idea. Normally you would have been too, but for some reason the idea of a big wedding didn't seem exciting to you anymore.

And that's what you told Mat later that night when you were ready to go to sleep while feeding Myla. "Your sister, well and mom, are already making wedding plans, just so you know."

He rolled his eyes. "How many times have I told them it's none of their business?"

Myla was done eating, so you handed her over to Mat so he could burp her. "It's fine. It was kind of fun to talk about and see everything we could come up with. But funnily enough, all my life I've dreamed of a big wedding like that, even just a few months ago I would have agreed to it. But now, I don't know, I don't really want that anymore."

"Really?" You looked up at his green eyes.

"Yeah, I don't know. I'd rather have a small thing, with just family and our closest friends. And baby Myla of course."

"That sounds good to me." He leaned to kiss your forehead with a smile and cradled your baby's head.

"Wanna get married? Might as well, we already have a kid." You said it with a laughing tone, expecting him to laugh as well or brush the topic off like you had done since he first asked you about getting married. But he didn't. He jumped out of bed, put Myla in her bassinet, and left the room.

You sat there, shocked. You didn't expect that reaction as well. You were serious about getting married. A couple weeks after Myla had been born you realized that you were being silly before. Of course you wanted to marry him and you knew that he loved you and didn't stay with your just before the baby.

Thankfully, before you could process what just happened, Mat came back and sat back down next to you. "I'm the one that gets to ask that question!," he said, which is when you noticed the little red box in his hand. You mouth opened in shock. Now that, you definitely also didn't expect. "What? You really think I didn't got out and get you a ring after you said no the first time? Please, you can't get rid of me."

"Mat..." He smiled, cupping your cheeks with his big hands before kissing you softly.

"Baby? Do you want to marry me? I don't care about the big wedding anymore either. We literally could go down to city hall tomorrow and do it there. I don't care. I just want you and baby Myla. Now will you please do me the honor of not rejecting me for the millionth time and finally saying yes to being my wife?"

"You are such a jerk," you said as the tears rolled down your face. You were still pretty hormonal and you had a feeling it wouldn't go away. "But yes, I'll marry you."

"Finally." He pressed his lips against yours for a deep kiss that had you falling back against the mattress. But you couldn't fully enjoy the moment for very long, before baby Myla made herself known. You got her out and held her in your arms, soothing her, while Mat held you close to his body pressing tiny kissed against your head.

"Ok, let me see the ring," you whispered when your baby girl calmed and started drifting into sleep. Mat opened the box with a chuckle, as your moth fell open.

"Like it?" You nodded and held your hand out for him to slip the ring on. While it didn't fit as well as it would have pre-pregnancy, at least you were assured that it wouldn't randomly fall off. "Kind is weird that we're doing this at my parents house, but I'll take what I can get. It's your fault though."

"Wha- Why?"

"I was scared as hell to propose to you again. I didn't want to be rejected again."

"Mat, I didn't reject you. I just– I didn't want to get married while pregnant." He cupped your face again with a chuckle.

"I know, I know. I'm just joking." He kissed you over and over again, until you realized that Myla was asleep and you could put her back in her bed.

Mat pulled you on his chest as you both laid down. "Wait, were you kidding about city hall tomorrow?," you asked, keeping your voice low.

"Not really. You wanna do it?" You looked up at him and shrugged.

"Kind of." You both smiled wide. "But wait, no. My family. I want them there."

"Okay, well we could ask them to come here? Or would you rather wait and do it back in New York?"

"Here is good." You fell in love with Vancouver the minute you got out of the airport the first time you came, so getting married here was not an issue for you. "Yeah, I'll just ask my family and some friends if and when they'd be available to come up."

"Okay. We can just invite people and whoever can make it, can make it. If not, then we can always have another little something in New York." You nodded, excitement filling your body.

"But if we're inviting a bunch of people, we can't do it at city hall."

"There's lots of parks and venues around here."

"Or your parents back yard?" You both thought about it for a second, then Mat smiled.

"Yeah, i think they'd be cool with that."

You both giggled excitedly, then he pulled you fully on top of him. "Are we seriously getting married in a few days?"

"Unless you don't want to," you responded.

"You are never ever getting rid of me."

August 2nd

It was wedding day. After a crazy busy 10 days, the day was finally here.

When you had told Mat's family the news the day after you got engaged, they were very excited. His sister screamed so loud, she scared the baby but you couldn't go soothe her since she had you trapped in a massive bear hug. She immediately started planning and listing everything you would need. Everyone was involved in making flowers arrangements, cooking and baking for the party, and getting the house ready to host a wedding.

Your family got to Vancouver a few days before the wedding, also helping greatly. Once your best friends arrived as well, it was time to shop for a dress. While there wasn't much so last minute, you found the perfect simple little dress that you absolutely fell in love with. You even found a little white dress for Myla at a baby store near by.

"Thank you so much for coming." You hugged Sydney Martin tight, then her husband.

"Wouldn't miss this for the world." She smiled and you hugged her again. She had been very supportive and your closest friend during your pregnancy. Since she'd already been through it twice, and none of your friends had experience in that department, you spent a lot of time together. You were so grateful for her and were very thankful she could make it to your wedding.

While both you and Mat felt bad about getting married so last minute and therefore not having all of your friends present, having the ceremony now did feel right to the both of you. And that was all that mattered. And even still with short notice, a lot more of your friends than you expected could make it. With Mat's family, yours and your friends, your guest count was almost up to 50. So lots of people to celebrate your love, but still more intimate than a big wedding you almost had.

You spent the morning of you wedding setting up the tables and decorating everything. Around two, guests started arriving and since you treated this as more of a party, you had time to greet most everybody before having to get ready.

"Alright, time to get dressed." Liana came walking and grabbed your hand.

"Wait." Before she had a chance to pull you away, you turned to Mat to give him a kiss. He reciprocated with a smile. "See you on the other side."

"Love you." He winked, then slapped your ass, before turning back to his friend group.

You made another pit stop to grab your daughter from her grandparents to have her with you while you got ready. Your makeup base was done so all you added was some eyeshadow and eyeliner, while your best friend did your hair. Another friend made sure to take lots of pictures and videos of your day. You fed Myla one more time before handing her back off to your mom, who was going to watch her today so you and Mat could enjoy the day without worrying about her. Then it was time to put on your dress.

"Aw, babe, you look gorgeous."

"Stun-ning!"

Your closest girlfriends friends quickly came to hug and admire you, before posing for a few more pictures.

"Okay! Go time!" Liana, who basically acted as your wedding planner, called when it turned three o'clock. She pulled you into a quick hug. "Ready?"

You nodded, already on the verge of tears when reality started hitting you. You were about to marry your best friend.

"Good, because I am so ready to have you as my sister-in-law." She kissed your cheek and then started getting everyone ready and into position. You kissed your sleeping daughter one last time, then followed everyone downstairs to the backyard, where you were holding the ceremony and party.

Through the windows, you could see the garden beautifully decorated and everybody sitting outside waiting for it to start. You could also see Mat, standing below the flower arch at the end of the aisle, with his best friend and best man Anthony standing next to him as they talked and joked around.

Your mom walked out to find her seat and as soon as Mat saw Myla sleeping in her arms, his eyes lit up. He took her from your mom, gently as to not wake her, and pressed tiny kisses to her chubby cheeks. Your eyes got watery again, watching them and knowing that the overwhelming happiness you felt right now would not go away anytime soon.

The music got a bit louder which was your cue to head outside. Your bridesmaids walked before you, down the shirt aisle you had just helped built this morning. Then you followed, slowly, scared to trip, but not too slow as you were eager to get to Mat.

Mathew. Who looked even more handsome than you though possible, standing at the end of the aisle with that wide goofy grin of his. As you got closer though, you could see his eyes sparkling with tears.

"You look beautiful," he mouthed and stretched his hand out for you to take. You took it, immediately feeling calmer. You looked over to where Myla was sleeping in her carrier and with a reassuring nod from your mom that she was alright, you turned your full attention back to Mat.

And Anthony who in addition to being best man was also officiating your wedding. Over the past few years that you've known Beau, he also became one of your closest friends and you couldn't be happier to have him as Mylas goddaughter and now here to marry your number one best friend.

For the entirety of the ceremony, you felt like you were in a bubble. Only Mat and you. Holding hands. "When I look at the time we've been together,

I always have a smile on my face. Through all the ups and downs we've been through, the one thing that has remained constant is my love for you. The love I feel for you has gone from wild and free to me enjoying the little things about you like going for a walk, seeing your face across a breakfast table, and even changing disgusting poopy diapers in the middle of the night. Love you, My," he said after a pause. You both looked at her with a laugh, still sleeping in her carrier.

"We have years ahead of us but when I look at the years that has passed my heart grows with such love for you that I ache. You are the most amazing partner and the most amazing mama to Myla. You're it and nothing is gonna keep us apart. I love you and always will."

Thankfully, before Mat even began his speech your made of honor handed you a tissue or your makeup would be ruined by now by the tears streaming down your face. 'Love you,' you whispered as you held your hand to his cheek. He smiled, with a quivering lip, and whispered it back. He took your hand and slipped diamond covered ring on your finger. Then you cleared your throat a couple of times and prepared to speak.

"Maty, you're my best friend. Ever since you flashed me that goofy grin of yours, I was gone for you. And I am so lucky you chose me to be on your team. And I promise you that I will choose you as my teammate. I choose you again and again. At the start and finish of every single day, no matter the season no matter the year. I choose you to struggle and succeed with, to fight and make up with, to love and grow old with.

And while I may have to send you to the sin bin sometimes, just know that I'll always be on your side and you can always count on me.

Seeing you grow and become the best father to our newest team member has been the biggest blessing. I am so proud you of. I hope I can make you just as proud. I love you and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you."

With shaking hands, it was your turn to slip a ring on Mat's finger. You didn't hear another word until Beau said those magic words: 'you may now kiss your bride'. And he did. Those big hands grabbed the sides of your face and pulled you into him until your lips met. He started out softly, but soon enough he was breathlessly while your friends and family clapped and cheered in the background.

********

You were married. An indescribable feeling floated through you all day, every since you walked down the aisle. Your ring glistened in the Vancouver sun that was starting to set as you chatted with your friends. You friend circle had shrunk every since you found out you were pregnant, a lot of your friends keeping distance and not keeping in touch as much anymore. You didn't blame them. You were still very young and a lot of them weren't ready to settle down or even be surrounded by people that weren't able to go out and get drunk every weekend. You didn't blame them because it took you a few months too to adjust to the idea of being a mother, but it made you even more grateful for the few friends that did stick around. They made you feel so special and supported during your pregnancy and even now they were already the best aunties for baby Myla.

Out of the corner of your eye you saw Mat walking towards you, holding Myla. That sight would never not blow you away and make you feel all warm inside. "This little lady is hungry." He held her out to you and you welcomed her with with cuddles and lots of kisses.

"Where were you?," you asked him as you got ready to feed your daughter.

"I just went to change her. I saw my mom take her in, but I wanted to do it." He answered you puzzled expression, "What? I've barely seen her today. I just wanted to spend a few minutes with her."

Your heart warmed and you leaned into his shoulder. But your moment didn't last very long as the party was already in full swing and people kept coming over to talk to you. You went back to talking to your friends as Mat got pulled away by his.

After Myla was done eating, you decided to put her down for bed and once again tracked Mat down to let him know. "Hey, I'm putting her down." He was sitting with a bunch of his teammates that were able to make it out here who all fawned over baby Myla.

"Come on! Just let me hold her," Oliver whined, stretching his arms out, but Mat slapped them away.

"Absolutely not!" Most of his teammates got to hold her when you first introduced her to them, but Wally was not one of them. He joked around too much around her and was untrustworthy around babies. Those were Mat's words, not yours. He was obviously very protective of his daughter if he wouldn't let his own teammate hold her.

"I won't drop her! Please? Oh, see! She's looking at me," Wally tried again while the rest of you laughed.

"Yeah, she's trying to tell you to shut up. It's not happening." While he was mostly serious, there were joking tones in Mat's voice. You definitely thought they were all just messing with him, so you stayed out of it.

"Hey! Daddy Barz said no, so it's a no," the other Matt (with two Ts) chimed in in his best dad voice, to which your Mat gave him nod of his head.

"That's right."

You rolled your eyes at their banter. "Alright, I'm really putting her down now." Mat stood, but leaned down to where you were holding Myla in your arms so that he could kiss her little head over and over again.

"Good night, princess. I love you." Then he straightened and put his lips on your. "And I love you, wife."

"Love you more, husband."

[joseimukeaddict]

Haikyuu and Public Transportation Headcanons: Date Tech

So I had planned to finish this like a month ago but then I got stuck and then finals hit and now I may be pulling an all-night to finish my final project for art… and yeah, I really do only post whenever I’m stressed out of my mind 🙃. Anyways I’m trying sth new and am linking some good causes below if you guys want to support someone in need ⬇️ ⬇️⬇️ Also at the bottom are my headcanons for the other teams.

Third Years

Yasushi Kamasaki - Bro is the most normal guy on the subway ever like actually I got stuck on him for WEEKS bc I couldn't think of anything; every once in a while he has payment problems with his phone not scanning but other than that riding the bus and subway is just riding public transportation for him; he gets his driver's license and a car pretty quick too and bro would never get on the subway again if his car didn't have limited capacity (it's not like he hates the subway or anything) (I'm so sorry to any Kamasaki stans I cannot get a read on this guy)

Kaname Moniwa - Always been a bus kid, has his bag in his lap to not take up space; gets slightly motion sick on longer rides; eyes glued to the phone on rides so not to accidentally make contact with random passengers

Takehito Sasaya - Prefers the train; honestly, I see him riding the train often on the way to a date with his girlfriend (who will be his future wife, I can’t believe someone actually gets canonically hitched in Haikyuu AND WITH KIDS, damn the sacrifices you have to make to be a main character 😔); stander on the train even when his gf is with him but it’s annoying bc of the height difference so she needs to pull him down into a seat (this man is a girl dad, he listens to his future wife)

Second Years

Mai Nametsu - Travels either on bus or train with a small group of friends except for mornings when she comes in early to prep the gym before practice; always works on something when she’s alone like notes for practice or homework (my girl gives such diligent worker vibes); public transportation has always been convenient for her so if she gets a driver’s license, she’ll still use public transport if she can

Takanobu Aone - poor lonely boy on the train who people won’t sit next to 😭 (actually from Haikyuu-Bu!!); he’s very punctual and has a very predictable schedule so eventually the people who always ride the same train car as he will realize he’s not scary and some grannies will end up sitting next to him later on, not much of a talker but a great listener and they’ll offer him candies; I don’t care if this is not canon but he’s a sitter because the train car heights are too short for him to feel comfortable standing

Kenji Futakuchi - sits at the end of the seats right by the door so he can immediately get out of the train car because he has no patience for slow people; wants to nap on the train but the train seats are so uncomfortable so he just ends up scrolling on his phone the whole time, which just makes him more tired and cranky; actually prefers riding with friends since he won’t have to be on his phone but man will not make conversation himself and will just half-heartily listen, unless he’s with Aone, in that case, Futakuchi needs to talk or else it’s going to be a silent train ride

Yutaka Obara - Power naps at the back of the bus, waking up just in time to rush to the doors to get off at his stop; doesn't like the subways much because it's always crowded whenever he has to get on one and he hates the feeling of being packed like a sardine; loves a long-distance bullet train ride, especially if he can get some extra leg room, then he can stretch out and watch the world go by

Tarō Onagawa - One of the few kids who get driven by their parents ( helicopter mother) so riding the subway for the first time was kinda special for them; a little wary of all the strangers in close distance at first but the headphones and music combo makes the experience so much better on the subway than car; I see the guy never getting his license when he grows up and gets a job that allows him to make great use of public transport

First Years

Kanji Koganegawa - chronically barely makes it onto the ride and thus rarely gets to sit (it's fine bc he's too tall to sit comfortably anyway); gets his jacket caught in the doors after barely making it too so after tugging for a bit, he gives up and waits for the next stop; even when the ride is completely packed, he really likes looking out the window so at least one perk of being this tall is there's rarely anyone blocking his view

Jingo Fukiage - Rides the bus but stands since he's also too tall for the seats to sit comfortably; similar to Aone, people didn't really sit near him until they realized he just had a resting blank face, and Fukiage definitely noticed this happening but just didn't do anything because he has no idea how to respond; if someone asks him for directions he blanks on response until a minute later when his brain has finally booted up and he can give an articulated response

Kōsuke Sakunami - He cannot ride public transportation with anyone from his team, because 1) the train is almost always packed and he has to be squished like a sardine, and 2) his dignity when his face is squashed between the wall and Koganegawa's chest, which isn't helped by the fact that Koganegawa keeps asking if Sakunami is okay when Sakunami can't even move his mouth without fear of biting the inside of his cheek; the slipperiest traveler in the subway, he can squeeze in between and around half a train car's length of people and slip onto and off a train as the train doors are closing; he ends up getting his license but chooses instead to carpool since he was kinda lonely and now it feels weird to travel anywhere without Koganegawa’s insistent yapping

——

Bonus:

Takurō Oiwake has a car, which cannot be any smaller than mid-sized if not an entire truck. This man has ridden public transport a total of 3 times in his life because his family can fix their own cars.

———

Palestinian Relief:

Just by sharing the links you can help!

⬇️⬇️⬇️

^ Vetted by Operation Olive Branch (#26)

Less than $800 away from their goal!!! 99% of the way through ➡️ @hayanahed

—

^ Vetted by @/90-ghost

Almost a quarter of the way there! A fellow college student 💪💪 ➡️ @asmaamajed2

—

^ Vetted by @/gazavetters

Just over 30%! The family is trying to get to Egypt and rebuild their lives! ➡️ @familgazaamal1

———

Other Teams: Nekoma, Seijoh, Karasuno

——

Yea I need to get back to lineart, next one is either the owls or foxes, I'll decide when it comes to it. Remember to pretend these headcanons don't exist if you don't like them, and stay safe everyone!

[a-bunch-of-random-writings]

I don’t have a good title for this but uh

Xiao + Traveler Oneshot

Synopsis: the traveler gets bad period cramps and Xiao tries to help (I’ve decided this could be either traveler since I hc Aether as trans (aka I’ve projected my identity onto him))

—~~—~~ —~~—~~ —~~—~~ —~~—~~

While the two are on a a walk, Xiao notices the traveler’s footsteps stop. He turns and notices the traveler kneeling on the ground, seemingly in pain.

“Are you okay?” he asks, walking over to them.

“I’m alright.” the traveler answers. “Just cramps. Y’know… cuz of the whole bleeding from-“ the traveler attempts to gesture vaguely at their pelvis. Unfortunately, Xiao has already picked them up and teleported to the Wangshu Inn.

In the room at the Inn, Xiao places the traveler on a bed. He then teleports away, coming back with first aid supplies.

“Where did you say you were bleeding from?” Xiao asks, prepping some gauze.

The traveler stares at him for a few seconds. It hadn’t occurred to them that he wouldn’t know what periods are. They start to laugh

“Oh, no,” they reassure him. “There’s no need for that. I’m not wounded or anything. This normally happens around this time of month.”

Now it was Xiao’s turn to stare. “You do know bleeding isn’t a normal thing to experience…” he says. “Right?”

“Of course,” the traveler answers. “But some humans do at certain times.”

Xiao is still confused, but he starts to put down the first aid supplies he’d grabbed. “What do you mean?”

The traveler has to think for a moment about how to explain what a period is. It’s not easy to describe it to someone who isn’t human. “You know how some birds lay eggs that aren’t baby birds?” they ask. “It’s like that, but instead of eggs, we lay blood…?”

This seems to click in Xiao’s mind.

“Ohhhhh.”

Now understanding the situation, Xiao takes the first aid kit off of the bed and starts making sure the traveler is comfortable. He stacks a few pillows behind the traveler and puts a blanket over their lap. The traveler laughs, endeared by his action to care for them.

Xiao leaves then comes back a while later, bringing tea and a basket.

“I asked Zhongli for some advice on this situation,” he says, “and he told me that it is called a ‘period’? He also helped me get these.” Xiao places the basket down and opens it. Inside, there’s an assortment of small snacks and sweets.

“Aw…” a few happy tears well up in the traveler’s eyes. “You shouldn’t have.”

“But I thought this was what you’re supposed to do when a period happens.” Xiao replies, now confused. “Did I get the wrong food? Or is it the tea…”

“No, you’re doing fine.” the traveler reassures him. “I meant to say thank you.”

“Oh.” Xiao nods. “You’re welcome.” He pours a cup of tea and gives it to the traveler.

[inherhouseshewaitsdreaming]

Techo Kaigi 2023

2023 is drawing to a close and the new planners are sitting in my drawer, calling to me in all their pristine loveliness. But before I talk about 2024, how did 2023 go?

Pretty well, actually.

I started 2023 with the following planners:

Daily personal journal: Hobonichi Cousin

Daily carry: Hobonichi Weeks Mega

Commonplace book: Hobonichi A5 notebook

Writing journal: Hobonichi A5 notebook

Health journal: Hobonichi Weeks

Work journal: Hobonichi A6 Techo

Overflow/bullet journal: Midori Codex A5

By the end of 2023 (actually, by about mid-2023) only two of those got switched out for something else and one got added. Which is pretty good. There are, however, a few other changes I am making next year. I’m going to go through each in detail.

Were these the right journals for me?

Actually, yes. Although there is some reconfiguring, the basic principles of the journals above is going to remain consistent. I need a place to write personal journal entries that stays at home and a place to track things and make notes on the go. I enjoy both writing and commonplacing. If I want to focus on my health, having a dedicated journal helps. And I keep a separate journal for work because it may contain information that shouldn’t really go outside of work. And then sometimes I overflow into another space because I want to deep dive on something that doesn’t really fit in the others. None of this is changing.

Daily Personal Journal

The 2023 Hobonichi Cousin is going to move into … the 2024 Hobonichi Cousin. This book works really well for me. The finder details of how I use it did evolve a bit over the year, but I think I’m happy with where I ended up. I did consider moving into the Avec as my Cousin is fairly chonky at this point, but I prefer to have the book in English. I will use this in mostly the same way as last year as well:

3 months to a page view: I have no idea what I will do with this next year, but I had no idea last year either.

Monthly pages: I write a daily highlight on each day.

Weekly pages: I currently use these for planning, but this will move to the daily carry. So I am expecting this to become a space for gratitude/manifestation.

Daily pages: personal daily journal entries.

Daily Carry + Bullet Journal

Although the Weeks was nice, I found I ended up feeling things got a bit lost in the weekly view. I pretty much only used it for key dates. I had a Midori Codex as a bullet journal (briefly) but it never worked well for me as I really don’t like Midori paper (a discovery from this year) and it wasn’t something I could carry around. So I tried a Traveller’s Notebook, and again, the paper (which is the same, so I should have realised this would happen) was not to my taste. I solved both by getting a 240 page Sterling Ink TN notebook. This has worked well.

For next year, I wanted to consolidate these into one book. Although the weeks and the TN are smaller dimensionally, carrying both is quite bulky! I decided to get a Sterling Ink Common Planner (2 part book) in A5. I expect it to be used as follows:

3 months to a page view: seriously, I never know what to do with these pages.

Monthly pages: key dates and events

Weekly pages: time based daily planning - what do I do when. This will double as time tracking.

Blank pages: bullet journal which for me acts as a place to work when I’m out and about, as well as an overflow journal. I expect to also use it to write consolidated to do lists.

Creativity + Commonplace Journal

Last year was the first time I kept a commonplace book and this really suits my way of working. I have just about filled it. I did add a separate journal for writing learning, a Weeks Sterling Ink, but this is too small really.

I need somewhere to plan my creative activities, and also to plan this website! Especially as I have a lot of pre-planned content for next year that will need some serious planning to fully prep. So this will be moving into a Sterling Ink Common Planner (2 part book) along with my commonplace book. I originally brought this journal for work, but that ended up being the wrong choice. However, it ends up working out just fine as a combined creativity planner and commonplace book.

3 months to a page view: index.

Monthly pages: website and social media posting schedule. I want to be able to look back and see what got planned and what got posted.

Weekly pages: day to day creative planning - writing, the website, reading, etc.

Blank pages: commonplace book and creative ideas.

Bonus journal: A5 Sterling Ink 520 page learning journal

I will keep the learning separate. It makes it easier for me to re-read it and finding all my notes is going to be increasingly important next year for the content I have planned here.

Writing Journal

The Hobonichi notebook worked well last year as the smoothness of the tomoe river paper makes it a joy to write in. I really need the low feedback paper to write without my hands hurting. But, this year I want to focus on a daily writing habit, so I wanted a daily journal. And I wanted to use the new A5 Hobonichi Hon, but was a bit worried about how it would bulk up as my daily journal. So my new writing journal is the Hobonichi Hon A5.

3 months to a page view: actual daily ‘wordcount’. I want to be able to see the patterns of writing I manage to complete.

Monthly pages: I wanted a place to do mini doodle/zentangle art every day. As I don’t really need the monthlies for anything writing wise, I am going to use this space for that.

Weekly pages: responses to prompts, ideas - anything I feel the need to capture. This won’t really be ‘weekly’.

Daily pages: writing

Bonus journal: A5 Sterling Ink 520 page worldbuilding project journal

As my days vary quite a lot, I know I might not actually write every day. But I can write the equivalent of every day. The idea is to try and keep up with the days and that is why I am also recording the actual daily pages written. I also have a worldbuilding project planned and this will be kept in its own journal. Its an alternative history world so I will need to do a lot of research and then ‘adjust’ reality.

Health Journal

The Hobonichi Weeks was perfect for this. I recorded calories and activity against each day and then used the back pages for planning food shops. I am going to switch to the Sterling Ink Common Planner Weeks Compact for 2024 only because I think the vertical weeklies will be better than the horizontal ones (if I’m wrong, I can always get a Hobonichi Weeks).

Work Journal

It turns out I hate A6. I also think having a weekly overview is better. As is being able to keep my notes in the same book. I changed to a an Undated Sterling Ink Common Planner and I plan to stick with that. I got the ‘half year’ size so I can carry it around more easily.

Is everything Sterling Ink or Hobonichi?

Pretty much. There are two reasons for this that I can now articulate pretty clearly:

Tomoe River paper. I love this paper. Fountain pen inks never feather, even the wetter ones. Its incredibly smooth, and reduces feedback, which in turn reduces pain in my hands.

The grid size. This is perfect for me.

There are other companies out there who can meet this need. I did consider the Wonderland planner for a work planner. I also looked at Aura Estelle and I may get an Undated from here when my current work journal runs out (it depends how many of the note pages I end up using).

That is a lot of journals!

Its only 8. Well, 9 because I expect to use another journal as a record of a big trip I am taking next year. I know it seems a lot, but with the exception of the Worldbuilding Project journal, all of these were things I used last year. And most were filled (or will be full either by the end of the month, or when they come to their natural end). That being said, no one should feel like they have to have this many journals. I started with one - a single bullet journal. I ended up filling it very quickly, which is when I started to have more than one. You have too many journals if:

They are the ‘right’ journal, but you can’t fill them/keep up with them.

Keeping up with them is causing you stress.

Other than this, the correct number of journals is the number that help you function day to day, in all areas of your life. That bring you joy when you use them. I would find trying to cram everything into one book and running out of space stressful. This is what works for me, and in 2024, I will be sticking with it.

[cleverhottubmiracle]

In 2021, 46-year-old Kumail Nanjiani famously transformed himself from the soft-bodied uber-nerd he played in Silicon Valley to the super-ripped superhero Kingo from his Marvel movie debut, Eternals. While some actors do intense physical prep for parts only to backslide after shooting wraps, Nanjiani made his gains stick. With a change of physique has come a change of roles, including his more, well, muscular parts as a rebel in the 2022 Star Wars mini-series Obi-Wan Kenobi, strip club pioneer in Welcome to Chippendales (2023), and a Ghostbuster in 2024.In addition to the dramatic roles, Nanjiani has returned to standup comedy—he’s in the midst of a nine-month cross-country run—and is managing a fledgling production company, Winter Coat Films, with his co-founder and wife, the writer-producer Emily Gordon. He has also partnered with the nutrition company Quest. “I want to live for a long time,” he says. “And I want to feel good for a long time.”GQ: It’s the classic question for guys who want to get in shape: Do big muscles solve all your problems?Kumail Nanjiani: Oh, God no. Maybe, maybe, maybe I sleep a little better and I have slightly less anxiety because I’m working out pretty hard. But I’m seeing a therapist more regularly, so it’s hard to know what’s what. [Laughs.] So, no, it doesn’t solve shit.How has your fitness transformation affected you on set and on stage?On set, I don’t think as much. I’ve certainly grown in confidence on set, but I think that’s come from doing more reps—learning more on all aspects of filmmaking and feeling more comfortable. However, I started doing standup again about a year ago, and the last time I did, I looked very different. And so when I started doing standup again, my wife was, like, people’s experience of seeing you on stage is different now. You look different on stage. So even though you don’t see yourself differently, the audience perceives you differently. My standup used to be self-deprecating. I can’t do that as much anymore. It just has to be different. I used to talk about being a nerd—I still talk about being a nerd, but it’s changed the math.You’re on tour now for a few months, but often performing on the weekends. Do you make sure to work out while traveling, or do you just enjoy your time out of the gym and get back to it on Monday?This is so dorky, but I look up the gyms of the hotels I’m going to. I’m quite obsessed with working out now. It helps with anxiety, feeling more grounded, and my energy’s better. And so, I will look at the gym setup. Sometimes that information is hard to find. There’s a website called Hotel Gyms that ranks everything, but it doesn’t give you a ton of detail. But from the pictures, you can sleuth. Like, Oh my God, this place has a leg press machine. So, at home, I can skip legs, because I don’t have a leg press machine at home. I’m traveling Saturday, and I know that the hotel I’m in for the first few days has an amazing gym. So when I plan out my day, even with shooting, I’m figuring out when I can go to the gym.What’s the best hotel gym you’ve visited?Well, the one I’m actually going to now, the Forth Hotel in Atlanta, has a really, really good gym. And the Equinox Hotel in New York, Hudson Yards, is an actual Equinox, so it’s tough to beat.It’s said that if muscles are built in the gym, abs are built in the kitchen. What parts of that rigorous Marvel-prepping diet have you continued?When I first started trying to get in shape five years ago, I noticed how certain foods would make me feel. I didn’t know that. Eating sugar, you have the crash a couple of hours later. Eating gluten, you have a histamine response. To me, that’s been the biggest change. I have a pretty wicked sweet tooth, so I’ll still find room to eat dessert, but I know how it makes me feel afterwards. Days on set are pretty long, and when I’m on tour, I’m landing in a city, doing two shows that night, flying early the next morning to another city, doing another show or two that night. Energy’s so important. I’m finding that cutting out refined sugar has really made my energy more even through the day instead of these peaks and valleys, which I thought were [just part of] being a human. When I’m more thoughtful about what I eat, I certainly feel better, and I have more energy for the work that I need to do.Are there other areas besides sugar where you have shifted your diet?For a long time, I was tracking everything I was eating. But I stopped doing that almost two years ago, because now it’s a feel. I try to maximize protein, and I try to minimize simple sugars. I’m not keto or anything—I eat fruit. So what’s really stayed is the idea of protein content, which is where all the Quest stuff helps: It’s high protein, low carbs. Unless I’m preparing for something specific, if I’m eating high protein and minimizing simple sugars, I’m going to stay on track. Lean meats: chicken, steak. I love going to steak places. I ask, What’s the leanest cut of steak you have? I know that’s not the tastiest, but to me, the difference in taste and experience isn’t that big.So you’re not a Wagyu guy then?Listen, Wagyu tastes amazing. And I’ll do it every now and then, and if someone else gets it, I’ll try a bite. But generally, no, I’m getting a lean cut—a filet.You got married pretty young compared to many Americans. How has your change in your fitness affected your relationship with Emily?Well, at the beginning, she’s just, like, you just feel so different. She’s like, “It’s like hugging the corner of a building.” [Laughs.] But now, we have a gym at our home, and Emily’s started doing serious weight training, too, so that’s been the biggest change. She loves doing it. And the way she looks and feels is very different.Does she feel like the corner of a building as well?[Laughs.] Yes, just a couple of building corners bumping into each other. Sparks. But she really loves it. She saw what I was getting out of it, she got a trainer, and now she does it on her own. She loves it. But beyond that, when you’ve been married 17 years, you change a lot. So much about you changes, obviously. We’ve both changed in so, so many ways. So I think the biggest excitement in being in a relationship this long is how you change and how you change together, right? Because you’re changing as people, so your relationship has to change. There’s never a point where you’re, like, And now the relationship is done. It’s a growing, evolving thing that you need to keep talking about. It’s really about communication. And we just started a production company, so we’re working together more now than we ever have. All this stuff requires constant communication. “Hey, when you said that in the business meeting that we had, it hurt my feelings.” [Laughs.] So that’s the most exciting thing to me about being with her: Watching her change and watching us change together.You’ve described your weight room prep for your Marvel role as “vomit-inducing” and “chasing the pain.” Has that level of intensity changed as you’ve moved past that movie?It ebbs and flows based on my mood. Right now, I’m in a non-hardcore training phase. I just sort of go based on how my body’s feeling and how I’m feeling mentally. I also change up my workouts quite a bit, because you get bored. Right now I’m on a pretty easy split—it’s not a ton of exercises per workout. But honestly, if you have a stressful day or a tough day or a bad day, you feel like I want to work out really, really hard. And it really helps me feel better. It’s one to one. I’ll be in a bad mood, I’ll work out really hard, and I’ll be great. That said, I’m not able to put myself through a vomit-inducing workout. Like you said, I’m not trying to peak. I’m trying to maintain. There’s no reason for me to be buff anymore—it’s just because I like doing the thing, you know?In their 40s, guys start to think about longevity rather than performance. So when you think about training to stay healthy for the rest of your life, how does that change your approach to fitness and diet?I’ve read studies that say stronger muscle is good for longevity—older people break bones and get hurt, and having more muscle mass helps with that. My whole family has a history of cardiovascular issues, and working out helps with that. I take my blood pressure all the time, and at my age, and I can see the difference working out has made. I thought it would hit me at 40, mentally. It didn’t hit me at 40. In your early 40s, you’re like, OK, double that, 80s, a lot of people make it to their 80s. But when you hit 45, you’re like, OK, most people don’t make it to 90. At 45, I was, like, Oh, I’m probably more than halfway through this journey. For a long time, I was scared of opening that door to taking care of my cholesterol or my blood pressure, because it feels so scary—I’ve lost family members to it. Everyone I know in my family is dealing with it, to some degree. My generation is generally healthier; we’re more aware of what we eat, so we’re doing better than the older generation.I want to live! [Laughs.] And I want to live for a long time. And I want to feel good for a long time. Right now, I feel better than I did through most of my 20s and 30s, and I think a lot of that has to do with what I’m eating and what I’m not eating, and how I’m exercising. But also, a lot of psychological stuff: Being more in touch with myself and my emotions, being aware of what I’m feeling and why I’m feeling it, talking to therapists, talking to Emily, talking to friends about stuff that’s scaring me or making me sad. I think all that stuff I’m prioritizing more now.In Real-Life Diet, athletes, celebrities, and other high performers talk about their diet, exercise routines, and pursuit of wellness. Keep in mind that what works for them might not necessarily be healthy for you. Source link

[norajworld]

In 2021, 46-year-old Kumail Nanjiani famously transformed himself from the soft-bodied uber-nerd he played in Silicon Valley to the super-ripped superhero Kingo from his Marvel movie debut, Eternals. While some actors do intense physical prep for parts only to backslide after shooting wraps, Nanjiani made his gains stick. With a change of physique has come a change of roles, including his more, well, muscular parts as a rebel in the 2022 Star Wars mini-series Obi-Wan Kenobi, strip club pioneer in Welcome to Chippendales (2023), and a Ghostbuster in 2024.In addition to the dramatic roles, Nanjiani has returned to standup comedy—he’s in the midst of a nine-month cross-country run—and is managing a fledgling production company, Winter Coat Films, with his co-founder and wife, the writer-producer Emily Gordon. He has also partnered with the nutrition company Quest. “I want to live for a long time,” he says. “And I want to feel good for a long time.”GQ: It’s the classic question for guys who want to get in shape: Do big muscles solve all your problems?Kumail Nanjiani: Oh, God no. Maybe, maybe, maybe I sleep a little better and I have slightly less anxiety because I’m working out pretty hard. But I’m seeing a therapist more regularly, so it’s hard to know what’s what. [Laughs.] So, no, it doesn’t solve shit.How has your fitness transformation affected you on set and on stage?On set, I don’t think as much. I’ve certainly grown in confidence on set, but I think that’s come from doing more reps—learning more on all aspects of filmmaking and feeling more comfortable. However, I started doing standup again about a year ago, and the last time I did, I looked very different. And so when I started doing standup again, my wife was, like, people’s experience of seeing you on stage is different now. You look different on stage. So even though you don’t see yourself differently, the audience perceives you differently. My standup used to be self-deprecating. I can’t do that as much anymore. It just has to be different. I used to talk about being a nerd—I still talk about being a nerd, but it’s changed the math.You’re on tour now for a few months, but often performing on the weekends. Do you make sure to work out while traveling, or do you just enjoy your time out of the gym and get back to it on Monday?This is so dorky, but I look up the gyms of the hotels I’m going to. I’m quite obsessed with working out now. It helps with anxiety, feeling more grounded, and my energy’s better. And so, I will look at the gym setup. Sometimes that information is hard to find. There’s a website called Hotel Gyms that ranks everything, but it doesn’t give you a ton of detail. But from the pictures, you can sleuth. Like, Oh my God, this place has a leg press machine. So, at home, I can skip legs, because I don’t have a leg press machine at home. I’m traveling Saturday, and I know that the hotel I’m in for the first few days has an amazing gym. So when I plan out my day, even with shooting, I’m figuring out when I can go to the gym.What’s the best hotel gym you’ve visited?Well, the one I’m actually going to now, the Forth Hotel in Atlanta, has a really, really good gym. And the Equinox Hotel in New York, Hudson Yards, is an actual Equinox, so it’s tough to beat.It’s said that if muscles are built in the gym, abs are built in the kitchen. What parts of that rigorous Marvel-prepping diet have you continued?When I first started trying to get in shape five years ago, I noticed how certain foods would make me feel. I didn’t know that. Eating sugar, you have the crash a couple of hours later. Eating gluten, you have a histamine response. To me, that’s been the biggest change. I have a pretty wicked sweet tooth, so I’ll still find room to eat dessert, but I know how it makes me feel afterwards. Days on set are pretty long, and when I’m on tour, I’m landing in a city, doing two shows that night, flying early the next morning to another city, doing another show or two that night. Energy’s so important. I’m finding that cutting out refined sugar has really made my energy more even through the day instead of these peaks and valleys, which I thought were [just part of] being a human. When I’m more thoughtful about what I eat, I certainly feel better, and I have more energy for the work that I need to do.Are there other areas besides sugar where you have shifted your diet?For a long time, I was tracking everything I was eating. But I stopped doing that almost two years ago, because now it’s a feel. I try to maximize protein, and I try to minimize simple sugars. I’m not keto or anything—I eat fruit. So what’s really stayed is the idea of protein content, which is where all the Quest stuff helps: It’s high protein, low carbs. Unless I’m preparing for something specific, if I’m eating high protein and minimizing simple sugars, I’m going to stay on track. Lean meats: chicken, steak. I love going to steak places. I ask, What’s the leanest cut of steak you have? I know that’s not the tastiest, but to me, the difference in taste and experience isn’t that big.So you’re not a Wagyu guy then?Listen, Wagyu tastes amazing. And I’ll do it every now and then, and if someone else gets it, I’ll try a bite. But generally, no, I’m getting a lean cut—a filet.You got married pretty young compared to many Americans. How has your change in your fitness affected your relationship with Emily?Well, at the beginning, she’s just, like, you just feel so different. She’s like, “It’s like hugging the corner of a building.” [Laughs.] But now, we have a gym at our home, and Emily’s started doing serious weight training, too, so that’s been the biggest change. She loves doing it. And the way she looks and feels is very different.Does she feel like the corner of a building as well?[Laughs.] Yes, just a couple of building corners bumping into each other. Sparks. But she really loves it. She saw what I was getting out of it, she got a trainer, and now she does it on her own. She loves it. But beyond that, when you’ve been married 17 years, you change a lot. So much about you changes, obviously. We’ve both changed in so, so many ways. So I think the biggest excitement in being in a relationship this long is how you change and how you change together, right? Because you’re changing as people, so your relationship has to change. There’s never a point where you’re, like, And now the relationship is done. It’s a growing, evolving thing that you need to keep talking about. It’s really about communication. And we just started a production company, so we’re working together more now than we ever have. All this stuff requires constant communication. “Hey, when you said that in the business meeting that we had, it hurt my feelings.” [Laughs.] So that’s the most exciting thing to me about being with her: Watching her change and watching us change together.You’ve described your weight room prep for your Marvel role as “vomit-inducing” and “chasing the pain.” Has that level of intensity changed as you’ve moved past that movie?It ebbs and flows based on my mood. Right now, I’m in a non-hardcore training phase. I just sort of go based on how my body’s feeling and how I’m feeling mentally. I also change up my workouts quite a bit, because you get bored. Right now I’m on a pretty easy split—it’s not a ton of exercises per workout. But honestly, if you have a stressful day or a tough day or a bad day, you feel like I want to work out really, really hard. And it really helps me feel better. It’s one to one. I’ll be in a bad mood, I’ll work out really hard, and I’ll be great. That said, I’m not able to put myself through a vomit-inducing workout. Like you said, I’m not trying to peak. I’m trying to maintain. There’s no reason for me to be buff anymore—it’s just because I like doing the thing, you know?In their 40s, guys start to think about longevity rather than performance. So when you think about training to stay healthy for the rest of your life, how does that change your approach to fitness and diet?I’ve read studies that say stronger muscle is good for longevity—older people break bones and get hurt, and having more muscle mass helps with that. My whole family has a history of cardiovascular issues, and working out helps with that. I take my blood pressure all the time, and at my age, and I can see the difference working out has made. I thought it would hit me at 40, mentally. It didn’t hit me at 40. In your early 40s, you’re like, OK, double that, 80s, a lot of people make it to their 80s. But when you hit 45, you’re like, OK, most people don’t make it to 90. At 45, I was, like, Oh, I’m probably more than halfway through this journey. For a long time, I was scared of opening that door to taking care of my cholesterol or my blood pressure, because it feels so scary—I’ve lost family members to it. Everyone I know in my family is dealing with it, to some degree. My generation is generally healthier; we’re more aware of what we eat, so we’re doing better than the older generation.I want to live! [Laughs.] And I want to live for a long time. And I want to feel good for a long time. Right now, I feel better than I did through most of my 20s and 30s, and I think a lot of that has to do with what I’m eating and what I’m not eating, and how I’m exercising. But also, a lot of psychological stuff: Being more in touch with myself and my emotions, being aware of what I’m feeling and why I’m feeling it, talking to therapists, talking to Emily, talking to friends about stuff that’s scaring me or making me sad. I think all that stuff I’m prioritizing more now.In Real-Life Diet, athletes, celebrities, and other high performers talk about their diet, exercise routines, and pursuit of wellness. Keep in mind that what works for them might not necessarily be healthy for you. Source link

[chilimili212]

In 2021, 46-year-old Kumail Nanjiani famously transformed himself from the soft-bodied uber-nerd he played in Silicon Valley to the super-ripped superhero Kingo from his Marvel movie debut, Eternals. While some actors do intense physical prep for parts only to backslide after shooting wraps, Nanjiani made his gains stick. With a change of physique has come a change of roles, including his more, well, muscular parts as a rebel in the 2022 Star Wars mini-series Obi-Wan Kenobi, strip club pioneer in Welcome to Chippendales (2023), and a Ghostbuster in 2024.In addition to the dramatic roles, Nanjiani has returned to standup comedy—he’s in the midst of a nine-month cross-country run—and is managing a fledgling production company, Winter Coat Films, with his co-founder and wife, the writer-producer Emily Gordon. He has also partnered with the nutrition company Quest. “I want to live for a long time,” he says. “And I want to feel good for a long time.”GQ: It’s the classic question for guys who want to get in shape: Do big muscles solve all your problems?Kumail Nanjiani: Oh, God no. Maybe, maybe, maybe I sleep a little better and I have slightly less anxiety because I’m working out pretty hard. But I’m seeing a therapist more regularly, so it’s hard to know what’s what. [Laughs.] So, no, it doesn’t solve shit.How has your fitness transformation affected you on set and on stage?On set, I don’t think as much. I’ve certainly grown in confidence on set, but I think that’s come from doing more reps—learning more on all aspects of filmmaking and feeling more comfortable. However, I started doing standup again about a year ago, and the last time I did, I looked very different. And so when I started doing standup again, my wife was, like, people’s experience of seeing you on stage is different now. You look different on stage. So even though you don’t see yourself differently, the audience perceives you differently. My standup used to be self-deprecating. I can’t do that as much anymore. It just has to be different. I used to talk about being a nerd—I still talk about being a nerd, but it’s changed the math.You’re on tour now for a few months, but often performing on the weekends. Do you make sure to work out while traveling, or do you just enjoy your time out of the gym and get back to it on Monday?This is so dorky, but I look up the gyms of the hotels I’m going to. I’m quite obsessed with working out now. It helps with anxiety, feeling more grounded, and my energy’s better. And so, I will look at the gym setup. Sometimes that information is hard to find. There’s a website called Hotel Gyms that ranks everything, but it doesn’t give you a ton of detail. But from the pictures, you can sleuth. Like, Oh my God, this place has a leg press machine. So, at home, I can skip legs, because I don’t have a leg press machine at home. I’m traveling Saturday, and I know that the hotel I’m in for the first few days has an amazing gym. So when I plan out my day, even with shooting, I’m figuring out when I can go to the gym.What’s the best hotel gym you’ve visited?Well, the one I’m actually going to now, the Forth Hotel in Atlanta, has a really, really good gym. And the Equinox Hotel in New York, Hudson Yards, is an actual Equinox, so it’s tough to beat.It’s said that if muscles are built in the gym, abs are built in the kitchen. What parts of that rigorous Marvel-prepping diet have you continued?When I first started trying to get in shape five years ago, I noticed how certain foods would make me feel. I didn’t know that. Eating sugar, you have the crash a couple of hours later. Eating gluten, you have a histamine response. To me, that’s been the biggest change. I have a pretty wicked sweet tooth, so I’ll still find room to eat dessert, but I know how it makes me feel afterwards. Days on set are pretty long, and when I’m on tour, I’m landing in a city, doing two shows that night, flying early the next morning to another city, doing another show or two that night. Energy’s so important. I’m finding that cutting out refined sugar has really made my energy more even through the day instead of these peaks and valleys, which I thought were [just part of] being a human. When I’m more thoughtful about what I eat, I certainly feel better, and I have more energy for the work that I need to do.Are there other areas besides sugar where you have shifted your diet?For a long time, I was tracking everything I was eating. But I stopped doing that almost two years ago, because now it’s a feel. I try to maximize protein, and I try to minimize simple sugars. I’m not keto or anything—I eat fruit. So what’s really stayed is the idea of protein content, which is where all the Quest stuff helps: It’s high protein, low carbs. Unless I’m preparing for something specific, if I’m eating high protein and minimizing simple sugars, I’m going to stay on track. Lean meats: chicken, steak. I love going to steak places. I ask, What’s the leanest cut of steak you have? I know that’s not the tastiest, but to me, the difference in taste and experience isn’t that big.So you’re not a Wagyu guy then?Listen, Wagyu tastes amazing. And I’ll do it every now and then, and if someone else gets it, I’ll try a bite. But generally, no, I’m getting a lean cut—a filet.You got married pretty young compared to many Americans. How has your change in your fitness affected your relationship with Emily?Well, at the beginning, she’s just, like, you just feel so different. She’s like, “It’s like hugging the corner of a building.” [Laughs.] But now, we have a gym at our home, and Emily’s started doing serious weight training, too, so that’s been the biggest change. She loves doing it. And the way she looks and feels is very different.Does she feel like the corner of a building as well?[Laughs.] Yes, just a couple of building corners bumping into each other. Sparks. But she really loves it. She saw what I was getting out of it, she got a trainer, and now she does it on her own. She loves it. But beyond that, when you’ve been married 17 years, you change a lot. So much about you changes, obviously. We’ve both changed in so, so many ways. So I think the biggest excitement in being in a relationship this long is how you change and how you change together, right? Because you’re changing as people, so your relationship has to change. There’s never a point where you’re, like, And now the relationship is done. It’s a growing, evolving thing that you need to keep talking about. It’s really about communication. And we just started a production company, so we’re working together more now than we ever have. All this stuff requires constant communication. “Hey, when you said that in the business meeting that we had, it hurt my feelings.” [Laughs.] So that’s the most exciting thing to me about being with her: Watching her change and watching us change together.You’ve described your weight room prep for your Marvel role as “vomit-inducing” and “chasing the pain.” Has that level of intensity changed as you’ve moved past that movie?It ebbs and flows based on my mood. Right now, I’m in a non-hardcore training phase. I just sort of go based on how my body’s feeling and how I’m feeling mentally. I also change up my workouts quite a bit, because you get bored. Right now I’m on a pretty easy split—it’s not a ton of exercises per workout. But honestly, if you have a stressful day or a tough day or a bad day, you feel like I want to work out really, really hard. And it really helps me feel better. It’s one to one. I’ll be in a bad mood, I’ll work out really hard, and I’ll be great. That said, I’m not able to put myself through a vomit-inducing workout. Like you said, I’m not trying to peak. I’m trying to maintain. There’s no reason for me to be buff anymore—it’s just because I like doing the thing, you know?In their 40s, guys start to think about longevity rather than performance. So when you think about training to stay healthy for the rest of your life, how does that change your approach to fitness and diet?I’ve read studies that say stronger muscle is good for longevity—older people break bones and get hurt, and having more muscle mass helps with that. My whole family has a history of cardiovascular issues, and working out helps with that. I take my blood pressure all the time, and at my age, and I can see the difference working out has made. I thought it would hit me at 40, mentally. It didn’t hit me at 40. In your early 40s, you’re like, OK, double that, 80s, a lot of people make it to their 80s. But when you hit 45, you’re like, OK, most people don’t make it to 90. At 45, I was, like, Oh, I’m probably more than halfway through this journey. For a long time, I was scared of opening that door to taking care of my cholesterol or my blood pressure, because it feels so scary—I’ve lost family members to it. Everyone I know in my family is dealing with it, to some degree. My generation is generally healthier; we’re more aware of what we eat, so we’re doing better than the older generation.I want to live! [Laughs.] And I want to live for a long time. And I want to feel good for a long time. Right now, I feel better than I did through most of my 20s and 30s, and I think a lot of that has to do with what I’m eating and what I’m not eating, and how I’m exercising. But also, a lot of psychological stuff: Being more in touch with myself and my emotions, being aware of what I’m feeling and why I’m feeling it, talking to therapists, talking to Emily, talking to friends about stuff that’s scaring me or making me sad. I think all that stuff I’m prioritizing more now.In Real-Life Diet, athletes, celebrities, and other high performers talk about their diet, exercise routines, and pursuit of wellness. Keep in mind that what works for them might not necessarily be healthy for you. Source link

[daisynik7]

✨WIFEY✨ I’M BACK (again) and much has changed, i’ve done a 180 of my schedule so waiting to see if that sticks, but i’m feeling better (if you exclude the period cramps 🤡) but February has been pretty good so far, i should clarify i wasn’t the one hospitalized but a family member who isn’t the most comfortable with English so i stayed with them to be translator, but all is well like i said discharge was a few days ago and they’re feeling much better! 

thank you for your well wishes and sweetness, i’m still taking you up on all your kind offerings regardless, i need them 🥲 i am sending you just as much!

hope this year brings you more small and big meaningful moments that you can always cherish and look at with a good feeling, get-togethers with friends, and i hope you’re weekend with your boyfriend went well!

how was your weekend? well spent at the very least, even if you did nothing:) anything special going on this week? as always so proud of you! 🫶🏼 i’m prepping for a Lunar New Year spread given that i’ve taken off the last few years, i'm a bit rusty so we’ll see how that goes.

i don’t how much the weather has shifted since you wrote me, hoping it’s just getting warmer for you but i still hope you’re keeping warm<3 the weather has been kinda wack here, warm days and cold days, forecast says it’s going to rain, which it does, but then it snows all night which i had no knowledge of but ok😅

i missed you so very much, you’re love was very much felt and as always the storm has passed so i just look at the past and take what lessons i’ve learned and move on and i hope you’re able to do the same with any mishaps in your life, especially those that you can’t always control :) i love YOU my darling daisy i hope today and this week goes amazing for you, thank you for being you there isn’t much more i’d know how to articulate how much you mean to me 🥹  

loooooong overdue: but i come with bouquets of flowers for the prettiest snookums in the whole universe!<3 💐💐💐

SNOOKUMS! I'm so happy to hear from you! While I've missed you immensely, I'm happy to hear that you're doing well and being very productive! I hope you're taking enough breaks though and not burning yourself out too much. also, so sorry for the misunderstanding! Very glad to hear your family member is doing better now. ❤️

Thank you for your well wishes and positive vibes as always! I'm learning to cherish all the little moments I'm so lucky to experience in life. I know at times, I can take these small moments for granted, so I'm trying to be better at appreciating them more!

Happy February! And an early Happy Valentine's to my most special Valentine! And Happy Lunar New Year! What's the spread looking like so far? I can't wait to hear about all the delicious dishes you'll be preparing in celebration!

The biggest news from me is that my brother just got engaged! Him and his girlfriend (now fiancée) have been traveling all over Asia the past month and he proposed to her in Japan. It was very sweet and romantic. They are coming back home in a few days and we will celebrate with dinner somewhere!

We had a pretty bad storm last night, but I think we're in the clear now. Still pretty cold during the mornings and nights, but nothing too drastic! Hope you're staying warm and cozy during those snowy nights!

Sending you all my love as usual, all my kisses, all my snuggles, and only the best, most positive vibes for my wifey. Thank you for always making me feel so loved, I appreciate and love you more than these silly words of mine can articulate. Take care of yourself! ❤️ love you so much thea

[laceyflanaganyarmouth]

Road Trip Tips

Road Trip Tips https://ift.tt/7MVSa59 If you’ve never been on a road trip before, then it’s time to plan one. Road trips are different kinds of travel; if you’re an adventure traveler, you should consider taking one. They allow you to get completely immersed in the area and explore its hidden gems. If you’re planning on traveling for the first time, don’t worry. It’s normal to feel nervous about it. There are plenty of things that you can do before you start your trip to ensure that it’s a memorable experience. Whether you’re planning on visiting all of the national parks in the US or just wandering around aimlessly, there are a few things that you can do to make your trip even more enjoyable. In this post, I’m sharing some favorite first-timers road trip tips. These will help you get off to a great start in your journey. Prep Your Car Before leaving for your trip, ensure your vehicle is ready to go. Having at least a month’s notice for repairs is essential. Check the coolant, oil, tire pressure, brakes, lights, and windshield wiper fluid. If you’re concerned, have an expert check your car before heading out. Next, take the time to clean up your car. It would help if you also packed your gum wrappers and paper towels under your seat. You should leave the receipts from your last business transaction in the glove box, and don’t sweat your dog hair in the back bed. Several days into your trip, you’ll notice that new ones join the old wrappers, and the glove box will overflow with maps and hotel receipts. You’ll rue the day you left the Shop-Vac behind. Finally, be sure to fill the tank before you leave! It’s important to start a long road trip with a full tank in case something goes wrong, you run out of gas, or you don’t find any stations. Also, driving with the gas light on for extended periods can damage your vehicle. Just fill up the tank before you leave. Make a Plan One of the most critical factors you can count on when traveling long distances is delays. Regardless, having a plan is a great way to avoid issues down the road. Overscheduling can cause you to get bogged down in the last few miles of your trip, even though you intend to get some sleep. You may even try to cancel a reservation to get the money for another hotel. Set a Budget This is also important when planning your trip, as it will help you manage your expenses and ensure that you have enough money to cover everything you need. A budget will allow you to plan for emergencies and save for specific costs. If you’re planning on traveling on a tight budget, this post will teach you how to budget for road trips. The post Road Trip Tips first appeared on Lacey Flanagan | Travel. via Lacey Flanagan | Travel https://ift.tt/FzGBDLi October 26, 2023 at 11:45AM

[mystikalrootz]

Mercury Retrograde 

21° in Virgo  12:59 pm (PST)

8/23-9/15

Here we go again!  It’s Mercury Retrograde time!  3-4 times a year Mercury laps Earth as we orbit the Sun which gives the impression that Mercury is moving backwards.  During this time we experience disruptions in all things Mercury related such as communication, technology, travel and health and home matters. Depending on what sign Mercury moves in will depend where this affects the collective.  Regardless of its placement tho, some things are KEY during this time and  it is important to implement all the “Re” actions and practices you can, and avoid beginning anything new if possible. 

Renew, refresh, rewind, reflect, revise, revamp, research, rethink, return, revisit, refrain, reorganize, retreat, retrieve, reconnect, recommit, resolve, and repeat are just some very good guide words to keep at the forefront as you move through this sometimes confusing and frustrating retrograde energy. You will enviably see funny memes saying “I’m not responsible for what I said during Mercury Retrograde” which I too find funny BUT this is an excuse for being an intentional asshole and blame a planet for it… I don’t REspect this type of thinking. Mercury in Retrograde gives us the gift of slowing down and reflecting on things that may have soured in the past few months. It lets us return to the things that are meaningful and maybe recommit to things or people that we have forgotten about. You can breath REfreshing air into an already started project or return to a hobby or skill you have done further REseach on to make it a success. 

*ABSOLUTELY BACK UP DATA

*Know that you may not understand what others are trying to say the first time they say it and vise versa. 

*Double check all forms of communication for clarity and that it is going to the correct person. (Texts, emails, DM’s, letters, cards, bills, payments etc)

*Try not to travel or make travel plans.  This can sometimes not be avoided so making sure vehicles are running smooth, airports are arrived at super early, and prepping for delays is a good idea

*Don’t sign legal papers or contracts is possible. I actually told my old job’s HR that I would come sign my retirement/separation paperwork the next week when Mercury Retrograde had left it’s post shadow phase! Not sure if she understood me but she complied! If you MUST sign these types of papers, read them over thoroughly and maybe take a friend to read also. 

During this particular Retrograde, Mercury is spending the entire time in one of its home signs, Virgo. It stations to go backwards at 21° in the sign and then stations to go direct again at 8°. The grounded Earth energy of Virgo is caring, health aware, nurturing, organized, thoughtful and even sensual. Mercury can be used beautifully here to reflect on any health matters you have wanted to attend to, revamp your dietary plans, or even research more earth based ways to a healthier life. Pulling out some half finished organization projects such as filing gone unfinished or storage bought but never used is also great here. This particular placement can really hit your work and day to day activities so beware of this and take the proper mindset and awareness. If a program crashes, laugh, know it is Mercury, go for a walk, and come back.  You will more than likely find the issue is corrected. Be sure your not sending personal things to work peeps and vise versa as this is also a common mistake. Your co-workers may be cranky and moody leaving YOU to be the vibe. Why you? Well, your aware of this wonky ass energy and chances are, they aren’t. Be kind and show compassion or if your like me…SHARE THIS INFO!! Mercury and Virgo energies love information and love to teach others. That being said, with ALL things you try to teach or assist with at this time, be careful not to force yourself on others. When Mercury is in Virgo we have a tendency to over think and over “help”. Others may feel you as overbearing and the possibility of you feeling rejected is very possible. 

Personally, I am loving the feel of this retrograde!  With the loving support of the Sun entering Virgo (email subscribers got that energy walk through) just hours before Mercury starts its backwards dance, there is a vibe of self care, nurturing, journaling, and full on relaxation that is much needed with the 2023 weirdness many have experienced. If used properly, the next 3 weeks could be the REset you need in order to finish off the year as the bad ass you are!  Happy Mercury Retrograde!!

If you find value in these forecasts, please consider a small $5 donation as an exchange of energy using the link below 🤍

[humansun]

i got NERVE (you got..you need to uncover)

Written Friday, July 21st, 2023 at 5:40PM

Hi. I have nerves. Running. All. Through my body.

Where am I at? I can barely think. It’s always when I’m talking to someone who is deeply self-aware that I start getting nervous and sweaty and stressed.

I desire to have wisdom. Just like these folks I admire. ANYWAY.

Normally after a call or informational with a high-profile individual, I want to call people and tell them about it. But, because I have the luxury of being at home, with my laptop, Wifi, and a fan (in this heat), I will take advantage of this blank document that I could wordbarf my feelings on! Yay.

Jesus. Why are people so amazing? It makes no sense. I need to thank the people who have done a lot for me in my life because why did they do these amazing things for me? I could never know.

For some reason right now, I thought about Disney and how walking away from it could have been a bad thing for me in a lot of different ways. I’m also thinking about how many people may have seen me walk away as a very idiotic thing to do, but I do not regret that decision whatsoever.

If I had not quit, I would have never gone through my interesting Vietnam travel experience. I would have never spent the last few months wandering around my community wondering what is going on in my life. I would have never found myself sitting here, in this chair, and thinking about all the things that I’m thinking in this moment.

My first biggest thought for Betty is:

You need to reach out to whoever inspires you, period. You never know what response you will get. You will never know who will be willing to support you. Do it. Don’t hesitate, and don’t, look, back.

The second big thought for Betty is:

You have yet to meditate, write creatively, or read today. That’s what you’re doing when you have your last meal. 

There are so many questions. So many! About what will happen in the next few months, if I’ll give myself a time limit, what can I do to really light that fire under my ass? How will I determine my path for success and a financially stable future? All the questions! (Cue Fuzzy’s “Oh Brother” Spongebob audio bite.)

I feel extremely grateful to have spoke to the people that I did. They are amazing. Women are awesome and underrated forever. I hope to grow immensely in the next couple months and years to be a better me whether physically, mentally, or creatively.

At this point, I just need to do the things that I say I will do and do them. Thank you!

Written 11:34PM

Bro, I need to work on my self-control. Sometimes, I’ll fall into a rabbit hole about other people’s lives because I’m not trying to handle my own business.

I had hot yoga a while ago, my bed seems free of ants, and I have a very packed day tomorrow where I basically can’t work on anything that I actually want to do unless I get less than 8 hours of sleep.

So Sunday has to be the day where I focus all my energy on moving forward in my career. Nothing less. 

I also need to prep my program application and have my sister or close friends review them before I submit. Blah. I feel like poo.