#also drink lots of water and keep your brain engaged

[timblrdrake]

What do you do when your sleep schedule doesn’t

-A totally sane Gothamite, 2:03 am

i wouldn’t know, i don’t have that problem.

-Tim Drake, 2.5 hours of sleep

[biscuitdolly]

୨ৎ absolute necessities .ᐟ

if you're trying to glow up, get healthier, etc, these are the very basics that you absolutely NEED to follow!

01, WATER .ᐟ

Staying hydrated is crucial for your health and wellbeing. While the recommended daily intake is 8 cups of water, you can gradually increase your consumption over a few weeks if that seems too overwhelming. Drinking enough water provides numerous benefits, from clearing skin and flushing out waste, to boosting exercise performance and supporting weight loss. Despite being the very essence that sustains life, water is often underappreciated.

02, FOOD .ᐟ

I used to skip breakfast, thinking it would help me lose weight. However, studies show that those who eat breakfast tend to lose more weight and keep it off longer. The truth is, food is incredibly important. It's best to regulate your eating habits by consuming at least 3 meals per day, even if they're only small portions. Some food is better than no food. If you want to go on a diet, that's fine! but make sure you research healthy dieting methods. At a minimum, eat one serving of fruits and vegetables daily, and try to increase that to five servings per day if possible. Proper nutrition is key for your overall health.

03, HOBBIES .ᐟ

i have this previous post regarding hobbies you could try! It's so important to find fun activities that you genuinely enjoy and look forward to doing. Hobbies add fun to your life and pose as a nice break from technology and the stress of work and school. They also greatly improve symptoms of depression and anxiety. You could do some physical activity, such as a sport you like, or something more calm and creative, like painting or writing.

04, SLEEP .ᐟ

a lot of people struggle to fall asleep at a decent time. Try getting ready for bed early. Personally, I tend to take off my make up and do my skincare immediately after i come home for school/work so i don't have to worry about it before bed.

Technology is probably your sleeping schedule's worst enemy, as the blue light from the screen keeps your brain awake, so try to pause screen-related activities at least an hour before bed. Also, try not to snack 2 - 4 hours before you go to sleep. This is because lying down makes it harder for your body to digest food, which can result in sleeplessness.

Forcing yourself to go to bed super early isn't helpful either. Like I've mentioned in my other points, take things slow and gradual!

05, SOCIALIZATION .ᐟ

Engaging in simple social interactions, such as conversing with family, seeing friends, or greeting people on the street, is incredibly important. Isolating yourself in your room all day accomplishes nothing.

There was a time when I dreaded spending time with friends, convinced I lacked the energy or mood. However, once I forced myself to make plans, I realized how much I genuinely enjoyed their company. Other people are what make life truly worthwhile. So why not reach out to a friend right now and invite them to hang out tomorrow?

06, ACTIVITY .ᐟ

you don't need an exercise routine if you don't want one, but simple physical activity is still a daily necessity! At least 30 minutes is recommended. Personally, i most enjoy plugging in my headphones and going on a walk around my neighbourhood for an hour or two.

07, SELF TALK .ᐟ

Arguably one of my most important points, quit the self-deprecating talk. You never realize how much it affects you until you quit it. Yes, you can absolutely get that assessment done. Yes, you are a likable and amazing person. Just keep affirming and reminding yourself that you are worthy, and you will attract so many good things. Trust me, it will help you so much in the long run.

[javier-pena]

embers

Pairing: Arthur Morgan x f!reader

Word Count: 9.5k

Rating: Explicit

Summary: You're engaged to be married to a man you've never met. Arthur Morgan is supposed to escort you across the country to meet him. You should keep your distance, but the dangers of the road bring you closer and closer together with each passing mile.

Warnings: smoking | drinking | canon-typical violence | allusions to rape | reader is a virgin | loss of virginity | descriptions of injury and medical procedures (Arthur gets stitches) | reader has hair that can be pulled | hand job | oral (m receiving) | masturbation (f and m) | mutual masturbation | dirty talk | voyeurism | exhibitionism | praise kink | fingering | (unprotected) p in v sex

Notes: So there's this post ... and It has been on my mind for months so I had to write this exact scenario with Arthur, naturally. Again, this is way longer than it was supposed to be, but working on this fic allowed me to daydream a lot, so I can't complain. As always, I wouldn't have been able to do it without Dani @alexturner, who pushed me in the right direction and came up with the ending (because I'm not good at writing those)!!

***

You’re not pretty. At least that’s what everyone told you from the moment you could understand those words. Your mother, the maid she hired to look after you, the boys working for your father, the marm, the people in town. Since you were little, you’ve been hearing it over and over again. “It’s such a shame she ain’t pretty, what’s she gonna do with brains?”

The thing is, you also don’t feel very smart. If you were, you’d have found a way to leave your godforsaken town for one of the big cities in the east as soon as you could read the timetable down by the train station. You would’ve found a way to get out of this marriage your father arranged for you. Ambrose Longabaugh was his name. Ambrose Longabaugh. From what you have heard, he shares your lot: anything but handsome, but at least he has money.

No one was sad to see you go, save for your little brother, who held you tight and made you promise to come back if you didn’t like your betrothed. You had promised, knowing you were lying. It didn’t matter if you liked him or not, he was the man you were going to marry. You weren’t getting out of this. Your father had made sure of that.

Mr. Morgan is riding ahead of you, sitting in the saddle with his shoulders slumped, a cigarette dangling between his lips. You can smell the smoke on the crisp fall air, even though you’re trying to keep your distance. It’s not that he scares you – not as much as other men do, not as much as your future husband does – but you don’t like him very much. Your father is paying him to take you out west where Ambrose Longabaugh will one day take over his father’s cattle business. And Mr. Morgan is doing it without complaint, hardly acknowledging your presence. He talks more to his horse than he talks to you.

You let your eyes wander across the mountains around you and sigh. The first time you had seen them, your mouth had hung open in awe. Now you feel trapped by them. You can’t go back, and there’s only one way forward. You sigh again. No, you’re neither pretty nor smart.

“Break?” Mr. Morgan asks from up front. It’s only the fifth word he has said to you today; the others were good morning and let’s go.

“Yes,” you agree, not because you need it but because it gives you something else to do.

You stop near a small river with a shallow bank where Mr. Morgan can refill your waterskins. While he’s busy, you stretch your legs and pick up a few rocks from the riverbed to toss them into the water. The rushing of the water fills your ears, drowning out both thoughts and sounds. You take a deep, calming breath and close your eyes.

When you open them again, Mr. Morgan has taken off his lambskin coat and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt. He’s washing his face and neck in the cold water of the river, a wet stain forming on his collar, drops running down his lean, muscular forearms that are still tan from working outdoors all summer. Your face heats up with an emotion you don’t quite understand, and you turn away from him, pretending to be interested in some moss-covered rocks. You’re not supposed to look.

He startles you when he touches your arm lightly, making you turn around. You hadn’t heard him coming over the sounds of the river. His coat is back on, but you can see his neck glistening in a few places still.

“You shouldn’t wander, ma’am,” he says. That’s four more words for today.

You look around. “Indians, right?” you ask with a small laugh.

His face remains serious. “No. White men. Gangs. They like to hide out here.”

You watch his Adam’s apple move as he swallows and your throat immediately mimics his. “Then why are we taking this road if it’s so dangerous?”

He shrugs. You realize he hasn’t let go of your arm yet. “It’s fast.”

“My father –”

“Your father planned this route.”

You swallow again. “I’ll be careful, sir. Thank you.” He lets go of your arm then, and you walk back to your horse, your face now heating up with an emotion you definitely recognize: embarrassment.

You make camp later that day where the trees are standing close together. While he builds a fire, you pick at a pine cone you found on the ground. Somewhere in the distance you hear a howl, but you’ve learned that if it’s not loud enough to make Mr. Morgan look up from his task, then it’s nothing to be worried about. And he stokes the fire, eyes fixed to the flames.

After dinner, he hands you a small bottle and when the sharp taste of whiskey makes you cough, he smirks. So you take another sip, holding his gaze. He looks away first, pulls a torn-up pack of cigarettes from his coat, and offers you one. You accept, surprised.

“Don’t let my father find out you’re corrupting me,” you tease.

He only makes, “Hm,” in response.

The smoke from the cigarette burns your throat, just like the whiskey, but this time you manage to suppress the cough. “Do you have family, Mr. Morgan?” you ask, watching how he uses a branch to stoke the fire.

“No,” is his simple reply.

Now it’s your turn to make, “Hm,” before you add, “No one you’re sweet on?”

You don’t really care about the answer, why would you? But when he gives you another, “No,” a careful one, it makes your heart pound faster. Until he turns the tables.

“What about you?”

“Oh,” you say, “I don’t know, I haven’t met my fiancé yet.” And you don’t want to be thinking about him right now.

Mr. Morgan looks at you, his head cocked to one side. “Come now,” he pushes, as if you’re being evasive on purpose. “That ain’t what I’m askin’.”

You sigh. “It’s not? I’m spoken for. I have no business thinking about other men.” You don’t mean to be so frank, but the words are out of your mouth before you can stop them. And you can tell from the look on Mr. Morgan’s face that he still thinks you’re not honest with him.

“Hm,” he makes, and you dread what might be coming next.

“I’m going to bed,” you tell him, putting an end to your conversation. He opens his mouth to add something, but you don’t give him a change. You lie down and pull your thin blanket over your body, face hot with embarrassment. The last thing you see before falling asleep is Mr. Morgan staring at the flames, a quiet smile on his lips.

Later that night, you wake up to shouts. What pulls you from your sleep entirely is a gunshot that reverberates through the forest. “Mr. Morgan?” you shout, because he isn’t sitting next to the fire anymore and you can’t see him anywhere. Then you hear a sound that makes your blood run cold, a snarl, a growl, but animalistic, wild, unlike anything you’ve ever heard. You jump up from your bedroll, ready to run, but then you remember Mr. Morgan’s warning. It’s better to stay here, in the light of the dwindling fire, than to take your chances out there. “Mr. Morgan?” you try again, this time a hiss, as you frantically search the darkness beyond your camp. It gets so dark out here at night.

A shout is your answer, a deep, “Hey!” Short and fast. The horses whinny, and you’re only now realizing they’re stomping the ground, tearing up the soil with their hooves, the whites in their eyes visible, ears pressed tightly back. You try to swallow your panic, but it gets harder with every passing second.

Then something moves between the trees and Mr. Morgan stumbles back into the camp, a gun in one hand, a torch in the other. He has a wild look in his eyes too, just like the horses, but when they land on you, he relaxes, his face assuming its usual, stoic mask. “Mountain lion,” he says. “It’s gone.”

“What does that mean?” you ask, your voice trembling.

“Chased it off,” he explains. “It ain’t coming back here.”

“The horses …,” you start.

But he walks toward the fire, toward you. “You did good,” he says, dropping to his knees next to you, so close, too close. You can smell the gunpower on him, and the sweat; you’ve never been so close to a man before, not even your own father. “Here.” He hands you the whiskey again. “It’s gone, I promise.”

You wish your hands wouldn’t shake so much. He grabs yours with one to steady, his warm skin like fire against yours, unscrews the stopper with the other, not with impatience but oh so gently. You manage to take a sip on your own, but he watches you intently for any signs of distress.

“You’ll have to get used to it,” he says, stowing away the bottle. “This land out here … it’s wild.”

You nod. Now that the initial burst of panic is dulled, you feel tears sting your eyes.

“But you’ll manage.” His voice is so calming. “You’re a brave girl.”

*******

The hooves of your horse pound out a slow, steady beat against the hard ground. You’re tired, every muscle in your body is sore, but you push on without complaint, following Mr. Morgan up a winding mountain and back down on the other side. The days are so similar they’re bleeding into one – the mountain lion … did it attack three nights ago? Five? You don’t remember. All you know is that your heart picks up speed when he looks at you, that every evening your conversation around the fire becomes a little bit longer, that you wish you could go on like this forever, never to arrive at your destination.

Sometimes at night, when you can’t sleep but you pretend to, you can hear him sing, sometimes to himself, sometimes to the horses. Your heart almost flies out of your chest when he does it. He hasn’t touched you anymore since the night of the mountain lion attack, but you wish he would. Even though everything else about him confuses you, you wish you could feel his skin against yours again; such longing, it almost consumes you.

Is this what it’s supposed to feel like? Did your cousin feel like this when she ran off with that cowboy? Did your mother and father feel like this; is that why they got married? Are you supposed to feel like this when you meet your fiancé? Or is this something else entirely? Is there something wrong with you?

“Break?” he asks once the ground is beginning to even out.

“You know, you keep asking for breaks so much I’m starting to think you don’t want us to reach our destination,” you tease.

He just shrugs and stops his horse. You halt too and climb off, your legs steady when they hit the ground. It wasn’t like that in the beginning; the first few days he had to help you off your horse and you could barely stand. It’s astonishing what a difference a few weeks can make.

You stretch, then begin to walk up and down the path. It’s cold, sitting so still up on that horse, and you flex your fingers, trying to get some feeling back into them. Mr. Morgan, meanwhile, sits down on a tree stump to write in a leather-bound notebook. You’ve seen him use it before but you don’t quite know what it’s for. He’s probably tracking your progress or taking notes on the weather.

Careful to keep him in sight, you veer off into the underbrush, looking at the trees and the different kinds of plants growing on the ground. You pretend you can read the language of the forest, looking for tracks of animals or some mushrooms you might be able to eat. Just like you’ve seen Mr. Morgan do countless of times. When you do find something, you’re not sure what to make of it.

“Mr. Morgan?” Your voice is raised as you try to keep it steady.

You hear his footsteps immediately but you don’t dare to turn around, your eyes fixed on the sight before you. He stops next to you, and you can hear his steady breathing. The knot in your chest immediately dissolves.

“Hm,” he makes.

“What happened here?” you ask. Now the tremor in your voice is all too audible.

He hesitates just for a second, weighing his options, but then he says, “Some people were camping here, a family by the looks of it.”

“Where are they?” you ask, finally turning toward him. The cold, calculating look on his face sends a shiver down your spine.

“Ma’am …,” he says slowly.

“You can tell me. I can handle the truth.”

You look back at the burned-out wagon, the torn clothes hanging from tree branches, all that blood on a log next to a cold fire pit. You don’t need him to tell you. You just want him not to confirm your suspicions.

“They’re dead,” he answers. “Killed. For money.”

“All of them?” you ask.

He winces. “If there were women …”

“Can’t we help them?” You know you can’t, but you wish there was something you could do.

“Stay on the path next time,” he growls. “No more wanderin’ ‘round … ma’am.”

“Mr. Morgan …,” you try, but he’s already trudging back toward the horses.

You spend the rest of the day in silence, riding next to each other but avoiding each other’s gazes. You shouldn’t have called out to him; it was obvious what had happened in that camp. They were a group, and you’re just two people … your father couldn’t have known about the dangers of this journey, or he wouldn’t have made you go. He would’ve found another way. At least that’s what you’re telling yourself. Because you don’t want to even consider the other option and what it would mean. When the sun slowly disappears behind the mountains around you, dread settles onto your heart, the heavy kind you haven’t felt since you were a little girl, afraid of the dark.

Finally, Mr. Morgan stops his horse. “We camp here tonight. No fire.”

“It’s so dark,” you whisper.

“The darkness ain’t what’ll kill you,” he growls.

You can’t sleep; of course not. So you watch him all night, sitting up straight next to you, not so close that you could touch him, but close enough so you’ll always see he’s there. He doesn’t sleep either but he sits very still, keeping his eyes on the path, making sure nothing evil comes out of the dark. And you wish all you had to worry about were mountain lions.

*******

Two days later, Mr. Morgan’s face is pale and you’re frozen through. You haven’t had a warm meal since you found that destroyed camp, and Mr. Morgan has barely slept. You haven’t talked at all, apart from the necessities. And still you haven’t left those mountains and woods behind you. At least the daylight makes you feel less afraid.

“Is it far still?” you ask when the silence becomes unbearable.

“A week,” he answers, looking up at the sky, “if it doesn’t snow.”

The weather is the least of your worries. “And how long before we’re past the mountains?” You hate them now as much as they awed you at first.

“Three days maybe.”

Three more days without warm food. You straighten your back. “Have you come this way before?”

“Yes.”

“Has anything ever happened to you?” You don’t know if you’d prefer confirmation or denial.

“You’re safe with me, so don’t you worry about that.” There’s something in the way he says it that makes your grip tighten on the reins.

“I’m not worried,” you lie. “Just curious.”

“Hm,” he makes before going back to observing the surroundings with caution. “Bad people are everywhere. Not just here.”

“That’s a grim way to look at the world.” You try for a teasing tone, but it sounds like you’re reprimanding him instead.

“You ain’t seen much of it then,” he replies.

“More than you know.”

He looks at you curiously, just for a moment. “You –” he starts, but a shout ahead on the path interrupts him.

“Hey!”

You almost jump out of your skin and stop your horse reflexively. That’s your first mistake. The second one is to shout, “Arthur!” Because it costs him valuable seconds, that distraction. He turns around to look at you, and then suddenly two men are on him, pulling him out of the saddle. Two more appear next to you, a young, handsome one with a dark mustache and darker eyes, and a man your father’s age, but scrawny, with a mouth full of yellow teeth that he exposes to you in an ugly grin. You pull on the reins and your horse dances nervously, ears pressed tightly against its head. And then you hear a shot.

A fifth man stands in the middle of the path, a smoking gun held high over his head. His thick, gray beard quivers as he shouts, “Everybody stay calm and no one is gonna get hurt!”

You look at Mr. Morgan for guidance and see him struggle against the two men who are restraining him by holding his arms tightly pressed against his back. His pants are dirty from where he hit the ground when they pulled him off his horse.

“Get her down from there,” the man with the gray beard barks, and before you can do anything, thin but strong fingers have closed around your arm and you tumble out of the saddle with a shout.

The man who is holding you stinks of rotting things and nicotine. He twists one of your arms until it is pressed flush against your back and uses his other hand to hold your chin, so you’re forced to look straight ahead at the man with the mustache.

“Pretty little thing, ain’t she?” he snarls, and the other man licks his lips.

“We just want your valuables,” Graybeard says to Mr. Morgan.

“We ain’t got any,” he growls.

“I’m sure you don’t,” is the calm answer as Graybeard starts going through the saddlebags of Mr. Morgan’s horse.

You roll your shoulders but the man with the rotting teeth only tightens his hold on you. His companion takes a few careful steps toward you. A lump is forming in your throat as you begin to realize just how dangerous this situation is. You try to kick back, like a horse, but you miss your captor. It only earns you a cruel laugh and a pinch to your cheek.

Somewhere to your right, you hear a dull thud and a pained groan coming from Mr. Morgan. You try to look at him, but you can’t move, not because you’re being restrained but because fear has taken over your body and you can’t do anything but relinquish control.

“Check her horse,” Graybeard orders, but the man with the mustache doesn’t move. He’s only a few steps away from you now, his eyes hungrily roaming over your body. “Now!” Graybeard barks.

“There isn’t -,” you start, but the man who is restraining you clamps a hand over your mouth. You could vomit when you taste his skin.

“There’s this,” the man with the mustache says, holding up a cheap necklace your mother gave you as a parting gift.

“Take it,” Graybeard orders.

“What about her?” the rotting man asks and shakes you.

“Her too,” Graybeard answers with a nod. “Shoot the man.”

“No!” you shout, even though it makes the disgusting man get more of his fingers in between your lips.

The man with the mustache stuffs your mother’s necklace into the pocket of his jacket, then walks over to you. You can hear the blood rushing in your ears as he grips your skirt and begins to pull it upward so your boots and then your drawers are slowly exposed. A hot tear rolls down your cheek but it only makes him smile.

“I bet you’re lovely.” His voice is deep, almost as deep as Mr. Morgan’s, but hearing him speak only fills you with revulsion. “I bet you’re all tight …” He lightly strokes your cheek, then uses his free hand to unbutton his trousers.

“No!” you shout again, but it’s muffled, and your feeble attempts to free yourself are met with an evil snicker.

Then you hear a shot and all the life goes out of your body. It’s done. You’re alone now. And if you’re lucky, you’ll soon be dead too. Two more shots ring through the forest, each one as painful as if you’ve been hit by the bullets yourself. The man with the mustache doesn’t even flinch. His trousers hang open now, and you can see dark hairs peek out from between the fabric, before he cups one of your breasts hard and licks a broad stripe up your neck.

The other man moans, low, wetly, and it’s the most disgusting sound you’ve ever heard. He lets go of you, but it’s too late; you can’t run anymore. A wet, dull sound is followed by another moan, and you know exactly what he’s doing. You’ve heard people talk about it, even though you don’t quite know what it means when a man touches himself. All you know is that you feel bile rise at the thought of it.

The man with the mustache freezes and looks behind you, his eyes wide with shock. Maybe they have a different bargain, maybe he wants to keep you for himself and feels threatened. But then, so fast he’s only a blur, Mr. Morgan rushes past you, grabs the man by his collar, and pulls him off you, landing a punch against his jaw. You blink a few times as both men go down, not sure if what you’re seeing is real or if it’s a vision your panicked brain conjured up to calm you. The man with the mustache lands a kick between Mr. Morgan’s legs, gaining the upper hand. He pulls a knife from his boot while he straddles your companion to pin him down, but Mr. Morgan doesn’t hesitate. He grabs the man’s arm and bites down until he lets go of the knife. You catch a glimpse of Mr. Morgan’s eyes and where you expected him to be all feral rage, he’s cold and calculating. It sends a shiver down your spine and you stumble back a few paces until you step into something soft that squelches on impact. You don’t have to look down to know what it is.

Despite the loss of his knife, the man with the mustache is putting up a good fight. He lands a blow in Mr. Morgan’s face, then scrambles off him, grabs the knife, and pushes himself upward. Mr. Morgan moves faster than you’ve ever seen him move, jumping up while dodging the glinting blade of the knife.

“Stay down, big boy,” the man sneers.

Mr. Morgan shoves into him with such force the knife ends up in the dirt again, right next to the two men. But this time, Mr. Morgan has the upper hand, landing blow after blow in the face of the other, grunting with grim satisfaction when he draws blood, continuing even when the man retches up blood and spits it in Mr. Morgan’s face. He doesn’t stop until the man doesn’t move anymore and his face is nothing more than a bloody pulp, entirely unrecognizable. Only then does he grunt in pain and rolls off his opponent, lying on the forest floor, breathing labored and hard.

*******

You make camp that night as far away from that spot as you could travel before the light faded. Mr. Morgan gets a fire going while you sit on a log, trying to hide your trembling hands in your lap. You haven’t cried yet but you know it’s coming. He hasn’t said anything yet, and you’re not sure he will.

In the flickering light of the fire, you can see the cuts and bruises in his face, the sleeve of his shirt drenched in blood. And when you close your eyes, you can see the five dead men, their broken bodies left in the dirt for scavengers to feed on. He did that, all on his own.

You force yourself to stand up and walk over to him. He’s not the man who calmed you down after a mountain lion attack anymore; you’ve seen him beat a man to death today with his bare hands. No, he’s someone new now, someone you have to get to know first. And when you crouch down next to him, he looks at you with dark eyes like he’s never looked at you before and you feel all the air being pressed out of you.

“Let me take a look at your arm,” you say, pulling it toward you by his hand. The dried blood on his knuckles is rough against your skin.

He doesn’t protest, just watches as you carefully roll up his sleeve to expose a deep cut, undoubtedly left by the knife. It must have happened so fast you missed it. Even though it’s not bleeding as much as it used to, each pump of Mr. Morgan’ heart pushes some more blood out through the cut.

“You need stitches,” you tell him.

Before you can second-guess what you’re doing or change your mind, you’re next to your saddlebag, looking for the sewing kit your bother gave you. Only you’ve never used it for something like this before. You don’t even know if it’ll work, only ever having read about it in books, but it’s better than doing nothing. You also grab the bottle of whiskey from Mr. Morgan’s bag.

“Drink this,” you order, handing it to him once you’re next to him again.

He takes one big swallow, then another one, his throat working to get the liquid down. You pretend not to notice. Then he wipes his mouth with the back of his hand while you stare at the cut with much more focus than necessary. Taking back the bottle, you pour some of its content on the cut, drawing a low groan from Mr. Morgan that heats up your cheeks.

Your hands are shaking as you try to thread the needle. “Have you ever done this before?” Mr. Morgan asks, his face stoic as if he’s ready to accept his fate no matter the answer you give him.

“Technically, no,” you answer, finally pushing the thread through the eye.

“Huh,” he grunts.

“But I’m very good at mending stockings.” You offer him a feeble smile and he nods. “This might hurt a little bit,” you warn before pushing the needle through his skin. Holding his arm in place with your other hand, you can feel his muscles flex at the intrusion, and a short burst of breath tickles the top of your head. He doesn’t complain.

“Have you ever been stitched up before?” you ask him to distract him.

“No,” he replies through gritted teeth.

“Oh, good. Then you have to believe me when I tell you I’m doing a very good job.” What’s wrong with you?

He grunts again, but maybe, possibly that sound could be hiding a laugh.

“Still, when we arrive at our destination, you should have a doctor look at this,” you instruct.

“Eager to hear from a professional how good of a job you did?”

Your cheeks ignite and you drop the needle. “Shit.” He is laughing now, a low chuckle, as you try to locate a glint in the flickering light from the campfire. Luckily, you don’t have to look far – the needle fell straight down and is lying between Mr. Morgan’s boots. You wipe strands of hair from your face, then wipe the needle clean on your dress before getting back to work.

“No,” you answer his question, forcing your voice to sound steady. “Because I have no idea how to prevent an infection. Or if I’m even doing this correctly.”

Mr. Morgan leans down, his big hand closing around the bottle you discarded earlier, and he unscrews the cap with his thumb and forefinger. “Looks to me like you’re doin’ fine.” A big swig, then another one.

You glance up at him just to see his face looking unusually pale. “Does it hurt a lot?” you ask carefully.

“I’ve had worse,” he answers, but flinches when one of your stitches comes too close to the wound.

You blink fast a couple of times, trying to shake the image of him on top of that man, punching and punching until no trace of life was left. The memory of the sheer brutality makes your hands feel clammy. No, this wasn’t his first time getting hurt, just like it wasn’t his first time killing someone. And now the same hands rest peacefully in his lap, cut and bruised, yes, but a far cry from the deadly weapons you saw today.

“Thank you for what you did today,” finishing up with two final stitches, then quickly add, “There,” and pet his arm before he can acknowledge your words of gratitude.

He lifts his hand from his leg and flexes his fingers. “Thanks for this,” he replies, examining the stitches.

Your gaze lands on his knuckles that are covered in blood, his own and that of the men he killed. “Do you want me to take a look at your hands?” you ask, your throat tight all of a sudden.

“I’m used to that.” He stretches out one of his legs so it rests next to you, close enough that you feel the ghost of a presence next to your hip.

“I’ve never met a man who was used to so much violence.” Your eyes are still on his hands, bruised darkly.

“It was either them or us.” He shrugs.

Us. “I was sure they had killed you when I heard that first gunshot,” you tell him, lowering your gaze to your own hands that have some dirt on them, some streaks of Mr. Morgan’s blood, but that look so clean compared to his.

“And break the contract with your father?”

You laugh. “A father who selected this route knowing full well about the dangers we would face?” The silence that follows your question is filled only by the crackle of the campfire and by the sounds of creatures moving through the woods. “I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to repay you,” you finally say.

“This ain’t the first time I had to save someone,” he says with a dismissive wave of his hand.

“And how did those other people repay you?” you ask, eager for his answer. Being indebted to him puts you on edge.

“Money,” is his short reply.

“I don’t have any,” you say, feeling a tug at your heartstrings. But maybe that doesn’t matter; maybe when you arrive, you could talk to your fiancé. He’ll want to reward the man who defended your honor and saved you from a horrible fate. Still, you wish there was something you could be doing for him right now. “There’s also other ways,” you say, very slowly.

“Hm,” he makes, a sound that has started to fill you with a certain warmth for reasons you can’t quite explain. Then he shifts, moves his legs a little further apart. And you’re there right between them, looking up into his face that betrays nothing except for the smallest glint in his eyes.

You’ve never even kissed a man, but you’re not stupid. You know what certain gestures and movements mean. You’ve watched your father’s hands when a woman walked past them, you’ve attended dances where everyone around you was getting drunk … growing up on a farm, you’ve seen things. But you also know that those things are wrong and they should only be happening between husband and wife behind closed doors, no matter what everyone else is doing.

It's getting harder to breathe, and you feel a tug low in your stomach, almost like an ache. You’ve never felt anything like this before and you can’t quite place it, but the way he looks at you, mouth slightly opened, his eyes deep and dark, only fuels that sensation. And when you think back to this afternoon, it becomes so strong it makes you shift on your knees.

“You’re a pretty little thing.”

It’s the second time today someone has said that about you. Whereas the first time made your skin crawl, the second time makes your cheeks heat up and your breath get stuck in your throat. You notice that Mr. Morgan unbuckles his belt, eyes locked to yours, and you make sure your gaze stays on his face. It’s only when he groans and his eyelids flutter shut that you look down and see he has his hand wrapped around himself, moving it up and down his length with sure strokes. Something in you is released at that sight.

“Here, let me,” you offer, shuffling closer on your knees until you’re trapped between his legs.

Before you can think better of it, you wrap your fingers around the base of his cock. It’s warmer than you expected, feels heavier than you thought when you move your hand up in the same move you saw him use. He groans again, louder this time, and removes his hand, resting it on your arm. You tremble.

Back home, you were taught that what a wife does in the bedroom is fulfilling the duty to her husband. It sounded neither pleasant nor enjoyable, and so far, you’ve managed to push the thoughts of what is awaiting you at your destination from your mind. But your mother couldn’t have meant this, because this doesn’t feel like duty at all. You stroke the tip of his cock with your thumb, he tightens the grip on your arm in return, and you feel a surge of pride well up. No, your mother couldn’t have been talking about this.

Eager to try more, you twist your wrist on the downstroke, then lower your head and kiss the tip of his cock. He growls this time, and his hand lands on the back of your head, pushing you down. You have no choice but to open your mouth further and take him in. The weight of him presses down against your tongue, the tip of him brushing the back of your throat makes you gag as tears shoot to your eyes. He grips your hair, pulls you off, then pushes you back down again, and you got it. It’s not so different from the hand.

Steadying him at the base with a tight grip, you pull off him again, but let your tongue run along the underside, the sharp taste of him filling every corner of your mouth. It will take some getting used to, but you’re determined to get this right, and from the way his hand trembles at the back of your head, you have a feeling you might be.

You close your eyes, focusing on taking him as deeply inside as possible because he seems to enjoy that. Sometimes, when you think there isn’t any room left, he pushes you onto his cock that little bit further and then groans contently, a sound that tightens parts of your body you didn’t know could tighten. You run your tongue over the tip of him, hum around him when your mouth is full of him, just to find out what kind of sounds you can draw from him. If this is what it’s like, you can’t imagine why anyone would call this a duty.

Mr. Morgan stiffens and pushes his hips upward so you take even more of him into your mouth. This time you can’t help the gagging sound pushing past him. But instead of forcing you to take more, he grips a handful of your hair and pulls you off. Your mouth feels strangely empty for a moment, even though his taste lingers, and you blink in confusion. Was that it?

You lick your lips and look up at him expectantly, waiting for him to say something. But he’s quiet, only placing his forefinger under your chin to tilt your head back a little more. For some reason, that gesture leaves you breathless. And you know why a second later when his lips lock onto yours and your breaths mingle, and you suddenly understand why people would kill for this. Why he killed for you.

You can’t help the moan that comes out of your mouth, don’t even realize at first that the sound is coming from you. His hand glides to the back of your head to grip you and hold you in place, and you push yourself toward him, one hand on his arm, the other on his thigh. He licks into your mouth and you try to mirror him, feeling a strange sense of pride when he opens up for you.

He pulls away, holding you in place by the hair at the nape of your neck. “Did you like havin’ me in your mouth?” he asks and his voice is so low you barely recognize it.

“Yes, Mr. Morgan,” you answer, and you also almost don’t recognize your own.

“Oh, you’re somethin’,” he says with a wicked smile, then stands and pulls you with him.

Your legs are trembling and your knees threaten to give way when he kisses you again, pressing his entire body to yours. Just when you think you could spend eternity like this, he closes his arms around your backside and lifts you up, so you don’t have any chance but to sling your legs around his middle. You squeal against his lips, but he just carries you past the campfire toward your bedroll. Beneath your palms, you can feel the muscles in his shoulders and arms flex and tighten with each step. Something in your stomach flutters as you remember he's strong enough to beat a man to death.

Before you know what you’re doing, you’re kissing his jaw and neck, biting down on a tendon that’s jutting out with the effort of keeping you in his arms. When he rumbles deep in his chest, you flick out your tongue to lick across the spot in apology, but he drops you to your feet. You both stand there for a second, looking at each other with heaving chests. His hands come up to grip the neckline of your dress, and he pulls, a tearing sound echoing through the trees. Your torn dress crumbles to the ground around you, exposing your undergarments, and even though your first instinct is to cover up you don’t because he pulls his shirt over his head to expose his naked chest beneath, and that sight is enough to distract you from any embarrassment you might be feeling.

His pants are next, and then he stands before you stark naked. You try to touch his stomach with a trembling hand, but he grabs your wrist and pushes you down to the ground. With precise movements, he pulls off your drawers, taking your shoes with them, then tears open your corset to expose your breasts. Your breath hitches when he cups one in his calloused hand and squeezes, making pleasure spike through your body.

You kiss him again, lean into his touch, and then you discover you can make him tighten his hold on you by licking over his bottom lip. You can make him press his hard length against you by moaning in pleasure. It feels so, so good to have this effect on him, to be able to do that to him without words. Never, in a million years, would you have expected that giving yourself to a man would feel like this, would make heat blossom at the base of your spine, would make you ache between your legs. You shove your fingers into his hair, deepening the kiss, and he sighs against your lips, a sound that makes your knees weak. How can all of this make you feel so good yet fill you with a hunger you don’t know how to satiate?

You run your nails over his scalp, testing to see what other sounds you can elicit from him, when he suddenly shifts both your bodies, pushing you to the ground while caging you in with his body. Your heart hammers in your chest so hard it’s almost painful, but even when your back is uncomfortably pressed against your thin bedroll, you still crane your neck to keep kissing him. God, why can’t you get enough of him?

With a sharp slap against your knee that sends another spike of pleasure through your body, he pushes your legs apart, then draws back to look at you. His lips are red and swollen, and both shadow and light are dancing across his face in quick succession. You reach up to touch his cheek, but he catches your wrist and pins it down next to your head with so much strength it steals the breath from your lungs.

“You’re the prettiest little lady I’ve ever seen,” he mumbles.

You feel your face heat up, but he doesn’t notice how flustered you are. With his free hand, he grabs himself, then lines himself up between your legs. You watch, eyes wide, breathing so fast your head is starting to swim. What comes next is a pressure that is not painful but not quite pleasurable either. And the more it pushes, the more it hurts.

“Stop,” you say, your voice not more than a whisper.

Either he doesn’t hear you or he’s ignoring you, but he continues to push up into you, and now it’s so painful you’ve lost all sense of pleasure entirely.

“Stop,” you try again, bracing your hands against his shoulders, trying to push him off you. He’s too strong for you. “Arthur, stop!” you bellow.

And he hears you. He immediately withdraws, and you scramble to sit up, pulling away from him as best as possible on the small bedroll.

“Did I hurt you?” he asks, and the concern in his voice makes you look at him.

“Yes,” you answer, hugging your knees to your chest. You wish you weren’t so naked.

“Have you ever …?” He doesn’t need to finish the question for you to know what he means.

You shake your head.

A deep, red flush creeps up his chest and neck. “I’m sorry,” he mumbles. “I didn’t know. I wouldn’t –”

“It’s alright,” you interrupt him, his apology embarrassing rather than harming you. “You didn’t know.”

“The way you were kissin’ me …” He trails off again.

Your ears prick up at the compliment. “It all felt … good,” you stutter. “More than good. It’s just …”

“I can … we can slow down,” he offers. “If you still want …”

You look at him, kneeling before you, his skin glowing orange in the light from the fire. His dick is slowly softening between his legs, goosebumps are covering his arms, but he is showing you all of himself without shame. That bold display of his body makes your blood heat up again, but you hesitate. Touching his naked skin is one thing, giving yourself to him entirely is something you’ve been warned of your entire life. And yet … now that you’ve pushed through the initial shock, you slowly realize your body is demanding to feel him again.

You nod. “Yes. I still … I want you.”

Your cheeks are fever-hot, but the way his eyes light up is worth the embarrassment you feel. Arthur moves toward you, loosening the hold you have on yourself, and you relax, dropping your knees, letting him come even closer. He smirks, his eyes darting to your lips and then back up again before he leans in for a searing kiss, and it feels like the last few minutes didn’t happen at all. Without breaking the kiss, he reaches for your wrist, then slowly guides your hand between your own legs, while you tremble in anticipation. He doesn’t touch you, but when he presses your own fingers against all that heat and wetness, you moan deeply.

Arthur breaks the kiss first. “I want you to play with yourself,” he whispers, his breath hot against your ear.

“I don’t …,” you start, suddenly unsure.

“Yeah, I know.” He kisses your neck. “You’re gonna figure it out though.”

You take a deep breath and nod, and when he captures your lips for another kiss, you move your fingers over yourself in a motion that makes pleasure shoot through your entire body. A shaky pant escapes you and lands on his mouth, turning his lips into a smirk even while he’s kissing you.

“There you go,” he whispers.

You find a rhythm and pace that makes you feel like you’re about to explode but that doesn’t light the final fuse, and he continues to kiss you for a while before drawing back to watch the hand between your thighs. Any shame you could have felt is replaced by pure lust when you see the arousal in his eyes; you shift to open your legs further, and he raises his eyes in surprise. You shift under his searing gaze and moan when you notice his hand closing around the base of his cock.

You’ve never felt like you’re feeling right now, completely in control but also like you’re surrendering yourself to him. It’s so addictive it makes you wonder how people don’t want to feel like this all the time. “It feels so good,” you groan, struggling to get the words out because your teeth are clenched.

“You’re so pretty,” is Arthur’s answer as he moves his hand up and down his length.

You can’t help but believe him. “I love you strong you are,” you return the compliment, and before you can think better of it, you raise your free hand and cup your breast, squeezing your nipple.

His eyes lock onto your chest. “Fuck.” Pleasure shoots through you from the tip of your toes to the top of your head. “You’re such a good girl,” he adds, and it makes your heart flutter so painfully you feel like it’s about to fly out of your chest.

“Say that again,” you demand, not recognizing yourself at all.

Arthur shifts closer until he’s right between your legs, fisting himself eagerly. You can smell the sweat and arousal on him, a scent so overpowering you wish you could bury your nose in his skin and inhale it forever. “My pretty, brave girl,” he says, and when you lower your gaze, too overwhelmed by what his words make you feel, he grips your chin and lifts your head. “Oh no, you’re gonna look at me.” You blink once but don’t lower your head again. “Yeah, that’s it.” He smirks. “Look at you … so eager to please me. You should see yourself right now … goddamn prettiest woman I’ve ever seen.”

You do lower your gaze then because it feels like too much. Your eyes land on his cock, on the tip that’s glistening wetly, and you lick your lips, remembering the feeling of him in your mouth.

“You want me inside of you, don’t you?” Arthur asks, and you nod. His rough, calloused hand closes around your throat and you can’t help it – you move your own hand faster, a crescendo building in the pit of your stomach. “Use your words, pretty girl. I know you can.”

You swallow hard, knowing he can feel your throat move against his grip. “Yes, I want you inside of me.” Your face doesn’t heat up this time as you realize you’re not only saying that to please him. It’s exactly what you want.

He rewards you with a deep kiss, then mumbles against your lips. “Are you ready?”

You hesitate. “I’m not …”

But Arthur doesn’t let you finish. “Let’s find out together.” He leans back. “Finger yourself.” The way his eyes darken when he says it isn’t lost on you.

You shift and move your hand lower, his eyes fixed to your movements. He has stopped moving, his hand grabbing his cock, holding it between his legs. You feel yourself flutter against your fingers in anticipation at the same time as he licks his lips. And then you push the tip of your finger inside of you, past the initial resistance, deeper and deeper until you can’t go any further.

“Breathe,” he instructs and you exhale sharply. “Did that hurt?”

You shake your head before remembering he likes to hear your voice. “No.”

“How does it feel?” he wants to know.

Carefully, you pull your finger out until only the tip remains inside of you, then you push it back in. “Good,” you manage. “Really good.”

“You’re sweet when you can barely talk,” he says with a smirk and the muscles inside you clamp down on your finger. You moan and close your eyes, unable to keep them open. “You like that, don’t you?” You hear him shift closer. “You like hearing my voice. Bet you’d like me to talk you through it, too.”

Your chest rises and falls rapidly as you feel something building inside you. It’s like a wave that will drown everything out. You lean back further and further until your back connects to the ground, until you can raise your hips to meet your finger, trying to get it as deep inside you as possible.

Then his hand is covering yours and he pushes you to the ground, stilling you. When you open your eyes, you’re met with his, dark with lust, and you’re rewarded with the sight of his chest, flushed so deeply red it looks almost purple. His cock is leaking onto his fingers. “Not yet, sweet girl,” he says in a voice that sounds familiar to the one he uses to calm down his horse. “You’re doing so well, but wait until …”

Arthur removes his hand from yours, but then you feel the tip of his finger right where yours is disappearing inside yourself. You steel yourself for the pain you’re about to feel, but when his finger joins yours, stretching you open, all you feel is pleasure so intense it makes it hard for you to stay conscious.

“Fuck,” you groan, a short outburst, almost like a bark.

“You can say that again.” Arthur’s voice is so husky it’s almost impossible to understand. He cups your hand with his, and then moves the both of you in tandem, pulling back out and pushing back in. You tentatively meet his thrusts by rolling your hips and he growls. “Look at you, spread open just for me.”

You don’t know why his words make you feel like they do, but the muscles between your legs are working hard to keep both your fingers buried as deeply as possible. That earns you a smirk from him and you smile back in return.

“I think you’re ready.” He grips your hand tightly and pulls the both of you out, making you sob. To calm you, he cups your cheek and presses a soft kiss to your lips. “Don’t worry, I’m gonna fill you right back up again.” All you can do is nod.

He positions himself above you, stroking himself a few times, then lining himself up. It’s easier for you to relax this time because you know what to expect, but when he breaches that resisting wall of muscles, you still feel a burn and hiss.

“Shhhh,” he makes and kisses your forehead. “You’re doing so good.”

And then he’s inside of you, stretching you open as much as you can take. His eyes flutter shut and he groans, shifting to adjust himself. “You feel perfect.”

“You’re … you’re big,” you manage, drawing a chuckle from him.

He shifts again, then pulls back out before slamming back into you, making you see stars. “Fuck, I’m sorry,” he apologizes immediately.

“No,” you press out through gritted teeth. “Do that again.”

He does, and you grip his arm, burying your nails in his muscle, slinging your other arm around his back. There’s a strange taste in your mouth and you only slowly realize it’s blood from biting down on your bottom lip. He kisses you, licks over the wound, pulls a sharp moan from you. And then he slams into you so hard you scream, clawing at his skin, leaving bloody streaks down his arm and back. The pain only seems to spur him on and when you pant, “Harder,” he doesn’t hesitate.

You clench around his cock in return and he whispers, “I like you like this.” You feel yourself clench again and he groans. “You’re perfect,” he repeats. You kiss his neck, then bite it, until he pushes you back down. “I bet you’ve never had an orgasm before, have you?” You shake your head and he mimics that motion, tapping your bottom lip with his thumb. “Use your words, sweetheart.”

“No,” you manage to say, your voice hoarse.

He rocks into you, not as hard and fast as before, but it makes you pant helplessly nonetheless. “Yeah, I thought so,” he mumbles more to himself than to you.

“Please,” you whisper.

He smirks down at you, then shifts his knees ever so slightly to change the angle. Suddenly, he’s brushing against something deep inside of you that makes a sob erupt from deep in your chest.

“Do you even know what you’re asking for?” he teases, but there is a strain in his voice now, as if he’s struggling to hold onto something.

“Please,” you repeat louder, unable to fully grasp the meaning of his question.

Arthur’s thumb is back on your lip and then he pushes it inside your mouth. You swirl your tongue around the tip eagerly, then suck on it, grazing your teeth over his skin. His breathing turns ragged, and the warmth of pride erupts in your chest. With a wet sound, he pulls his thumb out from between your lips and pushes his hand between your bodies until it comes to rest on that small spot you were toying with earlier. You howl and twitch and your whole body erupts. You spill over, you lose sense of where and who you are, you’re shaken by forces beyond your control. All the while, Arthur pounds into you, strokes you inside and out, and you think you hear him say, “That’s it, just let go. You’re so fucking beautiful – just let go.”

As soon as you feel like you can breathe again, he pulls out of you, leaving you aching and empty and cold. Through hooded eyes, you watch as he moves his hand up and down his cock fast until he spills all over his hand and the edge of your bedroll, gaze not directed downwards, but staring at you with insatiable hunger in his eyes. And you return that gaze just as hungrily, wondering what it would feel like to taste his release on your tongue.

Arthur stands unsteadily and retrieves his coat from the other side of the campfire. You feel the cold of the night now and hug your knees to your chest, still trying to make sense of the world. “Now, no more of that,” he says when he gets back, draping his coat over you, the weight of it making your limbs grow soft. He lies down next to you, pressing his front to your back, one arm possessively slung over your chest, the other shoved under your head for you to use as a pillow.

*******

The morning sun is warm on your face as you ride through a slowly thinning forest. The plains and your destination cannot be far from here. Your thoughts are though; they’re still somewhere behind you, stuck at a campfire, busy chasing the feeling of the man next to you between your legs.

When you reach a fork in the path, you stop your horse and look off to your right, back into the forest and the mountains. “What’s back there?” you ask.

Arthur stops his horse next to yours and looks down the path. “Never been over that way,” he answers.

“Do you want to find out?” Your voice is firm, but you don’t look at Arthur.

He’s quiet at first. “Your father –”

“– already paid you,” you finish the sentence.

Arthur nods. “Alright,” he says, then looks back at the path you just put behind you, then off to your right again. “Let’s find out what’s over there.”

***

arthur morgan taglist: @cjillian97 | @hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmsstuff | @imaginativefanatic | @joelmillers-whore | @misspearly1 | @spacecowboyhotch | @tortor-mcgee | @wickedscribbles

perma taglist: @alexturner | @amneris21 | @din-jarhead | @harriedandharassed | @martellthemandalor | @nyfeeer | @nobodys-baby-now | @od-ends | @pedrorascal | @radiowallet-writes

[fuckyeahisawthat]

Maybe I'll Show You the Way is finished! I'm really happy with how it turned out, even though (and also because) I knew the ending would be rough.

I procrastinated on writing the last chapter for a long time (this is a great time to write almost 12k of a whole other fic) but I have a very busy September ahead and I knew if I didn't finish it before the end of August I would not finish it at all. And I really wanted to see this one to the end.

From pretty early on in planning the fic, I knew that it was going to be canon compliant, which meant there would not be a happy ending. And I also knew that I wanted to end the story before Paul drinks the Water of Life. And, well, the major canon event that happens right before that is the attack on Sietch Tabr. So at a certain point I was like fuck. That's the last chapter of the fic.

I knew I wanted to expand it from what's in the finished film, which is actually very little for such a major turning point in the story. (We know from the art book that there was additional material filmed that was not included in the final cut, and I have both Reasonable Thoughts and rampant speculations as to why, but what remains is about a 9-minute section of the movie that I spent a lot of time watching and listening to in 5- to 30-second bursts. This was actually one of the hardest chapters to blend with canon because there is not enough of it to hit all the emotional beats I wanted to.)

But then I was writing and I was like. Oh this is the whole chapter huh. Oh this is 7k huh. Oh this is a major and really intense setpiece that just keeps growing more and more scenes and some of them are pretty graphic. And at a certain point I was like goddamn is this too devastating? (To which the angst gremlin that lives in my brain was like no!!!! it is the exact right amount of devastating!!!!) But also, like, on a thematic level...if the fic is about centering Chani's point of view and Chani is watching her home be destroyed, then we have to be there with her. We gotta be willing to go in there. Being willing to stay with the Fremen characters while the bad things are happening is like, what the fic is about. We the audience are engaging in the same act of solidarity that Paul is undertaking. I'm with you no matter what happens. He is physically right beside her for almost the entire chapter (which I didn't plan in advance but it fits), walking through this nightmare landscape together with her. And we are there with them as well.

The challenge with an unhappy, bittersweet or tragic ending is to create something that's emotionally satisfying even as you're sobbing your eyeballs out. It is...really hard to measure up to film canon in this regard, which has one of the best tragic endings in recent memory. But I've tried my best, and I think I've said what I set out to say.

[protege-not-protagonist]

Finally getting around to mailing this letter

Dear Reid,

As you are a guy who never or rarely sleeps, I would love to know your morning routine. Do you have one or just accept the fate that it’s morning and carry on?

- <3 a concerned “normal” fan

Hello dear Bridgeoverstrawberryfields,

Firstly, I am delighted to have a "Normal" fan. Usually I am a firm believer in the notion that no one is normal, but I understand that you are saying it with the intention of distinguishing yourself from "fans" I've had in the past. The declaration is much appreaciated. Especially considering that you are asking about my routine. Which, as you probably know, being a fan of mine: showing interest in another person's routine can be associated with stalking. But you seem genuinely interested and concerned for my well being, so I will reassure you that I am doing well.

You seem concerned that I am not getting enough sleep and I can understand why you may think that. As you may know, my sleep is heavily affected when I experience high levels of stress and emotional distress. Even on a good day I would never call myself a morning person, but the type of insomnia I experience (Acute Maintenance Insomnia, if you like specifics,) means I don't find much relief in staying asleep longer. Sometimes I'd rather face the day.

But I am happy to report I do experience that less of late. It is actually rare that I don't sleep. I prioritise it, because of my predispositions to certain neurological conditions. Repeat lack of sleep puts me at a higher risk of developing these. But also sleep is essential for brain function, and I in particular, need my brain to be at its best. Believe it or not, studies have shown it is actually just as bad to drive drunk as it is to drive tired. Not that you should do either. I am just using that to support my point, that it is important to me. I am dedicated to my sleep hygiene and I try my best to get the recommend 8 to 7 hours. But this was not always the case.

Also to add to that, I really prefer to stick to routines. I actually admire people who can just be spontaneous with their mornings and can adapt to each day as it comes. But for me, trying to keep things consistent feels more comfortable. With my job back at the BAU sometimes I couldn't stick to my routine, or now, sometimes I just have off days. These are days that as you so eloquently put, I have to accept fate that's is morning and carry on, incorporating as many elements of my ideal morning routine as I can.

So without further preamble, here is my 'ideal' Morning routine:

Wake up before 7 am, preferably (more like rarely,) at 6:00 am, but I will admit this is harder to do in winter.

Light stretch, this has been proven to help wake up the body, but also help the brain to forget any bad dreams had during the night by engaging it in movement rather than retention and filing of memory

I like to get changed into clothes before breakfast. Again, the change of clothes further helps the brain by signalling that sleep is over because the sleep clothes are off and the day wear clothes are on. Also this is when I put on my socks. I choose them randomly. I think of my socks draw as a daily lucky dip.

I brew my coffee. I did go through a stage of trying to limit my caffeine intake and drink herbal teas, but benefits of not having caffeine were outweighed by the discomfort and utter misery not having a morning cup. And actually there's plenty of benefits to having 1 or 2 cups a day. Sometimes I do have tea, but only if Garcia makes it. I don't know, what she does that I don't, but I can certainly taste it.

I make a light breakfast, this is usually toast or a plain cereal. I'm not much of a breakfast person unless I am eating out with friends, ( I will have pancakes if that's the case.)

I also grab a glass of water to have along with my breakfast and coffee. This keeps me hydrated (because I forget to drink water, a lot.) and helps me take my vitamins as well.

I take supplements proven to be beneficial to people like me. I take magnesium, vitamin B12, vitamin D3, Omega 3, Vitamin C, Echenasia and probiotics (which I know I could get naturally but I hate the mouth feel of yoghurt )

With my coffee, breakfast, water and supplements, I will sit at the table and eat while reading about 4 physical newspapers and then I try to complete the crosswords. People think I'm good at them, but I'm actually not too proficient at it. Although I most likely know the answers in my vocabulary, it takes me a while to get my head around the wording of the clues, they are often quite vague, so I like the challenge.

Afterwards, I wash up and then go back to my room and make my bed then brush my teeth. I use this time as a sort of quiet reflection and run though what I've got to do that day. This is also when I look in the mirror and decide whether or not I should attempt to style my hair. These days I am usually happy how it is.

Before I leave for the day, I do last minute errands like check my fridge and shopping list, if it is an even day, I will water my plants that Garcia gifted me. If it is the end of the week, I will check that the automatic feeder for my fish tank is full so my tetras won't be left to starve if I get called away suddenly.

So there you go, very mundane. But I find being able to do this provides me with a sense of order and domesticity to my life that I didn't always get to enjoy.

-Sincerely yours, Dr Reid

Taglist: @bridgeoverstrawberryfields @cultish-corner @pleasantwitchgarden

Sorry for that being super long but if we are honest Spencer would absolutely write a response this long. As I was writing, he just kept wanting to say more. I let him cook.

[madamlaydebug]

How To Flush Nicotine Out Of Your Body Naturally?

Drink water to flush out nicotine

Eat vegetables

Drink pine needle tea

Kiwi eliminates nicotine

Drink water to re hydrate as Nicotine dehydrates the body. Nettle is loaded with iron and is a useful disinfectant. Eat celery, along with such vegetables as zucchinis, egg-plants, beans, and even cucumbers, which affect cigarette taste. Also, consume pine needle tea, oranges, kiwi fruit, carrot juice, broccoli and spinach.

When you smoke a cigarette, nicotine circulating in the bloodstream gives a kind of high. On an average 6-8 hours is how long the nicotine from a single cigarette lasts. Most of that nicotine will get eliminated in the urine. 48-72 hours is how long it can take for most of the stored nicotine to be metabolized and leave your body. 20-30 days is how long the nicotine by-product cotinine can continue to circulate in the bloodstream.

Fruits And Vegetables Helps Flush Nicotine

Vitamin C is the best known substance for nicotine flush from the bloodstream.

It increases metabolism and creates white blood cells. Fruits and vegetables help your system flush nicotine – they’re good for your health, they contain water and they make cigarettes taste less appealing.

In fact, research shows that if you eat more fruit and vegetables, you may have an easier time staying tobacco-free for longer.

A study, which was published online by University of Buffalo public health researchers, authors from UB’s School of Public Health and Health professions surveyed 1,000 smokers aged 25 and older from across the nation. Fourteen months after the survey, the authors followed up with the respondents to see if they stayed tobacco-free during the previous month.

What they found was that those who consumed the most fruit and vegetables were 3 times more likely to abstain from tobacco for at least 30 days than those consuming small amounts of fruit and vegetables. In addition, those consuming more fruit and vegetables smoked less often per day, waited longer before having their first daily cigarette, and scored better on a nicotine-dependent test.

Increased Consumption Of fruit and Vegetables Help People to Quit Smoking Due to the Following Reasons

Less nicotine dependence.

High fiber content makes people feel fuller – since smokers sometimes confuse hunger with smoking urges.

Unlike meats, alcohol, and caffeinated beverages, fruit and vegetables don’t enhance and may even worsen the taste of tobacco.

Engaging in a healthier lifestyle could consciously and subconsciously cause smokers to further shift out of an unhealthy lifestyle involving smoking.

Foods For Nicotine Flush

1. Water

Nicotine dehydrates the body, so drink water to rehydrate. Keeping up a good supply of water helps your body to flush the nicotine.

2. Nettle

This herb is loaded with iron and is a useful disinfectant and great at fighting infection.

3. Vegetables

Eat celery, along with such vegetables as zucchinis, egg-plants, beans, and even cucumbers, which affect cigarette taste. Eating a lot of these vegetables can decrease nicotine dependence. Do not eat a lot of sweet vegetable, that are high in sugar, because excessive amounts of glucose activate the areas of the brain responsible for pleasure and satisfaction. Thus, glucose can stimulate cravings.

4. Pine Needle Tea

This tea has been traditionally used to disinfect the mouth and throat, but can also be a helpful aid in lung health.

5. Oranges

Contains high levels of vitamin C to replace vitamin C in your body that smoking reduces. Eating oranges boosts your metabolism to clear nicotine faster and reduces stress.

6. Kiwi Fruit

Kiwi helps you eliminate nicotine from the body and replenish Vitamins A, C and E that smoking reduces.

7. Carrot Juice

Carrot juice has vitamins A, B, C, K that help eliminate nicotine from the body. Nicotine also damages your skin, and carrot juice is high in vitamins that are good for the skin.

8. Broccoli

Contains high levels of vitamins B5 and C. Replenish vitamin C by eating broccoli and keep your metabolism high. Broccoli contains a substance that protects lungs from toxin-related damage.

9. Spinach

Rich in vitamins and folic acid, so it’s good for your body and especially good in making tobacco taste bad.

[villanesus]

So since I really liked your self-aware answers (which btw were not at all self absorbed) here is another one, not from a meme but just out of curiosity:

Are you happy right now? If yes, what is it to make you happy or if not (entirely) what would you need to be happy/happier you think?

Haha, wow, that is a question. And you are going to get the weirdest, most elaborate answer, friend.

I guess I can speak to this two ways: subjective measures and qualitative observation.

Subjective Measures

I actually track my well-being very closely. My family has a complex relationship with mental health, so I am very self-aware about how I'm doing. I am also just geeky and I really like the concept of the quantified self, so I keep data on almost all aspects of my life.

Here's my self-reported mood as tracked daily for the past three months:

Now, that may not seem amazing, but it's probably the happiest I've been in my adult life.

For comparison, the same three-month span in 2022:

And here's probably the lowest tracked period I have data for:

Qualitative Observation

What does it actually mean to be happy? I have a lot going on in my brain: treatment resistant depression, generalized anxiety, C-PTSD, autism (affectionate). For me, being happy is waking up with enough energy to engage with the world and if something makes me forget how exhausting that is, it might as well be a party.

I am Eeyore incarnate.

But, I derive a lot of joy from things in my life despite my baseline gloominess. Having my favorite candy bar or snack makes me really happy for about five minutes. Someone telling me I'm funny makes me happy for probably an hour? Rabbit-holing on a special interest (e.g., this blog) also provides a lot of incremental units of happiness.

I also do a lot of proactive things like take medication, go to counseling, workout, eat relatively well, drink water, etc. to help keep the baseline at a reasonable level.

I experience a lot of cognitive dissonance about feeling happy (or my happiest) within the larger climate of chaos and horrible happening in the world. For my part, I have an extremely privileged life—over-educated, well paid within the context of the nightmare that is late-stage capitalism, other privileged characteristics I was born into, and so on.

I'd be happier if I didn't have to work to maintain my lifestyle. It would genuinely make me happiest if people were not jerks, wealth was distributed more equitably, and everybody had time to hang out and pursue their interests.

tl;dr

I am pretty happy even though my happiness may look very different from others' happiness. And I'd be happier if we all had the option of free time and candy bars whenever we wanted them.

[billowyy]

There Is Something After All (ao3)

Izzy & Original Character | 680 words | Febuwhump day 11: fever

Izzy can smell rain. The air isn’t damp yet, but he knows it’s only a matter of time before humidity sets in and rain starts falling. Fucking bad timing. 

He’s been in this dinghy for nearly two days now. He caught word of the Revenge’s location back in Nassau and now he’s on the hunt for it. He thinks he’s close. He better be fucking close. There’s enough food and water for another week or so, but that’s not the worst of his worries right now. 

His concern lies with the boy laying across from him. 

Van was a skinny thing when he met him. Now though, he’s gaunt and pale and fully showing the effects of having a debilitating fever for over a week now. Izzy’s wondering how his brain is going to hold up after being cooked for so long. He wakes up a few times a day long enough for Izzy to care for him a bit, but he hasn’t been lucid in a while. 

It’s been cloudy enough that the sun isn’t beating down on them, but then there’s the problem of the fucking rain Izzy knows is going to start soon. He needs to get them to cover—to the Revenge—before it makes Van sicker than he already is. 

The boy must sense him thinking about him, because at that moment he wakes up. He’s still not all there, but his eyes are open and searching. Once they land on him, he says—

“Iz…?” He’s shivering so badly he’s rattling the bottles stored next to him. 

“Yeah, lad?” Izzy stops rowing for a moment to reach forward and press his hand to Van’s forehead. Still fucking steaming. He reaches for some drinking water. 

Van doesn’t say anything more, but he does let Izzy give him some water and apple slices. He stays awake when he stops eating, just staring. It might be at Izzy, but it feels like he’s not really seeing anything. Van tugs the blanket he’s wrapped up in up to his chin. Izzy quickly finishes the rest of the apple before he gets back to rowing. 

He starts talking then, with Van and his feverish eyes across from him, gazing at him and also at nothing at all. He feels the need to make sure that Van knows he’s not alone. That someone notices that he doesn’t feel well and is with him. 

“I reckon we’re less than a day away from the ship I told you about.” Van blinks slowly, heavily, and he wishes desperately that he’s right. “They’ll be able to help you. Hopefully finally get this fucking fever broken.” 

He keeps rowing and he keeps talking. Somehow, Van is still awake. He’s told Van a lot about himself, and the Revenge, over the last few months of knowing each other, but he still manages to find stories to tell and explain. 

Izzy tells him about the time Edward got horribly ill on their first ship with Hornigold and how he was laid up in bed with a fever for longer than Izzy likes to think about. He tells him about Jack sneaking him rations often enough that he’s still not sure how he didn’t get them both fucking killed. About Ed’s first night as captain and his last time seeing his sister and even about how he felt the first time he met Stede. 

Van mumbles sometimes and Izzy engages him. It’s barely coherent, but he says something about his sister so his brain isn’t too terribly fried. He’s listening to what Izzy is saying the best he can.

“My sister…” he pauses to catch his breath, “Cats everywhere.”

“Good thing Frenchie never met her, then. Your sister is older, yeah?” 

He keeps talking and Van nods in and out. Izzy’s throat is sore by the time the sun starts to set and he takes a drink of water, watching the sea and sky.

Dark clouds start to slowly roll in, and just as Izzy feels the first sprinkle on his face, he spots her on the horizon. The Revenge.

[alyssainalaska]

Dry Cabin Living

Hi it's me,

I've been iced into my cabin from winter rains turning to mirror-slick ice on the roadways. Most everyone has been cleared out, but my road is one of the last holdouts until it can be graveled and sanded and made passable again.

That being said, I've had a LOT of free time at home this week.

I live in a dry cabin here in the interior. It's a pretty common way of living in Alaska, and you can find and build them with all different levels of amenities. Some are powered by generator and heated by woodstove, some are on the electrical grid but not wired for internet, and some are just bare bones, woodstove heat, no electric or water.

Mine is pretty luxurious comparatively. I'm not "roughing it" by any means. I have electricity and an oil-drip heater, so I don't have to keep a constant fire going. I have 3 pets, so I want to be sure my house is always warm when I'm not there, and if I'm away from home for awhile, I want to know all my things didn't freeze. -30 is not a good temperature for most electronics.

It's a two-story cabin with a full kitchen, a living room, a loft bedroom space, and a front room that I use as a gear room, dog room, and extra closet. The only thing missing is running water!

I use an outhouse beside my cabin to use the restroom, and really it's not as bad as you'd imagine. The "seat" is foam insulation, so your bootybutt doesn't get cold. You're warmed a second time when you burn your toilet paper in the burn bucket (I know. I know. I was horrified too. But it's kind of nice.).

For cooking, cleaning, drinking, and pets, I haul 14gal of water in 7gal jugs from town. It typically lasts me a week to two weeks unless I try to get funky and do laundry or something. We have these water fill stations that operate like gas pumps, except water comes out. It's something like 3c a gallon. Last winter I had two 5gal jugs-- I had to fill more but they were much more manageable for my weak little arms.

The shower situation is definitely one of the bigger adjustments to dry cabin living. There's a singular public shower about 3mi from my house at the general store, where there's also a laundromat, a weed dispensary, and a bar. What more could you need? Despite the local amenities, I normally drive into town and shower at a very kind friend's place.

Dishes in a dry cabin are the absolute bane of my existence. Never in my life will I complain about emptying the dishwasher ever again. Everyone has a different system; I normally use a two-basin approach-- one with hot, soapy water, and the other with clean water for rinsing. When the clean water gets too soapy, I dump the first basin and fill it with clear water and swap them. It takes forever and my motivation to take care of my dishes is usually gone before I even get the water warmed up on the stove. The process irks me.

Laundry is kind of fun. I take my big items to the laundromat, but a friend of mine generously gifted me a "camper washing machine" this summer that has changed the game for me. I use it for the bottom layer of my clothes that have to be washed more often-- base layers, socks, and undies. It does use a few gallons of water so I have to be prepared for that, but one compartment washes and the other spins the clothes "dry." Obviously they don't come out of there like the Arizona desert, but I am impressed with how dry they get and simply hang everything near my heater until it dries. Last winter I had to go to the laundromat once a week.

I've really enjoyed dry cabin life. It forces me to engage my brain more and plan in advance. I feel like we get trapped in Wall-E world so often, with everything just right there in front of us, that we don't engage our minds in our lives much. It's been a nice grounding couple of years for me. I'm much less wasteful, give my day-to-day a bit more forethought. It's nice. It's teaching me how to take care of myself in a more tangible way.

[saharawesturgnet123]

How IV Therapy Boosts Energy in Las Vegas

Fun and excitement are what they say about Las Vegas. This is a city with flashing lights, convoluted streets, and constant activity. Yet, this activity can cause you to become worn out. The combination of prolonged sleep duration, hot temperatures, and hectic routines results in an abundance.

A lot of people are now utilizing IV therapy in Las Vegas to stay alert. A quick and effortless way to feel better.

What's IV Therapy?

Your body receives vitamins, minerals, and fluids through IV therapy. It directly enters your bloodstream. It speeds up the process faster than taking pills or drinking water.

 The solution can also be helpful for individuals experiencing hangovers, dehydration or jet lag.

How does IV Therapy benefit patients in Las Vegas?

Vegas can be a draining place to spend time. Both visitors and locals encounter obstacles:

●   Tourists face long flights, late nights and hangovers.

●   The arid desert air, hectic schedules and work stress are all things that local residents deal with.

●   You feel weak and tired due to these things. Rapid recovery and refreshed ness can be achieved through IV therapy.

How IV Therapy Boosts Energy

The use of IV therapy can enhance energy in various ways. Here's how:

1. Instant Hydration

The heat in Las Vegas can lead to dehydration. Dehydration causes tiredness and headaches. Hydration quickly with IV therapy. This boosts your energy levels.

2. Vitamin Boost

Vitamins such as B12 and B-complex are essential for IV therapy. These vitamins convert food into energy. You feel more engaged and productive thanks to them.

3. Improves Blood Flow

Low blood flow can result in a feeling of being slow. IV therapy helps improve circulation. Increased oxygen and nutrients are delivered to your muscles, brain.

4. Removes Toxins

The body accumulates toxins over time. You may experience fatigue due to these. The elimination of these toxins is achieved through IV therapy.' It assists your liver and kidneys in cleansing your system.

5. Reduces Stress

It's not uncommon for people in Las Vegas to experience stress. It drains your energy. The use of magnesium in IV therapy can help to ease your anxiety. Your body will feel more alert when you're relaxed.

Las Vegas's IV Therapy options

Las Vegas offers a range of IV therapy options. They are all tailor-made to meet specific requirements.

1. Energy Drip

Rapid energy recovery with this IV therapy. It contains B12, a vitamin A, B-complex and vitamin C.e. These nutrients aid in combating fatigue and keeping you active.

2. Hangover IV

Following a night of partying can be exhausting. The use of hangover IV helps to restore hydration. It also restores nutrients that have been lost and reduces vomiting.

3. Jet Lag IV

It's possible to feel jet-lagged while visiting Las Vegas. Getting rid of jet lag with IV therapy. It provides hydration and vitamins to combat tiredness.

Benefits of IV Therapy

The benefits of IV therapy are numerous in Las Vegas. Here's why people love it:

1. Works Fast

The effectiveness of IV therapy is much greater than that of drinking water or taking pills. The aftermath is immediate and noticeable.

2. Easy and Convenient

A variety of Las Vegas clinics provide mobile IV therapy services. It's like coming to your house or hotel. The treatment is a peaceful way to spend your time.

3. Custom Treatments

Your body can benefit from individualized IV therapy. Forget a hangover, get hydrated, or need more energy.

4. Natural Energy Boost

In contrast to caffeine and energy drinks, IV therapy provides you with natural energy. It utilizes the essential vitamins and nutrients from your body.

5. Great for Active People

Las Vegas is a destination for performers, athletes, and busy professionals alike.All of them. They recover faster and stay energized with IV therapy.

Is IV Therapy Safe?

Yes, IV therapy is safe. There are strict safety guidelines in Las Vegas clinics. Educated professionals offer you the treatment. They conduct health assessments before commencing.

What are the reasons for choosing Las Vegas for IV Therapy?

Las Vegas is a lively urban center. The enjoyment can be exhausting. The most effective way to recharge is through IV therapy.

The act of keeping your body active is essential for its effectiveness. IV therapy is a useful solution for individuals seeking relief from hangovers, jet lag, and other illnesses.

Conclusion

IV therapy is designed to provide you with hydration, vitamins, and energy. It functions instantaneously and helps you experience a wonderful time in Las Vegas. Sahara Wellness is one of the premium suppliers in the city. They specialize in safe, practical, and efficient IV therapy. Whether a tourist or a resident, IV therapy In Las Vegas can help you stay active. So rather than sleeping or sitting in a bar, get yourself an IV. Try to be ready for the activities again, have your legs be a little bit stronger, and feel more invigorated than before.

[swapnilpatniclasses]

How to Stay Focused and Avoid Burnout While Preparing for CA Exams Online

Preparing for Chartered Accountancy (CA) exams is a challenging endeavor. With the rigorous syllabus of CA Foundation and CA Intermediate students must maintain focus and manage their energy effectively. The rise of online CA classes in India has made learning more accessible, but it also presents unique challenges such as distractions, lack of structured schedules, and potential burnout. Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to stay focused and avoid burnout while preparing for your CA exams online.

1. Create a Dedicated Study Space

A clutter-free, dedicated study space is essential for online learning. This space should be:

Quiet and Comfortable: Minimize noise and distractions.

Well-organized: Keep your study materials, such as notes from CA foundation classes or CA inter classes, within reach.

Technologically Equipped: Ensure a stable internet connection and necessary devices for attending online CA courses in India.

2. Set a Realistic Schedule

Effective time management is essential for CA test preparation. Follow these steps:

Plan Weekly Goals: Break down topics into manageable chunks. For example, allocate specific days to subjects taught in your online CA course.

Incorporate Breaks: Use techniques like the Pomodoro Technique (25 minutes of study followed by a 5-minute break) to avoid fatigue.

Prioritize Difficult Subjects: Focus on challenging areas, such as taxation or financial reporting, earlier in the day when your energy is at its peak.

3. Leverage the Right Resources

The quality of your study materials significantly affects your preparation. Choose well-structured resources offered by reputed CA coaching classes like Swapnil Patni Classes. Ensure that your online CA classes cover the syllabus comprehensively and include practice exams, mock tests, and interactive sessions.

4. Stay Physically Active

Physical activity is a proven way to reduce stress and improve focus. Incorporate these habits into your daily routine:

Exercise Regularly: Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise, such as yoga or brisk walking.

Stretch During Breaks: Simple stretches during study breaks can prevent stiffness and enhance blood flow.

Maintain Good Posture: Invest in an ergonomic chair to avoid back pain.

5. Use Technology Wisely

Online CA courses in India offer flexibility but can also lead to distractions. Use technology smartly:

Block Distractions: Install apps like Forest or StayFocusd to block social media and other non-educational sites during study hours.

Record Sessions: If allowed, record your online CA classes to revisit complex topics.

Engage Actively: Participate in live sessions, ask questions, and discuss with peers to enhance understanding.

6. Adopt Healthy Lifestyle Habits

A healthy lifestyle is key to maintaining focus and avoiding burnout:

Sleep Well:To refresh your thoughts, try to get 7-8 hours of good sleep.

Eat Nutritious Meals: Opt for brain-boosting foods like nuts, fruits, and whole grains.

Stay Hydrated: Drink a lot of water throughout the day.

7. Practice Stress-Management Techniques

Stress is inevitable during CA preparation, but you can manage it effectively:

Meditation and Mindfulness: Spend 10-15 minutes daily on mindfulness exercises to calm your mind.

Connect with Mentors: Seek guidance from experienced faculty in your CA coaching classes when facing challenges.

Celebrate Small Wins: Reward yourself for completing weekly goals to stay motivated.

8. Stay Connected with Peers

Online learning can feel isolating. Combat this by:

Joining Study Groups: Collaborate with fellow students in your online CA course for group discussions.

Participating in Forums: Engage in forums provided by your CA coaching classes to exchange ideas and resolve doubts.

9. Evaluate and Adapt

Evaluate your progress frequently and adapt as necessary:

Take Mock Tests: Analyze your performance in practice exams to identify weak areas.

Seek Feedback: Reach out to instructors in your CA coaching classes for constructive feedback.

Stay Flexible: Be prepared to adapt your study plan if unforeseen circumstances arise.

10. Keep Your End Goal in Mind

Remind yourself why you started this journey. Visualize your success as a Chartered Accountant and use it as a source of motivation. The support provided by structured programs, like Swapnil Patni’s Online CA classes, can make your preparation journey smoother and more effective.

Conclusion

Staying focused and avoiding burnout during CA exam preparation is achievable with the right strategies. By leveraging the benefits of online CA courses in India and following disciplined habits, you can strike a balance between productivity and well-being. With determination, effective time management, and support from premier CA coaching classes, you’ll be well on your way to clearing your exams and achieving your professional goals.

[maigamal]

How to Memorize the Quran in Two Months: A Practical Guide

Memorizing the Quran in a short time can feel challenging, but with focus, structured planning, and the right resources, it’s a goal within reach. If you’re wondering how to memorize the Quran in 2 months, this guide will take you through a realistic and achievable approach.

Step 1: Commit to Your Schedule

First, it’s essential to set aside dedicated time each day. Since completing memorization in two months is intense, you’ll need to invest a substantial amount of time daily. Aim for about 5-6 hours a day. This might sound like a lot, but with the right approach, it becomes manageable and fulfilling. Try to break down these hours into smaller sessions, allowing your brain time to process each part.

Suggested Daily Breakdown

Morning Session (2 hours): Focus on new memorization.

Midday Review (1 hour): Go over what you learned in the morning.

Afternoon Revision (2 hours): Reinforce material from the previous day.

Evening Wrap-Up (1 hour): Recite and revise the entire day’s work.

Step 2: Use Proven Memorization Techniques

Memorization isn’t just about repetition; it’s about engaging deeply with each line and verse. Here are a few techniques that are known to help in fast, effective Quran memorization:

Read Aloud and Repeat: This classic technique works because it uses both sight and sound, engaging more of your brain. Aim to repeat each verse at least 20-30 times.

Recite in Salah (Prayer): Integrating verses into your daily prayers helps reinforce them, making it easier to recall and keeping them fresh in your mind.

Visualization: Try to picture the meaning of each verse. This can deepen your connection with the words and help the verses stick.

Step 3: Take Advantage of Online Resources

One highly effective resource to consider is Shaykhi, an online platform that offers structured Quran and Arabic learning. At Shaykhi, you can connect with qualified teachers who guide students with personalized memorization plans. They also provide insights on correct pronunciation (Tajweed), which is essential for memorizing the Quran accurately. Having access to a tutor can make a significant difference, especially when time is limited.

Step 4: Plan for Daily and Weekly Reviews

Consistency is the key to retention. Plan to review each day’s new verses at least twice before moving on. Weekly, go back over everything you’ve memorized that week to cement your knowledge. Here’s a simple weekly plan:

Daily Review: Spend time reviewing what you memorized earlier in the day.

Weekly Review: At the end of each week, revisit everything memorized that week.

Step 5: Avoid Overload and Balance with Breaks

When memorizing intensively, it’s tempting to push yourself to the limit. However, mental breaks are crucial. Taking five-minute breaks every hour can make a huge difference in maintaining focus and preventing burnout. Try using breaks to stretch, drink water, or briefly reflect on the meaning of what you’ve memorized.

Step 6: Practice Patience and Keep Faith

Memorizing the Quran in two months is a spiritual journey as much as a mental one. Staying patient and motivated is important for achieving your goal without getting overwhelmed. Reflecting on the meaning of the verses and reminding yourself of the benefits of memorizing the Quran can make the process smoother.

Key Reminders for Staying Motivated

Keep the End Goal in Mind: Visualize yourself having completed this journey and feeling closer to the Quran.

Surround Yourself with Positivity: Connect with others who support your goal, whether through online communities or friends who encourage your efforts.

By following these steps and using available resources like Shaykhi for guided support, you’ll find yourself well on the way to memorizing the Quran in two months. It’s a journey that demands discipline and dedication, but the reward is worth every minute.

[usedbooksworld]

Simple Everyday Practices To Boost Your Brain

In today’s fast-paced world, you may find yourself running from one task to the other. There is just so much to do and so little time to do it in. As such, it is easy to become overwhelmed and distracted by the constant bombardment of information and demands on your time. This can lead to fatigue, lack of focus, and even mood swings.

Fret not, though! There are many simple practices you can instill in your everyday life that will help you navigate the complexities of the modern world. These practices might seem trivial, but they add up over time to improve your brain health and your overall well-being. Let’s take a look at some of them below.

1) Start Your Day with Exercise

In the past decade or so, most people have become aware of the incredible positive impacts of exercising. It is not only a boon for your physical health but also your mental and emotional health. When you get some physical movement first thing in the morning, it can help wake up your brain and provide an energy boost. Even something as simple as jogging can help release feel-good hormones and improve your mood and focus.

2) Eat A Healthy Breakfast

Probably everybody’s parents taught them the value of a healthy breakfast. It not only fuels your brain for the entire day but also improves your mood. Foods like whole grains, fruits, and nuts provide important vitamins and minerals that can improve memory and focus. So, make sure you eat the right breakfast no matter how busy your schedule is.

3) Take Regular Breaks

We, humans, are biological beings. Even though we sometimes think of ourselves as machines, the truth doesn’t change. As such, we need breaks from time to time to recharge physically and mentally. So, it’s a good idea to take short breaks throughout the day. This can help improve focus and reduce stress. You could try taking a five-minute break every hour to stretch, meditate, or take a short walk.

4) Stay Hydrated

Water is an essential ingredient of good mental health that a lot of people underestimate. Did you know that even mild dehydration can cause headaches and lead to fatigue? This is why it is important to drink plenty of water throughout the day. It can help keep your brain hydrated and improve cognitive function.

5) Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness is one of the best spiritual practices you can incorporate into your daily life. Like meditation and yoga, it can reduce stress and improve your focus. It can also help keep your attention in the present moment, which can improve your productivity and happiness. You can try practicing mindfulness for a few minutes daily and slowly increase the duration.

6) Challenge Your Brain

Like any other muscle in your body, your brain becomes stronger when you put it through challenges. This is why engaging in mentally stimulating activities is a great way to enhance your cognitive functions. To that end, you could spend some time every day solving puzzles or learning a new skill. This can help improve memory and focus.

These are just some of the daily practices you can instill in your life to change your brain for the better. In his book, “Change Your Brain Every Day: Simple Daily Practices to Strengthen Your Mind, Memory, Moods, Focus, Energy, Habits, and Relationships,” Dr. Daniel G. Amen talks about many more effective daily habits that can help you master your mind, boost your memory, and make you feel happier, healthier, and more connected to those you love.

[learneducation]

Tips to Succeed In CFA Exam and Tips for a Successful Exam Day!

The CFA is a serious exam. Ideally, it takes 300 hours of preparation, but it can take longer too. Here are some tips to help you on the way.

1. Start at least 6 months before the exam

It is important to set aside time and commit to staying on track, regardless of the duration of your study plan. Spreading your studying over six months allows you to establish a solid routine, digest the material, and reschedule study sessions if needed. This approach can help you stay on track and avoid falling behind in your preparations for the exam.

2. Minimize Distractions

Make sure you minimize distractions and maximize your study time. If you are working, consider taking a week off from work if you are behind on your study schedule. Use an auto-response for emails and texts, and plan to anticipate your internal needs such as hunger, boredom, stress, and sleep deprivation. Keep snacks nearby and vary your study plan to keep your brain engaged. This can help you focus and make the most of your remaining study time.

3. Use the 50/10 Rule

This is a popular study method which can help you increase your productivity. Use a timer to set the time to 50 minutes. You do not get to take any breaks or distractions for these 50 minutes. If you have completed 50 mins, take a 10-minute break. This is a very effective way to increase your output. It is better to study hard for 50 minutes than half-study with frequent distractions.

4. Utilize Every Spare Minute

It could seem a little extreme, but for the focused learner, rest is impossible until the goal is achieved. Use every spare minute to learn something. Engage with your resources whenever you get the chance. Keep flashcards and small notes handy so that you can keep your brain active.

5. Practice For Time Management

CFA exams are quite long, taking a minimum of four and a half hours for each level. Managing your time well is very important. It's not just about learning the material; you also need to practice using that knowledge. This helps you remember things quickly and understand the questions better. The CFA institute gives you many practice questions and mock exams in their books. So, begin with those.

Identify the topics you're not good at and focus on studying them. About two months before the exam, start taking mock exams. Keep an eye on the clock so that you do not rush towards the end. Optimal time management makes your performance all the more better.

6. Do Not be Overwhelmed, Take Breaks

Keep going and stay determined, but also allow yourself to take breaks. When you're dealing with a lot of information, like the overwhelming CFA exam materials, your brain sometimes needs a short break. If you feel overwhelmed, take 30-minute or 1-hour breaks during your study time.

To put things into perspective, individual CFA exam topics aren't incredibly hard. What makes it tough is the sheer amount. That's why starting six months before the exam is important. With some determination, energy, and a logical mind, you'll do great in the end.

7. Master Your Financial Calculator

Familiarize yourself thoroughly with your financial calculator, a pivotal tool for the exam. You can bring one of two designated calculator models. Practice with your chosen device to grasp its functions. Proficiency here can help you save time – especially in areas like Time Value of Money questions. As you become better with the device, you will get a head start. This skill provides an edge, enhancing your efficiency and confidence during the test.

Tips for a Successful Exam Day

1. Dress Comfortably

Wear comfy clothes on exam day. CFA Institute suggests layering for comfort and choosing quiet shoes. Since the exam is quite long, it's smart to avoid uncomfortable attire.

2. Stay Hydrated

Drink plenty of water. Your body and brain need water to work well. The exam takes a while, so remember to keep hydrated.

3. Get a Good Night's Sleep

Sleeping well is really important for your health and thinking clearly. Before the exam day, rest up. You'll be awake for the whole test, so feeling refreshed helps a lot.

4. Relax Before the Big Day

You've been preparing for months, so take it easy. Avoid stressing or talking about the exam. Get everything ready for tomorrow, and give your mind a break. Your study plan has you ready, and confidence matters.

Get Started With 1FIN by IndigoLearn

Passing the CFA exams requires a combination of intelligence, stamina, and the right tools and strategies. With the help of coaching, focusing on concepts, using the best study material, attending mock tests, and strategically selecting topics to focus on, you can increase your chances of success.

If you’re looking for a comprehensive and effective way to prepare for the CFA exams, consider enrolling in a prep course with Indigolearn. Our lectures are taken by CFA/ FRM Charter holders who have practical experience in the topics they teach. This makes your conceptual foundation very solid and the learning process more interesting as well as comprehensive; in addition, we offer high-quality study materials from Kaplan Schweser - the world’s no 1 CFA Prep Provider, which includes practice questions and mock exams to help you achieve your goals. Take the first step towards success on the CFA exams by enrolling with 1FIN by IndigLearn today!

[idigitizellp21]

Healthy Habits: Wellness Tips And Tricks For Harshad Valia’s Students

In school, students like those at Harshad Valia International School are often very busy with their studies. Sometimes, they forget to focus on staying healthy because they’re so busy. But it’s really important for them to remember to take care of themselves, even when they’re studying a lot.

Here are 10 straightforward strategies to assist students in developing healthy habits and flourishing academically and personally.

1. Prioritize Sleep: Adequate sleep is the foundation of good health and academic success. Encourage students to aim for 7–9 hours of quality sleep each night by establishing a consistent sleep schedule, creating a relaxing bedtime routine, and minimizing screen time before bed.

2. Stay Hydrated: Hydration is essential to maintaining energy levels and cognitive function. Encourage students to carry a reusable water bottle and drink plenty of water throughout the day. Herbal teas and infused water can add variety and flavor to hydration routines.

3. Nutritious Diet: Fueling the body with nutrient-rich foods is essential for optimal health and brain function. Encourage students to prioritize whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats. Scheduling regular, balanced meals and snacks can help maintain energy levels and concentration throughout the day.

4. Move Your Body: Regular physical activity not only improves physical health but also boosts mood and cognitive function. Encourage students to find enjoyable forms of exercise such as walking, jogging, dancing, yoga, or sports. Even short bursts of activity throughout the day can make a difference in overall well-being.

5. Manage Stress: Academic pressures can take a toll on mental health. Teach students stress management techniques such as deep breathing exercises, mindfulness meditation, journaling, or engaging in hobbies and activities they enjoy. Encourage them to seek support from friends, family, or counseling services when needed.

6. Practice Time Management: Managing academic responsibilities alongside personal life can pose challenges. To assist students in honing their time management skills, suggest utilizing tools like planners, calendars, and to-do lists. Emphasize the importance of setting achievable goals and prioritizing tasks. Encourage breaking down large tasks into smaller, manageable chunks. Remind them to schedule regular breaks to prevent burnout. This serves as a guide to mastering effective time management.

7. Stay Connected: Maintaining social connections is vital for emotional well-being. Encourage students to nurture relationships with friends, family, classmates, and professors. Whether through in-person interactions, phone calls, video chats, or social media, staying connected provides support and a sense of belonging.

8. Limit Screen Time: Excessive screen time can negatively impact sleep, mental health, and overall well-being. Encourage students to set boundaries around screen use, take regular breaks, and practice digital detoxes. Engaging in offline activities such as reading, hobbies, or spending time in nature can promote balance and reduce screen-related stress.

9. Practice Gratitude: Cultivating a mindset of gratitude can enhance overall well-being and resilience. Encourage students to keep a gratitude journal, regularly reflecting on things they’re thankful for. Expressing gratitude to others and focusing on the positive aspects of life can foster a sense of happiness and fulfillment.

10. Seek Balance: Encourage students to strive for balance in all aspects of life — academic, social, physical, and emotional. Remind them that it’s okay to say no to excessive commitments and prioritize self-care. Finding equilibrium allows for greater productivity, creativity, and overall happiness.

Conclusion:

Integrating these wellness tips and tricks into their daily routines can aid your child in overcoming negative habits and fostering healthy ones that enhance their academic achievements and overall wellness. It’s important to emphasize that even small adjustments can yield significant benefits over time. Encourage students to explore various strategies and determine what suits them best. By embracing a comprehensive approach to well-being, students can excel both academically and personally.

[dawndelion-winery]

pspsps this ask was me hehe <3

it's been so long since I've talked to you (or barely anyone on here) but I miss you sm :(( school and life my enemies fr

okay but yes, happy birthday to YOU!!!!! I hope you had a lovely year (if not, I'm glad you pushed through woooo acco strong) Your posts never fail to make me laugh with all the chaos you have going on.

Your denial is unique and you are now the definition of the word, but other than all your whorish activity (go you), you're a hilarious and fun person to be around. Also very talented but I already said that...and I'll say it again cause you are crazy with your characterization and all that like what is your power and who did you sell your soul to hm? answers now /j

I'm very glad I got to meet you though <33 very nice and chaotic person and there is not one interaction I regret having <3 I hope your day was well and I wish the same for days forward (ready to throw hands at those who disagree)

Remember to take good care of yourself. Drink lots of water and eat your food cause it's very good for you and you need it (throws water at you) also remember to get some rest whenever you can because a foggy brain is not the fun brain (and sleep is important too)

and lucluc loves you lots, he kisses you morning and has a whole day planned for your birthday. So many kisses given by him!! He loves.

Childe spoils you endlessly....might as well be your engagement day cause he can and probably will go that far. He makes you your favorite breakfast and dresses up for the fancy occasion cause he knows you love it (and he gives you more smooches cause this man cannot keep his hands to himself)

- a tired Tired

TIRED OMG IT'S BEEN SO LONG, YOU LIVE HCJDIE MWAH MWAH<33333 your school homophobic fr let us be tgtr smh

I'm secretly one of Hoyo's writers /j

Bestie you always have the best prompts and brainrots Tired fr the MVP of genshinblr<33 I missed you smmmm 😭😭😭