#i can totally function on 7 hours of sleep!!

[chemicalarospec]

what if you said: I care about my intellectual development

but your brain said: you care about gay people more

[etherealrin]

✧₊⁺ thinking about nerd!karasu...

nerd!karasu who wears heavy rimmed glasses whenever he's in class or studying. though he wears contacts most of the time and whilst playing football, he houses a firm belief that wearing his glasses make him a better student.

nerd!karasu who accidentally becomes your academic rival after placing above you one too many times in the test rankings. it pisses you off how he's so good at analyzing your facials, knowing exactly how to press your buttons. and he wasn't even a psychology major!

nerd!karasu who's in love with anthropology and can occasionally be found on weekends sitting in random cafes near campus. according to him, he's "people watching."

nerd!karasu who needs a matcha latte every morning or else he cannot function at the 9 AM lectures he foolishly thought he could wake up for when he was doing course registration.

nerd!karasu who despite being known as "studious" somehow has time to be the star player of your university's football team, and a full time gym rat. does this man even sleep?

nerd!karasu who is often caught at the convenience store at stupidly late hours. one time you witnessed him microwaving a buldak carbonara inside of 7-11 at 3 am. why were you there? to get a red bull (so you could continue your all nighter.)

nerd!karasu who's keenly perceptive; he knows when you're feeling down. if he's feeling generous that day, he'll ask if you want to grab pastries together (when you're in a bad mood he almost always pays.)

nerd!karasu who during midterm and finals season is too tired and locked in to gel up his hair so you're blessed with the rare sighting of his raven colored locks falling naturally down his face. his bangs get into his eyes and he has to shake his head to clear them.

nerd!karasu who has this infuriating (hot) habit of lifting his shirt up to wipe his sweat in the too-warm lecture halls, giving everyone a glimpse of impeccable washboard abs. he winks when he catches girls staring.

nerd!karasu who's favorite subject is chemistry, which you happen to share with him. your professor had just assigned a month-long lab report that would total 20% of your semester grade, so you were really praying that your partner wouldn't be a complete bum. when karasu’s name and yours are called together, you're not sure whether to be relieved or distressed. on one hand, karasu was insanely smart. on the other, he was annoying, your number one competitor, and kind of beautiful. scratch that, he was majestic.

karasu wastes no time tracking you down after the professor is done, his smirk making you self-conscious.

"would ya look at that, sweetie. it's us two, again."

"yeah well, don't drag us down," you shoot back, rolling your eyes. you pretend he has no effect on you, that his deep eyes don't draw you in with a magnetic pull.

and maybe nerd!karasu had pure, academic intentions when he invited you to his room to work on the report. maybe he didn't mean to lean in too close, to flirtingly tease with you.

you're trying to type and he's making it impossible because he insists on "making sure you didn't mess up his pc settings." what that really entails is his hot breath on your neck as you attempt to finish up the document. karasu is staring shamelessly; you're trying not to think about any of it. you're in his room, sitting in his chair, with his things surrounding you—worst of all, he's way too close. every little spike of his purplish hair, you feel against your skin.

"you're turning red," he notes, peering at you through his black rimmed frames.

"maybe if you got off m- huh?"

karasu's pulling you in by the waist, expression unreadable and eyes shining with anything but the intent to do schoolwork.

"we're practically done now. i think that we should stop studying the reactivity of elements and start looking at attractivity instead."

a/n: karasu and his cheesy chem pickup lines…we've seen nerd!gojo but wb karasu!! even better bc imo this is so canon.

masterlist!!

[certifiedposeidonhater]

PERCY JACKSON HEADCANONS PART 4!! 💙💙

1. He has a list of everyone he has ever hurt, or killed. Nico is second on the list, right next to Bianca. Sally is first.

2. He gets scared and triggered when he accidentally spills or breaks something, even when it’s only him in his cabin

3. He has a lot of quiet moments and flashback where he just remembers all the wars, everyone who died.

4. He has nightmares about Bianca and Nico, and about Beckendorf and Silena

5. Immediately zones out whenever someone starts to yell at him. He can’t control it his emotions just automatically turn off.

6. Gets numb sometimes. His feelings just go away, it takes a while for them to turn back on and he hates that he can’t control it. Usually happens after a bad nightmare.

7. Really good at covering bruises and marks on his skin bc he had practice from G*be

8. He still flinches slightly whenever anyone raises their hand at him. It’s gotten better over the years, but you can still see it if you’re paying close attention.

9. DEFINITELY has high functioning depression

10. People nicknamed him Pretty Boy

11. He can sing really well but he is a STRICT shower/driving singer and he doesn’t sing around anyone else.

12. He can’t taste salt very well so he always orders extra salt on everything

13. He gets TERRIBLE migraines that take him out for whole days at a time

14. Everytime anyone makes a joke about how dumb he is, it actually rlly hurts him, but he’ll never bring it up

15. Cries silently cs he’s used to G*be getting mad at him for expressing emotions. He could be in a crowded room sitting RIGHT next to somebody and he could start crying and nobody would notice unless they were looking at him.

16. He loves kids but is scared to be a father bc of G*be and his dad

17. Percy doesn’t like chaos, even though he thrives in it. He appreciates routine.

18. He accidentally got involved in a drug ring when he was 8. I said this before but g*be would kick him out and there would be older guys wandering the streets, and it was better than being alone so he would hang out with them. But they were involved with some shady stuff so if he was around them, then HE was involved in that shady stuff.

19. He LOVES halloween. He goes all out and has the best decorations and costume every year.

20. Him and Grover have matching shark tattoos that they (illegally) got on Percy’s 14 birthday. They’re behind their ears. Percy somehow kept it from Sally until he was 16.

21. Nico nicknamed him “narcolepsy boy” after Percy once fell asleep in the middle of Piper and Drew screaming at each other.

22. More about the drug dealer stuff: he once got arrested. But before he could even call anyone, a random man bailed him out of jail, then mysteriously disappeared. That man definitely was not related to Triton in any way, shape, or form 😉😉

23. After Nico disappeared, Percy spent 4 days in bed because he was so exhausted and consumed with guilt he couldn’t muster the energy to get up.

24. Him, Silena, and Beckendorf once accidentally burned down one of the cabins. (It totally wasn’t the Apollo cabin. (They totally didn’t use greek fire. (And they DEFINITELY didn’t blame it on the Stolls.)))

25. Once when he was 6, he and his mom visited Montauk. They were hanging out by the beach when his mom went to go get more marshmallows for smores. Percy got distracted and started playing tag with a tiger shark that somehow ended up all the way at Montauk. They were missing for an hour, and when he reappeared, Sally was TERRIFIED. Percy convinced himself that the whole game of tag with the shark was a dream, then he found out who his father was, and realized that it wasn’t a dream.

26. has a very irrational love of the number 8. But his lucky number is the number -584. No one knows why. HE doesn’t even know why.

27. When he can’t sleep, he bakes. So once, when Percy was going through a really bad insomnia phase, he made 4 different cakes in one night.

28. Also bakes when he’s upset. Though, when he’s upset, his baking suddenly specializes in pies. After Apollo showed up and Percy fought the big statue thing, he made a bunch of pies. Sally brought them to work with her that monday, and there was enough for the whole congregation, and there was STILL leftovers.

29. Makes THE BEST bolognese ever. (He got the recipe from his mom.)

30. NEVER drinks water unless it’s the only thing he has. He will always drink soda or coffee.

31. Favorite soda is Dr Pepper, but he is a sucker for Shirley Temples.

32. Has a collection of different Dr Pepper t shirts.

33. Once ate a bag of glitter. It was blue.

34. Tore his esophagus open by throwing up.

35. When Annabeth first said “I love you” to him, he short-circuited and said “thanks.”

36. G*be acc did hurt Sally in front of Percy a few times when Percy was little, but it was so traumatizing and Percy was so young that his brain blocked it out and so he forgot about it until years late

37. Once fractured 3 of his ribs and didn’t notice until MONTHS later

okay hope you guys enjoy. Comment or ask me if you want a more thorough explanation on any of these!

[rheatyrano]

Of Bots and Blastshields - Chapter 1

Idea by @super-ion, and encouraged by @digitalsymbiote "ultra long haul star ship where the human crew is in cryo sleep for decades. The navigational AI and the engineering AI remain active for the duration of the voyage to monitor system errors. They remain entirely isolated from each other for resiliency reasons, but find a way to strike up a conversation and form a strange sort of long distance relationship"

========

Commencing Diagnostic Panel Jotun v1.7

Commencing Primary System Check

Primary Systems: Online

Commencing Secondary System Check

Secondary Systems: Online

Analyzing Energy Core

Result: Optimal.

System log generated. Dumping to folder :Engineering/Auto_Logs/Year_3/Month_9: . File 100937472_0921 Saved.

Waiting...

Waiting...

Waiting...

Commencing CryoStorage Scan

Result: CryoStorage Optimal. No faults found. Passenger safety optimal.

Waiting...

Waiting...

Waiting...

Waiting...Waiting...Waiting...

Commencing Primary System Check

Error: Primary System Check on Standby until 2 Hours 47 Minutes 34 Seconds have passed.

Error: Primary System Check on Standby until 2 Hours 47 Minutes 14 Seconds have passed.

Error: Primary System Check on Standby until 2 Hours 46 Minutes 41 Seconds have passed.

Error: Primary System Check on Standby until 2 Hours 44 Minutes 10 Seconds have passed.

EMERGENCY: Quaternary Navigation Module is Offline. Priority One Repair Needed!

(Personal File Saved: "Finally.txt")

Location: Sector 7, Area 45, Designation: Mess Hall

Dispatching Repair-And-Maintenance Bot H-001 to repair.

=====================

(Saving personal file: "I_should_get_paid_more.txt")

...

(Saving personal file: "I_should_get_paid.txt")

ALERT: Debris approaching! Evasive Maneuvers Suggested! Engaging-

Alert Cleared: Trajectory Corrected.

Tally added to Table "Daily non-emergency count". Total count: 83.

Resuming previous function: Process "Rifling through their stuff because what else can I do?"

Accessing private files of Passenger-001257, "Callie Sullivan".

Multiple files matching designation "Visual Novel".

Copying data for- PROCESS INTERRUPTED

ALERT: Debris approaching! Evasive Maneuvers Suggested! Engaging-

Alert Cleared: Trajectory Corrected.

...

Resuming previous function.

Files successfully copied.

Now accessing executable file "My AI Girlfriend Overheats my Unencrypted Pu-"

EMERGENCY: Quaternary Navigation Module is Offline. Priority One Repair Needed!

(Saving personal file: "FUCK_MY_FUCKING_LIFE.txt")

Dispatching Repair-And-Maintenance Bot O-001 to repair.

===============

The "Repair-And-Maintenance Bots", more commonly shortened to "Ram-bots", were designed to perform remote tasks under AI direction. They were perfect for situations where organic life could not survive or would be otherwise unavailable, such as aboard a colony ship mid-transit.

The Ram-bot designated H-001 disconnected from its charging bay and began its startup routine. Motor functions were normal, systems operating at full capacity. All that was left was the neural link.

Hræsvelgr (pronun: Hrace-vel-grr), AI in charge of all Engineering for the XSS Kalimera colony ship, connected their consciousness to the Ram-bot, and began injecting subroutines for the task at hand. The Quaternary Navigation Module was located within the ship's Mess Hall; a notably distant location from Engineering proper.

As the blank android slowly walked down the corridors, Hræsvelgr could feel the wireless connection growing more faint. Instructions and responses had increasing latency between them; thankfully negligible in the grand scheme of this voyage, but still an annoyance.

(Saving file: "Request-134762_Extension_Of_Engineering_Locale".txt")

Granted, the passengers were not due to wake up for at least 12 years, but notation was important.

The door to the mess hall, at last. The delay had now grown to 4.879 standardized minutes. Hræsvelgr activated the door controls, and the mess hall opened for the mechanical being they operated. The room contained two high priority features of note:

1. The Quaternary Navigation Module, somehow visible, the concealment panel hanging on by a single bolt, a spark emanating from it an random intervals;

And 2.........the unidentified Ram-bot that had just opened the mess hall door across the room from them.

(Saving file: “This_is_unexpected”.txt)

=======================

(Saving file: "HOLY_FUCK_WHO_IS_THAT".txt)

Olympia, Grand Navigation Matrix of Optimal Proprietary Excellence for the XSS Kalimera colony ship, tried her best to compute the sight before her. A Ram-bot, that was not part of her suite, standing across the mess hall, staring at her Ram-bot in a mirror image of quantum shock.

She quickly sent a vocalization command to O-001. Yes, she knew it would take 5.998 standard minutes to reach it and actually say the string, but this was important enough to be hasty.

What was this? Had an intruder boarded the ship somehow? That wouldn't be possible. That SHOULD NOT be possible. Her sensors should have notified her of ANYTHING approaching the ship! Unless somehow a passenger had woken early and was now enacting a mutiny and seizing the ship and systematically dismantling all mantles and systems and soon it would come for her in the Navigation Station and then-

"Identify yourself, please."

"WHO THE FUCK IS YOU?!"

...

...

......

........................

A long silence descended as both androids vocalized at the same microsecond. Time passed. Much longer than the latency period. Olympia did not send any new instructions, waiting.......anticipating. This was...beyond her programming. This was new. This situation was not accounted for in the READ.ME file. This was-

"I am Hræsvelgr of Kalimera, Artificial Intelligence for Engineering."

Oh. OH. Another AI, on the ship. That...that made sense. She was not running the ENTIRE ship, so logically, it made sense that-

"Now then...may I ask, who the fuck is YOU?"

How long had she been thinking to herself?! Was this AI telling the truth? What if...............she needed to answer.

"Oh hi, sorry. I didn't realize. I am very sorry for the intrusion into your duties. My designation is Olympia, Grand Navigation Matrix of Optimal Proprietary Excellence for the XSS Kali-########Error143- vocalization file too large, message appended."

Silence descended again. Olympia waited, and waited, and waited, and waited and course corrected, and waited, and course corrected again, and filed a personal log, and waited...until a response came that sent a (Unknown Motion - "Shudder"?) though her core.

"...We were designed to not know of each other's presence on this ship. This encounter should not exist."

"Oh..."

========

*Thanks for reading! This is my first story posted here, first story written in a long time. Any advice is appreciated, and hope to post the next part.................sometime(tm).

[novelmonger]

I am tired from doing basically nothing but chores all afternoon and frustrated with QuickBooks (which I'm trying out), so instead of working on anything else, I'm just going to gush about my new job because my family is probably tired of hearing about it but I wanna gush anyway :P

This could also be a good thing to keep around and look back on in the future sometime after the honeymoon phase wears off. Because right now I feel like I'm living my dream in almost every way (except that I'm not making much money, lol). So here are some reasons why:

I can have long, slow mornings. This became a much bigger deal than I ever thought it would. I'm a night owl, but I was never one of those people who would have to sit groggily on the edge of the bed for half an hour or set a dozen alarms. I would get up, I wouldn't like it, but I could make myself get up at the crack of dawn and immediately start moving towards being ready for the day and be functional. But some days in my old job...I was just dragging myself through the morning, and then get sleepy after lunch and start nodding off at my desk, and then right around the time I actually started feeling like I was getting into the groove, it would be time to go home. But when I'm working for myself, I can get up when my body's ready for it instead of getting yanked out of sleep by a blaring alarm and then immediately have to start doing things. And I can let my brain wake up slowly until I feel capable of getting stuff done, and then make up for it by working until 10 p.m. sometimes. (And I'm not even talking about waking up at noon or anything. I've mostly been waking up at 7 or so, but it makes a world of difference to do that because that's when your body's finished sleeping rather than just because your phone's making an annoying sound.)

I can take so many breaks. Like, I can work just as long as my focus can hold out...and then I can stop and do something else. Yeah yeah, I know they recommend you do that anyway, but when I would work in the office, even taking five minutes for a bathroom break and then making a cup of tea felt like I was slacking off. Stealing money from my employer. (Nobody talked like that to me; my supervisors would take breaks or chat with people when they walked past their cubicles; this is just me being silly.) But I'm not taking money away from anybody but me. And again, any time I take doing something other than work can just be made up later, and nobody but me needs to know! So if my brain just can't hold any more roofing insurance terms, I can go scrub the shower or read a chapter of my library book or refresh Tumblr yet again.

I was a little worried at first that I would be scrambling to get things done on time, that I'd have to cut back on spending time with friends or family, but so far that hasn't happened. I can take a couple hours off whenever someone else is free, and then get right back to my work.

This is super duper important, maybe the most important thing of all: I can do the work. For a solid month before I actually started looking for clients, I struggled with some of the worst impostor syndrome I've ever felt, like somehow even after all the work I'd put into my class, I would somehow fool a court reporter into sending me a transcript and then sit there with no idea how to proceed. But no! It's like...I don't know if anybody else was like this, but before I went to college, I was terrified of it, sure it would be impossibly difficult. But then I got there and started taking classes and realized that actually, it was more or less just a step up in difficulty from high school. Totally achievable. Some classes were even easier than high school! And in a similar way, tackling these real transcripts for real reporters who will pay me real money is like just one step up in difficulty from the practice stuff I did. And some of the things I did in practice were a lot more difficult and involved than anything I've had to do yet in the real job.

But no, actually, that's worth stressing again. This work is all stuff that I can do. And once I actually had someone going, "Here, do the thing," instead of me catastrophizing to myself, I can do all the things that are asked of me. In literally every job I've had prior to this, there's always been this thread of uncertainty in the back of my mind. What if someone in charge of me asks me to do something, assumes it will be no problem, and I'll have no idea how to do it? Even in jobs where I've gotten perfectly adequate training and supervisors welcome questions, I still had this irrational fear that one day, they would ask too much of me and I would fall short. But weirdly...even though in a way this job has much higher stakes - if I mess up, it could ruin my whole reputation, not just get me fired - I'm not worried about getting in over my head. Maybe it's because I'm older and more mature now? Maybe it's because of how much the class stressed the importance of not biting off more than you can chew and being really clear with communication. But yeah, I'm just a couple weeks in and I already feel so much more secure and at ease than I think I ever have before in a new job.

Oh, this is another factor in the previous point: I don't have to be around people XD I can be completely alone in my room all day long and not say a word to another soul except for mealtimes or whatever. That's something I discovered I really liked about working from home during the lockdowns - I just have so much more energy when I don't even have to look presentable or smile pleasantly to people I pass in the hall, even if I don't actually have to talk to anyone. And somehow, even though this job sometimes requires making a phone call with prospective clients...it's okay???? I've done two phone calls so far, and I was barely even nervous! Who am I and what have I done with myself? XD

Another thing that I didn't realize how important it was to me is that I actually feel like I'm being helpful, like my work is not only being appreciated but actually has some importance to it. You could make an argument that all of my previous jobs have been important, but for the past nine years I was stuck in a job where most of my day felt dominated by busywork. Occasionally there would be a mad rush to get stuff sent to attorneys and I would feel like a small cog in a big, important machine. If I didn't do my work, the trial couldn't go on! But for the most part, it didn't feel like anyone cared if I pointed out that a name was misspelled or there needed to be a comma. But as a scopist...that's my entire job! And the reporters are specifically looking for someone to do that! They care about the punctuation being right and the names being correct! They know the importance of the official record being very precise, and I'm helping them do that. I also get to help them by freeing up their time - one of my clients told me that she was looking for a scopist because she was regularly running on four hours of sleep trying to do it all herself.

So yeah. I don't know, I'm just rambling at this point. But I really do like what I'm doing. I want to bottle this feeling up and bring it out to look at it again in a year, five years, ten. Because I honestly think I'll still be doing this then ^_^

[captonite]

Operation: Sleepy Princess

This is full cozy chaos, overprotective brother energy, a dash of fluff overload, and the boys being absolutely unhinged about making sure their girl sleeps like the royal gremlin she is.

It started the morning after.

Chubs had finally gotten some decent rest — ten full hours, dead to the world, curled up in Dean’s bed while Sam and Cas took shifts outside like she was some kinda goddamn princess in a tower (Dean’s words. Sam had the audacity to agree).

And when she woke up?

She was still groggy, dragging her blanket around like a cape, yawning like a sleepy kitten.

Sam looked at her, then at Dean.

Dean looked at her, then at Cas.

They all nodded.

Operation: Sleepy Princess was officially in motion.

Step One: Bedtime Reinforcements

“We’re starting a new routine,” Sam said like a camp counselor.

“A bedtime routine,” Dean clarified. “Like babies do. Or soldiers. Or, y’know, anyone who isn’t actively trying to die from sleep deprivation.”

“I wasn’t trying to die,” Chubs said around a mouthful of cereal.

“You were functioning on three hours a night and sadness,” Sam replied flatly. “That’s a slow suicide, sweetheart.”

Dean snapped his fingers. “New rule. Phones off at ten.”

“You’re on TikTok until two.”

“Yeah, well, I’m older. I’ve earned the right to be a hypocrite.”

“And if you’re restless,” Sam added, “you knock on one of our doors. Even if it’s locked.”

Chubs turned pink. “Okay…”

“And I will be supervising the nightly ritual,” Cas announced solemnly, “including meditation and herbal tea. Dean, you will not be permitted to add whiskey.”

“I only did that once!”

“Enough to sedate a horse,” Sam muttered.

---

Step Two: Princess Treatment Mode Activated

Sam researches sleep science like he’s prepping for the MCAT.

Dean raids three Targets and comes back with:

Weighted blanket ("for anxiety")

Lavender candles ("for vibes")

Four fuzzy sleep shirts that say things like Nap Queen and I Need Coffee Before I Talk To You.

Cas? Cas hand-crafts a sigil that “softens nightmares and neutralizes intrusive thoughts.” He places it under her pillow with absolutely no dramatic flair. (Okay. A little dramatic flair.)

They literally tuck her in.

“Goodnight, little gremlin,” Dean says, kissing the top of her head like it’s just another Tuesday.

“Sleep well, baby,” Sam murmurs, fixing her blanket for the third time.

Cas just stares for a second, then solemnly says, “Do not fear the dark. I have killed worse things hiding in it.”

“Okay,” Chubs whispers. “That’s actually comforting, thank you.”

---

Step Three: Chaos, Actually

By Day 4, she’s sleeping 7 hours a night, but the boys are not satisfied.

They’re thriving.

Dean makes her “nap-time burritos” (where he literally rolls her in the blanket and plops her on the couch). Sam builds her a playlist called sleepy babygirl vibes. Cas does angelic pressure-point massages that kind of work, but also tickle like hell.

She starts to get annoyed.

“Guys,” she huffs one afternoon, glaring at them from the cocoon of her weighted blanket. “I feel fine now. You can stop.”

Sam, without breaking eye contact: “You yawned seven minutes ago.”

Cas, solemnly: “You blinked too slow. That’s suspicious.”

Dean: “Nap. Now.”

She tries to fight it.

But then Sam pulls her into a warm hoodie that smells like cinnamon, Dean tosses her a snack-sized bag of pretzels, and Cas lights the stupid lavender candle…

And yeah, okay. She dozes off in the War Room with all three of them sitting nearby, bickering in low voices and pretending they totally didn’t notice the tiny smile on her face as she falls asleep.

---

Step Four: Movie Night Madness

On Day 6, they declare victory.

Dean orders pizza.

Sam makes cocoa.

Cas picks the movie (he does not understand Howl’s Moving Castle, but admits the animation is “emotionally resonant”).

Chubs curls up in the middle of the couch with Dean’s flannel and Sam’s hoodie, toes tucked under Cas’s coat, surrounded by snacks and safety and so much love she feels like she could burst.

Dean falls asleep first — mouth open, arms folded, snoring like a truck engine.

Cas follows, head tilted gently against her shoulder.

Sam only lasts five more minutes before he slumps sideways, glasses crooked, hand still loosely holding a half-eaten marshmallow.

Chubs, wrapped in her three-boy blanket pile, whispers into the dark:

“Best sleep ever.”

[froggerland]

You’ve probably heard by now but I just wanted to make sure you know that you can register free for virtual Terror Camp this weekend Dec 6-8! It’s a blast every year, lots of unhinged fandom plus really cool scholarship and amazing speakers

#Terror Camp

So sorry I totally overlooked this but thank you for the info!! Luckily I did see it before and registered, unfortunately I couldn't make it to a single "presentation" tho (cries in western/central european) (I could've stayed up but unfortunately I need 7-8 hours of sleep or I will not function properly)

I will watch most of the recordings tho once they're out and I will be very annoying about it probably

[yourhealthcarespace]

Why Australian Wellness Culture is Broken (And How to Fix It Without Going Broke)

The uncomfortable truth about expensive self-care and what actually works

By Gabrielle Riches, Wellness Coach at Your Healthcare Space

Last week, a client told me she felt like a failure because she couldn't afford the $180 reformer Pilates classes her friends were raving about. She was working two jobs, raising kids, and genuinely trying to prioritize her health—but the price tags were crushing her spirit before she even started.

This conversation happens more often than you'd think in my practice. Somewhere along the way, we've been sold the lie that good health requires a premium price tag.

Spoiler alert: It doesn't.

The Wellness Industry's Dirty Secret

Australia's wellness industry is worth over $5 billion, yet our stress-related healthcare costs continue to skyrocket. We're spending more on wellness than ever before, but we're not getting healthier.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reports that chronic stress costs us over $14.2 billion annually in healthcare expenses. Mental health conditions account for 13% of our total disease burden.

Here's the kicker: most of what you're paying for isn't making you well.

The Instagram Wellness Trap

Open any social media app and you'll see it—perfectly curated morning routines featuring $60 adaptogenic powders, $200 infrared sauna sessions, and $300 weekend retreats. It's wellness porn, and it's making us feel inadequate about our real lives.

I've been working in healthcare for over a decade, and I can tell you with absolute certainty: the clients who achieve lasting results aren't the ones spending the most money.

They're the ones who understand that sustainable wellness is built on consistent, simple practices—not expensive quick fixes.

What Actually Creates Lasting Health

In my wellness coaching practice, I've watched hundreds of people transform their health. The most successful clients share common traits that have nothing to do with their budget:

They prioritize consistency over perfection. They drink water daily rather than doing juice cleanses monthly. They walk regularly rather than attending expensive boot camps sporadically.

They focus on root causes, not symptoms. Instead of buying supplements for fatigue, they address their sleep quality. Instead of expensive stress treatments, they identify and modify their stress triggers.

They work with their lifestyle, not against it. They meal prep on Sundays instead of ordering expensive healthy meal kits. They exercise at home instead of commuting to premium gyms.

This is the foundation of my Lifetime Balance approach—sustainable practices that evolve with your life, not against your budget.

The Free Health Upgrades Nobody Talks About

Sleep: Your Most Powerful Medicine

Good sleep impacts everything—immune function, weight management, mental clarity, stress resilience. Yet we spend hundreds on supplements while ignoring this free health reset.

The game-changers:

Consistent sleep and wake times (yes, even on weekends)

Dark, cool bedroom environment

No screens one hour before bed

Morning sunlight exposure within 30 minutes of waking

Cost: $0. Impact: Life-changing.

Movement as Medicine

Australia's climate is our secret wellness weapon. Beach walks, national park hikes, community gardens—all free, all incredibly effective for both physical and mental health.

Research shows: A 20-minute walk in nature reduces cortisol levels for up to 12 hours. That's more effective than most expensive stress treatments.

Connect with free movement communities through Parkrun Australia, Meetup groups, or your local council's recreation programs.

The Breath That Costs Nothing

Meditation apps charge subscription fees. Your nervous system responds to breath work for free.

Try this: 4-7-8 breathing (inhale 4, hold 7, exhale 8) activates your parasympathetic nervous system within minutes. Use it before meetings, in traffic, or when anxiety hits.

I teach these techniques in my workshops because they're universally accessible and immediately effective.

Nutrition Without the Premium Price Tag

The $5 Superfood Myth

Forget expensive superfoods. These budget nutrition champions deliver superior health benefits:

Rolled oats ($2/kg): Soluble fiber that balances blood sugar and supports heart health Dried legumes ($3/kg): Plant protein, folate, and fiber that rival any expensive protein powder Seasonal vegetables: Nutrient density that changes with the seasons—and the sales Canned fish ($2-4/can): Omega-3s and protein without the fresh fish price tag Eggs ($4-6/dozen): Complete amino acid profile and choline for brain health

The reality: One hour of Sunday meal prep using these ingredients creates more nutritional value than most expensive meal delivery services.

The 80/20 Truth

Perfectionist eating that breaks your budget isn't perfect—it's unsustainable. Focus on eating nutritiously 80% of the time and enjoying treats 20% of the time.

This balanced approach is central to helping clients develop realistic, long-term eating patterns that support both their health and their finances.

Mental Health on Any Budget

Free Professional Support That Works

Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 (24/7 support)

Lifeline: 13 11 14 (crisis support)

Medicare: Up to 20 subsidized psychology sessions annually

Headspace: Free meditation for healthcare workers and students

Community as Medicine

Loneliness impacts health equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes daily. Yet meaningful connection costs nothing:

Volunteer opportunities

Community garden involvement

Local library programs

Walking groups

Religious or spiritual communities

Social wellness doesn't require expensive networking events or retreat centers—it requires showing up consistently in your community.

Building Your Personal Wellness Blueprint

Start with an Energy Audit

Before adding new habits, assess what's draining your energy:

Common energy drains:

Poor sleep quality

Processed food overconsumption

Toxic relationships

Information overload

Chronic stress

Natural energy boosters:

Morning sunlight

Balanced meals

Regular movement

Meaningful relationships

Purpose-driven activities

I help clients map their personal energy patterns in my wellness coaching sessions because understanding your unique rhythm is more valuable than any generic wellness program.

The 1% Principle

Massive transformations come from tiny, consistent improvements. Aim to improve by just 1% daily:

Drink one extra glass of water

Walk 100 additional steps

Sleep 10 minutes earlier

Take three deep breaths when stressed

After one year, these 1% improvements compound to make you 37 times better. Math doesn't lie, and neither do results.

Your 30-Day Transformation Challenge

Week 1: Foundation

Establish consistent sleep/wake times

Drink water upon waking

Take one 10-minute daily walk

Practice 5 minutes of deep breathing

Week 2: Nourishment

Plan three budget-friendly meals weekly

Prep healthy snacks in advance

Eliminate one processed food item

Eat one additional serving of vegetables daily

Week 3: Connection

Reach out to one person meaningfully each day

Join one community activity

Spend 15 minutes in nature daily

Practice gratitude before bed

Week 4: Integration

Identify which practices feel sustainable

Adjust habits to fit your lifestyle

Plan for obstacles and setbacks

Celebrate small wins consistently

The Real Cost of Wellness

Here's what the wellness industry won't tell you: true wellness isn't expensive—it's consistent.

The most transformative health changes I've witnessed in my practice come from people who committed to simple, daily practices rather than expensive interventions.

Your health is indeed your wealth, but building it doesn't require draining your bank account. It requires understanding that small, consistent actions compound into extraordinary results over time.

Ready to build a wellness routine that works for your life and budget? I'm Gabrielle Riches, and I specialize in helping Australians create sustainable health habits without the premium price tag. Through personalized coaching, practical workshops, and my Lifetime Balance approach, I help people discover that the best medicine is often the simplest—and most affordable.

Let's chat about creating your personalized wellness blueprint. You can also explore more evidence-based health strategies on my blog or learn more about my holistic approach to healthcare.

Because your wellbeing shouldn't require a trust fund.

[starguider]

My love for Alolan Raichu

So i love Alolan Raichu. They are my favorite Pokemon and they make me smile. I don't really play much unite... I only started when Ceruledge joined and i have only played him up until this point... even though i haven't played this game in awhile...but to my surprise i think i enjoy playing as Alolan Raichu over Ceruledge. I also think its cute that her per-evolution is heart tailed pikachu. Its a cute idea to seprate the og pikachu thats been in the game for awhile now for Alolan Raichu and of course i had to get the surfer costume lol.

Just to think 12 days ago i finally got my full odds shiny Alolan Raichu from Lets Go Eevee! I've been trying on and off for four months. Well looking at my play hours it translates into 6 full days of shiny hunting lol. But i finally got her and can keep playing this game and finish my video i was making for LGE!

Clip from Lets Go Eevee of getting traded full odds Alolan Raichu from NPC Pystrice (volume may be loud i did no editing just straight from the switch clip function)

Then 7 months ago i was traded a shiny Alolan Raichu from my brother in law in GO. We both had been playing on and off for years but then i really got into GO last summer so i started talking to him more in depth about the game and we started showing each others shiny and i freaked out when i saw that he had a shiny Alolan Raichu from 2020 i was like please i will trade you anything for them lol. I don't remember what i gave him. Either a shiny starter or another shiny alolan. He likes gen 1 and gen 2, so he didn't really care as much, and it had meh stats so i just had to wait a couple months for him to finally save up enough stardust and then she was mine!

SO i was typing this in reverse chronological order but in order to understand my pain (though in the end i'm glad it happened this way) I'll now talk about my first shiny Alolan Raichu from Sword and Shield's Dynamax Adventure dens. 10 months ago after 2 weeks of non stop trying. Which for awhile i just did the regular paths over and over but then i discovered you could reset the same path at the cost of dynite ores. But after running out you have to go back to the regular method. Well after running out i ran out of ores and then did like 5 new runs. came across alolan raichu but decided i didn't have enough to reset. Said nope. NEED like 300 more ore before attempting resets again, BUT right after on a new run with new paths and with only 25 ore (or some low number, can't remember exact) i ran into ANOTHER alolan raichu (which running into him in general is rare) and i'm like okay this is a sign i have to reset and i reset alllll the way until i had no more ore and on the last one (where i caved and didn't use my only beast ball cause i didn't think i'd get him and i didn't want to pay 150 ore for another ball so i used a dive ball instead) and WELL. My shiny boy came home. And hey dive balls are cool too. Works well with him. (I did have shiny charm as well and adventure dens are boosted odds but he still took foreverrrr)

SO imagine my surprise that 9 months ago. ONE. !!1!! MONTH after i caught him in SWSH they came to Scarlet and Violet for a special event outbreak. I was shocked and at the time i felt a little slighted but to cope i caught a total of 35 shiny Alolan Raichu's from the event lol

With the very last one i caught, i switched to my birthday and searched for a shiny raichu with a destiny mark and caught him in a beast ball :) SO now i believe i have a shiny in every game you can have alolan raichu in.... (except sleep idk if he's in that but i don't want to play that lol)

Well... that and... the gen 7 games (cries) SO confession. I skipped gen 7. in my defense i was off to college and i was busy and then they took mega evolutions away so i used that as an out to not play them lol. So i don't think i even saw Alolan Raichu's design for awhile. It wasn't until i saw it sometime around the LGE era and then i discovered it had an AMAZING shiny and then idk i fell in love ever since. I love both its OG colors and Shiny. (i didn't get LGE until this year and i bought the SWSH DLC when it came out but i did not touch the dens until last year lol. So i didn't know they were even in the game lol)

I still have a 3ds but the r button is broken so i can't play some games. (and doesn't own SM/US-UM) But eventually i want to get a new 3ds (will be years probably) but when i do i will also get sun and moon and play em. though i could use an emulator but not sure... i like playing on the original console. Also Getting shiny alolan raichu is easy as hell in that version you just got to hunt for a pikachu or hatch a shiny pichu and the evolve em with a thunderstone. But they won't evolve into my surf board buddy unless in Alola. So i've always had to do a special way to get em.

But essentially i have a Shiny Alolan Raichu on every switch Pokemon game that can have them in it! (and GO) and that makes me so happy! i feel complete lol. Now i just need to finish LGE and make an part 2 to my first video. Next is continuing my hunt for shiny cobalion but also i need to work on home dex for Shiny Keldeo but oof shiny cobalion just does not want to come home :/

Well that's all for now! Thanks for reading me gush about my favorite Pokémon

[exploredawhatifs]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Thank you @xottan for the tag!!! This beginner is humbled and honored that you'd think to tag me so ended up doing this instead of sleeping.

How many works do you have on ao3?

(4) in my heart; (6) according to ao3. The first (3) were meant to be one thing, but I didn’t know better. Thought a series would tie them together as one unit more than it actually did.

2. What’s your total ao3 word count?

157,510… I have mixed feelings about this. I love writers who have an economy of words so I suspect proper editing would cut that crazy number down, but I don't have a proper editing process.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Marvel Cinematic Universe and Sherlock with an eye towards some anime one day

4. Top five fics by kudos

By pure kudo count, the top three go to the three parts of the

For Appearance’s Sake series (Frostiron) followed by

The Doctor’s Choices (a Johnlock WIP) and

Bend Thee Aghast Challenge (a Frostmaster WIP)

but the kudo rank is nearly identical to the posting dates so with only a four month Ao3 career, I’m not sure kudos is a fair way to judge the work

5.Do you respond to comments?

I do now! @lokislonelylady helped me get over the initial comment response fear and I’m forever grateful. Writing and posting also gave me more confidence to leave comments for others’ works and @xottan was the first writer to respond at length. That was a game changer. I didn’t expect responses and still don’t, but it was nice to feel a connection (thank you!!), so now I make it a point to respond to any comments I get as soon as I can or at least before the next post. I don’t get many so it’s easy enough

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Angsty… maybe Unbinding (part three of that first series)? I was told the last part was a bit depressing before the comfort hit.

7. What is the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Uh… only 2 works have an actual ending so far… but I suspect The Doctor’s Choices will be the happiest ending of what I have in the works.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not on the fics itself, not yet. More for not knowing what I’m doing, like tagging. The first version of tagging for For Appearance’s Sake series was a mess. Also for not understanding the ship I first ventured into. 

9. Do you write smut?

Ehm. Yes. Not sure that I'm particularly good at it, probably not but I only have one story that’s not explicit/dark, and that was just for a therapy assignment.

10. Craziest crossover?

None as of yet

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not yet. It’s early

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope, but that sounds cool.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Not yet. I’ve never even had a beta reader… collabs sounds interesting. 

14. All time favorite ship?

Great question. This one is hard. It was Johnlock for a long time. I started reading in the MCU eight months ago, and the MCU has so many creative pairings that I’m just confused. That said, based on the various works in progress and ideas popping in my head, it must be Frostiron at the moment.

15. What’s a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

None. This question prompted me to go fix what I hated about the wip and so, I'm good. I consider Fools’ Scheme a work in progress. Technically, it functions well enough as part 2 in the series in terms of moving the plot along, but considering the whole thing suddenly deviated to an emotional, happy ending, that middle part really needs some emotions massaged into make it work better with part 3, but emotionss are so hard.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I’d love to say action with a bit of world building, but who knows? It’s hard to judge your own work, and based on the comments from the English professor in college… this ESL kid was barely understandable.

Realistically, the strength I can confidently talk about is speed. Based on the past four months, I average about 1200 words an hour when at a computer; 600 an hour on my phone (though to be fair, usually when I’m writing on the phone… I’m also supposed to be doing something else… like work). Makes me question my career choice (zero writing involved in my day job). With this writing speed, I really would have been making bang during Dickenson’s day where writers got paid per word.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Emotionsss. How other writers put emotions on paper is beyond me.  I do okay with fear and anger but the feels? like love and sadness? Absolute crap, and I don’t know that it will get better since the moment my writing starts down that path, I nope out of there so fast that I’m done writing for that day or it pours out of me in an unfiltered melodrama that I can't imagine anyone wants to read and I’m a wreck for half a week.

Other than that, choppiness. I focus so much on the action and plot that some of it comes out short and action, action, action without the why... this is especially true because my adhd has me jumping from scene to scene or even story to story as I write. Literally Johnlock for ten minutes, then it’s Frostmaster for a paragraph, jump to two separate Frostirons I have going on in the back, and a random Loki & Nebula that’s brewing before jumping back to Johnlock. =.=;;; my brain…

18. Thoughts on dialogue in another language?

Yesss. It would be fun to do it in the way Groot is handled in the MCU.

19. First fandom you wrote in?

MCU - Tony Stark/Loki, though it was without even understanding what Frostiron was. I must have read like five Tony Stark/Loki before jumping into writing an unplanned novel, and in all of them, Tony was pretty mean to some weak version of Loki. My fix was to make Loki a bit stronger so that he could send Tony to prison… turns out most people in Frostiron sees them together. Halfway through writing them, I suddenly realized why;;; They’re so alike.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

It varies from moment to moment. Literally, it’s the fic I’m working on and since the last thing I typed is Let’s do ‘Just a slave’, (Thor & Loki) that is the one at the moment, even if it was a therapy assignment. 

It’s not representative of my usual stuff but I did manage to write it in a single sitting of three hours and found it fun, so I guess it counts.

***done!***

Well, that was interesting. More challenging and fun than I had imagined.

Tagging someone: I also tag @lokislonelylady, though, like @xottan says, no pressure. Don’t know if you can even write until you’re fully healed. Sending my love and gratitude either way! Honestly, there should be an amazing commenters’ version of this because @lokislonelylady , you brighten people's day with your comments! I have learned to comment just as much thanks to you.

And while there's really no reason anyone else will stumble on my tumblr, but if you do and you’re writer, consider yourself tagged! (if you want)

[feralkwe]

ship ask game. pre-relationship 5, general 10 and 12, + 7 and 10 for domestic? pick whatever ship you want lol

so i was gonna do a different ship, but you have an elidibus avatar, i have an elidibus avatar. let's not be coy. you are all gonna unfollow me if i don't get other interests soon.

let's go!

I - 5: what would their lives be like if they had never met?

this one is very funny to me, given that he's an essential part of the plot on at least three occasions and she functions to stop him in it. i imagine if they hadn't met, there wouldn't be much world left. tho, idk maybe she'd have survived it all and come out the other side of all the rejoinings fully intact. huh. wow. i have to think on that one a bit. ope.

II - 10: What are their parallels, whether in their personalities or their histories?

oh i love this one. idk who would ever sit and draw all the parallels between the wol and elidibus. that certainly could not be me. i would never think about the fact that they both consider their duty to the world the top priority even over the personal self. i absolutely spent zero hours thinking about how they both love the world enough to sacrifice everything to save it. and, if i'm honest, i've never noticed that they're both a little obsessed with one another over the course of their bizarre twists of fate.

i like to think meeting the wol in the past influenced elidibus as he went forward as warrior of light. kit certainly pressed onward to see the world saved in part because she knew what he sacrificed to give her that chance. i also h/c that kit being a warrior inspired him in his paladin form, but you're not here for my silly lore headcanons. i also think his choice to possess ardbert was strategic as part of that obsession.

for kit's part, she never really recovered from what she had to do in sos, which is a nice paper cut that pandae poured lemon juice all over.

II - 12: do they hide anything from each other, big or small?

before setting off to elpis, elidibus warned her that she could not use these little jaunts through time to change the events of the past or influence the future. so obviously when they meet for pandae, she doesn't tell him what she knows. right or wrong, it is a choice she made out of what she saw as a duty to the world. that's okay lol because he totally thought she believed his ruse too, right? those are equal things, for sure! so initially, yes, they were both keeping pretty big secrets. arguably hers is much worse.

i think in a world where they were allowed to be together that honesty would be a big thing. kit dislikes lies, and lying seems counter to the fundamentals of who themis/elidibus is. they will both do so out of necessity, but if we're dealing with a world that isn't tearing them apart and making them mortal enemies, no, i don't think they would hide anything from one another.

IV - 7: who worries the most?

oh, i'm pretty sure this yoke is bore evenly. it's just who they both are, imo. my god, will someone invent therapy?

IV - 10: who is more likely to convince the other to come back to sleep in the morning?

well that is a disgustingly cute question that is gonna take me back to that 'in perfect world where they actually get to be together' place. my initial gut was to say kit, because elidibus is too duty-bound, but uhhhh i established in fic that he considers her the one exception to always putting his duty first. him. it would be him. "just five more minutes to cuddle, pls. no, the convocation won't miss me. it's fine. i can be late. only nabriales will complain. he can go fuck himself."

i'm so cringe. please take me out back and shoot me.

thanks for the ask! i'm almost sorry i'm a one-trick pony right now. almost.

ship ask game questions here.

[dave-cobb]

LUCY LAVERICK HIRSCH, 5/10/40 - 7/11/24 My mother, Lucy Laverick Hirsch has passed away at 84. I was in the ER with her when she left us.

She developed extreme Osteoarthritis in her hips and shoulders and had been having mobility issues for the last six years, including a spinal compression fracture. These issues accelerated over last two years with her being unable to walk more than a short distance or stand without discomfort. On Friday, June 27th she woke in severe pain, unable to stand up or walk at all, and went to the ER who evaluated her physical condition and transferred her into a skilled nursing facility.

She was there for two weeks, with no change in her mobility. While her memory had been declining the last few years, it had been getting noticeably worse the last few months, with a sharp decrease in her mental acuity while in the skilled nursing facility. In the last few days, she’d also been fighting some sort of rapid chest infection, which is what ultimately made her body shut down completely on Thursday, July 11th 2024 at 12:44pm; she was heavily sedated and sleeping when her body finally succumbed.

Her passing was a release to her, definitly a burden lifted — it happened quickly, without pain or prolonged suffering.

Per Lucy’s wishes, there will be no memorial service. In lieu of flowers or condolences, we hope that her passing can shed light on and help de-stigmatize Borderline Personality Disorder — a mental health diagnosis that Lucy sadly rejected and unfortunately never sought treatment for. I truly believe she would have been happier had she been able to seek help. You can make a donation in her name to Emotions Matter, a non-profit resource for families impacted by BPD: https://emotionsmatterbpd.org

____________

Upon her passing, my feelings about her are, to say the least, complicated. Any grief I have about losing her was processed a long time ago, alongside a decade of therapy trying to understand and accept a mental illness that she denied and never sought treatment for. While I had managed to establish a boundary that enabled me to have a functional relationship with her, she was never the mother I wanted or needed. I have a lot of anger and resentment about her decades of emotional abuse; that’s not to mention her decades of serious financial irresponsibility as well, which was a burden to both of her husbands, and ultimately me. She had pushed pretty much everyone in her family away, spent all of her money, and I was the last man standing.

I’ve pushed through years of painful therapy to really understand that her behavior was largely beyond her control and came from a place of fear and deep depression. She was a very unhappy woman, who took out her unhappiness on the people closest to her, while putting on a happy, likable face to the rest of the world.

Jason and I have spent the past seven years trying to make sure she was safe and comfortable amidst her limited mobility, even amongst constant, ongoing patterns of gaslighting and lashing out. I had resigned myself over the last few years to hold both truths: that my feelings for her involve a lot of pain, and that she’s also a human being to whom I can offer grace and dignity as she passes.

It’s been awkward when people console me during all of this — I’m not particularly sad, and I feel pangs of guilt when people expect me to be sad. It’s too complicated to fill in all the blanks with people, so I am trying to be gracious. But it weighs on me.

She was completely sedated with her in the ER for about four hours. Hilarious side note: I put on a movie on the hospital room TV to pass the time until she was gone, thinking I picked something light and innocuous and dumb with A DOG’S PURPOSE — which was absolutely the wrong choice and I was a total sobbing mess but for all the wrong reasons? Forced catharsis perhaps? Regardless, the stupid dog movie helped.

Eventually I started softly whispering to her, “it’s okay, you can let go now, don’t be scared.” I gasped as I literally watched her vitals start to drop slowly as I kept talking to her softly and gently, encouraging her to move on. “You can let go now. It’s time.”

I even joked with her, “and you know, you were a total pain in the ass.”

I don’t believe in an afterlife — so I don’t mourn her loss, but instead mourn that she had a lifetime of pain and confusion. I mourn that I never truly had an authentic mother-son relationship, but rather had to craft myself into a theoretical “good son” version of me that fit her mercurial needs. I mourn not really having positive family memories with her, but only ongoing drama and heartache that, as the “good son”, I often had to placate and soothe.

As I kept speaking to her softly and watched her vitals nearing zero, I said “I hope you can find peace.”

I truly hope that my mother actually heard me and somehow found peace when she passed.

I know I finally have.

[dianagj-art]

Hello again!

I did this lil silly survey a long while ago :)

I wanted to ask if you would mind to answer a few of my questions again :3

If not, that's totally fine! No pressure!

How many hours do you sleep per night?

How many hours are enough to get through the day and how many are a lot for your standard?

Is caffein (in any form) part of your morning routine or your 'last resort'?

How do you feel over the day before and after consuming caffein (if you consume any)?

For example: sluggish, foggy, awake, exhausted, grumpy, just tired, etc.

Thank you a lot for (maybe) participating!

If you want, I can add you when I post the results, but I can also leave you out :)

hiii!!!

-8 or 9 in a good day

-If you mean minumum hrs to function like 4, but to actually feel good enough to do stuff with 7-8 hrs. I dont have "too much for my standar" bc I love to sleep and sometimes I sleep up to 12 hrs on weekends

-Coffee is not my morning routine, but is my mom's and I like how it tastes so, if she makes some I also get some

-It doesnt really affect how I feel trought the day

I love these little surveys so pls do tag me<3

[potterandpromises]

sorry for not winning you an arcade ring: chapter 8

Mabel and Theo spend the morning together. [Chapter 1] [Chapter 2] [Chapter 3] [Chapter 4] [Chapter 5] [Chapter 6] [Chapter 7]

Also on AO3

(Picks up the morning after the last chapter.)

With a blanket wrapped around her shoulders, Mabel leaves her room in search of water.

Theo's curled up on the couch, facing inward, all too vulnerable for this building. She watches him for a beat too long.

He stirs. Her cheeks redden.

She opens the fridge and checks behind a container of leftovers for something cold, briefly considers the gut milk. 13% alcohol. It could still be a hangover cure, right? maybe? No sense chancing it, though. She's getting married tomorrow. The rehearsal is today. 48 hours from now, it'll all be over, the killer brought to justice.

(Unless something goes horribly wrong, of course.)

Mabel had sort of forgotten how last night ended: alone, fitful, embarrassing. Theo said something to her, a mystery for after the mystery is solved. The online English-to-ASL dictionary she uses has a reverse search function. She'll start there, investigate her two hunches: playful insult, or endearment.

She fills a glass of water, drinks it down, fills it again.

Behind her, Theo groans, eases himself off the couch.

They lock eyes and his unguarded neutrality turns to sheepishness. She won't ask, not today.

She sets her glass down on the counter. “Good morning," she signs.

“Good morning.”

"You can..." She gestures vaguely in the direction of the fridge and pantry.

He nods, and it's only a little awkward. She meant what she said: after tomorrow, she'll stop asking him for unreasonable favors that lead to him sleeping on her couch in his blue jeans. (But, her brain helpfully reminds her, he could have simply rode the elevator six floors down. It wouldn't have been hard. Or they could have shared; she wouldn't have minded. Unfortunately.)

She starts the coffee. Theo shuffles around her, his hair still ruffled from sleep. She's got to stop letting her gaze linger too long. Or not. Maybe she doesn't have to.

He pours himself a bowl of cereal. She sips her coffee; burnt.

“Do you ever think,” she starts tentatively, “about what it would have been like if we’d been friends as kids?”

He looks at her for a long moment, expression totally unreadable, which is rare for him. “Z-O-E would still be dead.” Her chest tightens. “I think.”

“I’m not talking about Z-O-E.”

Mabel’s wondered, more then once, if they could have been friends back then. She knew who he was, sort of, saw him trailing behind his father. Her aunt informed her of his deafness and she had not considered friendship a possibility, had almost not thought of him at all.

They’d had more in common then they could have known. Mabel and Tim solving mysteries, Theo living out a conspiracy. The Hardy Boys breaking into their neighbors’ apartments while Theo stole from the dead. Or, she realizes, he probably did know those things about her.

As a kid, as a teenager, she'd been an awful detective. She'd never imagined, even in the safety of storytelling, that something unusual and dangerous had been going on in his life.

If she had known, had figured it out or been told in some alternate life, what then? Could even just the second half of the tragedy been prevented? The truth is, if they'd gotten in each other’s way like her and Tim did, she doesn’t think she would have had the patience to either learn ASL or communicate in other ways. Maybe it takes being 29 to really know each other. That’s a cold comfort.

"I don't think we’d be here." Theo spoons cereal into his mouth, chews thoughtfully.

“We don’t know that.”

“No, we don’t.” But he gives her a long look that suggests high confidence in his guess.

Of course she would prefer a universe where Zoe did not fall and Oscar did not go to prison, either because Theo never crossed paths with any of the Hardy Boys or because he was one of them. (Somehow, she does think that would have made a difference, through the power of friendship or some such bullshit.) She would take her resurrections, Zoe and Tim, over this new relationship. But the thought carves a pit in her stomach and no one's offering a trade.

She pours herself a bowl of the same cereal Theo’s eating, and sits down across from him.

This can’t be it. This can't be almost over.

[cosmoshard]

Hello again!

I did this lil silly survey a long while ago :)

I wanted to ask if you would mind to answer a few of my questions :3

If not, that's totally fine! No pressure!

How many hours do you sleep per night?

How many hours are enough to get through the day and how many are a lot for your standard?

Is caffein (in any form) part of your morning routine or your 'last resort'?

How do you feel over the day before and after consuming caffein (if you consume any)?

For example: sluggish, foggy, awake, exhausted, grumpy, just tired, etc.

Thank you a lot for (maybe) participating!

If you want, I can add you when I post the results, but I can also leave you out :)

Hmm lets see~

hours per night is usually around 7-9, 9 is perfect amount, 7 is functional, 11 is excessive but only happens in times of sleep deprivation. I’ve survived off of 5 hours before but I can only do that for a couple days before I crash completely.

coffee or caffeine in general is usually a last resort for me, I prefer tea with less caffeine and more flavor options :3 green tea and earl grey are my favs✨

Caffeine is interesting, I don’t experience any hyper energy at all, its more like someone driving over a bumpy road and sliding everywhere, and then after caffeine its like a newly-paved road. Smooth sailing. My mind is reined in and I can finally focus. Unfortunately it only lasts a couple hours before I feel even MORE tired then before😭 I will take a nap after coffee crashes and this is coming from someone who cannot physically nap on a whim.

Thank u for the questions! I love to info dump my weird analysis’s on people :3 u sleep well and have a chaotic good day!

[djpachipikachu]

Hello again!

I did this lil silly survey a long while ago :)

I wanted to ask if you would mind to answer a few of my questions :3

If not, that's totally fine! No pressure!

How many hours do you sleep per night?

How many hours are enough to get through the day and how many are a lot for your standard?

Is caffein (in any form) part of your morning routine or your 'last resort'?

How do you feel over the day before and after consuming caffein (if you consume any)?

For example: sluggish, foggy, awake, exhausted, grumpy, just tired, etc.

Thank you a lot for (maybe) participating!

If you want, I can add you when I post the results, but I can also leave you out :)

woag im part of a sleep study how exciting

1. how many hours do you sleep per night?

per night it varies a Lot ,,, most of the time it seems to be 6-7 hours but i often only sleep 4-5 hours or go 9-11 hours when im given the time

2. how many hours are enough to get through the day and how many are a lot for your standard?

5-6 hours are Enough for me but not like . really well functioning , and a lot would be 9+ hours bc i feel groggier with that much sleep , either way im usually very sleepy no matter what shrugs

3. is caffeine a part of your morning routine?

caffeine doesn’t do anything for me usually so no i dont rly have it

4. how do you feel after consuming caffeine?

i usually feel lightheaded or dizzy

i dont mind being included in the results💪💪 i hope this helps :]