#breakfast food growth

[sudiptaam]

Breakfast Food Global Market Size (2024-35)

Overview

The global breakfast food market was valued at USD 64.9 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach USD 91.5 billion by 2035, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 3.3% from 2025 to 2035. The market is experiencing significant growth due to the increasing demand for convenient, ready-to-eat breakfast options, along with rising health awareness among consumers. Traditional breakfast foods such as cereals, oats, and pancakes are being complemented by newer, healthier alternatives like plant-based and organic options.

Request Full Sample: https://www.metatechinsights.com/request-sample/1752

Market Dynamics

Growing Demand for Convenience Foods With busy lifestyles, especially among working professionals and millennials, the demand for ready-to-eat breakfast foods is on the rise. Consumers are increasingly preferring convenience without compromising on nutrition. Products like breakfast cereals, energy bars, and smoothies are gaining popularity for their ease of preparation and quick consumption. The fast-paced nature of modern life, coupled with the need for a healthy start to the day, is fueling the market for such products.

Full Report: https://www.metatechinsights.com/industry-insights/breakfast-food-market-1752

Health-Conscious Eating Driving Growth Consumers are becoming more health-conscious, leading to an increased preference for nutritious breakfast foods that are low in sugar, high in protein, and rich in essential vitamins and minerals. Organic and plant-based breakfast products are particularly popular due to their perceived health benefits and clean-label attributes. The demand for gluten-free, non-GMO, and high-fiber breakfast foods is also increasing as consumers focus on maintaining a balanced diet.

Product Innovation and Dietary-Specific Offerings The market is seeing an influx of innovative products, including protein-packed breakfast options, low-carb meals, and plant-based alternatives. Companies are introducing new breakfast options that cater to specific dietary preferences, such as vegan, keto, and paleo diets. These innovations are attracting health-conscious consumers looking for personalized nutrition.

Challenges in the Market The primary challenges faced by the breakfast food market include high production costs and the need for continuous product innovation. Despite the growing demand for healthier breakfast options, the cost of organic ingredients and plant-based alternatives can drive up prices, making them less accessible to some consumer segments. Furthermore, with numerous players in the market, maintaining a competitive edge requires substantial investments in R&D.

Regional Trends in Consumer Preferences Regional differences are evident in the preferences for breakfast foods. For example, in North America, cereals and protein bars are popular, while in Europe, traditional breakfast items like bread, pastries, and coffee remain staples. In Asia-Pacific, there is growing interest in Western-style breakfast foods due to urbanization and globalization.

Segment Analysis

Product Type The breakfast food market is segmented into cereals, ready-to-eat meals, energy bars, pancakes, bread and bakery products, and others. Cereals hold the largest share of the market, driven by their convenience and nutritional value. However, energy bars and protein-rich products are emerging as fast-growing categories, reflecting a shift toward on-the-go and high-protein options.

Application The market is also segmented by application into health-focused meals, on-the-go breakfast solutions, and traditional breakfast foods. Health-conscious breakfasts are gaining popularity, with consumers seeking options that are both nutritious and convenient.

Regional Analysis

North America North America dominates the breakfast food market, driven by a strong preference for ready-to-eat meals and breakfast cereals. The demand for plant-based and organic breakfast foods is also high in this region, with consumers increasingly opting for healthier alternatives. The United States is the key market, benefiting from a robust retail network and rising health awareness.

Europe Europe is another significant market for breakfast foods, where traditional breakfast items like bread, pastries, and yogurt remain popular. The demand for organic and plant-based breakfast options is also increasing, particularly in countries like Germany and the UK. Consumer preferences are evolving toward healthier and more convenient products, which is expected to continue driving market growth.

Asia Pacific The Asia-Pacific region is witnessing rapid growth in the breakfast food market, primarily due to urbanization, rising disposable incomes, and changing consumer lifestyles. In countries like India and China, traditional breakfast foods are being complemented by Western-style breakfast options, including cereals and granola bars. Despite the challenges posed by low awareness in rural areas, urban markets are experiencing strong demand for convenient and healthy breakfast options.

Competitive Landscape

The breakfast food market is highly competitive, with several key players such as Kellogg’s, General Mills, Nestlé, and PepsiCo leading the industry. These companies have strong distribution networks and are constantly innovating to meet changing consumer preferences. Additionally, smaller companies and startups focusing on niche segments like organic, gluten-free, and plant-based breakfast foods are gaining traction. The market is also seeing collaborations between brands and health experts to develop new products catering to specific dietary needs.

Recent Developments

Kellogg's (U.S.): In 2023, Kellogg's launched a line of high-protein, low-sugar breakfast cereals designed for health-conscious consumers looking for a nutritional boost in the morning.

Nestlé (Switzerland): Nestlé introduced a range of organic breakfast foods, including cereals and muesli, targeting health-conscious and eco-aware consumers.

Nature Valley (U.S.): In 2023, Nature Valley expanded its product portfolio with new energy bars made from whole grains and plant-based ingredients to appeal to the growing demand for healthy on-the-go snacks.

Buy Now: https://www.metatechinsights.com/checkout/1752

Conclusion

The breakfast food market is evolving with changing consumer preferences for convenience, health-conscious options, and product innovations. While traditional breakfast foods continue to dominate, the rising popularity of plant-based, organic, and functional foods is shaping the future of the market. Companies focusing on product innovation, health benefits, and sustainable practices will be well-positioned for growth. As the demand for nutritious and convenient breakfast options continues to rise, the market is expected to experience steady growth over the next decade.

[dashinghealth]

SOTERIA TenPlus Nutri Mix: The Ultimate Superfood for Babies & Adults

🚀 Boost Your Health with SOTERIA TenPlus Nutri Mix! 🌱💪 Looking for a superfood blend that’s perfect for babies, kids, and adults? Say hello to SOTERIA TenPlus Nutri Mix—a 100% natural, nutrient-packed mix of 11 powerhouse ingredients, including millet, soya beans, chia seeds, tiger nuts, and more! ✅ Fuels energy & stamina 🔥 ✅ Strengthens muscles & bones 💪 ✅ Supports digestion & gut health 🌾 ✅ Naturally delicious with no preservatives 🍃 Enjoy it as porridge, smoothies, or in your favorite recipes! 🥣🍹 📞 Order now for fast nationwide delivery! Click the link or send us a DM to grab yours today! 🚚💨 💚 SOTERIA TenPlus Nutri Mix – Because Every Spoonful Counts! 💚 #SOTERIATenPlusNutriMix #Superfood #HealthyLiving #PlantBasedProtein #NutritiousMeal #HealthyEating #FoodForGrowth #ChiaSeeds #TigerNuts #EnergyBoost

In today’s fast-paced world, eating healthy is more important than ever. Whether you’re a parent looking for a nutritious meal option for your child or an adult seeking a natural energy boost, SOTERIA TenPlus Nutri Mix is the perfect solution! This nutrient-dense superfood blend is crafted with 11 powerhouse ingredients, providing essential vitamins, minerals, and proteins for optimal…

[wisedreamerreview]

Today

Sitting here now watching the cats playing in the sunlight outside. I’m doing my best to stay in out of the wind. With my allergies already stirred up I don’t need to be out there among the blowing pollen. The coughing fits have eased up some but not fully. My son went to town earlier and brought back biscuits from a fast food place. My dog Bella was inside when he returned and she kept looking…

[npskudlu]

"Attention parents! Are you on the hunt for the healthiest vegetables to incorporate into your toddler's daily meals? Look no further than National Public School Kudlu's top picks for the BEST vegetables for toddlers! From leafy greens to colorful squash, we've got a variety of delicious and nutrient-rich options that will fuel your little one's growing body and mind. Join us in promoting healthy eating habits and giving your toddlers the best start in life with our exciting vegetable recommendations.

[b0yw0lf]

4n4 tips (backed by science)!!!

Figured I would make one of these since they really help me out!

In order to make f4sting easier, switch to a d1et with more protein or a keto d1et.

Most people have a d1et that is high in carbs. This means that most of the energy they burn is readily-available glucose instead of fatty acids or ketones.

When f4tty acids are used for energy, they turn into ketones which is a process that takes longer and makes you feel fuller. It also burns b0dy f4t. When glucose is used for energy, it’s depleted within 24 hours AT MOST and usually around 8 hours. This will lead to severe cravings, especially for high carb f00ds.

But by following a high protein d1et, a keto d1et, or by going through long periods of f4sting before your body will get more used to using the f4tty acids and help lessen cravings.

E4t at irregular times.

When your body gets accustomed to receiving f00d at the same times every day grellin spikes. The hormone grellin is responsible for many feelings of hunger. It has been shown that grellin will spike at the times that breakfast, lunch, and dinner are usually 3aten, making you hungry. By making your meals irregular you can help avoid severe grellin spikes. This also means that the more you f4st, the less hungry you will feel (in general) because grellin will not spike since you’re not 3ating meals.

If you feel hungry, wait 2 hours.

It’s been shown that the spike in grellin (the hunger hormone I talked about above) is short-lived. About 2 hours after the initial spike in grellin, it will even back out to normal levels so your appetite will drop as well.

Only f4st for 3 days max.

I know I know. But hear me out: after about 3 days you stop burning b0dy f4t and are instead burning muscle. That’s fine if your overall goal is to l0se we1ght but if you’re going for that toned sk1nny look that you see in a lot of th1nspo, then stop. If you’re very overweight you can maybe go for a little longer, about 1 more day before you stop burning f4t but that’s it. If you’re really lean already, then you will start burning muscle instead of f4t in even less time than 3 days, maybe closer to 2.

Just a side note but due to autophogy (essentially the breakdown of old, less functional cells) f4sting for 3 days can help reduce inflammation, boost your immune system, and potentially even slow down acne, wrinkles, and age spots. However these effects ONLY last for about 3 days before they stop and the negative parts of f4sting kick in.

Take your vitamins and minerals.

I’m sure you’ve heard this one before, but seriously. A few days without food gives you an immune boost but longer than that and your immune system begins to weaken severely, leading to more serious infections and sicknesses. Even something like a common cold can take you down. And it’s hard to keep up the 4n4 lifestyle if you’re sick all the time.

Get everything you need to done in the first 3 days of a f4st.

If you’re going to f4st longer than 3 days (which I don’t recommend), try to get anything important done in the first 3 days. Homework, readings, slideshows, meetings, and even friend hang outs should be done within the first 3 days of a f4st. During this time your body will experiences higher rates of neurogenesis (growth and development of new brain cells and nerve tissues) in the brain, which has been linked to clearer focus, improved mood, and better memory. So set yourself up for an easier rest of the f4st by getting things done ahead of time during this period.

Sorry if any of the censoring was annoying, I’m paranoid about getting t worded. If you want more of these or have any questions just lmk!

[22ayla21]

Vegetable Trickery

Women are cunning creatures; they'll even make lions eat vegetables.

As it turned out, raising two little lion cubs was not for the faint of heart. Especially considering they took after their father not only in appearance but also in culinary preferences.

Leona had always been a meat lover. If it were possible, he would eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Vegetables? Who needed them anyway? This was his firm stance since childhood. And, of course, his children inherited the same passion for meat and an absolutely sincere aversion to anything that even remotely resembled greens.

Their mother, however, held a different opinion. She was a reasonable woman and understood perfectly that children needed a balanced diet for normal growth and development. But how do you explain this to two little stubborn lion cubs who clearly took their dad’s disregard for vegetables as sacred law?

Useless. Absolutely useless.

Every attempt to serve anything other than meat turned into a mini-drama. The twins frowned, suspiciously examined their plates, and literally sniffed to make sure there was nothing "dangerous" lurking in their food. And if they found the slightest hint of vegetables, the game was lost. They immediately shouted that the "green stuff" was unnecessary and demanded "normal food."

Leona, meanwhile, sat nearby, arms crossed, smirking smugly.

"You know they're right, don't you?" he'd say mockingly, lazily bringing a piece of roast meat to his lips. "Why do they need those grassy things when we have real food?"

She just rolled her eyes. And that's when a cunning plan was born in her head.

First, she started small.

Finely chopped onions and garlic in the meatballs—too small for anyone to notice. Then—cauliflower puree, cleverly mixed with mashed potatoes. A spoonful of carrot juice in the broth, a little more vegetables in the sauce.

And, lo and behold! They ate. They ate and didn't notice the trick.

She began to master new ways of secretly delivering vitamins into her cubs' bodies.

Meatballs? Add finely grated zucchini to the minced meat.

Sauce for the meat? Blend tomatoes, bell peppers, and eggplant.

Pancakes? Let the batter include pumpkin puree.

Meat pies? What if the filling is half mushrooms and spinach?

They ate everything. And praised it!

Leona too.

At first, she worried he'd notice. After all, he was an adult man, and with an excellent sense of smell. But he ate, suspecting nothing. And when he once praised the "especially juicy" meatballs that contained grated zucchini, she had to exert all her effort not to burst out laughing right at the table.

"See, Mom?" her son proudly declared, chewing a piece of meat. "Dad also knows that normal food is only meat!"

"Of course, dear," she smiled gently, trying not to give herself away.

Leona nodded approvingly and reached for another serving.

Weeks went by, and her trickery remained undiscovered. The children were happy, their health was fine, and even the king of the family himself ate vegetables, unaware of it.

But one day, everything almost fell apart.

That evening, dinner was especially delicious—stewed meat in a thick sauce with fragrant spices. Everyone ate with gusto until her son suddenly frowned and started digging in his plate.

"Mom, what's this?" he suspiciously poked his fork at something green, peeking out from under a piece of meat. Her daughter froze, squinting.

"Looks like... a vegetable!"

Silence fell.

The little lions looked from their plates to their mother. Leona, who was finishing his piece of meat, paused, watching the situation with interest.

"Come on, Mom," he drawled with a sly grin. "You don't mean to tell us you've been slipping us vegetables all this time?"

She felt a chill run down her spine. But she couldn't show her nervousness. She smiled her most composed smile and calmly replied:

"Of course not, dears. It's just greens for flavor."

Her son narrowed his eyes suspiciously but, finding no convincing evidence of the crime, shrugged and went back to eating. Her daughter also nodded, accepting the explanation.

Leona, however, looked at her with a squint.

"You're more cunning than you seem," he drawled, shaking his head. "Should have guessed earlier."

She put on an innocent face.

"What are you talking about?"

He chuckled and leaned back in his chair again.

"Alright. Since you're so cunning that you managed to fool even me, then..." he took another piece of meat and popped it into his mouth, chewing with pleasure, "...maybe it's not so bad after all."

She had won. The lions in her family ate vegetables. They just didn't know it.

[biscuitsandwires]

In which Danny wakes up in a weird place.... again.

The thing about Danny, is that he often wakes up in really, really weird situations. Like way more than you'd think, way more than he'd even like, really. He doesn't get that much sleep, being y'know, half ghost, and with school work and having to fight "The Forces of Evil" half the time it gets kind of... tedious, balancing things like sleep and eating and even getting water in him.

It's not really a good thing, but he started carrying around a water bottle he can clip to his bag. It reminds him to at least drink something, when he doesn't have time to grab anything to eat.

But because of all that fun stuff, the not sleeping and not eating and things, he often finds himself taking... unplanned naps. Waking up on the floor, his bed, his desk, one time even in his locker, but that was before his growth spurt. He's a little too big for that now.

Of course, this might take the cake, in terms of weird places he's woken up. He's never been to Gotham, that he remembers, and he certainly has never been to the Wayne Manor. He'd remember that, he thinks, what with the grand architecture, the giant paintings of random people with pearl necklaces and suits... yeah he'd know if he'd been here before.

"Ah, you are awake."

He tries really, really hard not to react to the sudden, aged voice next to him. It sounds like a nice guy, mature and soft like a wool blanket. But he has no idea where he is, when it is, anything, so in one second he's still on the big bed (which it is a BIG bed) and the next he's... well.

Floating ten feet in the air with his fist raised.

To his credit, the older gentleman staring up at him merely blinks, then sighs. "Another enhanced fellow, I suppose. Of course you are."

It's enough to lower Danny's hackles, his confusion growing the amount of time it takes to slowly float back to the floor.

"Can I uh... Can I ask where I am?"

The older man gives him a look. "You, young man, are in the Wayne family home. I'll ask you not to touch anything until the young Master gets back."

That... didn't really clear anything up, if Danny was being real. So he tried again. "Can I ask, uh. Why I'm here, sir?"

Mama didn't raise a ruffian with no manners.

Another sigh, the older man looking like he wanted to go take a nap himself. "I am not fully sure, myself. Young Master Damian found you, I suppose, and brought you here. You have been unconscious for a day or so."

Well. That was concerning all on it's own. Who was Damian? Was he a Wayne? Why was Danny in Gotham at all, he didn't remember a field trip or anything involving Vlad.

He might have started panicking if there wasn't the sudden, entirely too enticing smell of pancakes suddenly under his nose.

"You're entirely too skinny, young man. It's breakfast time." The older gentleman said, holding a tray of wayyy too much food for one person in front of Danny, and really...

What was he gonna do? Deny the man?

He would have to figure out what the hell was going on, later. Right now he had a date with the nicest looking spread he'd ever seen.

"And young man, you may call me Alfred."

Danny grinned, gently taking the tray from him and setting it on a nearby table. "Danny. It's good to meet you."

"Hmm." Alfred mumbled. "I certainly hope so, Master Danny. I certainly hope so."

(pt 2 here)

[reasonsforhope]

"Indonesia’s new government started an ambitious project on Monday [January 6, 2025] to fight malnutrition by feeding nearly 90 million children and pregnant women that is expected to cost $28 billion through 2029, although critics question whether the program is affordable.

The Free Nutritious Meal program delivers on a campaign promise by President Prabowo Subianto, who was elected last year to lead the nation, which has more than 282 million people and Southeast Asia’s largest economy. He said the program aims to fight the stunting of growth that afflicts 21.5% of Indonesian children younger than 5 and would raise the income of farmers.

Subianto has pledged to accelerate GDP growth to 8% from 5% now.

In his inauguration speech in October, Subianto said many children are malnourished. His promise to provide free school lunches and milk to 83 million students at more than 400,000 schools is part of a longer-term strategy to develop the nation’s human resources to achieve a “Golden Indonesia” generation by 2045.

“Too many of our brothers and sisters are below the poverty line, too many of our children go to school without breakfast and do not have clothes for school,” Subianto said.

Subianto’s signature program could cost upward of 450 trillion rupiah ($28 billion) by the end of his term in 2029. He said his team has made the calculations to run such a program, and “We are capable.”

The government’s target is to reach an initial 19.5 million schoolchildren and pregnant women in 2025 with a budget of 71 trillion rupiah ($4.3 billion) so as to keep the annual deficit under a legislated ceiling of 3% of GDP, said Dadan Hindayana, the head of the newly formed National Nutrition Agency...

Nearly 2,000 cooperatives will be involved in the free meals program by providing eggs, vegetables, rice, fish, meat, milk and other food, Cooperative Minister Budi Arie Setiadi said.

On Monday, a truck carrying food arrived at SD Cilangkap 08, a primary school in the Jakarta satellite city of Depok. The 740 students were provided rice, stir-fried vegetables, tempeh, stir-fried chicken and oranges.

“We will send a team to each school to facilitate the meal distribution to students every day,” Hindayana said, adding that the program will provide one meal per day for each student from early childhood education to senior high school, covering a third of the daily caloric needs for children, with the government providing the meals at no cost to recipients...

According to the 2023 Indonesian Health Survey, the national stunting prevalence was 21.5%, down around 0.8% from the previous year. The United Nations Children’s Fund estimated that one in 12 Indonesian children younger than 5 suffers from low weight while one in five is shorter than normal. Both conditions are caused by malnourishment.

“That’s so bad and must be solved,” Suwarso said. “Child malnourishment has severe consequences, threatening the health and long-term development of infants and young children throughout this nation.”"

-via Time, January 6, 2025

[aeth-eris]

★ how to maximize profits via 2nd house ★

aries in the 2nd house can maximize profits by capitalizing on their entrepreneurial drive and competitive spirit. aries benefits from fast-paced, high-energy ventures where they can lead and make quick decisions. they might excel by launching a fitness training program, offering personal coaching services, or starting a motivational brand that sells products like athletic apparel, energy drinks, or performance gear. aries could also find success with subscription boxes focused on high-adrenaline hobbies like hiking, martial arts, or adventure sports. by embracing ventures that allow them to innovate quickly and take the lead, aries can build profitable businesses that leverage their passion and high energy.

taurus in the 2nd house is well-suited for steady financial growth through high-quality, long-term investments and products. they thrive in businesses that emphasize luxury, beauty, and quality, such as a high-end skincare line, organic foods business, or eco-friendly clothing brand. taurus could also consider starting a boutique furniture store that sells artisan-crafted or vintage items, as they appreciate products with enduring value. with their talent for creating a comforting atmosphere, taurus might excel with a bed and breakfast, a spa, or a wellness center that offers relaxation services. taurus maximizes profits by focusing on products that prioritize quality and offer a luxurious experience, appealing to clients who value longevity and craftsmanship.

gemini in the 2nd house can boost profits by tapping into their adaptability and communication skills, especially in diverse, mentally stimulating fields. they could thrive by starting a digital marketing agency, offering copywriting or editing services, or launching an online course platform that covers a wide range of topics to cater to curious minds. with their natural social skills, gemini could also excel in creating a networking app or social media consulting service. offering services like translation, podcasting, or even freelance journalism can keep income flowing, as gemini is well-suited to manage multiple streams of revenue. their knack for curiosity-driven ventures and networking makes them ideal for businesses that involve idea-sharing, quick adaptability, and community engagement.

cancer in the 2nd house can increase earnings by focusing on nurturing and emotionally resonant businesses that bring comfort to others. they might start a home-cooked meal delivery service, a childcare center, or a family-focused event planning service that organizes intimate gatherings like birthdays and reunions. cancer could also do well in real estate, particularly with home staging or property management that emphasizes creating warm, inviting spaces. they could excel in interior decorating, especially with a focus on cozy, family-oriented spaces, or start a handcrafted candle or blanket line. by building businesses that revolve around care, comfort, and family, cancer can create loyal clients and establish long-term success through emotional connections.

leo in the 2nd house maximizes profits by showcasing their creativity and leadership, often excelling in businesses that allow them to stand out and build a brand. leo could find success with a personal brand consultancy, fashion line, or luxury event planning business. they might enjoy launching a social media channel focused on lifestyle or self-improvement, where they can attract sponsorships or sell branded merchandise. leo also thrives in roles where they can influence and inspire others, so they might consider starting a motivational speaking business, an acting or dance academy, or a high-end boutique. with their flair for self-expression, leo profits best when they create high-quality, visually captivating products and services that let their star power shine through.

virgo in the 2nd house finds financial success through practical, detail-oriented services that provide high value and efficiency. they excel in businesses that involve organization, health, and precision, such as financial consulting, tax preparation, or a personal organizing service. virgo might also thrive with a nutrition or wellness coaching business, offering tailored health plans or holistic products like herbal supplements or self-care kits. a digital bookkeeping service, copyediting business, or virtual assistant agency could also bring them steady profits, as virgo’s meticulous nature appeals to clients who seek reliability and structure. by focusing on services that emphasize quality and organization, virgo builds a reputation for excellence that attracts a steady client base.

libra in the 2nd house can increase earnings by leveraging their skills in diplomacy, aesthetics, and partnerships. they could start a wedding planning business, a floral design company, or a luxury lifestyle brand that sells carefully curated home décor items. libra would also excel in public relations consulting or brand management roles, where they can help clients present a refined, balanced image. creating a high-end art gallery, a boutique law firm, or a relationship coaching service could also align well with libra’s skills. libra thrives in partnership-focused ventures, so building collaborative business models or co-founding a business with others can also enhance their profitability and bring a sense of harmony to their financial life.

scorpio in the 2nd house maximizes profits by tapping into their ability to handle intensity and complexity, often succeeding in fields like finance, psychology, and research. scorpio could build wealth by creating a private investigation firm, a psychotherapy practice, or a financial planning service specializing in wealth management or estate planning. they might also thrive in real estate investment, particularly with properties that need transformation, such as flipping houses or managing rental properties. scorpio may also excel in businesses related to holistic healing, offering reiki or shadow work coaching. by focusing on industries that require trust, depth, and resilience, scorpio can attract clients who value privacy and are willing to invest in transformational services.

sagittarius in the 2nd house can increase profits by embracing their love for adventure, growth, and education. they could launch a travel agency specializing in unique cultural experiences, a language learning platform, or a motivational speaking business that offers courses and workshops. sagittarius could also thrive by creating a publishing company focused on philosophical or inspirational content or starting a tour guiding business for international destinations. their enthusiasm for knowledge makes them great at teaching, so they might consider offering online courses or starting a coaching business in a field they’re passionate about. by aligning with growth-oriented ventures, sagittarius can attract an audience that values inspiration and big-picture thinking.

capricorn in the 2nd house maximizes profits through disciplined, long-term planning and a practical approach to business. they’re well-suited for businesses like a corporate consulting firm, project management agency, or investment portfolio service. capricorn could also do well in real estate development, particularly with rental properties or commercial buildings. they might find success by starting a financial advisory firm or creating a luxury goods company focused on high-end, timeless products like leather goods or fine jewelry. by aligning with industries that reward patience and professionalism, capricorn can build a solid financial foundation and enjoy steady growth, often seeing long-term success through conservative but reliable investments.

aquarius in the 2nd house can increase profits by focusing on innovation, technology, and humanitarian ventures. they might launch a tech startup, a renewable energy company, or a social media platform that prioritizes community and ethical interaction. aquarius could also find success with a nonprofit organization focused on social justice, an eco-friendly product line, or a collaborative workspace for creatives and freelancers. their futuristic mindset makes them perfect for ventures in artificial intelligence, blockchain technology, or virtual reality. by aligning their finances with progressive and forward-thinking industries, aquarius can attract clients and customers who value innovation and social impact.

pisces in the 2nd house maximizes profits by leaning into their creativity, compassion, and spirituality. they may thrive in a music or art therapy practice, a spiritual coaching business, or a holistic wellness center that offers services like yoga, meditation, and crystal healing. pisces could also succeed by creating a boutique art studio, a dream journal line, or a subscription service for wellness products like essential oils, herbal teas, and calming rituals. they’re drawn to businesses that help others heal or connect with their inner selves, so they may also find success in fields like astrology, psychic readings, or intuitive counseling. by aligning with businesses that emphasize emotional well-being and creativity, pisces can build a profitable venture that resonates deeply with clients who seek personal and spiritual growth.

[petite-anni]

How can I loose weight?

I got you.

💗weightloss, diets and healthy habits💗

1. healthy habits

before we start, you want longterm process. So form habits. Become disciplined.

No crash-diet means no jojo-effect. No crash-diet means actual progress that doesnt go to waste.

2. diet

No matter how much you move, if your diet is not sitting right, you wont slim down. Over time you have to include healthy and nutritious options into your diet.

~small bowl of veggies, before breakfast

(such as cucumber, bell pepper, carotts, tomatos. That way your bloodsugar levels wont come crushing down midday)

~breakfast should include something that keeps you full. Dont skip it. People who eat breakfast tend to loose more weight and be slimmer.

(Porride, Eggs, Avocado, etc)

I usually include: Oatmeal, Chia sees, Berries and one Banana

~try not to snack, keep going for three meals a day

~eat whole foods, eat clean and make sure to dont neglect your protein-intake

(protein keeps us full and satisfied. Also, you want to loose fat, not muscle)

~cut out sodas and liquid calories!!!

such a waste. go for the light options with 0-2kcal. They taste the same, if not better.

Also, drink enough water.

3. workout

Normally, I work out every day in some way.

Cardio, strenght, pilates or just a walk outside.

Moving your body, keeping it toned and flexible, helps your mood, your health and your overall life.

On top, it burns calories.

Build some muscle and loose some fat. Thats how you get your dream body.

Here are my favorite channels, that I workout to daily:

MIZI (cardio mainly, full body workouts and burning calories)

Lidia Mera (pilates full body, toning and strenghtenig, legs, arms, abs)

Shirlyn Kim (specific parts, weightloss, strenghtening/toning,thigh gap)

Yuuka Sagawa (posture, arms and upper body)

Nina Dapper (arms, legs and abs)

4. Beauty Secrets

~ginger/curcuma shots

I tend to have ginger shots to boost my immune system and overall health. They are also very good for your skin and can give you a natural glow.

~probiotics

Your gut health is a game changer. You get less break outs and you can loose weight faster.

You can heal your gut through your diet and order some probiotics.

~castor oil

I live and breathe castor oil.

Usually I apply it before bed on my lashes, hair and skin. It helps with hair growth, skin protection and hydration. Its also very good for debloating and detox, if you put it into your belly button.

~green tea

This magic tea can help you loose weight, reduce the risk of several diseases, such as diabetes or heart disease,

It reduces anxiety and lowers your cholesterol level.

[colebabey888]

From Morning Routine to Nighttime Rituals | IT GIRL DIARIES

Becoming an IT Girl means embracing a lifestyle that balances beauty, productivity, and mindfulness. Let's take a look in the daily life of your ideal IT Girl...

Morning: Energizing Start 🎀

The IT Girl starts her day early, around 6 AM, with a refreshing glass of hot lemon water to detox and hydrate. She follows this with a quick workout, like indoor cycling or yoga, to get her blood flowing and boost her energy for the day ahead. After her workout, she treats herself to a skincare routine with gentle cleansers, serums, and sunscreen, focusing on achieving that effortless glow.

For breakfast, she enjoys a nutritious green juice, packed with spinach, kale, and ginger, which supports her clear skin and nourishes her body from within. She also takes a few moments for mindfulness practice, like journaling or meditation, to set positive intentions for the day.

Mid-Morning: Work Mode 🎀

By 9 AM, she’s in full productivity mode. To stay organized, she uses a to-do list or productivity app to break her day into manageable tasks. Whether she’s running a business, working on creative projects, or attending meetings, she prioritizes efficiency while taking short breaks to prevent burnout.

Lunch: Balanced and Light 🎀

For lunch, the IT Girl opts for a light, clean meal, like a salad with lean protein or healthy fats. She avoids processed foods and sugars, sticking to a nutrient-rich diet that keeps her feeling energized. During her break, she might catch up on reading or listen to a podcast that aligns with her personal growth goals.

Afternoon: Social and Active 🎀

In the afternoon, she may meet with friends, colleagues, or network with like-minded individuals. Socializing is a key part of her lifestyle, but she also remains selective about the company she keeps, ensuring her circle is supportive and inspiring.

To stay active, she might sneak in a quick walk or stretch, especially if she’s been working at a desk. Physical movement is important, even during a busy day, to maintain that IT Girl energy.

Evening: Wind Down in Style 🎀

As the day winds down, the IT Girl prepares for a relaxing evening. After finishing her tasks, she switches to self-care mode with an evening skincare routine, focusing on cleansing, moisturizing, and perhaps a face mask. She also enjoys a warm bath or some light stretching to soothe her body.

For dinner, she sticks to whole, unprocessed foods, such as grilled vegetables and lean proteins. The evening is her time to unwind, reflect, and recharge for the next day. She might do some light reading, indulge in a creative hobby, or spend time with loved ones.

Nighttime: Sleep Rituals 🎀

By 10 PM, it’s time for her nighttime rituals. The IT Girl knows the importance of quality sleep for her beauty and productivity. She turns off screens at least an hour before bed and enjoys a cup of herbal tea. Finally, she practices gratitude journaling to reflect on her day, setting a positive tone for the next morning.

_____

xoxo, @colebabey888

www.thedigitaldollar/gumroad.com

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Hi!, ive encountered a problem i hope you would aid in? ive been trying to write this domestic breakfast scene where one character is still half-asleep trying to uphold a conversation but i can't. Its the "calm before the storm" kind of scene and i want to give my readers time to breathe and relate to the characters.

Writing Notes: Mundane Scenes

How Mundane Scenes can be Important (by editor Richelle Braswell):

Pacing: Mundane scenes can provide a breather from the action-packed scenes and add variation so that readers don’t get bored or worn down.

World-building: Mundane moments such as how characters get dressed in the morning or prepare their food can add realism and details to your world. It gives a sense of depth to characters lives and shows instead of tells how life operates.

Give weight to events: Mundane activities such as resting or tending to injuries can give weight to previous plot points such as a battle or reveal. We sit with the consequences, and thus the events feel like they have greater importance and space in the narrative.

Synthesize information: Characters can review things like whodunit clues or what they know so far over a meal or while traveling. Meanwhile, the reader can process events up until that point. These scenes are best used during the midpoint of a book or right before the climax.

Build tension: These much slower moments like chatting and weeding the garden can add tension to stories by sitting with the unknown. Readers will sense when things are too quiet and feel a building anticipation.

Develop character arcs: Slow moments such as shopping or washing-up can be important touchpoints to depict gradual character growth. If there is nonstop action, then there isn’t a chance for characters to stop and reflect and give the readers some insight into any changed thought processes and dilemmas.

Develop romance: Mundane moments are some of the best places to give characters space to make the bed together and fold laundry. Their romance and dynamic can be developed here but note that it is most effective when used sparingly and when the reader does not lose a sense of narrative drive.

Decisions as a challenge: Choices have gravity in a narrative when there is space for the main characters to struggle with doing the right thing. It can add further drama if they aren’t making tough decisions while dodging flying arrows or being chased, but while sweeping their floors or organizing their bookshelf. The reader experiences the weight of the choice since it can be carefully considered before it leads to a hero’s triumph or tragedy.

Whatever you do with a mundane scene, the idea to keep in mind is how it contributes to the whole.

some related literary tropes

"Slice of Life" Trope

Life, observed and examined.

A cast of characters go about their daily lives, making observations and being themselves.

There is an emphasis on the very moment, with the intent of focusing the audience on that moment rather than using that moment as part of a narrative.

"Calm before the Storm" Trope

Characterized by a sense of anticipation, perhaps tension, even dread of what is to come.

It allows the characters a moment of respite prior to everything going to hell.

Maybe they make final preparations.

Maybe they go bid farewell.

Maybe they go tie up loose ends or bury hatchets.

They might decide now's the time to finally spend the night with that special someone.

Or maybe they just meditate to still their minds and/or calm their nerves.

Or they may decide to throw a party while they still can.

This scene allows us a quiet moment to just be with the characters, especially if it winds up being the end of the line for some of them.

Great clouds lit from within by lightning gather on the horizon, an army can be seen assembling, or the Final Battle is just around the corner. Everyone knows it is inevitable.

Tomorrow the silence will be broken. Tomorrow there will be chaos. But for now, all is quiet.

"Action Film, Quiet Drama Scene" Trope

An action film trope that you can also incorporate in your writing.

In this kind of scene, there are no expensive visuals or frenetic action, just usually two characters talking about what they believe in, what they care about, their deepest pains, or anything that relates to the stakes of the situation.

This is not the same as the purely exposition scene in that there is something deeper displayed here.

In these scenes, you can understand the plot, grasp its theme, or develop a rapport with the characters to make the big scenes matter to your readers.

When it really works, it can make the action sequences all the more compelling, because the quiet scenes have allowed you to emotionally invest in the characters and care about their fate.

Examples

In The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2, after a long time fleeing through the giant death trap of the Capitol and suffering several losses, Cressida leads the squad to a friend's house. Their time in the basement covers a lot of ground, from mourning their losses to Katniss' guilt to the Love Triangle.

Inception: In the climax, we finally see whether or not Fischer reconciles with the memory of his father.

The Lord of the Rings: The scene between Aragorn and Arwen on the bridge in The Fellowship of the Ring. It introduces depth to Aragorn's character and reveals his backstory; the scenes of the Shire at peace in The Fellowship of the Ring (especially in the Directors Cut), filled with laughter, friendship and happy children (what a warrior lays down his life to protect) is what makes us actually care whether or not Frodo and the Fellowship defeat Sauron or not.

Sources: 1 2 3 4 ⚜ More: References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

Here are some information and related tropes to keep in mind as you write your scene. Use the tropes as inspiration, and alter as needed/desired to better fit your story. Reading how other authors have done this as well, especially in your favourite stories, is one way to know how you would execute it in your own story. You can find more details and examples in the links above. Hope this helps with your writing!

[thegatesofsilverandbone]

HIMB-Os: Breakfast for the Brawn

Elliot hated mornings.

Every one started the same: the shrill chirp of his alarm, the stiff collar of his too-white shirt, the sour pit in his stomach at the thought of another day spent blending into the background. He was smart—too smart, his teachers said—but that never seemed to help when it came to making friends. Or feeling comfortable in his own skin. Or surviving the endless onslaught of high school social hierarchies.

This morning was no different. Mostly.

He padded into the kitchen, hair still damp from his anxious morning shower, glasses perched on his nose. He adjusted his tie like it was a noose and dropped into his usual seat at the breakfast table, already thinking through his chemistry notes.

That’s when he noticed the cereal box.

Bright yellow, practically glowing in the morning sun. HIMB-Os, it read in bold red letters. A cartoon himbo—absurdly muscular, tan, and shirtless—grinned from the front, flexing with cartoonish glee. Elliot blinked. It must’ve been one of his mom’s impulse buys. She had a thing for novelty food packaging.

He turned the box around. No nutritional info, no brand. Just a tagline in playful font:

"Breakfast for the Brawn! Unleash Your Inner Himbo!"

He scoffed, but his stomach growled. It wasn’t like he had many options.

Shrugging, he poured a bowl. The cereal was pink, ring-shaped, and shimmered slightly in the light. It smelled sweet—like strawberries mixed with something warm and musky, like a summer breeze after the gym. Weirdly appealing.

He took a spoonful and shoved it in.

The flavor hit instantly: sweet, creamy, and oddly nostalgic. Like childhood breakfast mixed with protein powder and raw charisma. It melted on his tongue, leaving a faint tingle behind.

Then came the warmth.

It started small, just a gentle buzz in his chest. He paused, frowning. That wasn’t normal. He shifted in his seat. The buzz turned into pressure—something was happening inside him. He brushed his fingers over his sternum and gasped. His chest…wasn’t flat.

At first, he thought he was imagining things. But no. His pecs were swelling. Softly at first, then firmer, heavier. He watched, stunned, as the front of his shirt began to tighten, fabric tugging across the growing muscle.

He grabbed another bite. He had to know if it was the cereal.

This time, the effect hit his arms. His forearms lengthened subtly, but more importantly, they filled out. Veins pushed gently against the surface, pulsing with a new kind of strength. His biceps thickened under the sleeves, stretching the seams.

His breath caught. The shirt collar was choking him now—his neck had grown thicker. Not fat. Powerful. His Adam’s apple shifted as his vocal cords reshaped themselves. When he exhaled, his voice came out deeper. Richer. Warmer.

“What…?” he muttered, but the word sounded alien, coming from a throat like that.

His heartbeat thundered in his ears, but there was no fear. Not really. Just awe.

He took another spoonful.

His back spread against the chair with a deep crack, as if his spine had been waiting to stretch into this new form. His posture straightened, then arched with lazy confidence. His narrow, hunched frame expanded into a broad-shouldered V. The shirt tried to keep up but began to ride up his waistline as his torso filled out.

Hair prickled on his chest—light at first, then darker, denser. His once-smooth arms sported a dusting of soft brown curls. His thighs, too, began to push out—filling his slacks, then stretching them to their limit. His calves flexed beneath the table, thickening with each breath.

He was growing…everywhere.

And his face—

His glasses slid down his nose as his features restructured. Jawline sharpening. Cheekbones lifting. Eyebrows thickening into dark, confident slants. His lips parted with a breathy laugh, fuller now, curved in a lazy grin. Stubble shadowed his chin and jaw like morning dew turning to full growth.

He took the glasses off. He didn’t need them anymore. His eyes sparkled—a deep, dreamy hazel with a glint of mischievous confidence.

Another bite.

His thoughts slowed. Not in a bad way, not like sleep or distraction, but like the weight of worry being lifted away. Why had he spent so long overthinking everything? The formulas, the flashcards, the social dynamics?

He didn’t need to know all that. Not anymore.

All that mattered was how good he felt. And he felt amazing.

Every muscle was warm, humming with potential. His tank top, revealed as buttons popped from his strained school shirt, clung to a chest sculpted like marble. He reached up and tugged the tie loose, letting it hang around his neck like a fashion statement.

He looked down at his hands—bigger now, strong and veiny, the kind of hands that could lift, throw, hold. He flexed one casually and chuckled. It felt right.

Elliot was gone.

He stood up—well over six feet now—and caught a glimpse of himself in the microwave’s reflective door. His smile grew broader. His hair was tousled and perfect. His chest, wide and proud. His arms, covered in a light sheen of sweat and hair, pulsed with energy.

He looked like the guy on the box.

No—he looked better.

He reached for the last spoonful. “For the gains,” he said aloud in his new baritone voice, and crunched it down.

The transformation settled.

The fog in his head cleared—not with sharp thoughts, but with glowing positivity. He wasn’t worried about tests. He wasn’t planning three steps ahead. He was thinking about hitting the gym later. About how good he looked in this tank. About flashing someone a wink in the hallway. About telling that shy kid in class that he was doing just fine.

He ran a hand through his thick hair and gave a lazy wink to no one in particular.

“Eli,” he murmured. “Yeah. That feels more like me.”

He flexed one last time, admiring how his pecs bounced with the motion, then turned and strolled toward the door.

There was a whole world waiting out there.

And Eli was ready to conquer it—with a grin, a flex, and just maybe another box of HIMB-Os in his backpack… for emergencies.

[crimson-and-clover-1717]

This is one of my favourite scenes. I think it showcases their characters so well.

How tender Stede is with Ed’s absolute chaos of a breakfast

Stede’s confident body language - he ‘did good’ last night

Ed’s calmness and vulnerability in sharing one of the darkest moments of his life, and how his belief in Stede’s love helped him live again.

I hurt a little that Ed is desperately and poignantly trying to tell Stede he wants to give up the violent way of life, but doesn’t quite have the words… but this will sort itself later.

But the little moment that gets me is the toast.

S: ‘Toast… with a bite already taken’

E: ‘… that was me.’

That was me.

First, it’s Taika’s delivery of the line. It’s so light and subtly funny. Ed’s almost pleased with himself. You don’t make someone breakfast and hand it over with your own teethmarks in it, Ed! But also, thanks for clarifying. In case it was Roach or Archie instead. Like, obviously it was Ed!

That was me.

But it got me thinking about life on ships, and Ed’s Hornighost memories in the gravy basket about Felix stealing food, and the severe punishment for that. Food on a ship would be tightly controlled. And the idea, you would take a bite out of another person’s breakfast, especially your Captain’s! It’s almost an act of insubordination.

Now of course Stede doesn’t run that sort of ship, and Stede and Ed are in an intimate relationship; but fear is long-lived, and Ed has grown up and lived within punitive cultures. I mean, imagine if he’d taken a bite out of his dad’s food!

To be so relaxed that he wanders down to the kitchens, gets food for his lover, but also his Captain, and eats some of it on the way. And openly admits to it with no bother… they’ve rekindled their previous domesticity, and more.

I think it tells much about their intimacy, but also how much Ed is healing from his past. They are just going to be that sort of annoying restaurant couple that constantly eat off each other’s plates.

Perhaps that’s a lot of overthinking about a piece of toast. But I love finding meaning in the minutiae. The little details that tell us so much about the character growth of these two.

There’s a bite in my toast!

That was me

That was me 💕

[auspicioustidings]

Devil's Trumpet

AKA the Appalachian horror brain worms would not leave me alone

Summary: You move to small town West Virginia to get your head on straight but the men in the woods start unravelling you instead.

Words: 3.5k

CWs: mild horror, vague reference to mental illness

This is best read while listening to some Southern gothic tunes 🎶 I suggest Big Dark Love by Murder by Death!

Colour leeched out of the world here. There is something almost comforting about that, something familiar. Familiar too is the way this town moves like syrup too thick to be pleasant in your mouth. It was how you moved though the world once. Not anymore though, no, now your mind is your own and not an invading force. Now you can appreciate the drab slowness as something external to yourself, just an environment around you and not a prison closing in inside your head.

There wasn’t much of a plan really. A will reading that left you with not a lot, but enough to get the hell out. Signing with a fountain pen that made your skin crawl with how it scratched. A stiff drink and a dart thrown at a map and tearing a ragged hole in the Greenbrier River as the sharp point didn’t quite sink far enough into the board and tore its way through the paper on the way down. You were never any good at darts.

You aren’t putting down roots. Those were for old growth, not for hardy weeds that broke through concrete and always found another crack through which to grow when killed. Nothing that felt too much like a home, so instead a room at the only inn.

This town is too small to warrant one, but it doubles as a watering hole come evening. It doesn’t seem to have been updated in an age, you wonder idly if the plaque upkept to a gleaming shine declaring the inn to have been opened in 1824 is somehow conveying pride at the fact. The peeling wallpaper in your room was probably pretty once, but the green now seems sick with age and the delicate floral pattern has started to wilt.

There is no routine to your days here until one slowly creeps in as it always does.

Breakfast first. You don’t know if it’s something in the air here, but you wake up with a bitter taste in your mouth and are eager to drown it in food and mint toothpaste. The inn has a small kitchenette for guest use and you make yourself toast with butter and strawberry jam. It’s a little too sweet but the tea helps, black with no sugar.

You stretch out the back of the inn and enjoy the view of the woods. You don’t call it yoga because it makes you less likely to do it, but you had learned when things were bad that quietly engaging your body in the morning was a good way to quiet your mind. There’s a little tension in the back of your neck you try to work out but it sticks there until you finish up and go back inside to shower. The hot water fixes it you think.

The first few weeks here you just sit and watch the world go by, but then you one day you decide to get up and spend some time wandering the town. It’s small, decrepit. There is the inn, a few sparse houses, one general store. The library, despite being the only venue with any chance of entertainment, is usually empty. You meet Mrs Lela Kaletaws who runs it, although she isn’t always around.

Roads here are barely holding together, but the one main road that runs out of town is at least in somewhat better condition. It runs parallel with the woods at one point, curving off just past old Mr Kleer's house. The man in question usually sits on his porch but he’s friendly enough so you don’t pay much mind to the gun.

After you’ve wandered town you make sandwiches for lunch. It isn’t much exciting, but it is routine and is filling enough that you bunker down for a nap after.

In the afternoon you go for a long walk before returning to the inn for dinner. There is a bar downstairs that opens in the evenings and serves food that while not a delicacy by any means is hot and filling. You retire to your room, read some of your book and go to sleep.

It continues that way. Breakfast, stretch, shower, wander, lunch, sleep, walk, dinner, read, sleep.

At first you only really skirt the edge of the woods, but with each passing dreary day you venture closer to the depths down the packed dirt path. The path through the woods is confusing and unmarked. Where you swore just yesterday it went to the right, today it goes to the left. Even so it must be your sense of direction, because the path always leads you past the jimsonweeds that come up to you chest before spitting you out on the road that leads to old Mr Kleer's house. The flowers are beautiful, but there is some metallic tang to their otherwise sweet scent that causes your teeth to ache.

—

More comfortable with the area now, it causes a fright when you see a man in the woods just in the corner of your eye only to snap your head around and have him vanish. You force calming breathes and keep walking. There is no such thing as ghosts in these woods.

Old man Axell calls to you from his porch as you pass, rifle butt settled on the rickety wood that you worry will collapse and left leg stretched straight out towards you like reaching for something.

“Seeing things in the woods kid?”

“I look spooked sir?”

“Like you’ve seen a Ghost I reckon.”

You give a shaky laugh at that.

“Only if ghosts come in flesh and blood and quick feet. Some man gave me a fright is all.”

“Must be out of towners” Axell says.

You do not like the way he says it. You do not like that he looks at you strangely. But you smile and nod and get on your way. He is only an old man.

—

There is someone in the woods. You feel his gaze on you, feel the dull prickle that rests on your nape from those eyes.

“We really must stop meeting like this” you say.

You have stopped trying to catch him. Now you only speak, eyes set on the dirt path in front of you. You do not think you will get a reply and when you do you shudder horribly at how much closer the voice is than you had anticipated.

“Don’t enjoy the company?”

He’s English and you frown. Out of towner. The old man must know something, but maybe you cannot begrudge him having fun at your expense. You have not made friends here.

“Enjoy company where I can see it if it’s all the same to you.”

The man laughs. It is a confusing laugh, warm and cold all at once as it bounces through the trees.

“Careful what you wish for.”

You resist the urge to turn even as his voice moves strangely, like he is swaying from one side of the path to the other.

“Must have a face like sin to keep hiding away” you say.

The next words you can feel. His breath is right at your cheek, a strand of your hair lifted by his fingers.

“Quite the opposite.”

Your heart is a prey animal running from a predator, beating wildly against your ribs as you turn to find he isn’t there. Only you certainly felt him. He leaves a sweet smell behind.

—

Sleep does not come easily that night. The rain against your window casts the moonlight strangely into your room. You spend hours watching as the creeping vines on the wallpaper seem to twist and shift beneath the moon flowers. When you finally fall asleep, it is almost as if you can smell them. Sweet and slightly metallic.

You wake up with the fading scent of damp earth and something on the edge of rot in your nose and the feel of dirt packed uncomfortably under your nails. They’re clean you find, but you spend the start of the morning cutting them down once you see the fading scratches left on your arms and legs through the night.

—

He is not the only stranger in the woods. You swore you would not go back, but routine takes you there without thought.

The Scottish man likes to walk on your right hand side, just enough steps behind you that you can only see him at the very side of your vision. You think he is handsome, but it is difficult to be sure. What you can be sure of is that he is dressed oddly. You have spoken to him for a while now, discussing yourself mostly. Perhaps it is the eerie quiet of the woods that makes you want to fill the dead space, but you tell him more about yourself than you ever would have thought yourself comfortable with.

“Are you a soldier then?” you ask.

“Sometimes, I think.”

You take a moment to chew that answer, wonder at the taste of it. There is a panic when you smell blood on the air, but it is quickly blanketed by sweetness. You have reached the jimsonweeds. It is too early, you have not walked far enough to be here already. But before you can protest the steps to your right stop and you know the man is gone.

None of them ever come farther than this.

—

You try the next day and the next to get answers from him. He seems to make a decision at one point just as the familiar smell reaches you and you think you will leave with no more information than you had before.

“I’m SAS.”

He is not there when you turn to thank him. He is not there at all when you return the next day.

—

The library run by Mrs Kaletaws is added to your routine. Breakfast, stretch, shower, library, lunch, try to sleep, walk, dinner, read, try to sleep. The small building has the peculiar addition of a cat you never quite see. You hear the skitter of claws on worn wood floor that has started to smell of sickly sweet rot, see fading scratches on the legs and arms of the chair, find hairs on your clothing, feel the prickle of eyes focused on you from the dark running up your spine to settle dully on the back of your neck. You have tried before to get a glimpse of the creature, but it only seems to exist in the very corner of your eye and retreats when your gaze tries to creep around to catch it.

Lela never talks about the cat. She told you once that it is only her and her wife that live in the basement below the library. You have never seen her wife and fear she must have some permanent sickness that stops her from being able to do much. You think they should move above ground so she can at least see the world through the windows obscured by racing raindrops, but you keep it to yourself.

The one computer here is old, the white plastic exterior now yellowed. Still, it is the only gateway to the outside world in this little town and you blow at your tea while waiting for your search results. ‘SAS military bases in West Virginia’ is a shot in the dark, but you need to start somewhere. After a sip you dump more sugar into your cup before looking at your finally loaded results.

There are none. No British military installations at all in the USA. You had hoped at least the results would bring up something about training exercises but it is just pages of useless information about bases around the world. You read about the SAS, fall down a rabbit hole of how they torture their soldiers to train them to withstand it. You go through pages and pages of search results until finally one talks about SAS soldiers in this area.

The link takes you to a dusty website that stopped being updated sometime in the late 90s. It’s some sort of conspiracy blog and you are prepared to close it, but you can’t help but get lost in the story it tells.

The details are unclear which you suppose is the hallmark of any good conspiracy. 40 years ago. There was a team of two, or maybe four or maybe seven. They set up just outside the woods with little to no explanation. There’s an interview from a local, not a name you recognise so one you think is likely long dead. She says two of the soldiers went into the woods first. She remembers something bad must have happened, because there was an argument between the five left outside. Nobody was allowed close, but she watched two more men go into the woods. After that the operation seemed to vanish entirely overnight and nobody heard anything more about it.

Whoever authored the blog has a gift with words because despite your logical mind knowing it was probably nothing but a random training exercise, the hairs on the back of your neck raise.

There is a photo of the alleged unit at the end loading slowly. You stare in fascination as line by line appears from the top. The world stops before it fully loads. At first you are confused as to why your whole body is tense, why your heart is racing. And then you figure it out. Silence. Complete and all together sudden silence. No rain hitting the windows, no scratching of the cat echoing, not even the whir of the computer.

You do not want to look away from the screen. You do not want to turn around. The prickle on your neck goes from dull to sharp.

The computer powers down.

—

He says to call him John. This man does not walk to your right like the Scottish one, or behind you like the first one you met. He walks in front of you. You can see the full expanse of his back clad in a vest. He wears a hat. He only ever turns slightly, enough to see that he has sideburns but never enough to see his face.

You are so enraptured by being able to see so much of him so clearly that it takes you a while to notice there is someone on your left. A few steps behind like the Scottish one does on your right. It takes you by surprise enough that you are about to forget the unspoken rules and turn, but John predicts your move.

“Eyes forward.”

“Sorry” you say automatically, fixing you eyes to his back and letting the other man stay as the impression of a creature just in sight of your left eye.

“They’re pretty, Captain.”

“I’m aware.”

It should not make you blush but somehow it does.

“What’s you name?” you ask.

There is no way to direct it specifically to the man on your left, so you simple direct it to the back of John and hope that the trees will send it where it needs to go.

“Captain?” the man asks, not for permission but as if genuinely unsure of the answer.

“Kyle, your name’s Kyle.”

“Right. Kyle.”

You catch the movement of him touching his chest, maybe rubbing at a name tag there but you can’t be sure.

“You can call me Gaz if you like.”

John and Gaz are your company for weeks. Whenever you ask after the other two, the air turns sweet and bloody and you are left alone among the jimsonweeds.

—

“Got intae trouble for ye.”

You’re not sure where you are but you recognise the voice. Is he in your room?

“We both did. Curiosity would’ve killed you little kitten,” comes the other voice from the first man in the woods somewhere behind you.

You hazily look down at yourself. You are not in the bed at the inn, you are in another bed laid on your back. You feel your legs brush against one another, not clad in the flannel you remembered wearing. Silk, you are wearing silk. Delicate against your skin, not much of it. Were you wearing perfume? Something smells sweet.

As you stare at the bare expanse of your leg a hand sinks into your thigh, squeezes.

“Fuck LT, so soft. Fingers just sink right in.”

You fight the urge to look to the right where the hand is coming from. You can’t look, some primal part of your brain knows you cannot look.

“Stay away from the woods” the man behind you whispers into your ear like a caress as his hands settle gently around your neck.

You do not feel the snap of bone, but you hear it. You taste the blood in your mouth.

You do not manage to fall back asleep when you wake.

—

Breakfast, library, try to sleep, don’t go into the woods, dinner, try to sleep, stare at the wallpaper, try to sleep.

—

You overhear Axell and Lela once. You think they are talking about you.

“You think we’re doing the right thing?” Axell asks.

“I don’t think there is a right thing anymore.”

“It’s been a long time now. Maybe we should let them go.”

“You think we could?”

There is a silence. Neither of them thinks so. Paranoia settles over you that you haven’t felt since back when things got bad. It’s like an old vice settling into your bones, or maybe seeping out of them as if it never truly left. You cannot go back to that place again so you take some aspirin for the rhythmic pulsing behind your eyes and the dull prickle at the back of your neck and resolve to put any thoughts of conspiracy out of your mind. Lela and Axell are simply old, there is not something they know that you do not.

—

You do not mean to walk into the woods again. The man behind you is back. He feels different somehow.

“I could eat you right up” he says against your neck.

Old Mr Kleer sees the bloodied bite at your throat and says nothing as you walk by.

—

You book a bus ticket. It feels too much like there are tendrils growing from you to burrow into the ground, to fix you here. If you don’t rip them out now, it is only a matter of time until the roots are so deep you won’t be strong enough to move. You aren’t eating properly, you’ve hardly slept and when you do you wake up with a bitter taste in your mouth and covered in scratches. There is still the shape of a bite on your throat and the B&B owners in Pennsylvania look at you with pity as you check in.

The building is charming and fairly new. You stare at the neutral pink wallpaper. One corner of it has lifted ever so slightly. You fall asleep staring at the peek of green underneath.

—

It doesn’t rain as much here, the sun is out and everything seems more colourful. Weeks pass in a haze and you slowly emerge again, eating properly, sleeping through the night. The town on the Greenbrier starts to fade to an unpleasant dream.

—

There is something comforting about the old man who comes to stay and sits by you for breakfast in the mornings. He has the remnants of a Russian accent and laughs frequently and easily. The stories he tells are fantastical, but he’s non-committal about his visit to small town Pennsylvania although he at least tells you that he likes the nature around here. He whispers that his legs aren’t up for much walking anymore, so he has to take the easy paths through small patches of nature.

It takes a week or so more to work up the courage to accompany him on a walk. It seems silly, but the woods make you feel afraid. Maybe a short walk through the small area he spoke of will help you get beyond it. You rub at your neck, feeling the marks faded but still there.

—

He notices your discomfort and tries to ease it with his stories as you walk the dirt path.

“It’s the most important thing I’ve learned you know” he says, the aching grief in his voice causing you pause, “you cannot leave friends behind.”

You turn to him, intending to ask how much longer the path leads since it is getting dark now. He is not there.

“Nik?” you ask, calm at first but increasingly more frantic.

That old familiar dull prickle settles on the back of your neck as you run back down the way you came to get out of the woods. Drooping tree limbs get in your way and you push through, ignoring the scratches. As darkness falls you slow to a walk, unable to see anything in front of you. You catch the smell the sweetness of the jimsonweeds. You can smell blood.

Foot steps that are not your own surround you. A set in front of you. One behind. To the left and to the right.

“Welcome home.”

[reasonsforhope]

"A trial programme providing a free meal a day has yielded not just financial relief for households but also improved child nutrition and student outcomes such as attendance and focus.

The free school lunch initiative for children from poor or disadvantaged families was introduced by President-elect Prabowo Subianto and Vice-President-elect Gibran Rakabuming Raka as one of their key campaign promises. Mr Gibran is President Joko Widodo’s elder son...

The pair – who won the Feb 14 presidential election by a landslide and will be inaugurated in October – had in the lead-up to the polls pledged to offer free lunches and milk for students as well as nutritional aid to toddlers and pregnant women in a bid to lower the country’s stunting rate.

Over 20 per cent of Indonesian children under the age of five experienced stunted growth in 2022, according to the United Nations. Stunting, which is being too short for one’s age as a result of poor nutrition, can result in long-term development delays.

When fully implemented by 2029, the programme will cover 83.9 million beneficiaries across the world’s fourth-most-populous nation of nearly 280 million, and cost over 400 trillion rupiah (S$33.7 billion) a year – about 2 per cent of annual gross domestic product.

But on the ground, a trial that was first rolled out in January at 16 schools in Sukabumi, in West Java, has been warmly received by around 3,500 students, their parents and school leaders, who have seen positive changes.

For one thing, saving on the cost of lunches for four of her nine children has provided significant finan­cial relief for Indonesian house­wife Rofiati, 46.

Her husband, a teacher at an Islamic boarding school in Sukabumi, earns 2.5 million rupiah a month on average, and the free school meals have helped them save about 420,000 rupiah monthly, which she can put towards other household needs.

Her children do not usually have breakfast before school. Before the free lunch programme, her children would eat lunch only upon returning home from school. Lunch would usually consist of instant noodles, or dishes of vegetables, eggs, tempeh or salted fish.

“I am not worried any more because I know they will eat at school. They have more appetite as they eat together with their friends,” Ms Rofiati told The Straits Times, adding that her children’s appetites have improved and they also like the variety of the meals provided. In fact, her 11-year-old daughter has gained 4kg since the programme started.

Every day, students on the programme receive a lunch package worth 15,000 rupiah, containing rice, meat such as chicken, fish or beef, vegetables, fruit and milk.

At home, the family usually eats meat only once a week.

It is not just the financial savings that parents are happy about. Ms Depi Ratna Juwarti, who has two out of three children benefiting from the free lunches, has noticed other encouraging results.

“They rarely get sick now. They are more motivated to study and spend a longer time studying at night,” Ms Depi said.

Her eldest daughter, Adifa Alifiya Mahrain, 12, also has good reviews. “The food is always delicious and the menu changes every day. I always eat everything. It’s a lot of fun to eat together with my friends,” said Adifa, who hopes to become a paediatrician in the future.

Mr Shalahudin Sanusi, principal of Gelarsari Islamic primary school in Sukabumi, which is trialling the programme, said he has noticed that pupils have been able to concentrate better and understand lessons more.

He said the initiative has raised the attendance rate of its 110 pupils from 85 per cent to 95 per cent. “They eat modestly at home – mostly rice and salted fish. Rice and eggs are the best they can get,” he told ST. “Now, they are so excited, some even arrive in school at 6am, an hour before lessons start.”"

-via The Straits Times, May 18, 2024