#birds boost mood

[thestudentfarmer]

Woke a bit early today and heard my kitty in her window seat going squirrely, so took a lil peak out and saw this

On the left is likely a chickadee, on the right I believe is a Gila woodpecker. Usually I see them on the power lines, picking for bugs.

This visitor also drinks sugar water, which suprised me! Turns out I may need to get a few more hummingbird feeders than expected lol.

I make my sugar water 1 pt plain sugar:4 parts water (I do use filtered to keep cleaning of the waterer to a minimum of human handling) mix till clear and fill.

🧇absolutly no red dye🧇

Even though there's not really any studies done on it I'm pretty sure, just like us humans, that red dye messes with bird bodies long term. And since I try not to use them myself, I'm sure the birds don't want it either.

Info blurb,

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gila_woodpecker

https://www.desertmuseum.org/kids/oz/long-fact-sheets/Gila%20Woodpecker.php

That's it for now :)

[tothechaos]

there are always a few habits that youll have that youre unsure if they are things you do because youre autistic or if you do them because youre just a little weird (unrelated to the autism)

[angel-of-the-moons]

The Bird and The Worm

Steven Grant x Shy!Fem!Reader

TW/CW: None really, some fluff. Overprotective Birb Dad Khonshu, activate!

A/N: Alright since y'all loved this post so much I had to do something with it, and given that it's Valentine's Day and I am, as usual, chronically single, I figured I would share the delulu with our sweet little nerd. It's short, I know. But my chest is hurting and I am thinking of going to the ER later lol (I also recommend listening to Owl City's "The Bird and The Worm" it's a cute song!)

You had been in a very good mood, today, Khonshu had noticed. Humming to yourself, giggling a bit louder than usual at something on your phone. He watched as you practically bounced around your flat.

"I take it something has happened, little bird?" Khonshu hummed, a humored scoff coming from his chest. You continued to buzz around, even reaching for your seldomly-used makeup kit you only used for special work parties or for fun--and the latter was rare.

He leaned against the wall, to remain out of your way, amusement tickling something deep within him. Indeed, you were like a busy little bee, buzzing around her hive.

"Oh!" You finally chirp out a response, beaming happily up at him. "I... Um... Well, I um, got a date!"

That surprised him.

You were a wallflower; a shy, little thing that had beautiful and bright colors that stood out; especially amongst his dwindling followers. Not keen on being the center of attention, you preferred to dance on the coattails of most social situations.

And you had never been out on a date before, let alone asked out by anyone.

"And who is your date?" Khonshu asked, tipping his head to the side as you began to apply your facial primer. Makeup trends definitely changed from how they used to do them back in his day...

"Oh, he's so sweet! Some guy knocked into me while I was out today; knocked my smoothie all over the floor and didn't even apologize." You huff, recalling that rude dude, "Then he showed up and snapped at him! He even paid for me to get a new one, even though I said he didn't have to..."

You remembered how heartbroken you felt--you had been looking forward to your favorite smoothie all day. Work sucked and those little pick-me-ups always boosted your mood and energy when you needed them.

"And after that we sat down and started talking--we have a lot in common." You giggled, carefully dripping foundation on your face before beginning to blend it. "He seemed hesitant at first, when he asked me out, tonight... But he finally got all the words out and, well, I d'nno... It felt right to finally say yes to someone?"

"Hmm." He hummed, thinking hard. You didn't normally warm up to people, and to see you so excited for something... he was happy for you. His shy little bird opening up her wings a little.

"And you are not concerned this man was putting up a front?" He asked dubiously, his own mind drawing conclusions.

"...No. I really didn't get that vibe from him." You replied thoughtfully, looking down at your bronzers and highlighters; trying to think of what kind of look you wanted to go for. Something to match your little turtleneck dress, surely. And well, it was Valentine's Day, so.... You went with some neutral shades. Blush was light and pink; your eyeshadows a mix of red and pink, too.

"...I see." Khonshu murmured, his head tipping to the other side.

"But we're going to meet up for dinner tonight. I hope it all goes well..." Your voice had fallen a little bit; the melancholy tone slipping into your voice a little saddening. You had spent many of these holidays alone--never having anyone to spend them with.

So... Well. There was no harm in letting you have this date, letting you go out and try to have fun with this mystery man of yours.

But you were downright silly to think Khonshu would just up and let you go to an undisclosed location without him shadowing you to make sure your were safe.

He had intended to follow you to make sure your date was what you had claimed he was--not some secret serial killer or someone who had a history of some form of violence towards another person.

But this... was so much worse.

Oh, he was steaming.

Fuming, toxic--an inferno of rage and disgust when he sat down with you at your little table.

The setting was a little roo intimate for his tastes; warm, soft candlelight, round-table booths where two could sit undeniably closer than most would deem normal--tucked in the back where few prying eyes would see.

Well. Save for him, anyways.

But what made him the most angry wasn't even how close you two were sitting; or even how he made you laugh.

It was the fact your date was Steven-fucking-Grant. The biggest thorn in his side since Marc had begun work under him as his Avatar. Even bigger than Marc's challenging and anti-authoritative attitude towards his will.

He was glad the man was no threat, but he hated the fact that naturally, your shy and quiet-natured soul had been drawn to Steven. The man was, by his own tally, a whiney, soft-hearted little cretin.

Always looking on the verge of a panic attack or a sobbing fit, his very soul radiated something that pissed Khonshu off.

And so... Khonshu decided that he could not let this be. Not his little bird. Not on his watch.

You needed to be kept safe--and being involved with Steven or any of the others meant you could be put in harm's way. Even moreso just than being a follower of his.

At least worshipping him can be done in private. Here you are, in public, with the worm. Instead of devouring him, like a bird should, you commiserated and laughed with him.

And so, he spent the rest of the evening trying to ruin your date; if only to keep you safe. Yes, yes. He had to keep you safe. And away from Steven. Especially Steven.

...Mostly Steven.

When Steven held out the little flower he'd gotten for you, Khonshu made the candle flame flare up and catch the head on fire--making the both of you panic just for him to dunk it in the pitcher of water at your table.

But all that did was make you worry, taking his hands to check them over for burns, handing your napkin from your lap to dry his hands.

He spilled the glass of wine on Steven's crisp and neatly-pressed shirt. All that did was make you giggle at Steven's apology for being "clumsy", and you leaned over with some napkins to try and dab away the red stain on the fabric.

The waiter had dropped your food order, spilling your pasta in your own lap and covering your legs with the sauce and noodles. (Oh, he felt bad for that one.)

But once again, fate was conspiring against him. Steven had all but tripped over himself in an effort to try and flag down the staff for a towel to help clean you off (but maintaining a respectful touch as he did so).

At all the "funny" coincidences of the evening, Steven managed to convince you to let him walk you home.

Khonshu had had enough.

He pushed Steven into a dirty puddle in the sidewalk, splattering your nice shoes with grime and muck, his curls plastered to his head with gross water as he was left sputtering in confusion.

So... naturally, you ripped off your jacket when you pulled him up, and wiped his face with it; offering to take him back to your apartment to clean up.

The night turning out "perfect" for you two had him wanting to smash his skull open on a brick wall.

"Don't mean t' take up your couch, love." Steven murmured into his warm cup of tea. You had so generously offered to wash his clothes for him and let him shower--even giving him permission to use your special shampoos and soaps!--and then told him, since his laundry was dirty... He could have the couch and you two could split the vegan-friendly chocolates he brought for you while his clothes were washing.

"It's okay." You reply, wiping the last bits of your makeup from your face; already having slipped into some cute pajamas with kitty cats on them, your shirt had the slogan "Nap time is the purr-fect time!" on it. You sat next to him, cradling your cup of tea in your hands, the faint sound of your washer humming along in the background.

"Whole bloody evening's been a mess, hasn't it?" He smiled apologetically. "I didn't mean to come home with you--that is! Uh! I mean..." He rubbed the back of his neck and couched nervously, a hint of pink on his cheeks, "Well, I didn't want to impose, y'know? Or seem like some creepy weirdo who tries to stalk girls home, yeah?"

Steven was wearing a pair of your largest pj pants, and an old sports jersey, wrapped up in one of your fuzzy bathrobes. He looked the farthest thing away from a "creep". He had been a perfect gentleman all evening!

"It's okay." You smile warmly at him, setting your mug down next to his on the coffee table in font of you, reaching for your TV remote.

As you both settled in on your couch for a silly rom-com movie that had popped up in your recommended list on Netflix, Khonshu was almost vibrating from the sheer rage he felt--he was certain he would snap his staff with how hard he had been gripping it.

He was even more enraged when, after you had both become so engrossed with the movie you had let your time slip away; that you had offered to let Steven stay the fucking night. And even moreso that he accepted.

When the two of you had fallen asleep, cuddling on your couch--Khonshu hated the fact that you two just seemed... so... Ugh! Perfect for each other! No matter what he had done tonight--somehow you inevitably wound up in his arms; snuggled up and sleeping peacefully.

Well... it was better than the more intimate alternative--but still!

The bird wound up cuddling with the worm. His little bird.

As your chests rose and fell with calm, even breathing; Steven snuggled so tightly against you that his arm was draped over your waist and his nose was in the crook of your neck, Khonshu glowered.

He wondered if he let himself get hit by a car, would it kill him?

It was better than watching his sweet, innocent little bird fall for one of the most deceptively innocent creatures on Earth.

Yes you were happy, but come on...

Why did it have to be his Avatar?!

[huellitaa]

good morning! 𐙚๋࣭⭑⋅˚♡.

i dont think people quite understand the importance of having a good morning routine. how we spend our morning sets the tone for the day and its a very important, peaceful, underrated & overlooked part of life i think we should appreciate more !! ♡

──★ ˙ ̟🎀 the importance of a good morning

gives a sense of control

sets the mood for the day

develops healthy habits

boosts productivity and energy levels

helps to manage work & schedules

improves memory and focus

...anddd much much more. i love love love mornings so maybe i'm a liittle biased but they're so overhated & have so many positive benefits we should def make use of! ♡

🧸𓂃 ࣪˖ 1. gratitude

idk if its just me but waking up early and prioritising my mornings makes me a lot a lot more grateful for everything i have in my life. appreciate just how lucky we are to be able to even have a bed to wake up in in the morning. be so grateful for being able to see the sunlight through your window and being able to see another day. its a luxury, privilege and blessing to be alive.

🧸𓂃 ࣪˖ 2. dress up!

getting ready is always my FAVOURITE part of the morning. "but im not going anywhere" "im just going to school" "theres no point" no. idc. why do you have to have a reason? why cant you just do it for yourself? when i look cute i feel cute & when i feel cute i feel good. dress up do ur hair do ur makeup (if u wear it) ! look good -> feel good. 💖

(🗒️🎀 note: i also have a post on looking good at school here! ♡)

🧸𓂃 ࣪˖ 3. time management

set the perfect time for you. that revolves around the time it takes you to get ready, to travel to your destination, etc. and set that back by 30 minutes. so for example say said time would be 7am -> you'd then change that to 6:30. that way youve got the extra time to just focus on yourself and sort out your day, choose what youre wearing, eat a lovely breakfast, drink something yummy, exercise, pilates, tidy up, etc. ♡

🧸𓂃 ࣪˖ 4. romanticism & enjoyment

id say this goes hand in hand with time management but make it so that you aren't rushing and stressing in the morning. enjoying the little things makes life as a whole so much more enjoyable. mornings often set the tone for the day, so if you have a calm and gentle morning, youre more likely to have a good day! ♡

🧸𓂃 ࣪˖ 5. clear mind

the third sibling of time management & romanticism is definitely being able to go into the day with a clear head. dumping down all your emotions in a journal, in your notes, whatever you use & having your day clearly planned out is a massive motivator for me. i use notion since im more of a visual learner and enjoy having things laid out pretty and neat in front of me but it can be anything you like! (notes, paper, journal, etc.) this ensures you go into the day without a ton of thoughts and worries weighing on your head already before you even start.

so maybe im a little biased because i really love mornings but think about it. feeling the sun through your window in the early dawn, watching it rise and listening to the birds, having some downtime to clear your mind and just be free for a little while before chaos of life begins again. i love you and wish you the best in all you do today 🫶🩷💕

all my love 🫶🩷🎀

[spadesolace]

leading lady - bonus 01. chemistry

previous | next

it was early in the morning for the call time for the ensemble, let alone it was too early for y/n. most of the time her fridays would be spent sleeping in after a week of classes but here she is, carrying 7 drinks for everyone to get them in the mood.

“if it isn’t our lead making a grand entrance!” dino had noticed y/n’s tired state, wearing a plain shirt and jeans paired with an oversized sweater hanging by her shoulder.

“let her do her own thing first. she’s not an early bird.” heejin was merely behind y/n who had the biggest smile as she walks down towards the front with the rest holding her own drink.

“i got everyone’s usual.” y/n placed the drinks on the other table, far from the papers that are needed for the casting call.

“unnie, how much do we gotta pay you?” hanni was ready to pay for her order but everyone just looked at her as if she was crazy.

“no need, han. think of it as a treat from me to get us in the mood.”

“you sure…?” a weak raise of a thumbs up was all the confirmation hanni got as everyone settled down holding their drinks. yunjin was going through the list of people auditioning and from their retweets, it gained quite the attention.

one thing everyone is aware of, im y/n has such immense power to the point no one is brave enough to say no to her. from a simple retweet of a post, the possibility of sharing a stage with y/n is enough to make people try and take a chance. some were merely side characters, the ones that only wish to see y/n in action - to see violet shine on stage. it was no surprise there were quite a lot of people auditioning for the leading lady, the second lead, and minor characters. a few familiar names did pop up, one of which are close to the ensemble.

yunjin isn’t one to waste time, the girl works hard and y/n could clearly see it. she doesn’t merely pick someone to play as the lead, especially if she knows she could trust that person to bring the same energy from the audition to the big stage. some would expect that the film major would be head of production for the play at the annual event - yunjin seems to fit the role more.

after the quick reminders, people slowly started entering the auditorium. the once quiet place now filled with noise, especially early in the morning; y/n questions how people have that energy when she could barely keep her eyes open. a short nap wouldn’t hurt, right?

before y/n could doze off for a short while, a power nap as one would say. a soft nudge then to a smack on the head was all it took for the girl to look up. she could only smile at the person who reminded her why mornings were bearable before.

“good luck later, boo. just don’t say the script in more than one language.” ryujin, her best friend, has always been supportive in the most unpredictable way possible. from being given a packed lunch with snacks to receiving an entire pack of her favorite candy with cut out pictures of memes of their friend group with notes to motivate. y/n in response flipped her off, only to make ryujin laugh at her.

“so, what unhinged motivational boost are you gonna give me this time, bae?” lia doesn’t pay much attention to the call signs the pair has for each other. it has been that way before they started dating. she’d rather have them have sweet nicknames rather than cursing at each other like in their private twitter.

“i don’t think i could beat the jyp poster from last year. so this time, it’s just a coupon to message me later to buy you lunch or something.”

“thanks, ryu. are gonna study while we do this?” ryujin could only laugh, if there was one thing people feared was that being judged by the pair. being blunt and not afraid to hide their expressions, who wouldn’t be scared and intimidated by them?

“it would be better that way, got an exam next week… i’ll see you later, bae.” ryujin gave a head pat to y/n who was much more cheery compared to earlier. lia could only kiss her girlfriend on the cheek as she finished preparing the set up for the ensemble.

“good luck with that and later, boo.” that was the best mood booster for y/n.

———————————————————

the ensemble had been too kind during the auditions, some were there to truly perform and get a spot somehow.

lily and lia were quite disappointed as no one could bring some of the characters they wrote truly come to life. no one could embody the characters written, not like how yunjin wanted to.

“danielle marsh is up next, auditioning for ariel, claire’s best friend.” soobin looked at the list that was now halfway through.

“dani?” y/n ears perked up, she’s one of the few juniors she has that has the same drive and passion as her. most film majors would choose to be in y/n’s positions rather than be on stage - but that’s just a preference.

“she’s good, i’m surprised she didn’t go for the lead role.” hanni picked up her pen, almost ready to give the girl a complete yes to the role. maybe that’s why they gave danielle one of the few scenes she has with y/n, the first audition with her participation.

“y/n, could you?” yunjin nudged the girl next to her, looking at the stage to see danielle smiling at them and holding the script. she stood up, which had people cheering, the girl who has everyone’s eyes on her finally on stage. where people believed she belonged.

“morning, dani. for formalities, kindly state your name and what role you’ll be auditioning for.” slight bow for formalities, a dazzling smile but not too much where it would be considered creepy, and a proper posture that shows power and authority. it was no longer y/n on stage but rather it was violet.

danielle was smooth in greeting everyone, and y/n could see her as the possible lead. she has the talent to do so, the knowledge and understanding on how to bring the character to life. taking a mental note by how she presents herself, she understands the sentiment hanni has.

“you may begin when ready.” yunjin’s smile has never been this bright since they started. with expectant eyes, y/n mentally prepared herself while danielle fixed her hair and her hold on the script.

“wait, you’re mal? the youtuber, right?” the delivery of the line was smooth, the emotion was there and y/n felt like it was the real deal.

“i don’t refer to myself as a youtuber but- yes.” violet has read these lines over and over, it seemed natural. the script is merely there just as a prop. people were invested, this is the person they were waiting for.

“what are you doing here?”

“i’m actually looking for claire… my manager is currently talking to the principal and-“

“WAIT! CLAIRE? LIKE CLAIRE ONG?! MY BEST FRIEND CLAIRE? THAT GIRL STANDING OVER THERE WITH A HOODIE ON AND AVOIDING EYE CONTACT?” yunjin was already satisfied by the short scene, even if it were just two to three lines, danielle already got her heart. the ariel she was looking for was brought to life by her.

“wow… thank you, danielle. we’ll keep you posted on the results.” as if it were a light switch, danielle was done with her role and is happy to showcase her talent. the younger girl smiled at her senior who could only return the smile and thumbs up. y/n isn’t quite the hugger but if it were danielle asking, she wouldn’t bat an eye for the sunshine.

“you did great, i’m rooting for you.” danielle has much more experience on stage rather than y/n.

“you’re quite the natural, unnie. and thank you.” but to danielle, y/n’s acting was nothing compared to hers. a wave goodbye and the ensemble were back to discussing their thoughts regarding danielle’s performance. all of them agreed to put her as ariel, if someone were close to the same performance she had given, maybe an understudy.

“this is the last for the morning session, then lunch.” lia was keeping track of everything and so far, they could squeeze in one more audition before they eat lunch. everyone was hungry at this point, having not much food or snacks within their grasp as everyone was busy with getting everything ready. y/n was about to sit down until, yunjin had asked her to go back on stage.

“kim minji, auditioning for the role of claire. one of the few that chose the leading lady.” who knew a name could make someone's heart beat faster than it should. or how clammy one’s hand can get. lia had gotten her phone ready to record the performance just for ryujin to watch and tease y/n.

y/n had gotten on stage, it had been quite a long time since she’s last seen the girl up close. everything feeling like she’s back in high school admiring the girl who she kept a spotlight on during her monologue for their play. the same girl that she considered a happy crush for years is now standing in front of her with a shy smile.

to minji, this is a dream come true, seeing violet in person again and not just passing by her like in high school. this is the girl that her brother mentioned seeing working so hard as a model. the girl who edits im nayeon’s vlogs and takes part in making them. the very same girl who she has brushed off thinking it was nothing but deep inside knows - she has a slight crush on im y/n.

there were some old sparks reignited. the feeling of being nervous and jittery around someone, to which both have denied and kept secret for how long.

to yunjin, this was perfection. given that the scene the pair was doing - realizing one’s own feelings. to yunjin, they look like a match made in heaven, they contrast in a way. even after minji’s short introduction for formalities, y/n couldn’t take her eyes off her. the vision is there, everything felt natural.

“ready when you two are.” it was like a snap.

“what’s taking you so long- wow.” y/n turned around to look at minji as if its her first time seeing her.

“uhm… does the dress look fine? it might be too much but it feels right but then again you’re the one paying and i-” minji’s character rambles on as y/n could only be mesmerized by the girl.

“wow… it’s-” the slow steps, as if y/n could imagine minji wearing the dress that yunjin had envisioned time and time again. the prop that she is most excited to see in person.

“too much? yeah maybe i should have gone with the other one.” minji acts as if she’s really wearing a dress, twirling around as if there’s a mirror beside her.

“it’s actually perfect.” y/n places her hand around minji’s waist to stop the girl, a faint smile and a blush on her cheek. maybe that was what yunjin wanted, the real y/n, not violet. not the girl in front of the camera, but the girl she met in her first year.

“you sure?”

“definitely, love… ly. I MEANT IT’S LOVELY, YES!”

the peace and quiet was shortly interrupted by screams and howling of the people watching the scene in front of them unfold. that’s the reaction, those are the leads.

the ensemble could only clap at the performance, yunjin having a large smile on her face as she immediately wrote minji as the leading lady.

they have chemistry unlike what yunjin has seen before.

taglist: [OPEN]

@awkwardtoafault @justme-idle @1luvkarina @bearyanon @khaepriv @lesleepyyy @yoontoonwhs @sserajeans @pandafuriosa60 @mightymyo @haerinkisser @ehcyps @urwy13 @idkwhatim-doinghere101 @thefckghost @haerinsloverr

[kurov1864]

Robin dating hcs!!

- Aggressive cuddler. As in, he'll jump onto you kind of hugging. He'll wrap around you like a snake when cuddling. He'll squeeze you until you can't breathe and wouldn't let go even if the world was ending type shit.

- Might be projecting a bit but he might be insecure about being from a branch family?? In one of the manga chapters, Bachiko mentions that Robin is the perfect archer, but it was a shame that he comes from a branch family.

- ACTS. OF. SERVICE. While he is super clingy, making you think that his love language is physical touch, he actually expresses way more affection through doing stuff for you!! Like cooking for you (malewife material fr), pulling your blanket up when you fall asleep, preparing you a snack pack to boost your energy (and hopefully your patience) after being drained by an exhausting morning of teaching students, and organizing surprise dates. Mostly food-related tbh,,,

- Ohmygod the dates. I'm not sure what is up with him and dates but he love love loves to make each date more unique then the last. For example? A picnic date near the everflowing lava lake, where you both compete to see who can guess which geyser shoots the highest. A fishing date in the clouds, where you both quite literally fish for birds. An archery date in a crystal cavern, where you both rely on your senses and the random bursts of light the crystals emit to take each other down. With him, you would never have a "normal" date.

- Also really connected with nature. If you're not the outdoorsy type, you two might not be the best match. When he's not focusing on his students or his many teacher tasks, you can probably find him wandering around Babyls, exploring every nook and inch and finding more hidden gems. (I have a hc that Babyls is a lot like Hogwarts, with many unexplored areas that aren't shown on screen, just because it would be cool)

- Communication is key!! He's not afraid to state his feelings loud and clear, and probably expects you to do the same. If you don't say anything nor show any physical signs of discomfort, he'll take that as an OK to continue doing whatever he's doing. Please don't make him have to guess why you're in a bad mood. No matter how observant his archers eyes are, they're not all-seeing. This also means that if you're doing something that makes him uncomfortable, he'll tell you in a very straightforward manner, maybe a little more hesitant if you enjoy doing that thing a lot.

- The whole "communication is key" part will also carry over to fights. Remember, when you two fight it's you two against the problem, not each other. While that doesn't mean that you both can't show emotion to have a perfectly rational conversation, it would be appreciated if there were no emotional walls up.

- Big on PDA in front of friends/in public, a bit more toned down in front of students. Like, you cannot tell me that he's not the type to jump on you, sit on your lap, intertwine your hands and kiss your cheeks. He doesn't really see a need to keep his relationship private (not that he can), but did he really have to stuff it in everybody's faces that you two were dating? Oh absolutely.

- This brings me to my next hc. Despite being sunshine incarnate, he can get awfully possessive. That's why he wants to tell everybody that you were his by acting so affectionately out in public. This way, nobody could ever doubt or even think that you two weren't together. And well, if there actually was some knucklehead that apparently didn't get the message, he would make sure that before your next meeting with them, you would be... appropriately marked as his. Of course, he could always use his image as a socially oblivious teacher to use and scare them off imply that you two were dating.

- Speaking of socially oblivious, I hope you realize he is anything but. As I've mentioned before, being an archer and all it's in his blood to be observant. This translates to him being able to sense anytime you are in a foul mood. And being the attentive and caring lover that he is, of course he's going to try and comfort you! You don't want to tell him what's wrong? That's totally fine. He'll cook you a nice hot meal while you shower, and try to cheer you up by telling you silly stories over the dining table. Expect a few movies to be put on while you two cuddle, anything to make you feel loved and protected. You want to vent about your day? That's good as well! He'll take it as a compliment that you trust him enough to not tell anybody. Although he's usually hyper and speaks up whenever he wants, for you Robin would just sit and listen, nodding and giving appropriate comments whenever needed until you're all tuckered out.

- When finding out you're human, I honestly don't think much would change. He has full faith in Suvillian's evaluation of you, and he wouldn't allow somebody who is weak and defenceless to join the faculty. Probably the only difference would be him trying to find out more about the human world, because he's just naturally curious about everything.

- DATES FOR MARRAIGE. I cannot stress this enough. Although he's not extremely traditional like Kalego, he is extremely loyal. This means that if he agrees to date you it's basically a declaration that he wants to marry and spend the rest of his life with you. He will not get into a relationship that he thinks won't last because he simply thinks it wouldn't be fair to both parties.

- Loves cheesy nicknames. Things like "cutie pie", "bugaboo", and "my lil cutie patootie". He absolutely refuses to use normal nicknames, just because. Favorite part of the day is to shout those in front of students, just to see your face turn red and try to shut him up.

[stopdoomscrolling-cafe]

welcome to my cafe !! have a seat !

hey there! welcome to our cozy little cafe. grab a seat and let me tell you a bit about why doom scrolling isn’t the best habit to have.

so, doom scrolling is when you keep scrolling through negative news or social media posts, and it can really mess with your mental health. it often leads to feelings of anxiety, sadness, and even hopelessness because you’re constantly exposing yourself to bad news. it’s like drinking too much coffee – a little bit can be okay, but too much can make you jittery and stressed.

now, let’s talk about how having hobbies can help. when you engage in activities you love, like painting, gardening, or playing an instrument, it gives your mind a break from all that negativity. hobbies can boost your mood, reduce stress, and give you a sense of accomplishment. it’s like enjoying a warm cup of tea – it soothes your soul and makes you feel good.

so, why not try picking up a new hobby or spending more time on the ones you already love? it's the perfect antidote to all that doom scrolling.

in front of you is our hobby menu. feel free to ask any of our kind waitstaff questions or requests!

➶-͙˚ ༘✶

THE HOBBY MENU

creative hobbies | painting, photography, stand-up comedy, upcycling, scrapbooking, calligraphy, blogging, pottery, model building, flower arranging, candle making, sculpting, tattoo art, cosplay, renaissance fairs, scrapbooking, creative writing, diy projects, sewing, crocheting, making jewllery, write poetry, videography, film, content creation

musical hobbies | playing the guitar, playing the piano, making sheet music,

physical hobbies | rock climbing, dance, tai chi, jogging, karate, cycling, golf, tennis, basketball, soccer, biking

food and drink hobbies | baking, homebrewing, wine tasting, grilling, international cooking, cheese making, cooking, fruit and vegetable garden

outdoor hobbies | parkour, archery, adventure travel, camping, fishing, skiing, paintball, bird watching, kite flying, surfing, geocaching, beekeeping, sailing, urban exploration, caving, gardening, hiking, scuba diving, horseback riding, off-roading

technical hobbies | robotics, magic tricks, genealogy, leather crafting, birdhouse building, astrology, metal detecting, glass blowing, whittling, puppetry, wood working, gaming

mental hobbies | chess, self-improvement books, analytical/essay writing, learning another language, analyze films, analyze novels, analyze poetry, analyze open cases (crime)

collecting hobbies | thrifting

social hobbies | volunteering, book club, knitting club

mindfulness hobbies | quilting, letter writing, yoga, journaling, adult coloring books, astronomy, origami, soap making, meditation, aqua scaping, bonsai cultivation, soap carving, mosaic art

➶-͙˚ ༘✶

this project is run by @nenelonomh

[imbadatwrighting]

could I request platonic Achilles and Patroclus with a very cheerful and sweet g/n child reader? like all around reader is very sunshiney and bby vibes

I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THEM THANK YOU ANON!! This is TSOA Universe not based on the Iliad or anything

Also I’m in the middle of writing the outsiders headcannons anyone wanna see that???

Achilles & Patroclus + a cheerful gn! child reader

I'm writing this Pre!Trojan War because there is no way they would let you come with them

It really doesn't matter whether you're a servant, royal, or commoner they are so attached to you

Patroclus met you first when he first exiled and sent to the court of King Peleus of Phthia

You and him were attached at the hip

Or rather you were attached to his back

Wherever he went you tagged along too

Anytime he could he would go to the gardens with you and just watch the birds while laying in the flowers

He always loved to watch you chase after the butterflies

Will read to you before bed

You met Achilles when you walked into his room

Honestly it was concerning how easy it was to get in

You wanted to put flowers on his bed stand, but was instead met with Achilles sitting at the edge of the bed

Not doing anything just straight up staring at nothing

He looked at you and just walked out

Everyone who's a sunshine knows when that happens you just have to get closer to that person

Cue you following Achilles wherever he went

Patroclus was a little concerned over then facts that you were barely hanging out with him and you were following King Peleus' son around like he was your best friend

Cue Achilles and Patroclus becoming best friends

Where they went, you went

You make flower crown for them every Friday

Achilles lets you sit on his shoulders whenever you want

They have to drag you away from servants that you keep making conversation with

Achilles is just your guard dog

Someone is making fun of you? Guard dog

You're scared someone would brake into your room? Guard dog

Someone is distracting you from him for too long? Guard dog

Achilles enjoys you pulling on his hair

Not in a kinky way or anything

It's just to him it's a way of comfort

Don't ask him why he doesn't know

They try to keep you out of the loop for what happens in the real world

It doesn't matter whether or not you were introduced to the real world, they're not letting you go back to it

They don't want you to lose your bright personality

Patroclus has thrown hands over you lets be honest here

He would kill anyone for you

Achilles would as well (obviously)

Honestly they’re borderline yandere ngl

Achilles/Patroclus (depending on your hair color) dyed a strand of their hair your hair color

Achilles takes you to the beach whenever he can but never introduces you to his mother

Tag everyday

And hide and seek

They bring your favorite snack wherever they go incase you get hungry

Once a prince started making fun of you he wasn’t seen again

I wonder what happened…

Looking at sunsets with Patroclus

Achilles and Patroclus getting stressed out over the littlest things

Once you tripped and got a scraped knee and Achilles almost had a panic attack

Sleeping in Achilles bed at least once a week

Dancing for Achilles when he’s in a bad mood

They will do anything in their power to boost your mood if your sad

They hate whenever that happens

Will gladly embarrass themselves for you anytime and anywhere

Patroclus picks flowers with you and tells you the meaning of them

They both love you so much and view you as their own child

[alimaybankkk]

fraud

summary: summer flings to enemies to best friends to lovers with jj.

warnings: light mentions of sex, abuse, uhh, idk except MAJOR ANGST

pairing: jj maybank x kook!pogue!reader

jj liked sarah. he liked her a lot. sure, he would have never have given her the change john b did, but whatever made his best friend happy made him happy, too.

and soon, sarah was his best friend, too. he liked her a lot more now, thankful that his friend had brought her with him. he liked getting new friends.

things with sarah were going great. she was a great friend. there was nothing he hated about her until she showed up with another kook at the chateau.

kiara must have recognized her, too, cause she ran up to her and hugged her tightly.

jj recognized her. it was one of the girls he slept with a few years ago and led on for a few weeks. she had had feelings for him, and it made him infuriated. now, he hated her .

when sarah walked in with her, he immediately stood up and walked away. she recognized him as well, biting her lip as she watched jj avoid her gaze. she’d tried to say hello, but he just looked at her and rolled his eyes.

weeks later, it was the same routine. eye contact, dirty look from jj and a smile from her and silence. sarah was bringing her around every day, and jj could not be more mad.

the traditional pogue boat night was coming up and unfortunately for jj, sarah had invited her to come.

“john b, how do you let sarah bring that bitchy ass kook around all the time?” jj asked, touching john b’s shoulder.

“you have to stop this, j. we talked about this. be nice to her. she’s a really nice person!”

jj scoffed. “like hell she is.”

“why are you such a jerk all the time? she’s coming today whether you like it or not. you’re going to get along with her.”

jj let john b walk ahead of him, slowing down and kicking the stump of a thin tree that fell immediately after. he smirked, his confidence boosting his mood.

* he watched you from afar, gritting his teeth. his head was spinning as he watched you dance with kie and have deep conversations with pope.

he’d watched the entire day. sitting there, thinking of all the reasons he hated you, but when you walked up to john b and started calling him “bird,” he flipped.

“get out of here!” he yelled, stepping up to you.

you were taken aback, watching jj’s eyes as they practically turned red. “‘scuse me?”

he shook his head. “you can play dumb all you want, kook princess. stop acting like you’re perfect. you’re nothing but a fraud.”

“i’m..”

“don’t wanna hear it.”

“jj!” kiara meddled, slapping his arm.

you raised an eyebrow. “i don’t even know what i did to you. you always have a problem with me. what is it?”

“stop it, guys!” sarah squealed, pushing jj. “what is the matter with you?”

john b stepped forward. “all you do is give each other dirty looks—”

“i’ve never done anything to him!! i’m always so nice to you, and you treat me like shit!” you yell, tears coming from your eyes. “i apparently don’t belong anywhere. too poor for the kooks, but too rich for the pogues. nobody wants me. and your little group was the only one that did. the only problem is you, maybank.”

he took a deep breath, stepping closer to you. you thought for a moment he would apologize, but instead he licked his lips and nodded his head up. “get out of here, princess.”

tears welled up in your eyes as you shoved him away, kneeing him in the nuts. he groaned and bent over.

“fuck you, maybank.” you said before mounting his bike and riding away.

* you curled into a ball in your sheets and listened to your parents fighting. you wished you could go down and get them to stop, but you knew it would result in you getting hurt.

sobbing, thinking about what happened today surely would make you upset. jj had banned you from seeing your friends and it hurt. they were the only people that accepted you and you didn’t know what to do.

you gave up on caring. you got up out of bed as fast as you could and sprinted downstairs when you heard a glass break.

your dad swayed, drunk, and when he say you, he walked to you. “hey, peach!”

“dad,” you whispered, looking past his shoulder. “what did you do to mom?”

he chuckles. “you mean that little bitch? don’t worry ‘bout her. she’s just sleepin’ little thing.”

“no, no,” you said, trying to push past him. “mom!! dad, what did you do?? what did you fucking do?”

he shrugged. “bitches get stitches. threw a bottle at her. no big deal she just passed out at the shock, peach.”

“dad,” you cried, tears welling in your eyes. “please, please let me see her.”

“‘don’t think so darling. wanna watch a movie? food old fashioned popcorn, yeah?”

you shook your head and when you tried to push past him the last time, he shoved you to the ground.

“dad, stop!” you cried, slapping his shoulders.

he laughed, punching you in the mouth. “look, peach. this is for ya own good, got it? not gonna stop hurting you until ya realize your mom’s a bastard.”

“no, she’s not!” you managed to cry. he only chuckled and banged your head on the ground once more.

“ya gonna regret this, peach.” he backed out of view for a moment and you squeezed your eyes shut. suddenly, you felt a sharp pain in your stomach.

it shocked you into action, screaming at the top of your lungs as you opened your eyes. he was dragging a broken piece of glass on your stomach, otherwise he was digging his fists into it.

“dad,” you breathed. “wh-da-dad, stop it. i get it. i get it. mom’s a bastard.”

“say it louder.”

“MY MOM’S A BASTARD.” you sobbed. he dropped the glass and stood, leaving the house immediately.

you laid there for five minutes, sobbing and aching until eventually you got the strength to take care of your mother. after cleaning her face which was painted in cuts, you slowly took her to the guest room where your dad would not find her and tucked her safe and sound under the covers.

you bit your lip. the plan was worse. you looked down at your shirt and saw a big red puddle forming. “shit.”

you ran to the bathroom and put pressure on the wound, moaning in pain. eventually it stopped bleeding. you had cuts and bruises on your face that were able to be covered so you let them be. besides, no one would see your stomach anyway.

you wobbled to your room and slid on a pair of sweat pants and a sweatshirt, turning on your lamp and crying in silence for a little bit.

you heard footsteps outside of your window. cursing, you sobbed, “dad?”

the window opened and there was not your dad, but jj. you couldn’t even explain why you were relieved to see him. you just were.

“jj,” you said, wiping your tears. you looked over at the lamp and turned it off so he wouldn’t see your cuts. “what are you doing here?”

“came to steal my bike back and decided to drop in and check out your crib,” he said sinisterly.

you frowned. now, of all times, was not the time to argue with him. “jj, i need you to leave.”

“why? can’t i check out the bitchy princess’s home?” he snarled.

you shook your head and stood. “jj, please. i’m serious. go.”

he shoved you and you stumbled against the wall, your body aching so bad you let out a glass breaking cry.

he raised an eyebrow. “pussy.”

you opened your eyes and started at him, wishing you could yell at him. he had no clue what was going on.

“get out of here,” you said, falling to the ground.

he shrugged. “fine by me. you stink like a brat.”

you sobbed so hard as he closes the window after leaving. * he pinched himself.

he punched himself.

“what the fuck is wrong with me?!” he yelled, punching his wall.

he was overly aware of his being a jerk to you. he was punishing himself hard for it. he never chooses to do it, it always just comes out. every time it happens, he ends up crying in regret.

not a single word is true.

not a single “i hate you” is true.

he wanted to kiss you. only recently.

at first, he really did hate you. he knew you were pretty and he knew your body was pretty with his experience before meeting you again, but he never thought you were a good person.

your smile made him sick. your laugh made him angry.

until a few weeks ago.

your smile made him lovesick. your laugh made him angry.

that he was such a jerk to you.

and he knew. he knew he could not stop, no matter how hard he tried.

he knew that it would forever be like this and he could never hold you in his arms and kiss you until you felt better. it would not be fair to you.

so everyone he was a jerk to you, he would come home and wreck his room and his walls, each hole in them representing each word he regretted.

there was no going back now. he knew you would never forgive him. and it was fair. you didn’t deserve someone like him. but the problem was—

when you had told him you loved him when he was sleeping with you a few years ago, he froze. he never heard those words before from someone who wasn’t family or friends. he never saw you that way. he felt guilty about it.

so he pushed you away and eventually, the distance made him hate you.

but now, every time you get on the boat and flash him a shy smile, he only rolls his eyes because of how pretty it was. or how he knows that you will never be his and it hurts him so bad.

“i’m stopping this now,” he whispered after a while, sitting on his bed.

he was sick of hurting you. he put his hands on you in a hurting way and when he watched you cry because of him, he wanted to off himself then and there.

“i’m so, so sorry baby.” he whispered, hoping that maybe the feeling that he didn’t hate you would somehow be carried into your heart.

* in the morning, you dressed in baggy clothes and started your car. after jj basically jumped you yesterday, you didn’t care what he thought.

he was just like a kook.

a bully.

you winced at the pain as your back hit the seat and your stomach touched the wheel. your eyes almost filled up with tears but you blinked then away and drove to the chateau.

when you got there, jj was chilling in the hot tub, but you’d didn’t say anything.

“hey, princess,” he said, making you stop. the tone of his voice was different. “i’m sorry about last night. did i hurt you?”

you rolled your eyes. “shut up, jj.”

he licked his lips. “right, yeah, i deserve that. um.”

“jj, don’t you care that i’m human? kook or pogue, i’m human. i think i deserve to be treated like one.” you said.

he noticed you weren’t even speaking to him. your eyes were filled with tears and your voice was distant. you weren’t even looking at him. you were looking in the direction you came from.

jj’s heart dropped and hurt like a bitch. he wanted to cry and hold you in his arms, but he knew you hated him.

“y/n,” he breathed. “what’s wrong?”

“nothing,” you said quickly.

he sighed. “wanna come in the hot tub?”

you blinked, thinking of the gashes and bruises on your stomach. “i think i’ll pass.”

“come on, princess,” he whined and took a puff from his joint. “you can have a j, too.”

“jj, i can’t.” you said after a minute of silence.

he sat up. “why, don’t want me to see your curves? i’ve seen them before, pretty girl. in fact, i saw every bit of them.”

you almost folded. you couldn’t let him see your bruises, though. “jj, i have to go.”

you tried to walk past him, but you were stopped when he grabbed your hand. “stay, baby. please.”

“why are you being like that?” you asked.

he shrugged. “i’m sorry about everything. come in.”

you sighed and stepped into the hot tub with all of your clothes on.

“are you kidding me?” he scoffed.

you shook your head. “gimme a sec.”

you slid your sweat pants off and then your sweatshirt, discarding the soaking clothes over the side of the hot tub.

you immediately brought your knees against your chest, hiding your stomach.

he giggled and splashed at your face, wetting your hair.

you giggled back and rubbed your face in your hands and took them back down, spotting the concealer on them. it was not waterproof.

“y/n?” he asked. you looked up, expecting him to be frowning at your face, but instead, he was looking down at your stomach.

“shit.”

he gasped, standing up. “who. did. that.”

you shook your head. “jj, i’m so sorry. i didn’t mean for you to see that.”

“i said, who did that?” he asked.

“no one, jj. why do you even care?”

he grit his teeth. “cause i will kill whoever touched my girl.”

you looked up at him as he caressed your face. you sighed. “my dad.”

he looked to his right, cursing. “i’m sorry. and me too.”

“what?”

“my dad does it, too. it’s okay. i got you,” he said as he hugged you, careful not to touch your stomach.

you sobbed into his shoulder, knowing this was the start of a friendship with jj.

* months had gone by and he was your best friend. you were with him all the time. if you were to tell him you were going home, he’d say, “your dad home?”

and if it was yes, he’d say, “‘m comin with you.”

* he sat on your bed, holding your hand as you cried about your dad. “it makes me happy he hasn’t touched me in a while, but… man, he has a mouth.”

“‘m gonna kill him,” jj said, starting to stand.

“jj, no. we talked about this.” you said, grabbing his hand.

“just makes me s’mad, y’know? i wish i could kick his ass.” he said, sitting back down on the bed.

“i could never do that. i’m too scared of him.” i said, batting my eyes.

“good thing your best friend is jj maybank.”

“the one that tells you you’re a fraud?”

he stared at you for a few moments, and you stared at him back. finally, he laughed. “sorry about that.”

you grinned. “i don’t care now. it was in the past.

“hey, by the way,” jj said. “i have to work for midsummers and i was wondering if you wanted to come as my date.”

you looked at him and raised an eyebrow. “how kooky of you.”

“not funny,” he whined. you could tell he was nervous by the way he shifted around in his seat and tapped the bed with his finger.

“sure. i just know you can’t stand to be without me,” you teased.

“i can’t.” he said back with hooded eyes.

you grinned, ignoring him. *

“i look like a total mess, sarah,” you said, tugging at the bottom of your dress. “this dress is like two inches. my butt cheeks are literally out.”

sarah only gigged and adjusted the necklace on her neck as kie closed the door. “exactly why jj will love it so much.”

“shut up!” you screamed, although you couldn’t hide the blush building on your cheeks.

“it’s true, though,” sarah agreed. “and by the way, remember when you guys hated each other?”

“remember it all the time.”

“what even happened?” kiara asked.

“nothing,” you said, remembering the scar that was still on your stomach today.

* jj wrapped his arms around you at the bar, pointing at your head. “this one’s my girl.”

“your girlfriend?” a kook asked.

he grinned. “yeah. she’s all mine.”

“how much did you drink?” you whispered to him. you looked back at the kook. “i’m not his girlfriend.”

“thought so. have fun,” he said before walking off.

you sighed, grabbing jj’s hand. “jj, how many beers did you have?”

“okay, so like,” he stopped, counting on his fingers. he looked up with a 10 showing on them. you covered your mouth.

“holy shit, j, i have to get you home,” you said, dragging him to the twinkie and being stopped by the rest of your friends on the way.

“where are you guys going?” pope asked.

“he’s hella drunk, i have to take him home.” you said, pointing to jj.

“holy shit, do you want me to come?” john b asked.

“no!” jj interrupted. “just y/n. just my girl, please.”

everyone exchanged looks and you rolled your eyes, knowing you would be screaming at jj in the morning.

you dragged him past the crowd and slapped his hand away from a gray when he reached to grab a beer.

“no more, boy.” you told him. he groaned and leaned his head on your shoulder.

eventually you made it into the twinkie where jj collapsed into the passenger seat, hitting his head off of the roof.

“i’ll get you home, ‘kay?”

be looked at you as you started the car, admiring you. “you’re so pretty.”

you stopped . “jj, please. you’re drunk. don’t say shit like that.”

“‘m being serious. you’re so damn beautiful baby.”

you sighed and ignored him, turning around to back out of the parking lot.

“i love you.”

you weren’t taken aback—he said this all the time. “i love you too, jj.”

“no,” he said.

“no what?”

“not like that. i love you. you’re my girl. love you, baby.”

you shook your head and exhaled. “in the morning, jj.”

* you had to help jj shower. he was not able to stand on his own and youMd already seen him a few times because of those many times you laid together in bed those summers ago.

you helped him out if the bathroom with his arm and most of his body weight on top of you and dropped him onto the bed.

“goodnight, jj.” you said before kissing his head.

“wait, princess, please,” he whispered, tapping your arm. “stay, please.”

you stared at him for a little bit, enjoying the pinkness of his nose and his lips and the blush of his cheeks and the twinkle of his eye. muon sighed and he immediately moved over as you slid into the bed.

he held out his arms and t you took that as a signal to lay in them. he smiled, drifting off to a peaceful sleep.

* when you woke up, jj was not there.

you groaned and stood out of bed, bringing yourself to the kitchen were jj was rummaging through the fridge.

“what are you looking for?” you asked, obviously startling him as he jumped.

“um, ‘m just looking for an ice pack.” he said. “shit. none in here.”

you sighed and moved him out of the way, rummaging through the fridge with your own hands. eventually, you pulls out a blue ice pack and pressed it to his head. “hangover?”

he nodded and kissed you on the cheek as a “thank you” and you froze. his kiss felt more intimate than usual.

“can we talk?” he asked. you bit your lip and nodded.

the two of you walked back into the chateau guest room. he laid down in the bed and patted the room next to him.

once you are at least close to where he wanted you, he piled you down and brought you extremely close to him, cuddling you like it was the last thing he could do.

“about yesterday,” jj said. “i’m sorry…”

“you were really drunk.” you reminded him.

“i know. exactly. i’m sorry.”

“you don’t have to be. i knew you weren’t really feeling that way. you almost kissed me and stuff.. i couldn’t let you do that.”

“no,” jj said. “y/n, i do love you. i am in absolute love with you. you said we could talk about it today and we are, and i’m telling you that i am still in love with you as much as i did yesterday. i’m only sorry about the fact that i told you when i was dunk. i wish i waited.”

you blinked, not knowing what to say. “really?”

“really, baby. probably from the moment i saw you. i’m sorry i pushed you away.”

you smiled and leaned forward, kissing him. he kissed you back, making it last for around a minute. it was passionate and neat. he was willing to take his time with you.

when you finally pulled back, you only smirked at him. “i love you too. you should know that. told you it years ago. it never. changed.”

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

By Joanne Silberner

April 8, 2024

A hug, a handshake, a therapeutic massage. A newborn lying on a mother’s bare chest.

Physical touch can buoy well-being and lessen pain, depression and anxiety, according to a large new analysis of published research released on Monday in the journal Nature Human Behaviour.

Researchers from Germany and the Netherlands systematically reviewed years of research on touch, strokes, hugs and rubs. They also combined data from 137 studies, which included nearly 13,000 adults, children and infants. Each study compared individuals who had been physically touched in some way over the course of an experiment — or had touched an object like a fuzzy stuffed toy — to similar individuals who had not.

For example, one study showed that daily 20-minute gentle massages for six weeks in older people with dementia decreased aggressiveness and reduced the levels of a stress marker in the blood. Another found that massages boosted the mood of breast cancer patients. One study even showed that healthy young adults who caressed a robotic baby seal were happier, and felt less pain from a mild heat stimulus, than those who read an article about an astronomer.

Positive effects were particularly noticeable in premature babies, who “massively improve” with skin-to-skin contact, said Frédéric Michon, a researcher at the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience and one of the study’s authors.

“There have been a lot of claims that touch is good, touch is healthy, touch is something that we all need,” said Rebecca Boehme, a neuroscientist at Linkoping University in Sweden, who reviewed the study for the journal. “But actually, nobody had looked at it from this broad, bird’s eye perspective.”

The analysis revealed some interesting and sometimes mysterious patterns. Among adults, sick people showed greater mental health benefits from touch than healthy people did. Who was doing the touching — a familiar person or a health care worker — didn’t matter. But the source of the touch did matter to newborns.

“One very intriguing finding that needs further support is that newborn babies benefit more from their parents’ touch than from a stranger’s touch,” said Ville Harjunen, a researcher at the University of Helsinki in Finland, who also reviewed the study for the journal. Babies’ preference for their parents could be related to smell, he speculated, or to the differences in the way parents hold them.

Women seem to benefit more from touch than men, which may be a cultural effect, Dr. Michon said. The frequency of the touch also mattered: A massage once every two years isn’t going to do much.

Several studies included in the review looked at what happened during the height of the Covid pandemic, when people were isolated and had less physical contact with others. “They found correlations during Covid times between touch deprivation and health aspects like depression and anxiety,” Dr. Michon said.

Touching the head appears to have more of a beneficial effect than touching the torso, some studies found. Dr. Michon couldn’t explain that finding, but thought it could have to do with the greater number of nerve endings on the face and scalp.

Another mystery: Studies of people in South America tended to show stronger health benefits of touch than did those studies that looked at people in North America or Europe. Dr. Michon said that culture may somehow play a role. But Dr. Boehme said the studies showing the differences between countries were too small to be definitive. “I think the mechanism behind this is biological,” she said. “I think that’s hard-wired and will be the same for all of us.”

In 2023, Jeeva Sankar, a pediatrics researcher at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, and a colleague published a rigorous review of skin-to-skin care for newborns. The analysis concluded that touch therapy for preterm or low-birth-weight infants should start as soon as possible and last eight hours or more, a recommendation that the World Health Organization adopted. Dr. Sankar said the new review was important because touch is often neglected in modern medical care, but it was too broad. He would have liked it to focus more on how various forms of touch could be integrated in medical care.

Dr. Michon stressed that the types of touch considered in these studies were positive experiences to which the volunteers agreed. “If someone doesn’t feel a touch as being pleasant, it’s likely going to stress them out,” he said.

A version of this article appears in print on April 9, 2024, Section A, Page 4 of the New York edition with the headline: Reviewing Studies, Scientists Find Hugs Are Good for You. 

[crookedliz]

(Thank you for the amount of likes from my last post and for that I’ll explain the powers of the SC)

Bubba Bubbaphant

Can do Telepathy, Telekineses, Object Manipulation and more, he can also peer into memories but we will get to that sooner or later.

Bobby Bearhug

Her winking can form little pink hearts that can make anyone have a fuzzy feeling, will also shoot a beam of hearts from her pendant that can fill one with a lot of happiness and joy, her hugs will not only release a ton of euphoria but will also give you a boost of strength (being Power and emotional.)

Hoppy Hopscotch

Has the ability to run up to an absurd amount of speed and jump to large amounts of heights and leave sparks of lightning behind, and which she can shoot out of her hands

CraftyCorn

Can materialize anything she can think of with her unicorn magic, that can range from Tools, Toys, Plants, Weapons, etc. She also has wings made from said unicorn magic, Eyecolor, color of her magic, and wings change color from time to time or to correspond with her mood

Picky Piggy

Has a massive amount of strength and can pick up anything that’s considered heavy (If someone were to challenge her to an arm wrestle match, they would end up with a broken arm and table.)

KickinChicken

Can turn into a fire bird, has the ability to fly and breath fire and summon it by will.

DogDay

Can glow and give an energy boost to anyone in a five mile radius, being hugged by him will give a warm feeling and a sense of peace and comfort, he can also double as torch and fireplace, (He has a form he can go into when pushed to his limit.)

CatNap

Still has his gas, only this time it won’t cause hysterical laughter, can enter people’s dreams and sometimes they won’t remember he was there. (Also has a form he can go into when pushed passed his limit.)

[legendofzoodles]

The Chain’s Morning Routines

Time is one of the first up, and the first part of his routine is to get everyone up and brief them on today’s agenda, map out, route planned with monster camp predictions. Then he’ll delegate tasks to each hero, taking into account preferences like Four liking to collect water and Wild preferring to cook and varying them so that Sky and Warriors aren’t always stuck cleaning the bowls. Only when everything’s running smoothly does Time focus on himself, though he only ever has breathing room for the basics. 

Warriors is used to not doing much in the morning in terms of menial basics. Since becoming Captain he’s had people make sure his clothes and armour are washed and ready, breakfast is brought to him and the fireplace is just in that wall wood carefully arranged. For a while now he’s been managing others, sorting out schedules and maintenance checks, and having ample time for himself to prep for the public eye. But now with Time managing the lot and no one to pick up after him it’s like he’s been thrust back into his trainee days. Which means early sword practice and sparring with any willing partner, washing and clearing up with a trained soldier’s efficiency and sneakily trading chores to get out of doing the ones he hates. It’s refreshing.

Twilight is up just before the sun and is consistently the single most productive person in any era he's in, by virtue of the inhuman amount of stuff done in the morning. Up until the sun’s fully established itself in the sky Twilight carries the team. 

He’s more lenient than Warriors and Time, letting the younger members sleep while he does their chores- though he’ll make an effort to make noise around Sky to ready him for Wild’s explosive wake up call. He’ll keep busy until everything’s done without really taking any special time for himself, though if Legend and Sky are dueting he’ll be in earshot, slowing down to listen and hum along. Hasn’t quite gotten round to asking them to teach him, not wanting to admit he’d like to learn an instrument. 

But Sky? He's even more productive. Rising at 3:30am to immediately get on the grind. He doesn't have time to wash-up, so he kills four birds with one stone by swimming laps in the nearest lake (yes, he will hike however far until he finds one), simultaneously: exercising every muscle, bathing, brushing his teeth by gurgling sandy water and drinking his daily required 2 litres of water. He doesn't have time for to make breakfast, so he munches on whatever edible looking plants he finds around camp. And he doesn’t have time to dress so he simply never takes off his adventure gear.  

...maybe in a parallel universe, but not here. Sky goes through the basic morning ritual: washup, eat and dress in a drained zombie mode that can sometimes last until mid afternoon.

The Chain has learned not to talk to Legend until he’s had his hot brown morning potion. For all his experience and adventuring, he’s actually not really a morning person. Rarely does he wake up on the right side of the bed roll and thus compensates with potions and items to help with a boost of energy to get him up and moving. He’s got a pretty good morning routine, between getting his chores done he manages to practice a little self care, magical meditations with Hyrule or picking at the Harp of Ages dueting with Sky. If, for whatever reason, he runs out, he is a heinous jerk for the first leg of the day. He’ll get stuff done of course, but he’ll make his bad mood everyone’s problem. 

Wild wakes up at “How the fuck am I still alive?" o’clock but at least waits a few hours before tempting fate, being surprisingly mellow in the morning. He likes to be left alone though. The others don’t help him with breakfast because it’s the on meal he likes to prepare by himself, taking his time to really relish being in nature and just kind of reflect. Aside from that he’ll let the others clean up after breakfast, (maybe chip in here or there) to steal away and do whatever he feels like: forage ingredients for lunch, dinner and elixirs, pamper Epona under Twilight’s watchful eye or maybe practice knot tying hidden in a tree. Lack of energy in the morning brings out Wild’s introvert side. 

Ever since the beginning of the adventure Four has come across so many different languages. From subtle differences in each era’s Hylian to languages he never knew existed, Four’s been in awe. As such part of his routine now is to dedicate at least an hour to learning a new language; he’ll conversate with Twilight in Gerudo as they go for a morning walk, trade basic sentences in Rito with Wind while collecting water or learn Korkiri vocabulary from Time during breakfast. Warriors has been trying to become trilingual, knowing it’ll be a massive advantage in negotiations and politics, which makes him a reliable study partner. Four’s doing it partly for business, it’ll help him expand and communicate better with customers, but it’s also for fun. 

Hyrule unwittingly shakes up his routine every day by doing things in a different order every morning. Sometimes he’ll wake up (almost always at the exact same time on his own without any kind of alarm, which freaks out Sky) and decide he wants to clear away his bed roll first, exercise first, craft a couple potions first or brush his hair first. Once, when he got out of bed he immediately went to sit on a log for half an hour, bed hair and all, waiting for Wild to finish breakfast. No one disturbed him, and he didn’t even take the chance to have a lie in, he just kind of sat there, staring at nothing. 

Wind as a kid would wake up early with his sister and play either inside or mostly outside until Grandma wakes up and it’s time for breakfast. But now that he’s in his early teens he’s entering that phase where he’d prefer to be left alone to sleep, and is one of the last to get up in the morning. He’ll wrap himself in Warriors’ cap letting himself get dragged around to do his chores. That said he’ll perk up quite quickly after eating: join the knights for some light sword practice, try learning magic from Hyrule, pester Legend to let him borrow another new item for the day and much more. Once up and about he’ll always have something to do with at least one other person. 

~~~

Thanks for reading!

Wild’s was the hardest to write, couldn’t quite decide on what I wanted him to be like. I kinda relate to Sky and Hyrule here. 

Masterlist

I’m trying to keep my headcanons consistent:

Parkour team

Honorary Gorons

How each member of the chain laughs

How the chain solves dungeon puzzles

The Chain as procrastinators

Flora is Feral

The Chain’s time management skills

[laf-outloud]

towwn who’s your best-est buddy? 💗🐶🐐🐇🐮

a celebration of #earthmonth wouldn’t be complete without mentioning our planetary cohabitants. according to a recent survey by the american psychiatric association, 86% of pet owners believe their “fur babies” boost their mental health – and 90% consider their animal adoptees & friends as part of the family. more pet-related benefits:

▶️improved cardiovascular health

▶️elevated mood

▶️boost physical activity levels

▶️reduce anxiety

▶️help alleviate + combat symptoms of adhd, ptsd, loneliness & isolation

▶️comfort & companionship (think: the elderly & people with medical conditions)

▶️aid in children’s learning development

animals may also help kids and adults with socializing. 🐕‍🦺so, take a walk to the dog park, visit a farm or rescue sanctuary, build a bird feeder – engage with any animals that inspire you – and enjoy a moment of zen with another gentle & curious being.

tell us your best buddy’s breed or species + tag their profile (if they have one!) in the comments.

Awe! I love learning more about the Padafarm and it's animals! And yes, it's true about animals helping with socialization. My puppy has more friends than I do, lol!

[errythinisblue]

“The early bird gets the worm”

Ruben Loftus Cheek x Y/N

Summary: An early morning at Cobham Training Centre takes an unexpected turn…

Warnings: SMUT (it’s not my fault this man is SO fine!)

This is kind of a sequel to “Baby steps”

gif credits to @moosiala

It’s been two months since you and Ruben took your relationship to the next level; two months have passed from that night at his house, the night where you finally confessed your feelings to each other, the night of your first date… the night where you two fell in bed together, well more like on the sofa. His sofa.

Two months later you still found yourself thinking about that night, and smiling like an idiot as you did so. You were missing Ruben like crazy, him being in Madrid for the Champions League game was making it impossible for you not to think about him, especially while you laid in your bed all alone; but at least you knew you were going to see him later in the morning, when the boys would be back in Cobham, and that was enough of an energy boost to get you out of bed.

You arrived at the training centre an hour earlier than usual; apart from those of the players, there were just a few cars in the parking lot but you didn’t mind, you were more than okay with it. You parked your car at your usual spot, and as soon as you got out of it you took your computer bag and your sports bag out of the trunk. You entered the building and left your computer in your office, locking the door before you made your way to the swimming pools.

You wouldn’t usually take up on the opportunity to take a swim at the training centre, seen as the boys would use the swimming pool for their recovery sessions during the day, and even when they weren’t using it you would always be too busy with work, so you never got the chance to take advantage of the privilege that you had as an employee.

But today there was clearly no sign of the boys, not yet at least, and your working schedule was not as busy as it would usually be, seen as you did the majority of your work the night before while you were at home watching the game on the tv.

You were quick in changing out of your Chelsea uniform and into your sporty black Nike bikini set, not wanting to waste any more time as you only had an hour or so before you would have to clock in; then you took your towel out of the bag and walked out of the changing rooms to the swimming pool. You didn’t know it was so peaceful this early in the morning, you would have been more than glad to come here to relax a bit before work otherwise.

A giggle escaped your lips as you slowly entered the water, ‘Of course it’s peaceful,’ you thought, ‘without those smartasses, every corner of the training centre is!’

You slowly started to move your limbs in the water, trying to get your body warm enough to endure the physical strain; but it wasn’t long before you started swimming fast, lap after lap. Freestyle was your to go stroke, it kept your muscles engaged and it freed your mind, easing the stress you had been feeling since last night’s defeat.

How am I supposed to face Ruben now?

I’m his girlfriend, what do girlfriends do in this case?

What if he’s in a bad mood and doesn’t want to see me?

As all these questions were crowding your thoughts, you swam faster and faster, until you felt like you were almost out of breath… but then, suddenly a body collided with water, and you halted your movements, raising your face above the water and coming up for air.

The face you saw emerging from the water made your heart flip, Ruben was back. He was back and he didn’t even give you the time to realize it before he crashed his lips on yours is a much needed kiss.

“I missed you so much.” he whispered against your lips, pecking them over and over as if he would never have enough.

“I missed you too,” you told him, out of breath by the physical exertion and the strength of his kiss, “I didn’t expect to see you so soon!” you smiled up at him as you wrapped your body around his.

“I might have told you a while lie,” he softly smiled, “I wanted to surprise you…”

“Well you surprised me indeed babe,” you said as you kissed his cheek, “I’m sorry for the game though.” you pouted, coming to the conclusion that those words were the only ones to say.

“Yeah me too,” he sighed, “but we weren’t at our best, that was to be expected…”

“There’s always the second leg…”

“But it’s gonna be a tough game.”

“Every game is tough for us at Chelsea,” you chuckled, “don’t you agree??”

“You’re right,” he smiled, “but tell me, what are you doing here? I had to run around like a mad man to find you. I never knew you enjoyed swimming?”

“Well that’s because I never had the time or the chance to take a swim before today,” you shrugged, “I came in early this morning so I could take the chance…you know, the early bird gets the worm.”

“Lucky me we were ‘early’ too, then…” he smirked as he pressed his body close to yours, “What time do you have to clock in?”

“In twenty minutes actually,” you whimpered as your back touched the cold pool wall, pushed by Ruben’s bigger frame “why are you asking?”

“Just curious…” he smirked once again, “You know, the boys are leaving to go home so nobody would interrupt us if we…”

“You just came back and you’re already asking for sex?!” you gasped.

“Hey I told you I missed you!”

“Yeah you only missed me for sex.” you pouted, making it look as if you were really disappointed with him.

“No,” he breathed as he stroked your cheek, “I missed all of you, I missed my goofy best friend first… but then I missed you for sex too yep.” he joked, earning a glare and a slap on his shoulder from you.

“Ouch!”

“You know what??” you said with resolution, “I didn’t miss you at all. I only missed your dick.”

“You did, hm?”

“Yeah,” you nodded, pulling his face closer to yours, “you better make good use of these twenty minutes then.”

He didn’t say anything, he just trapped your lips in a bruising kiss while he touched all over your body: he exposed your breasts, freeing them from the confinement of your black bikini top and he latched his mouth on your soft skin, earning a soft whimper from you. As he did so, his hands went underwater to free himself from his shorts, before he moved your bikini bottom to the side as he entered you fully with one thrust.

“Hello there…” he smirked at you, as you leaned your forehead against his, “Missed me?”

“Fuck Rubes,” you sighed giggling, the coldness of the tiled wall long forgotten “I missed you.”

“So it’s not just my dick you’ve missed, is it?”

“You sure you want to hear the answer?” you said in a moan, as his hips pushed harder into you already, splashing some water out of the pool.

“I only want to hear the sounds you make while I fuck you,” he whispered in your ear, “I need to hear how good I make you feel.”

“Fuck baby,” you breathed, feeling lightheaded both from the previous exertion and from your naughty rendezvous, “you feel so good, God I love you.”

“I love you too babygirl,” he smiled before he kissed you, “I love you too.”

“‘m so close Rubes, don’t stop…” you moaned, “Please…”

And he didn’t, he didn’t stop at all, if anything he started pushing his dick deeper and deeper into you, while he couldn’t keep his eyes off you: you were looking like a goddess, his own goddess.

“Don’t hold back baby,” he groaned, on the brink of his high just by watching you fall apart right in front of him, in his arms, “let go, cum for me…”

His words, his rough, deep voice, they created a perfect mix, a mix that caused your orgasm to crash on you like a tidal wave. Your body was left tingling from the pleasure, and you kissed your boyfriend’s full lips as you came down from your high.

“What about you?” you asked him, looking at him through hooded eyes.

“What about me?”

“You didn’t cum, mister…” you smirked, whimpering as he moved inside you.

“Not in the pool.” he shook his head.

“Then sit here…” you patted on the edge of the pool at your back, “I’ll take good care of you.”

“Promise?” he smirked as he sat where you told him to.

“Oh I do,” you mused as you swam between his thighs, with your eyes on his throbbing dick, “I promise.”

Ruben threw his head back when he felt your mouth take in his cock, a string of curses leaving his lips as he panted. Your lips sucked on him, while your hands stroked what didn’t fit your mouth.

“Such a perfect mouth you have baby, fuck!” he whined, looking at you as his hand caressed the back of your head in a gentle invitation to take more of him into your mouth; you complied, wanting to give him the same pleasure he gave you, and when his cock hit the back of your throat he was a goner.

“Goog God, fuck baby I love you. Oh fuckk!” he moaned as you swallowed everything he gave you.

“Welcome back baby.” you looked up at him smirking, leaving an open mouthed kiss on his thigh.

“If this is my welcome back at work, I can’t wait to get you home.” he sighed, disappointed about the game but definitely happy to be back home.

[positivexcellence]

towwn: who’s your best-est buddy? 💗🐶🐐🐇🐮

a celebration of #earthmonth wouldn’t be complete without mentioning our planetary cohabitants. according to a recent survey by the american psychiatric association, 86% of pet owners believe their “fur babies” boost their mental health – and 90% consider their animal adoptees & friends as part of the family. more pet-related benefits:

▶️improved cardiovascular health ▶️elevated mood ▶️boost physical activity levels ▶️reduce anxiety ▶️help alleviate + combat symptoms of adhd, ptsd, loneliness & isolation ▶️comfort & companionship (think: the elderly & people with medical conditions) ▶️aid in children’s learning development

animals may also help kids and adults with socializing. 🐕‍🦺so, take a walk to the dog park, visit a farm or rescue sanctuary, build a bird feeder – engage with any animals that inspire you – and enjoy a moment of zen with another gentle & curious being.

tell us your best buddy’s breed or species + tag their profile (if they have one!) in the comments.

[witchyligea]

Learning from Alwyn Oak: Self Care (an e-offering to Aphrodite)

🧚‍♂️ A Fairies Guide to Self Care | Potions, Bakes, Mindful reflection 🦋

🕰️When you feel overwhelmed, make good quality time for yourself 3 times that week.

🦋There's always a message to learn from the animals around you. Pay attention to the animals you feel drawn to.

🌈Wearing the colour of the emotion you want to attract can be a very quick mood boost.

🪲Try to connect with nature even if it's hard because you live in the city. Learn about the plants and insects around you. Listen to the rain and the wind. Feed the stray cats and watch as they sleep peacefully on the grass under the sun. Watch the birds bathe in a little pond. Look out for nestlings on the ground who look like they fell down the tree and look after them until they can fly Hell, even look at the people around you. We are a part of nature too, no matter how much we destroy it.

🎨When you keep having depressing thoughts and need to get out of your mind go out and get back in your physical body through activities. You can dance, play an insturment or do arts and crafts.

This post is an offering to Lady Aphrodite, as She is the Goddess of self love. I'm hoping that this post can help those who need it, including myself. I think even if we don't like to be vulnerable being human limits us and that's okay. Blessed be, Ligea