#and it's hard to maintain that living with a housemate

[ardri-na-bpiteog]

I feel like having a housemate is fine for people who are really chill and laid back and I am not those things

[crookedkryptonitebeliever]

Best and Worst of Both Worlds (Part 16)

tw: literally Yves watching ur every move, super suffocating stuff, Yandere shenanigans

Yeah ok u guys decided to lust for the creep, then the creep u shall receive

after this chapter i mean

Part 17

You told him your opinion on Montgomery.

"I see." He replied. Yves deadpanned at you before pulling you in for another kiss on the lips. Your face and the tips of your ears heat up, you're still not used to this yet.

He pulled away and chuckled at your bashfulness. Trying to cover your burning face with your hands is futile, as it only makes him tease you more.

__

"Call me if you need to go somewhere. I'm available for you any time." He slung the straps of his handbag around his shoulder, and Yves prepared his car keys in his hand.

You told him 'okay' as you're rubbing the last of his lipstick marks off using a piece of wet wipe.

He stroked your head, traced his fingertips down your jaw and finally held your chin. He tilted your head upwards and gave you a forehead kiss.

You whinged as you now have to wipe off one last print. He bid you goodbye before closing and locking the front door behind him.

Soon after, you dashed back into your room trying to escape your housemates hollering.

Days would go on like this: Yves breaks into your house using the spare key, scare the shit out of you when you open the door to see him standing there, receive adequate kisses, eat (br)lunch, talk for hours, landlord comes over to fix more stuff, eat dinner and finally, at around midnight- sometimes later, Yves would leave.

You would go to sleep almost immediately, but definitely looking forward to the next day.

He started coming in earlier and earlier, working on his things during times where you had nothing to say. You asked him about his work, he tried explaining it to you but you zoned out. It's so boring and complicated. Full of numbers, charts and graphs, you couldn't care less.

Needless to say, he cooked all your meals and did all your chores for you. You always protested, because it isn't his job and you should be responsible for taking out the trash or keeping yourself alive.

Yves would simply ignore you and do them anyway. If you're particularly worried, he assures you that it's some sort of a hobby of his to take good care of you. If you insist that he stops, he will guilt you; making you think that you're unnecessarily taking away part of his joy in this relationship when it isn't even harming you. So you just let him do what he wants, and you benefit from it greatly.

You really like him. He lets you take a nap on his lap while he types away at your desk, Yves listens to you ramble about your interests and occasionally adds his own fascinating commentary to it. You were astonished to know he has a whole database of random fandom trivia in his head. He washed your sheets and made your bed for you every morning.

He lets you hog his portable fan to yourself. But eventually, his bargaining powers lead to your landlord installing a ceiling air conditioner in your room. The best part? No rise in rent.

Yves gradually introduced you to a solid skincare routine. It started off with a simple face cleanser and moisturizer. Then he added toner to the regime. Then a weekly exfoliation and bi-weekly usage of sheet masks. It was hard for you to remember to do it or have the motivation, but Yves didn't mind maintaining your skin.

You just love the tingles you felt when he reclined you on your chair and he massages your face with the moisturizer. His fingers skillfully work to unravel you.

He made your house actually enjoyable to live in. You haven't gone out in three weeks and that didn't alarm you. You are glowing, physically fitter than ever, clean and most importantly, happy.

You have the drive to do so many things. Like learning a new language, learning to code, learning to knit or crochet, learning to draw... anything you wanted to do, Yves is always the expert to consult. He would buy the materials you need and teach you step by step. It made sense for him to be an extraordinary mentor, because you found out that he was also an exemplary lecturer at your university at one point.

You confirmed that he's currently a researcher, specifically, a research mathematician who works together with other branches of academia including but not limited to human Psychology, biology and sociology. The gist of his project has to do with predictive algorithms and probabilities. It's impressive and complicated, too bad you're not interested beyond what was described in a nutshell.

It's no secret that you look up to him, seeing that you're also a student looking to advance their education.

But it begs the question of his age. He has done so much in a short span of time. You wonder what his true age is.

But it's almost impossible to know because he would be offended whenever his age is brought up. It seems like he despised being perceived as ancient, which you understand. He probably comes from a time where youth is overly worshipped. You let it go, it isn't like his age affects you in any way.

It doesn't mean you didn't try searching him up. At first you suspected that he was lying because you couldn't find anything about him working at your university on the internet. But you sent an email to the administration asking about him. They came back with the confirmation that Yves is currently a hired researcher there. Strange that they knew who he is without knowing his last name. You guess there's only one Yves in the entirety of his faculty.

Speaking of names, you were shocked to find out that Yves didn't have a last name. After tons of relentless teasing from Yves for wanting to know his surname and a platitude of shame-induced face coverings later, you finally discovered he doesn't have one. This was bizarre to you, but Yves only told you off for being insensitive towards him, as not everyone has the privilege of a last name. It seems like a touchy subject, better not bring it up again.

Although it has been around a month since you think you first met Yves, you can safely say that you're madly in love with him. He is way more attentive and caring of you than anyone you ever met. Not even your parents or guardians can compare. Absolutely no one in your life has treated you this well.

There is that nagging feeling that something is very wrong. It wasn't a "He is going to leave you for someone better" feeling, it was more of a "what if Yves is secretly an organ harvester and he's healing you up to make a good price on the black market?"

But due to blind love, you forced yourself to brush it off as some implausible, impossible, silly thought.

...is it though? Yves does give off uncanny vibes sometimes no matter how suave and sexy he is. He has a lot of things to hide and the knowledge that you have of him is not enough to save you if he ever decides to steal a kidney or two.

Maybe this relationship isn't good for you. It keeps giving you inner turmoil to lose sleep over. This is definitely too good to be true, no one likes being a full time babysitter for their partner; this has to be a trap! You think you should quickly break it off with Yves before it gets too--

You were interrupted from your thoughts when you felt the chilly air from the air conditioner nip at your skin. The bliss of not being boiled alive by your own fluid trickles down your forehead.

You close your eyes and grin, letting the wind blow on your sweaty hair. This is lovely, you're so grateful to have Yves in your life. If you didn't have him here, you wouldn't be able to enjoy this temperate luxury.

Yves lets his focused gaze linger on your form for a few more seconds before replacing the remote back onto the holder. Yves pressed the button on his stopwatch, the beep was soft enough to go unnoticed.

He checked the temperature, the time and the humidity of your bedroom before logging them all into his computer. Yves turned his head to look at your position on the floor, you're splayed out like a rag as gusts of cold air strike your body.

He opened another file, which is the floorplan of this house. His eyes scanned the screen, noting down the exact coordinates of your precise location.

It would always be like this. You would start formulating thoughts and suspicions on Yves, spiral so much that you contemplated ending everything to protect yourself, then something interrupts your mind and eradicating the unwanted ideas entirely. Be it a change in temperature, texture, hunger or thirst. Sometimes, it's because you feel you hit your Yves-interaction/social quota for the day. So he would excuse himself and leave your house until you recovered.

He always comes back at the perfect time. Just right when you're starting to yearn for him. Yves ensures he never leaves for too long to make you think he's neglecting you. But he wouldn't come back too soon to make you go "yuck, this bitch's face again?"

Your signs could be as minuscule as a lower lip twitch, a brief, split-second movement of the eye, flaring of nostrils, positioning of your arms or even a change in the depth or rhythm of your breathing.

Or it could be an increase in heart rate, body temperature or sweat beading from your pores. Hell, it could even be the sound of you swallowing your spit or the smell of irritation.

They are all telltale signs that you're about to do or think about something undesirable due to overwhelm or underwhelm.

It's scary. He could just detect it with his superhuman senses. But ignorance is bliss, you still didn't know that he's puppeteering your environment accordingly. He would very much like to keep it that way.

Yves must admit, he has been careless. For the past three weeks, he failed to consider that his daily presence is wearing you down. It was his own fault for disregarding his calculations, Yves was originally only supposed to see you four times a week; that was the most optimal arrangement.

But he was enamoured, as desperate and feverish as you to be together. He just hides it impeccably well. Could you blame him, though? This was the first time you acknowledged him, the first time Yves got to kiss, touch, and hug you as freely as he wanted. The first time he gets to observe past the use of cameras- he does not need to hide. He gets to put his elaborate meal plans to use, you're eating his cooking, he's washing your clothes and you're accepting his backrubs. This is the closest so far to the ideal he wanted in his life with you. Anyone would be greedy in his situation.

But he flew too close to the sun like Icarus did. The wax melted off his wings and now he has to face the consequences that would have been avoided if only he had controlled himself better.

He's starting to notice you're not as positively receptive to his kisses as before. Sometimes even outright grimacing and shuddering in disgust when you think he's not looking. You spent a couple minutes longer in the bathroom, sometimes up to an hour, claiming you had stomach issues. But you didn't have problems with your digestion, your boyfriend made sure of that. He meticulously checks everything that goes into your mouth and he knows you didn't even pull your pants down. All you did was sit in the corner and scroll on your phone.

You did it just to escape from Yves and he's fully aware of that.

It devastated him when he went through your internet history:

Yves removed his reading glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. He checked the timestamps, and you accessed the web since three in the morning.

"Why are my boyfriend's kisses and hugs gross to me now"

"Clingy boyfriend"

"How to tell my boyfriend to stop being clingy without hurting his feelings"

"How to say no to hugs"

"How to say no to hugs and kisses"

"How to say no"

"How to stop people pleasing"

"How to tell people that i dont want to see them but not forever just for a few days"

"Social battery"

"Therapists near me"

"Therapy price"

"is University counseling free"

"university counseling wait times"

"How to break up with my boyfriend"

"Is it rude to break up over text"

"Script for breaking up"

"Nice script for breaking up"

"Kind script for breaking up"

"Breaking up without hurting his feelings script"

"ChatGPT"

"Do retired lecturers have a habit of checking for plagiarism in their day to day life"

"Is AI generated content plagiarism"

"Jobs near me"

He knows he has no one but himself to blame. He had a plan all laid out, if he followed it to a Tee, it would have conditioned you to ultimately accept his intense love without complaints. He was supposed to give you a maximum of one kiss on the lips and four others somewhere else on your face. But gave you a whopping average of 76 kisses a day, 20 of which are on the lips; 1520% of the actual daily cap on kisses.

Likewise, he hugged you too much. Yves was only supposed to give you 12 hugs, lasting 8 seconds each at most, spaced throughout the day. However, you're in his arms for a total of 6 hours a day; 2250% of the maximum.

He is the first thing you see in the morning and the last face you perceive before sleeping, From before sunrise to past beyond sundown, you would be exposed to him; from 6am to 12am the next day; he would already be in your room before you're even awake. Subconsciously, you know he's there because the brain never stops working.

Of course, you would be sick of him! It doesn't matter if you came from an affectionate family or you turned out severely touch-starved, with extreme figures like these, anyone would be nauseated with his presence by the third week!

Yves fought back the urge to run the numbers back the fifth time. The cold hard facts are there, he made a grave mistake. Painstakingly recalculating everything is just a pathetic attempt to appease his denial that he lost control over himself.

He sighed and propped his head up by an elbow, absentmindedly fiddling on his calculator. Yves's eyes flitted up to the monitor. You're curled up into a ball on your bed, scrolling on your phone. Most likely to try and catch up with your own me-time. Yves could see pixels of bags forming under your eyes.

He shook his head and decided he must rectify this. Yves got up from his seat and sauntered out of his office, switching the lights off but leaving his surveillance equipment on.

Meanwhile, you yawned, closing your eyes and letting your phone slip next to you. Finally but reluctantly drifting off to sleep.

[staycalmandhugaclone]

I saw one of your story posts mentioning you might take writing requests for trauma comfort... I've been struggling to write this story myself, and I'm looking for a particular flavor of comfort story.

Everyone seems to always latch on to how Hunter is so perceptive and notices things... but there's things he doesn't notice, even with all his sensitive senses. Particularly when there's not an actual immediate danger with a straightforward solution of "shoot it dead" or "talk to it"

Would you be willing to write something where Crosshair is the one to observe, first notice, and recognize tbe fact their new female member of the team, despite being a very active useful member, is tip-toeing around under the weight of past traumas? Then goes out of his way to take care of someone just as stubborn as he is.

I used to live with abusive housemates. While they weren't physically abusive, they were very creative in every other way of hurting their resident empath and later, attacking my whole family. It took me months after we finally kicked them out, for me to realize that i was literally tip-toeing in my own house afraid to make any noise and break tbe quiet, because i used to get badly berated for even small things like rolling in my office chair to my secobd desk while i did filing and paperwork. I didn't sing or play music for a long time, and i still find myself struggling to talk to people.

I like the idea that Crosshair would be the first to recognize long term behavioral patterns while Hunter is very fast in the uptake with someone who's state has changed in the moment.

You're under no obligation to settle this, of course, so please don't feel pressured! I just love the detailed and thoughtful, realistic way you handle writing about things like this.

My sweet darling, I am so sorry it's taken me so long to finish this. Your request became incredibly personal to me, and I both found myself inspired and struggling with how to respond! I'm honored you came to me with this request - I know how hard it is to admit to being hurt like that. Please be kind to yourself as you heal and know that I'm always happy to offer whatever support I can!

Sharp Eyes, Gentle Hands

Warnings: reference to past emotional abuse, fantasy profanity

WC: 2,253

The silence following the gentle hum of the ramp closing left me sinking beneath a deep sigh of relief. Wrecker had sought me out to say goodbye, and I’d peaked from the little kitchenette of the Marauder in time to wave to Hunter and Echo, but Tech and Crosshair were already out of sight. Still, I found myself treading lightly about the ship as I restocked supplies, updated the inventory manifest, and addressed minor maintenance needs that didn’t warrant Tech’s expertise.

This was the beginning of my second three-month tour with Clone Force 99. I’d been assigned to them as something of a secretary in the hopes of improving their less than ideal track record of finishing their paperwork, but had gradually taken on additional small tasks as time passed. While skeptical at first, the boys seemed to have begun warming to my presence, and I was too eager to maintain that trend, even if I was still only trusted to guard the ship during actual missions.

At present, that extra task consisted of reattaching a cabinet door in the storage room that Wrecker had been a bit too forceful with. After muscling it back into its original shape – mostly – all that was left was to screw it back in. I was so caught up in my work, I barely noticed the hum resonate through my chest, nor the moment that tone gradually gave way to murmured words until, just as I stepped back to appreciate my work, I found myself shamelessly singing aloud.

Satisfied, I gathered the tools and headed into the cockpit to return them. It wasn’t until the shouted gasp tore from my throat, body shying back so violently that I nearly slammed into the wall that I even noticed him. Crosshair wordless lifted an eyebrow at my reaction before returning his attention to the helmet in his hands, fingers skillfully toying with the internal gages as though nothing had happened.

“Um, sorry I-I didn’t realize you were still here.” The apology clawed stiffly up my throat, fire burning across my face. He didn’t bother looking at me as he merely responded with a disinterested grunt. Teeth gnawing against the inside of my lips as I vainly willed my heart to ease its panicked pace, I rushed to quietly place the tools back in Tech’s storage, shoulders tucking firmly about my chest.

“Why do you do that?” The words slipped from his lips almost as though he was talking to himself instead of me, but I balked at the silence that followed, fingers shifting nervously at my sides.

“Wh… do what?” The beginnings of an apology sat like poison atop my tongue, demanding to be voiced in the futile hope that it might defuse whatever confrontation was to come.

“If you’re that scared of us, why did you stay?” His arms crossed his chest, confusion just breaching the innate impatience in those sharp eyes.

“I-I’m not… um, I’m sorry you thought that, but I promise I’m not-” My words died the instant he stood from the chair, helmet laid forgotten atop the seat. My gaze instantly darted to the worn metal beneath us as that too-familiar dread locked around my chest, breaths carefully shallow, silent, lest even that somehow worsen whatever offence I’d already made. But he said nothing in the long seconds that followed, and, hesitantly, I stole a timid glance at him. His brow was cocked, but, still, he made no effort to lash out or reprimand me, merely waited for me to finally grasp his point, and my heart dropped.

“No - I’m sorry; it’s not…” The flurry of excuses tangled over my lips, the beginnings of a tremble just beginning to creep over me. “I’m not… I’m not afraid of you, I’m just… trying to stay out of the way.” I assured him, but he merely rolled his toothpick to the other side of his mouth, those frightfully intense eyes burring into me.

“You practically flatten yourself against the wall when we walk too close to you. You stopped eating the yellow ration bars after Wrecker mentioned they’re Hunter’s favorite, even though they’re your favorite, too. I don’t think you’ve ever instigated a single conversation unless it was to update a report, and even then you act like…” His teeth ground together, words suddenly falling silent. I’d felt myself sinking beneath every wretched observation, shoulders bunching around me, expression carefully blank; waiting.

“Look, I’m not…” When I risked another fleeting look up to him, I was shocked to see his glare turned pointedly away from me, jaw shifting stiffly around unspoken words. “You don’t need to… hide every time we’re in the same room.” The discomfort in the softness he was trying to force into his voice was obvious, but the simple fact that he was making an attempt left me speechless.

“Kriff, I don’t even know what I said that made you so damn timid.” A touch of that impatience returned, fingers snatching the toothpick from his lips, but I knew it wasn’t directed at me, and that made the guilt stirring in my chest all the more prominent.

“It… it wasn’t…” My hands drew together in front of me, thumb absently picking at my nails. “My-my last crew was… pretty strict with me.” I barely breathed the excuse, unable to risk meeting his eyes. “I just… I didn’t want to cause trouble here, too.” He leaned absently against the back of the co-pilot chair, watching me with a silence that left my skin crawling.

“You realize we share living space with Wrecker?” The skepticism in his blank statement wrenched a burst of laughter from me before I could rein it back, teeth clicking together even as my lips still pulled up into a small smile. For the briefest moment, something like relief seemed to flash through his eyes, and a sliver of that tension slipped from my shoulders.

“We’re not regs.” He continued dismissively. “Whatever osik they pulled with you isn’t how we operate here.”

“It wasn’t regs.” I felt myself tense for some reprimand in the face of my quiet correction, but he didn’t move, gaze watching me silently; waiting. “I was assigned to a mercenary battalion before this.” His head tilted back slightly, eyes narrowing. “That’s part of the reason I ended up here: I requested an assignment with a clone squad, but the regs don’t usually work with freelancers, so…” I motioned subtly toward him, shoulders drawing tight into my chest.

Crosshair was silent for a long moment, expression painfully unchanged. My mind raced for some way to anticipate what he was thinking – was he annoyed to learn the reason I’d ended up with them? Was he enraged that I feared the same treatment from his brothers that I’d received from the mercs? Was he completely indifferent?

Movements unrushed, void of the impatience I’d expected, he retrieved his helmet and started toward the ladder.

“Gonna do a patrol.” He explained, slipping on the bucket. “I’ll let you know when I’m back.” I couldn’t begin to fight the shock from my eyes, the silent gasp from my lips, immediately aware of his unspoken offer: he was giving me space; allowing me a moment to collect myself in the comfort of isolation… and I didn’t have to fret over not realizing when he returned…

“You should sing more often – Echo and Wrecker like that sort of thing.” Again, I found myself utterly frozen, jaw shifting uselessly around words I couldn’t begin to form, but he didn’t wait for a response. With a few swift movements, he was gone.

-

Things changed after that. Not with any grand or outwardly notable gestures, but it seemed to shift the very dynamic of the squad in the most subtle ways. It started with caf.

It was hardly unusual for the sniper to be the last to force himself into the kitchenette to join us, jaw ground against the early morning grogginess. I was just finishing the breakfast scramble as he trudged to the caf machine. Without a word, he set a steaming cup on the counter beside me before taking a seat with his brothers. I stared blankly at it for a moment, only then realizing that I’d fallen into the habit of waiting for the others to get their own cups before getting some for myself. When I stole a brief glance toward him, he showed no indication that he’d done anything abnormal, head tilted back against his chair with his eyes closed as though he might steal even a few seconds’ more sleep.

Then it was the arguing. Echo and Tech’s banter rarely escalated, but when it did, neither were innocent of resorting to shouting on occasion. I couldn’t remember what had prompted the latest disagreement, but their voices boomed throughout the entirety of the Marauder until even Hunter stepped in in a futile attempt to silence them. I’d made the mistake of treading into the cockpit just as things between them began to grow heated intending to merely return Echo’s power calibrator and quickly found myself frozen in the corner, waiting for a safe moment that wasn’t soon to come.

Long after the Sergeant had joined the fray, succeeding only in adding to the chaotic flurry of raised voices, Crosshair stormed down the ladder, brows pinched and lips wrenched into a scowl, but then he saw me, sharp eyes instantly noting the tool clutched in my grasp. Ignoring his brothers, he merely held his hand out to me, motioning for the device. I tried not to let him see the slight tremor in my limbs as I hesitantly placed it in his waiting palm. Saying nothing, he merely nodded toward the ladder. I was halfway through the porthole when I heard the loud thud followed by a shocked cry of pain, and, in the next breath: silence.

That was the last time any of them got into a shouting fit like that around me. Twice, just as tensions were beginning to rise, Hunter went so far as to conveniently find a reason to summon me. It didn’t take long to realize he’d caught on and was too willing to use my presence as an indirect means of quelling tempers. The second time, he shot me a knowing wink, and I found myself biting my lips against the fit of quiet laughter.

When we found a rare moment of calm, Crosshair pressed things a bit further. A fire crackled in the stillness. We didn’t have to return to Kamino for a few days, so we made camp beside a small lake, secluded in a forgiving wilderness. I barely noticed the lithe man lean toward Wrecker, lips shifting almost silently, but then his brother’s eyes shot open, excitement lighting his face.

“You can sing?!” My heart dropped, body instantly going stiff.

“…uh…” Caught, I could only stare at him in shock, gaze darting briefly to see the subtle smirk on the Sniper’s lips before the towering clone was talking once more, pleading.

“Will you sing somethin’?! We hardly ever get to hear music!” The refusal clawed at my throat, aghast at even the thought of denying the innocent delight in his request.

“Wrecker.” The warning in Hunter’s voice was enough to dampen the large man’s glee, and I found myself distraught to see his smile fade.

“M… maybe just one.” I agreed nervously, and the thrilled gasp it earned was nearly enough to ease the frantic racing of my heart. Echo and Tech glanced up curiously, and I had to pointedly ignore the feeling of everyone’s eyes watching me.

The first words left in something nearer to a whisper than a melody, but the hint of pride just threatening to shine in Crosshair’s gaze emboldened me in a way I would never have expected. By the second verse, I left the lyrics dance over my lips. My cheeks were still flushed, blood still pounding through my ears, but I couldn’t dismiss the simple joy as I took in the wonder in Wrecker’s face, Hunter’s quiet smile, Tech’s datapad lying forgotten beside him.

In the days that followed, I’d caught most of them occasionally humming the tune, and, more than once, found myself joining them with a shy grin.

That innate need to tuck into the wall as we passed each other slowly began to fade, but the next few times it happened with Crosshair, he wordlessly touched his hand to my arm and guided me upright. It was never a quick movement, the gentle pressure an invitation instead of an order, and each time, I found my heart racing long after he’d left.

After several weeks of those quiet moments, I intentionally bumped his shoulder with mine in a moment of frightful bravery. The look of pure shock in his suddenly wide eyes nearly sent me fleeing, certain I’d made a terrible mistake, but then his lips curled into grin, breath catching in a silent chuckle. His hand reached up to carefully ruffle my hair before he continued on his way.

It wasn’t perfect. I still found myself unable to find my voice unless someone else spoke first; felt that panicked dread if I set something down too loudly or made simple mistakes, but that fear faded quicker, my responses felt a little less meek as they drew me into quiet conversations more often. It wasn’t perfect, but the patience and kindness they offered allowed me to take those first steps toward making it better.

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[helenadurazzo]

Professor Onai’s Prophecy

Numerous fifth years are hanging out in the Great Hall including Phineas Hearst, when Marie McKay and Farrah Ellington come to tell the group of a fascinating prophecy.

Farrah Ellington, Basil Ellington, Georgiana Wotton, Enfys Midway, and Esther Hitchens belong to @melodymidway

Phineas Hearst’s POV, October 1895

The Great Hall was always a lively environment that almost made Phineas motivated to get an early start on his next assignments. Although he found himself deciphering the newest messages the hidden traces of ancient magic told him rather than any of his current studies. His other work would have to wait, he often told himself each time he delved head first into his independent studies and research he collaborated on with Professor Fig, that was becoming even more fascinating than ever before as the subject of the work he was just beginning to learn.

Typically, at the Slytherin table it would solely be just his housemates. But that was not the case this time although they certainly were not absent. Currently, Sebastian and Ominis were having a heated debated if you could cast accio on a person and not just mere objects. Meanwhile, Imelda Reyes was trying to express her frustrations on quidditch getting cancelled this year for the one hundredth time to Grace Pinch-Smedley who had her nose in a book focused on scientific innovations in the muggle realm and barely paid attention. Although she did seem to get more success with talking with Zsuzsi Schröder, a Ravenclaw who also lost her opportunity to further her skills as a beater this season.

Phineas casually glanced over at Georgiana Wotton, a fascinating individual in his year and a Gryffindor student who always held a grudge against him. Typically, she guarded herself with her friends which used to consist of Phineas’ own sister although no longer because of her graduation a few months ago. Yet Phineas knew full well they still communicated regularly and Georgiana was seemingly planning to meet up with her in Hogsmeade, curious to see how Gladys’ new work as an investigator was currently going now that she was a few months in.

On Georgiana’s right sat the only member of their small group who was not in their year, a Ravenclaw guy named Basil Ellington. Phineas did not know how Georgiana was able to tolerate his methods of pursuing a closer bond when she outright rejected him. Yet he found it equally surprising that the two of them had not officially announced any sort of relationship between the two. Perhaps they were simply waiting for a betrothal to be announced before getting too serious. Although anyone with a knowledge of status could tell it would be hard to become reality as both were the heirs of their families.

On her left was one of her housemates and beloved friends, Natsai Onai, although everyone knew her better as Natty. She was a relatively recent addition to Hogwarts, arriving with her mother at the beginning of the previous year from Matableland following her transfer from Uagadou when her mother became their new divination professor. But not as recent as Mina and Esther, which made him curious on what was taking the latter so long since he could have sworn she promised to meet up with them. He could see why Natty got along with Georgiana considering she was also skilled in wandless magic so they could help each other with improving their skills and maintain proficiency.

Phineas did not plan to take divination as an elective although he knew some of his peers did. He simply did not see why he should take on such an unnecessary elective when he could use his free time pursuing ancient knowledge. Coincidentally it seemed like the same time her started thinking of some of his peers who took divination, two entered the Great Hall, Marie McKay and Farrah Ellington to be exact, and as they approached, it became clear they had some big news to share.

“You will not believe what me, Enfys, and Farrah heard in the divination classroom.” Marie eagerly informed the group.

Phineas had to admit that despite not enjoying divination, he was intrigued, “What did you hear?”

“Me and Marie stayed behind to ask Professor Onai some of our curiosities about divination. Then she suddenly gave the most captivating prophecy that out ranked any I have read about before” Farrah explained before taking a few moments to think before reciting the prophecy, “I believe it was ‘A presumably everlasting curse shall become no more… As two souls will venture on the thousandth year… Born of the same day but one shall come ten years before… And with a balanced ritual, will cease the voices whispering in ears…’”

“Fascinating.” Sebastian breathed with widened eyes. “Speaking of which, where is Enfys?”

“Well, she was coming to meet up with us after our divination class, and I suppose she got bored with waiting so she came in just seconds before Professor Onai gave the prophecy.” Marie explained rather than giving a usual suspicious or sarcastic remark to Sebastian, “After we left we noticed she seemed strangely quiet and uncomfortable. Although she brushed off our concerns before deciding to go on her own rather than doing our usual plans.” She then glanced at Farrah and then back at him and the others, “We are worried Enfys knows something about what this prophecy means and is going to get herself hurt.”

“You must remember that most prophecies proceed the majority of the events they discuss, including the births of some of the people they refer to.” Ominis bluntly reminded them, “And while your concern is admirable, prophecies are cloudy and murky with no sense of reason

“Ominis does have a point.” Phineas agreed, “Plus prophecies are just a bunch of riddles and riddles are nothing but rubbish.”

Georgiana suddenly slammed her book shut in a manner that startled Phineas and made him flinch, “You insensitive idiot!” She exclaimed.

“What did I do now?!” Phineas snapped back, the way Georgiana always found something to be mad with him about ever since he made a statement about wandless magic which she was passionately pursuing.

“You are always like this.” Georgiana complained, “Saying things with little thought.”

“Give him a break Wotton.” Sebastian smoothly intervened, “Riddles are hardly a necessity for non Ravenclaws so it would make sense for them to view them as nothing more than rubbish.”

“Did you consider checking in with Enfys?” Basil calmly asked to ease the growing tension.

“No.” Farrah informed her brother, “But after we expressed our fascination with Professor Onai’s words she seemed to be even more cross with us. And I’m sure she will act the same if we ask her now.”

“I can go talk with her.” Zsuzsi offered, standing up become another word was said. “She might open up to me since I was not present.”

“You are welcome to give it a try.” Marie agreed, “Thank you.”

“Not a problem.” Zsuzsi nodded before making a swift exit out of the Great Hall

Imelda folded her arms bored, “I still do not see what is so interesting about this prophecy when you focus on present events like quidditch.”

“You do know quidditch is cancelled?” Grace softly reminded her.

“You can never be too prepared.” Imelda glared daggers.

“Could you imagine.” Marie spoke ignoring Imelda’s frustration and Grace’s whimsical responses, “Perhaps there was a reason me, Farrah, and Enfys were in the room when Professor Onai made that prophecy.”

“I suppose it could relate to someone you know.” Natty admitted, “My mother’s prophecies typically do not refer to complete strangers. Although I will say, this one sounds like it’s subjects will be people we have yet to encounter.”

“Perhaps.” Farrah admitted, “But won’t it be fascinating if even one of us gets to figure that out.”

“Wait.” Phineas suddenly turned to Farrah, “Did you say something about the prophecy relating to a millennium?”

“Yes.” Farrah recalled, “I think it was something about the thousandth year, but that could technically be any year as long as it was one thousand years after it’s designated start date.”

“What are you thinking?” Marie curiously inquired.

“Hear me out.” Phineas requested of his peers, “But what if this prophecy is referring to some sort of ancient magic. Many of the runes I have studied date to times centuries ago at the earliest so a millennium ago would not be out of possibility.”

Georgiana simply raised an eyebrow, “Do you have to connect everything you hear to your researches? Just a second ago you were calling divination and riddles rubbish you know.”

“This is for the greater good Georgie.” Phineas assured her. “And I never said anything about solving riddles, that’s the real headache after all.” In fact, he knew full well that if he was sorted into Ravenclaw, he would simply have to camp out by the entrance to the dormitory until someone could answer the riddle of the door knocker for him or open the door from the inside. And a sneaky suspicion of his made him feel like this trait had occurred before and would only happen again.

“Do not call me Georgie.” She growled with gritted teeth and a twitching eye yet Phineas barely noticed her fury.

Basil somehow managed to calm her by placing a hand on her shoulder, “Let’s not murder anyone today.”

Georgiana huffed, “You know I would not waste my time on someone like Hearst.”

“I know.” Basil chuckled with a faint redness in his cheeks.

“Well I think it’s a thrilling proposition.” Sebastian’s eyes glimmered with fascination, “You have to tell Professor Fig about your thoughts.”

“I will.” Phineas promised. “So many secrets of the past are yet to be discovered, and perhaps my talents can help us discover them.”

“In your dreams.” Georgiana laughed before giving him a gentle warning, “Don’t get too cocky Hearst.”

[fictionalmenmistress]

You guys please let me know what you think about this? Unfortunately I'm in a situation where I do not have the finances to not leave my abusive family. Aside from them being abusive, they are normal in some small ways. But there's some stuff that I just feel is kinda unnecessary, but maybe I'm just being ridiculous?

Anyway, I take care of all of my stuff. I cook my own food, I clean up after myself, I wash my dishes, I do my laundry, wash and dry and put away, I keep all of my things out of the rest of the house. I even put away everyone's dishes, because that's required and demanded of me, because "I'm part of the house". Fine I guess, it's a chore because I'm still living with my parents. I do all of my own laundry, I take care of all of my own stuff and take care of things after myself. I don't leave stuff of mine for my mom to do, or anything like that. It's just common courtesy and respectful as a housemate in general, you should in all situations take care of yourself and clean up after yourself and maintain your own items and uses.

But here's where it starts feeling a little unfair. My family goes on trips, makes a bunch of dishes, and leaves. They don't allow me to go with them. Because "how would you pay for your own food? That's what I thought. Stay at home. Theres no room for you anyway." And they take my brother's girlfriend with them. So like... alright. At least I get to finally be alone for a few days. But it still hurts a little bit. They decide to have a huge family barbeque, one I don't be around for, and stay in my room silently hoping no one will seek me out or realize I'm here (again, abusive people in a lot of ways, so I'm trying to get out of this family.)

My brother of course, has no chores. Because he "works". Aka, works for my dad. But, all the girls are given the chores. My sister is in highschool, and I'm trying to find work, and also just found work too, and started yesterday (this situation happened yesterday and today just now). But they have a party, make a bunch of dirty dishes, and leave on a trip I am not invited to. And I'm told to do all their dishes AND clean their kitchen (the mess they left with trash and crumbs and plates) before they get back. Gee, thanks. So... whatever, ok, I do them. I put a bunch of dishes away, and then I reload and stuff as much as I can fit in the dishwasher, to rewash after hand washing. I dread it. There is still dishes leftover, but I cleaned the kitchen like I was demanded. I cleaned up the mess they all left behind on the countertops. So they get back, my mom is like, great!! Now load some more. Because I could fit more silverware in. So I do. I thought that was the end of my "turn". But then my mom demanded that I put all those dishes away again, now, and then reload. Because "I didn't do what she asked of me." Mind you, I would personally rather do any other chores. I just can't with the dishes. Part of it is sensory trouble, it's torturous. I used to sob while I was forced to do the whole family's dishes every night in highschool, because that one thing is just something thats really hard for me to do. The textures, the smells, the noises, how it all hits my brain... I can do it, and I do it of course to clean up after myself, and as a necessity, but when I have a partner, I am very much hoping and searching for someone who enjoys or has dishes as their first pick of a necessity chore, and I can do ANYTHING ELSE. I have expressed this to my mom. Hundreds of times. She doesn't care. She says "THAT is my chore". And if she finally says "FINE!! You wanna do all the laundry??" And I say, yes please, anything else... then she never ends up making the switch in expectation. Notice how these are all "trad wife" or GIRL associated chores. There's misogynistic demands in the family, if that's not clear, and that's cultivated by my mom's expectations, and strengthened by my dad and brother's incompetence or willingness to help. Because "as women", the men work soooo hard, and they provide for us, and THE women are told to serve them. Big yikes. Like we also aren't working hard in the same, if not moreso, required tasks to labor and live everyday. Anyway, all this commentary to say:

I just feel that it would have been considerate if they all took care of their own huge mess of dishes, and LEFT with a tidy space, for me to keep tidy and clean up after myself in. With the expectation of me cleaning up after myself and maintaining cleanliness while it's only me here. Leave me with the responsibility of only worrying about my mess, when I am alone and living alone for a moment, not theirs.

I expressed this to my mom. Of course she lashed out at me and yelled that she doesn't care, and she's "making me do it" because "I didn't do it, so now I get to do that too." They left to go run some errands all together, I stayed home. But she says "YOU BETTER HAVE THAT DONE AND DO IT BY THE TIME I GET BACK." Like...

Idk, just like, any commentary or thoughts, guys? Is this unreasonable for me to feel that it rubs me a little wrong in that way? Or anything wrong about her responses? Also when I say they are abusive, I am NOT saying doing chores or doing the dishes is abusive. I'm saying how they are the rest of the times. This specific thing is just what I'm asking for thoughts on, because it bothers me a little.

[saltyvsparrow]

Humaning is hard, or how I realized I had been avoiding masking fatigue by maintaining a modern hermit lifestyle

For the majority of the last 20-ish years I have lived alone. Having sufficient income to afford this has been my greatest life luck, and was something I always dreamed of when I was a teenager.

This post started off in my mind very differently. I guess this will be a draft for now, so I can organize my thoughts around my feelings. I have these great moments of clarity that are so quickly lost to the fog of refinement that I can't just turn around and go back to where I came from.

But this was supposed to be about communicating with the first housemate I have had in 13+ish years, and how I hate feeling like I need to mask in the home I own to accommodate her and avoid pointless arguments that should never occur in the first place.

Anyway, what it all really boils down to right now is that I am thinking of telling her that I feel like there are times when I am responding with examples of similar issues experienced because I am attempting to demonstrate my sympathy through similar experience, but she responds as if I am the village idiot because my similar story is not a 1 for 1 match, and maybe we would have less potential for prickly feelings if she would preface her stories with "I just want to vent" so I can know in advance and respond accordingly.

Note: I also hate having to think about this and figure out an action to take because these instances make me feel really icky, and doesn't actually feel like a solution that just isn't a glorified "heads up need you to mask on demand because I don't like this trait you have."

[mrrightandmrbubble]

I hope you’re doing well XO

Hi, hello, I still exist though my blog upkeep would say otherwise. It's been a minute. That's really sweet that you 1) thought of me and 2) wanted to check in. I start to type up something about last year but keep abandoning it because how do you casually introduce that to people's timelines?

So, yeah, ripping off the Band-Aid (putting behind a read-more in case of triggers):

Someone tried to kill me. Well, not just someone, a now-former housemate who I thought was a friend. I still don't understand what lead to it and I don't know if I ever will, because they swing between "nothing happened" and "but if something did, it's her fault" (the O.J. defense). They were removed kicking and screaming from the house by police, and a provisional APVO was served that night with the provision that they must not come within 50 metres of any place where I live or work. It's already had a few court mentions, which I didn't have to attend, but an actual hearing has been adjourned to my birthday this year (happy fucking birthday to me) upon which I expect i'll be called to give my evidence. Charges include: Armed with intent to commit serious indictable offense, destroy/damage property, intimidation, common assault, and intentional choking. They're pleading not guilty on the grounds of mental health, but pull the other one. They had awareness and intent, and the ability to understand the events and make different choices in real-time - such as putting down the knife and saying to the other housemate who was trying to keep me safe, "The only reason i'm not killing her is because you're here".

They tracked down CC (after i'd shared that shit heap of a situation with them) to try and dig for dirt to use against me. They sent the other housemate messages and accusations through her via text for a few months, until the other housemate moved out and blocked them on everything. Some continued willful actions.

Once the property recovery order was finally sorted, they sent a family member and their partner to collect their belongings, and it became obvious rather quickly that they have not been honest with anyone about what they did. The fact that they refused my initial proposal of having a mutual friend do the collection supports that. Not that them acknowledging it would provide any kind of validation or resolution - they've bent over backwards to avoid taking responsibility for themselves since i've known them. But it's that which worries me re: how the hearings could go. I have to prepare myself for the likelihood that they won't face any natural consequences for their actions. The mentions so far have been more concerned with their wellbeing than mine. I haven't been contacted by anyone in months. If it eventuates that they get to go on their merry way, i'm not sure yet how I would respond.

At least the Department of Justice has been amazing, approving an Immediate Needs Support Package to fund a complete security overhaul for the premises. My GP also referred me to a psychologist while the local Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service applied to VOCAL (Victims of Crime Assistance League) on my behalf, though nothing's come of that yet. [EDIT: I just called to follow up and they seem to have lost me in the system, which is awesome but they can't all be winners.]

I wasn't seriously injured, thankfully, besides a chunk of my hair being pulled out (and subsequent blood) and cuts and bruises around my body.

As for my mental health, i'm...okay, I guess. That I knew I needed to quickly access support to mitigate development of PTSD probably saved me from being much worse. I had panic attacks and would replay the event like a video over and over for the first few months after it happened. I have occasional moments when I have trouble dealing with it and get real hard on myself, wishing they'd finished me off. But those moments, thankfully, do pass. Maintaining connection with friends and family, as a means of navigating the trauma recovery, hasn't been easy in recent months (will cover it in another post) but in fighting against my old instinct of avoiding asking for help, it serves as a reminder that there are places and people I can still trust and feel safe around. I've basically treated myself like a client and thought, "Ignore the lies your brain is trying to feed you - what would your best self do right now?"

I survived. I'm continuing to survive. That's the big takeaway.

[dearweirdme]

https://www.tumblr.com/dearweirdme/725661261336133632/i-think-its-accurate-that-there-was-a-significant?source=share

Anyways remember how during that same ITS convo Taehyung said Jungkook had been the one to reach out to him to get a drink, and even years before that Taehyung has said when he's troubled "Jungkook walks in" (implying Jungkook initiating) and listens and helps him, but yeah... Jungkook is just passive and doesn't reach out to connect and surely Taehyung is the one organizing their solo era hangouts because *baseless assumptions*

I'm not saying that anon is entirely wrong, I do believe Jimin has tended to be more initiating when it comes to hanging out while Jungkook's more prone to going with the flow, I also think Jimin has probably initiated more conversations about feelings with Taehyung and Jungkook individually, because of the way he is and how he processes emotion. Taehyung and Jungkook have both indicated their tendency is more independent processing, while Jimin really likes to process it outwardly and you can see how he matches well with Namjoon in this regard. But greater display of emotional connection =/= strongest emotional connection. Jimin appears more emotionally connected to most of the members in general, that doesn't mean it's necessarily the case.

Hi anon!

I think ‘initiating’ is very different when you all live together as BTS members have done. I lived with housemates for a while and we’d basically bump into each other and hang out spontaneously all the time.

After they moved out things would have changed ofcourse, but I see no reason for Jk being lacking maintaining the relationships.

You could be right about the second part of your ask, but I also think emotional connection not always has to do with the way people choose to express their feelings or the way they process emotions. Sometimes you just feel a connection first and that just makes sharing easier. It’s about being on the same wavelength and being able to understand the other without having to use much words. For instance, I am quite able to express feelings well in general, yet some people I just cannot connect with on an emotional level. There’s something else needed for that to happen, yet it is hard to describe what that ‘something else’ exactly is.

I think Jimin is very emotionally intelligent. He is compassionate and emphatic and I think he has been very valuable to all members because of that.

[brazenbells]

This is something I've been thinking about lately. I mentioned to housemate R that the thing that made me realize recently that I have not been doing well and that I need to see about getting my meds adjusted was the fact that my ADHD is starting to affect me at work again.

Of all the parts of my life, I am so fortunate in that my job is the most set up for ADHD success. My boss is extremely supportive and has worked alongside me to make my task tracking and work flow as ADHD friendly as possible, and the actual work I do is something that almost always gives me dopamine and often engages hyperfocus--plus my day is set up to maximize hyperfocus and reduce interruptions.

But without the medication, all the accommodations and understanding in the world doesn't keep my struggles from being struggles. When I want to tear my face off at 2pm because I can't focus for one more second, not even on this project I love, and that I desperately want to finish...that's ADHD being a disability.

And when that's the situation at work, every other part of my life is even more affected. I'm spending way too much money on fast food and delivery because I can't bring myself to plan for work lunches, and I can't drag myself out of the office at lunch time because I can't change tasks. My bedroom and office trash are overflowing. Each room has just a path to get to the places I need (closet, desk, bed) because putting away any of the clutter is too daunting. I haven't sewn anything in almost a year, even though I have projects I'm super jazzed about. I've been hard to reach for a lot of friends, because the effort of maintaining a friendship has just felt like such a heavy lift lately no matter how dearly I love the person.

I lived without a diagnosis and without medication for 38 years, and for about the last five years of that time I was lucky enough to be able to shape my own environment to set me up for success as much as possible, but the fact is--I still struggle. It's still a disability, and while I would love a world that allowed for more ADHD-friendly existence, it's fully an "along with" solution rather than an "instead of" solution.

I don't strictly "like" taking ADHD meds, the comedown is awful and they play havoc on my appetite. But I kinda need them. I write software for a living. Software requires a great deal of focus that I simply cannot muster up off my meds. If I didn't have my meds, I would lose my job.

Part of this can be blamed on the cruelties of our modern capitalistic system. If the world understood my condition better, maybe I would not need to take stimulants to survive. I read an article once that really went all in on the idea that ADHD's negative perception is a symptom of perception, not an objective truth. Maybe people with ADHD are just as capable, but they do things in a different way to neurotypicals. Maybe all we need is better support, and social solutions, and more understanding of the different way that ADHDers think.

Which is all very compelling. Except.

I often find myself procrastinating activities that I want to do. My apartment has been accumulating dust because I keep forgetting to vacuum. One time I let the dishes in my sink stack too high and it was months before I could get myself to clean the mould off them. The demands of capitalism mean I need to software to pay rent, but sometimes I just want to do software, and no amount of narrative reframing or social support will clear the noise in my head long enough to let me focus on the code.

The notion that ADHD isn't a deficiency, just a different way of thinking, is something I find condescending. The implication here is I shouldn't have to write software, I should be given a different job, and I shouldn't have to maintain my own apartment, I should have the support of my community coming into my room and cleaning my things. But what if I want to do those things? What if I like software, or the privacy of an atomised existence? Maybe society has no right to decide what the correct way to live my life is, but surely I do!

The reason it sucks that it's hard for me to keep my dishes clean is not because the world says so, it is because I say so. It is because sometimes I want to be able to remember to do things and it sucks that I cannot live my life in the way that I want.

[ellasmithonline]

Tips for Keeping Your Home Clean Without Stress

Maintaining a clean home can feel overwhelming, especially when balancing work, family, and other responsibilities. However, keeping your home clean doesn't have to be a source of stress. With the right strategies and mindset, you can manage household chores efficiently and enjoy a tidy living space. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore practical tips for keeping your home clean without succumbing to stress. Additionally, if you need professional assistance, Maid-O-Matic in Albuquerque offers top-notch cleaning services to help you maintain a spotless home.

1. Create a Cleaning Routine

Establishing a Routine: One of the most effective ways to reduce stress related to cleaning is to establish a consistent cleaning routine. By breaking down cleaning tasks into manageable segments, you can maintain a clean home without feeling overwhelmed.

How to Create a Routine:

Daily Tasks: Identify daily tasks that need attention, such as making the bed, washing dishes, and tidying up common areas. Incorporate these tasks into your daily schedule to prevent clutter from accumulating.

Weekly Tasks: Designate specific days for weekly chores like vacuuming, dusting, and bathroom cleaning. By sticking to a schedule, you ensure that each area of your home receives regular attention.

Monthly Tasks: Include less frequent tasks, such as cleaning windows, deep-cleaning carpets, or organizing closets, in your monthly plan. This helps you stay on top of tasks that are important but less urgent.

Pro Tip: Use a digital calendar or a chore chart to keep track of your cleaning routine. Maid-O-Matic also offers customizable cleaning schedules to suit your needs, ensuring that your home remains in pristine condition.

2. Declutter Regularly

The Importance of Decluttering: A cluttered home can create stress and make cleaning more challenging. Regular decluttering helps reduce the amount of stuff you need to clean and keeps your living space organized.

How to Declutter:

Start Small: Begin with one area at a time, such as a single drawer or a closet. Tackling small tasks makes the process less overwhelming and more manageable.

Use the “One In, One Out” Rule: For every new item you bring into your home, make sure to remove an old item. This helps prevent clutter from accumulating and keeps your home organized.

Donate or Sell Unwanted Items: Regularly review your belongings and decide what to keep, donate, or sell. Items that are no longer needed or used can be passed on to others or sold to free up space.

Pro Tip: Implementing decluttering strategies can make regular cleaning more efficient. If you need assistance with decluttering and organizing, Maid-O-Matic offers professional organizing services to help you streamline your space.

3. Use the Right Cleaning Tools

Choosing the Right Tools: Using effective cleaning tools can make the task of cleaning more efficient and less stressful. Investing in quality tools helps ensure that you can clean effectively and save time.

Essential Cleaning Tools:

Microfiber Cloths: These are excellent for dusting and wiping surfaces without leaving streaks or lint behind. They are also reusable and can be washed.

Vacuum Cleaner: A good-quality vacuum cleaner with attachments for different surfaces makes cleaning carpets, upholstery, and hard floors easier.

All-Purpose Cleaner: An all-purpose cleaner simplifies the cleaning process by allowing you to use one product for various surfaces.

Pro Tip: Keep your cleaning tools organized and easily accessible. A cleaning caddy or dedicated storage space ensures that you can quickly find what you need when it’s time to clean. Maid-O-Matic uses top-quality tools and products to deliver exceptional cleaning results.

4. Involve the Whole Family

Sharing Responsibilities: Cleaning doesn’t have to be a solo task. Involving family members or housemates in the cleaning process can distribute the workload and reduce stress.

How to Involve Others:

Assign Chores: Create a chore chart and assign tasks to each family member based on their age and abilities. This helps everyone contribute to maintaining a clean home.

Set Expectations: Clearly communicate what is expected of each person and provide guidance on how to complete tasks. This ensures that everyone understands their responsibilities.

Encourage Participation: Make cleaning a team effort by setting up cleaning sessions where everyone works together. This can turn cleaning into a productive and bonding activity.

Pro Tip: Positive reinforcement and appreciation go a long way in motivating others to participate in cleaning. Recognize and reward their efforts to keep everyone engaged and committed. Maid-O-Matic can also assist with family-friendly cleaning solutions that accommodate the needs of all household members.

5. Implement Cleaning Hacks

Efficiency Tips: Cleaning hacks and shortcuts can make the cleaning process faster and less stressful. Incorporating these tips into your routine can help you achieve a cleaner home with less effort.

Effective Cleaning Hacks:

Use Baking Soda and Vinegar: These natural products are great for tackling tough stains and odors. For example, baking soda can be used to deodorize carpets and remove grease from stovetops, while vinegar is effective for cleaning glass and removing mineral deposits.

Lemon for Freshness: Lemon juice has natural antibacterial properties and a fresh scent. Use it to clean and deodorize cutting boards or to remove stains from surfaces.

Make Cleaning Solutions: Create your own cleaning solutions using ingredients like water, vinegar, and essential oils. This is cost-effective and allows you to avoid harsh chemicals.

Pro Tip: Experiment with different cleaning hacks to find what works best for your home. Maid-O-Matic utilizes professional-grade techniques and products to achieve optimal results efficiently.

6. Keep Up with Regular Maintenance

Importance of Maintenance: Regular maintenance prevents small issues from becoming big problems and ensures that your home remains clean and organized. Incorporate maintenance tasks into your cleaning routine to keep your home in top shape.

Maintenance Tips:

Inspect for Repairs: Regularly check for any repairs needed, such as leaky faucets or damaged appliances. Addressing these issues promptly prevents them from causing further problems.

Clean Air Vents and Filters: Regularly clean air vents and replace filters to maintain good air quality and prevent dust buildup in your home.

Maintain Appliances: Clean and maintain appliances such as refrigerators, ovens, and washing machines to ensure they function efficiently and last longer.

Pro Tip: Regular maintenance reduces the need for deep cleaning and helps keep your home in good condition. Maid-O-Matic offers comprehensive cleaning services that include maintenance tasks to keep your home running smoothly.

7. Set Realistic Expectations

Managing Expectations: It’s important to set realistic expectations for yourself and your home. Perfection is not always attainable, and aiming for it can lead to unnecessary stress.

How to Set Realistic Goals:

Focus on High-Traffic Areas: Prioritize cleaning areas that receive the most use, such as the kitchen, living room, and bathrooms. These areas have the most impact on overall cleanliness.

Accept Imperfections: Understand that it’s okay if your home isn’t spotless all the time. Focus on maintaining a clean and organized space rather than striving for perfection.

Celebrate Progress: Recognize and celebrate the progress you make in maintaining your home. Acknowledge the efforts you put in and enjoy the benefits of a clean living space.

Pro Tip: Setting achievable goals and being kind to yourself reduces the stress associated with cleaning. Maid-O-Matic can help you maintain a clean and organized home without the pressure of doing it all yourself.

8. Use Time-Saving Strategies

Efficiency Strategies: Implementing time-saving strategies can help you complete cleaning tasks more quickly and effectively, reducing the amount of time and stress involved.

Effective Strategies:

Clean as You Go: Incorporate cleaning into your daily activities. For example, wipe down kitchen surfaces while cooking or tidy up after using the bathroom.

Multitask: Combine tasks to save time, such as vacuuming while listening to a podcast or cleaning windows while waiting for laundry to finish.

Set a Timer: Allocate a specific amount of time for each cleaning task. Using a timer can help you stay focused and complete tasks more efficiently.

Pro Tip: Use time-saving strategies to streamline your cleaning routine and minimize stress. Maid-O-Matic’s professional services are designed to deliver thorough cleaning results efficiently, allowing you to enjoy a clean home without the hassle.

9. Create a Cleaning Checklist

Checklist Benefits: A cleaning checklist helps you stay organized and ensures that you don’t overlook important tasks. It also provides a visual representation of your progress.

How to Create a Checklist:

List Daily, Weekly, and Monthly Tasks: Break down cleaning tasks into categories based on their frequency. Include tasks such as dusting, vacuuming, and deep cleaning.

Include Specific Areas: Identify specific areas or rooms that need attention, such as the kitchen, bathrooms, and living areas. This ensures that no part of your home is neglected.

Track Your Progress: Check off tasks as you complete them to track your progress and stay motivated.

Pro Tip: A cleaning checklist helps you stay on top of your cleaning routine and ensures that all tasks are completed. Maid-O-Matic can provide personalized cleaning checklists tailored to your home’s needs.

10. Seek Professional Help When Needed

When to Consider Professionals: While managing your own cleaning can be effective, there are times when professional help can make a significant difference. Hiring a professional cleaning service can alleviate stress and provide a deeper level of cleanliness.

Benefits of Professional Cleaning:

Expertise: Professionals have the experience and knowledge to tackle tough cleaning tasks efficiently.

Specialized Equipment: Professional cleaners use high-quality equipment and products that may not be available to the average homeowner.

Time Savings: Outsourcing cleaning tasks frees up your time, allowing you to focus on other important aspects of your life.

Pro Tip: Consider scheduling regular professional cleaning services to maintain a high standard of cleanliness without the stress. Maid-O-Matic offers comprehensive cleaning solutions designed to meet your needs and ensure your home remains spotless.

Conclusion

Keeping your home clean without stress is achievable with the right strategies and mindset. By creating a cleaning routine, decluttering regularly, using effective tools, involving family members, and implementing cleaning hacks, you can manage household chores efficiently. Setting realistic expectations, using time-saving strategies, and creating a cleaning checklist further simplify the process.

For those who need additional support, Maid-O-Matic in Albuquerque offers expert cleaning services that can help you maintain a clean and organized home. Located at 2901 Juan Tabo Blvd NE, Suite 8, Albuquerque, NM 87112, Maid-O-Matic provides tailored cleaning solutions designed to meet your specific needs.

Phone: Call (505) 379-3154 to discuss your cleaning requirements and schedule a site visit.

Email: Reach out to team@maid-o-matic.com for inquiries or more information about their services.

Website: Visit Janitorial Services Albuquerque NM to explore the range of services offered and request a quote online.

By incorporating these tips and seeking professional assistance when needed, you can enjoy a clean and stress-free home. Embrace these strategies to simplify your cleaning routine and create a welcoming environment for yourself and your loved ones.

[mrnmrspetjaipur]

How Do Cats React After They Lose Their Loved Ones?

Cats do display behavioral changes, some of which might be hard for humans to understand upon the death of their companion or partner.

Animals that have a strong attachment to one another have a greater probability of being affected negatively by their friend's passing. Breeds such as Siamese, Ragdoll, Maine Coon, and Burmese are often described as being particularly sociable and attached to their human caregivers, So it is possible that these cats mourn the death of a rival.

Although it will never be known if cats comprehend death, they are aware that a certain thing is different in the house and that one of their housemates is absent.

How does a cat grieve?

Every Individual has wondered how cats grieve as cats have been known for being lonely and distant.

Although it's unclear if they experience death in the same manner as humans, cats do lament the loss of an animal or human friend and often adjust their behavior to cope with the ups and downs in their lives. 

These behavioral changes in the cats gave us the answer of how cats grieve and make us believe that the cat grieves the loss of their human or animal friend.  

How to help a grieving cat?

It is easy to help a grieving cat in getting over the loss in a variety of ways. Reducing disruptions allows the cat to adjust to the loss of a friend. Maintain the same schedule for the cat. 

Changing the timing of meals or even just rearranging the furnishings might add to the tension.

Promoting eating by placing water or meat juice over the food or by gently warming it can also help a grieving cat to have a meal. 

During meal times, sit with your cat to offer comfort and security. These few changes can help a grieving cat to overcome the loss of a partner.

It is suggested to spend quality time with your cat. You may distract your cat and provide much-needed comfort by playing with them or simply spending time with them on the couch. 

If your cat is alone at home, then improve the environment of your cat by giving him fresh toys and gifts.

If your cat has a habit of spending time outside, please keep them inside and spend quality time with your cat inside since they could try to find the deceased person and end themselves in unsafe or unfamiliar places.

Do Cats Grieve for How Long?

The cat goes in search of the deceased loved one in the first stage. Excessive vocalization, pacing, and searching are indications. 

After this lively but brief period, the cat moves into a more inactive phase known as the second stage.

Acceptance is the last stage, and this is typically when a cat's character changes permanently, as when they start to grow friendlier with people. 

A cat may move through these three phases in a matter of days or months.

Signs of cat grief :

A cat that survives the death of an individual or animal in the home may exhibit signs of cat grief that are indicative of sadness.

Cats might encounter an appetite decline, alterations to sleep habits sobbing, looking for additional care, or having an overall depressing attitude.

However, keep in mind that signs of cat grief might not displayed in some of them. Certain cats could seem indifferent to the death of a family member or pet.

It is hard to predict since cats have an intricate social structure that influences how they feel about losing a housemate.

After one of your cats passes away, observe signs of cat grief and you might notice a shift in the dynamics between the remaining cats in your home. After a companion cat dies, give your cat some time to adjust to life again.

Is getting a new companion necessary to keep my cat company?

It might be tempting to get a new companion soon after the death of an old one, both for your comfort and to give your surviving cat a new friend but resist the urge to do so.

Due to their distinct social needs, cats can fail to form bonds with other cats, even after years of peaceful coexistence. We highly advise not to get a new companion or kitten right immediately and instead give your surviving cat some time to adjust to life without their mate. Your pet may get even more stressed if they get a new companion shortly after losing a previous one.

Conclusion: Cats may show signs of grief, such as loss of appetite, crying, or searching. Maintaining a consistent routine can help them cope after a pet's death. However, if you plan to get a new companion to live with your surviving cat, consider the cat's social needs and whether it will benefit from living with unrelated individuals.

View Source:https://www.mrnmrspet.com/blogs/how-do-cats-react-after-they-lose-their-loved-ones

[crookedkryptonitebeliever]

Best and Worst of Both Worlds (part 17)

Tw: readrr crying so hard its gross

As usual vote down below, will only consider the first 20 votes

Part 18

You told him no, thanks. You do not want to go on an all-expense paid trip to some foreign country you know little about nor speak the language of. No less, with a man whom you have only known a little over a month.

He expected this, but it doesn't hurt any less that Yves could see signs of you being excited and invigorated that he's leaving for a while. Not a long while, only 7 days. If you weren't so averse to his presence now, this could have been a 36-hour trip. Alas, he has to keep himself away from you.

Yves told you that he will be traveling overseas for an important conference regarding his research. He initially didn't intend to leave, but his control over himself is noticeably waning. In a way, this is his punishment; and he actually has to attend this to share his latest findings and discuss them with other researchers. Yves will still be watching over you, he is just not within arm's reach.

It's such a shame that he isn't your source of comfort for the time being. Your semester is starting soon and you did a terrible job of hiding your displeasure that he will be sending you to and picking you up from University. He knows you're trying your hardest to pretend you're enthusiastic, but he could see right through you.

You needed some space of your own. As much as he wants to be with you on your first day of the second semester, he knows that would be the last straw and it would push you to run away from him. Yves will only return after your first week.

Yves types away at his laptop on your desk, this time he has a spreadsheet of what he's planning to bring on this 7-day trip. Simultaneously, he's waiting for you to come back from the bathroom after claiming that you have a stomach ache.

He switched tabs to the live video feed in your makeshift refuge and saw that you were scrolling mindlessly on your phone, not even sitting on the toilet. Your knees are brought to your chest and your back against the shower wall. Your housemates have been complaining to him that you're hogging the bathroom.

He tried bringing it up to you, but your discomfort talking about it is so extreme that it's also painful to him.

Yves thought that by reducing his physical affections to a meager 5 kisses and 12 hugs a day, you would recover without needing him to disappear for 168 hours straight. But he was wrong, you're more out-touched than he thought. You started wincing at the sparse touches he gave.

He started coming in at 3pm and leaving at 7 in the evening. That wasn't enough to make you stop gritting your teeth when you saw him. As if a dagger had gone through his heart, your body told him everything, you started flinching in his presence, hunching over and idling in a closed-off manner, barely maintaining eye contact with him. The last one, not out of shyness or bashfulness, but out of disgust at his appearance.

Yves understands you don't think he's hideous. He knows your mind is just bored, he is all you see almost the entirety of your semester break. He should have brought you out to dates, but he was too blinded by selfishness to see that. Yves wanted his hugs and kisses, it would be a lot more inconvenient to receive or give them outside.

He managed to fix your sight fatigue by putting his hair up in different hairstyles and subtly changing the details of his makeup. Yves would smile when your curious eyes lingered on his face longer, trying to figure out what was fresh about him, but there were only so many styles he could do. Yves knew he would eventually exhaust his options and go back to square one.

Yves sighed again, feeling like such a fool for going against the plan. Well, he is a lovesick fool for you. There is no use beating himself over the past, he has to settle the problem at hand.

He got up from his seat, saving his work and switching his laptop off. Yves left your room and made a beeline to the bathroom.

He raps his knuckles on the door. You yelled out 'Occupied!'

"(name), you have been in there for two hours." He crossed his arm and leaned against the door frame, his ponytail swished along with him and brushed his neck.

You widened your eyes. That's right, you've been in there for a while. You lost track of time.

You told him that you would be out in a few more minutes.

You heard no response from him. Because you didn't hear those distinct heels striking the floor, it's safe to assume that he's still outside.

You quietly grumbled as you got up from the floor, flushed the toilet even though it hadn't been used, and then turned on the tap to wash your hands.

You dried them on the hand towel Yves provided for you to use. You don't know how he managed to keep your housemates from stealing the things he puts out specially for you.

You took a deep breath and had to hype yourself up, telling yourself that Yves would be gone tomorrow and life would go back to normal for at least seven days, more if he found someone else he liked in the conference.

Yves heard that and it made his heart ache. He has to remind himself that you're thinking of him in that light due to your own insecurities. Not because you think he's a cheating scum. It hurts, it really does. Because Yves would never lay his eyes on anyone else besides you, it wasn't a possibility at all.

You slowly opened the door and awkwardly greeted him. Yves smiled softly at you.

"My flight is at one in the afternoon tomorrow." He stared at your face, you're waiting for him to finish speaking. Oh, how he will miss seeing it in this proximity. "I will be at the airport by noon."

To his surprise, you offered to send him off. Warmth spreads from his chest as he realizes that you still cared for him despite you wanting to claw your skin off when he touches it.

Logically it isn't sane to break up with him for being too clingy. The good outweighs the bad by a metric ton. You're actually happy deep down that he has some sort of a flaw in your eyes. In a way, by putting up with his bullcrap, you're repaying the 'debt' that you have incurred. You didn't feel too bad having him go above and beyond for you anymore.

You're starting to think he noticed that you're withdrawing from him. You feel bad.

"I would appreciate your company very much. Thank you-" A silent gasp escaped his lips when you wrapped your arms around his torso and squeezed yourself into him.

His emerald eyes were wide trying to make sense of this sudden change in demeanor.

You had to hide your face, or else your grimace will give it away you're not enjoying this. But he could see your reflection on the radiator nearby.

He beamed, now realizing that you either fear losing him, or felt guilty for avoiding him. Either way, it's assurance that Yves will have an easier time worming back into your life after the trip.

He slowly wrapped his arms around you. Trapping you against him for just a few more seconds, savoring what he can get.

Yves was elated that you're willing to sacrifice your comfort for his.

___

For a man with an uncountable number of beauty regimes, he is packing light for 7 days. His handbag, a suitcase and a luggage bag. The one thing you're surprised though, is that he's here only an hour before his flight. Usually you would wait in the airport for at least three hours.

You wished he had his confidence in travelling. Or maybe it's the fact that he's flying first class, he didn't have to worry about coming early. That would give you plenty of confidence.

He checked in his baggage and prepared his passport. You stretched your neck to try and have a peek, but he clasped the booklet closed when he noticed you're being nosy.

"If there is anything. Anything at all, please don't hesitate to contact me. I will always answer no matter where I am." He tucked a strand of hair behind your ear and smoothed your frizzles.

He cupped your cheeks and gave you a kiss on the forehead. You stared into his eyes, he stared back longingly.

Your lower lip began to quiver and immediately after you burst out crying.

You hugged him and sobbed in his chest. You wished you chose to skip the first week and come with him instead. You're scared because you will be that friendless person on campus again. You have to take the night bus due to your classes and your housemates will go back to disrespecting you.

You know it's only for a week. But you're so used to having him stuck by your side like a parasite that you didn't realize what you took for granted. You're going to miss his freshly cooked meals despite him preparing a week's worth of dinner in the fridge. But you didn't want microwaved dinners, you wanted dinners fresh off the stove. You wanted a warm lunch, not a cold sandwich from the vending machine at the university.

He cooed, asking what was the matter.

You can hardly get a word out, coughing and choking over your own tears and mucus. He gently pried you apart from him and crouched down. His hands held your head in place, you gripped onto his sleeves like it's your lifeline. His thumbs wiped your tears away, Yves is shocked that you're already receptive towards his touch again. But this is most likely a false result due to the overwhelming emotions you're feeling right now.

"Dear, I will not be gone forever, only seven days." He reminded. You cried harder, that means from Monday to the next Monday. It shouldn't be that bad because you lived your entire life before meeting Yves. But you don't want to go back, to living pathetically. Even just for a short period of time.

The only thing Yves can gleam from your incoherent babbling through your hiccups is that you won't have any friends and that Yves is your only friend.

He had to pull you back into the hug, letting your chin rest on his shoulder to conceal his amused expression from your sight. This is wonderful, you are guaranteed to run straight into his arms when he comes back. Completely touch-starved and absorb all his warmth like a sponge.

You wrap your arms around his neck, burying your face in his hair and ruining it at the same time. It's all wet with tears, snot and spit. Yves didn't mind, he is happy to enjoy one last hug before he leaves.

"(name)." He called.

You tried to control your wailing, but tears kept rushing out and you don't know why. This is getting ridiculous, he's only gone for a week! But it feels like he's going to die.

He created some distance so he could see your face. It's all puffy and red. Yves gave you a pitied expression. He pressed both of his palms on the side of your face.

"It's not good to cry so much, (name). I am only leaving for a week." He gently pinched your nose to remove the excess mucus, Yves reached for his handbag. "The time will pass by and I will be back by your side." He pulled out a piece of tissue and cleaned his fingers.

Crumpling the soiled one and putting it nearby for him to dispose of later, he took out a fresh piece and began wiping your face.

"(Name), look at me." He whispered. His fingers guided you by the chin. You saw Yves donning an empathetic, caring smile. "I know you will do well in class. You are an excellent student with a lovable personality."

You sniffled and squeezed more tears out of your swollen eyelids. Yves moved closer to kiss you on the forehead.

"I would love to hear about your day through video calls. You can always send me a message at any time. I am never truly apart from you, I will always be there, watching over you."

You whimpered, trying to rub your eyes with the back of your hand. But Yves stopped you, using a sanitary paper napkin to do the job instead.

"You're resilient and kind, you can achieve anything you strive for." He pressed another kiss on your damp cheek.

"Enough tears now. Be good for me during my absence. Promise." He brought up his pinkie finger. You hesitantly hooked yours around his, Yves momentarily tightened it before giving them a delicate kiss.

"Go to Jones. He will drive you anywhere you want." He picked up the trash from the floor, dumped it into a garbage can and guided you by the shoulders. Mr Jones, the man Yves hired to chauffeur him to the airport is standing nearby.

Yves discussed with you this arrangement whereby you would give Mr Jones a call and he would arrive in 10-15 minutes to pick you up. He could be your means of private transportation to and from the university.

You found out that it costs Yves $200 an hour to drive you anywhere. That means $50 just to get to your place and another $50 to go to the university. Not worth it, you rather take the bus than burn a hole in his wallet.

"Goodbye, (name). Take care." He stroked your hair and gave you a smooch on the lips. He smoothed your hair with his manicured fingernails. "Eat and sleep well, please." There was a mild warning in his tone. You nodded profusely.

"Jones." He acknowledged his chauffeur.

Mr Jones tipped his uniform cap towards him. After that, his gloved hands were tucked neatly behind his back.

You watch Yves prepare to enter the first-class boarding area, he handed his boarding pass to the officer. He checked it and unhooked the velvet ropes for him to pass. He spared you one last ominous glance before disappearing into the room.

You stood there for a few seconds, now feeling... an odd sense of relief. You're still a bit sad that you will not see the man who took care of you as if you're a newborn for a week. But you felt this new sense of freedom washing over you.

You looked at Mr Jones. He bowed. "At your service, Mx (name)."

You looked around you and saw a plethora of people crying and saying their goodbyes to their loved ones. You did that already. You couldn't believe you were so sappy with Yves.

What now?

You have air conditioning in your room, so you could just rot there until tomorrow.

Or you could go somewhere else and spend the last day of your break wisely. You always wanted to try that ice cream store you saw on social media. But too bad, Yves isn't here to pay for it. It's $15 a scoop!

Suddenly, you received a notification on your phone.

You felt like your eyes were about to pop out of your head.

"$5000.00 has been credited into your account number ending XXXX6969."

You quickly tapped on it to see what was going on.

"Instant Transfer From: Yves

Amount: 5000.00

Description: Allowance

Reference: I love you."

You convinced yourself that the redness on your cheeks are from the crying earlier.

You fan yourself for a bit before turning to face Mr Jones again.

"Where to, Mx (name)?"

[mid-day-naps]

I’m making about 49k/year and I feel like I’m barely getting by. I have 3 other housemates, and there are 3 cats that live here. I love the cats. I had no idea that I’d love these cats so much. I was always a dog person, until I met these 3. my living situation actually isn’t bad. The house is clean, there’s never dishes in the sink, everyone in the house contributes to cleaning, and maintaining a good home environment. It just feels a little crowded just cuz of the amount of living beings here. my job - the ppl in the office are actually ok. I get to work with my friend which is a plus. I just don’t love sitting out in the open office area. It makes it a little hard to focus for me. My boss is kind, and I actually do like the work I do. My manager is stressing me out a little by her ambitious goals, I’m not getting a higher pay for all this potential new work 🥲 basically my job is I help ppl find work- marginalized women mostly, who experienced some sort of dv in the past, or just new to the country, or just need to work again. My commute is just long and I’m tired from the commute :( which tbh affects my whole week! I thought about maybe driving but I literally can’t afford a car lmao. Anyway. I need to find ways to de stress every day. Being out in public stresses me out in general (potential sa, literal potential danger, getting hurt) which takes up a lot of brain space just having to be be vigilant and aware. Sigh. Life of a girly.

[hlmowrer]

Week 38: And then there were three

This week was weird.  The first day and last days were really awesome, and the other ones...weren't.

The first day was Elder Walker's last working day, and it was perfect.  We were busy all day, met some cool people, taught two awesome new friends about the Restoration, had a great study with some new members, and got him all set to travel.  He was visibly thrilled with how his last day went, and I'm really happy that I was able to do my part to help him end on a really good note.

And then things went a bit downhill.  After sending Elder Walker to Lansing, I began a trio with my housemates, Elder Boe and Elder Larsen.  Maintaining two areas as a single companionship is hard, doing any kind of missionary work as a trio is harder, and without Elder Walker to encourage me, keeping good habits became nigh impossible.  We struggled to accomplish much throughout the week, and then on Saturday we got a call from our President's assistants...informing us that (after just a single transfer) my area would be closed, my car and SIM card would be taken, and the trio would be permanent.

So much for just trying to limp into the next transfer.

Oh, and Elder Boe would become a district leader for the first time.  And just for giggles, his Facebook account got hacked while all this was happening.  So we mildly lost our minds for about 24 hours, before deciding that we needed to do something before we spent the next month of our precious lives in utter chaos.  So we spent two hours devising daily plans, discussing house policies, and being as open as we could with each other about what we could do to make things better.  It was the most productive two hours I've had all week, and I'm genuinely now excited for how it could go.  Part of our plan is to have daily inventories in which we offer advice and praise to the others in the group.  As we complimented each other, we noticed that the three of us each have a really valuable skill or talent that the other two lack, and that if we could truly be efficient, working together we could really get quite a lot done.

Amazing how in just a single day it's possible to go from bemoaning reality to seeing the hand of God in your life.

There's other good news too...many of the missionaries in my district who I like are staying around, my ol' companion Elder Wilchek is my new zone leader, and I get to stay in this area I love so much.

Blessings, blessings, everywhere.

For you all too, should you choose to see them. <3

-Elder Beren Mowrer

[squarestarheart]

Intentional community is hard, and trying to find a housemate who meets the existing community standards is very important for maintaining a cohesive community.

The points in the list here are presented as possible challenges; if you feel that you wouldn't be able to meet the expectations of the community, you shouldn't ask to live with them. The language here about disability is the only true red flag to me- I'd expect that a welcoming community would make a concerted effort to accommodate a disability. The comment about closed doors is a yellow flag- I'd have to ask what they meant by that.

You couldn't pay me

[constellation-falchion]

ok but real talk how do I actually maintain friendships beyond the ppl i literally live with