#i have been bedridden from overwork lol

[beevean]

Having Thought again about Hector (and this time I'm talking about the real Hector) being called a child, or implicitly called naive - and how this is an important trait of his character.

Under cut because it's image heavy. Because I cannot and will not shut up :P

The laundry hanging scene is mostly there for fluff after the harrowing Hector vs. Isaac fight, but you can infer a lot from it.

Hector? Oh, you're in the shade again. It's not healthy. Come on! I need your help with something. The clothesline has broken, and I need a man's help. Ahh, you're pulling too hard, Hector! The branch will break!

Rosaly asks for a "man's help", but discovers that Hector can't do so much as hang laundry. He pulls too hard: Hector is a former fighter, so his first instinct is to use a lot of his strength (and he may even be superhumanly strong due to his powers). He probably never had to calibrate it in his life.

Rosaly: You’ve never done laundry before, have you? Well, this should be fine, thank you. Hector: Let me help you… Rosaly: No! Stop! That’s my…!

Then he takes Rosaly's clothes without permission: he really wants to help after that first embarrassment, but he doesn't seem to think that maybe it's a bit rude to rummage through a woman's underwear :P

It's all played for laughs, but it's also sad. Hector didn't have the chance to live a normal life. No one taught him how to live in human society, and then he wasted half of his life under Dracula's service. It's all new to him.

Haha, you’re so funny, Hector. With such pretty silver hair and such a pretty face…

But Rosaly doesn't judge him, doesn't think he's weird: she's honestly endeared by his clumsiness. (get yourself a so that doesn't make you feel bad for being different in common things 🥺) As I said in an older post:

He's not naive in the "easily trusting" sense: he hasn't lived in the human world enough to learn about it, except for hatred and rejection, and even simple things like hanging laundry don't come easy to him. But he wants to learn and he wants to help, much like a child would. And well. Rosaly knows how to take care of children without a home :) Where Hector sees nothing but a curse and sin, Rosaly sees innocence. She's idealistic, perhaps to a fault, but perhaps believing in the inherent goodness of others can pay off.

Rosaly: You’re just like a child… Hector: Where are my armor and sword? Rosaly: No. You've been bedridden for a week and only woke up yesterday. Hector: But I can't stay here.

Yet, interesting that this is when Hector asks for his sword and armor. He explains that he's afraid of attracting monsters again like the werewolf, but I also read shame in his expression. Rosaly means well, but I can imagine Hector doesn't like being compared to a child (especially if he associated childhood with being weak and hated). Maybe part of him even resents that she is right, and his instinct is to wanting to go back, to hide, to fight.

(or maybe he's just hella embarrassed that he was called "pretty" out of nowhere lol rosaly has excellent tastes)

It's also worth mentioning that, while Rosaly is never explicitly called a "womanchild" or naive, she seems to be considered as such by the others. She is called "too nice", because she overworks herself for little, and most importantly because she is allowing a complete stranger inside her home without knowing anything about him, ignoring the danger.

(in fact, Ted here calls Rosaly お人好し, which means "good-natured person" but with connotations of being a fool. This is after she brushed off Ted's concerns about Hector because "he has pretty eyes and birds seem to like him" :P)

Even Hector is unnerved by her attitude.

Rosaly: You were worried about us. Thank you, you are such a kind person. Hector: You take everything as a good thing... No, I'm sorry. Why don't you ask me? Haven't you heard anything from that kid? What did I do, what did I escape from? How did I kill that werewolf? …Who am I and where did I come from?

Rosaly's lack of curiosity and tendency to always assume the best of Hector is terrifying for him. He's waiting for the other shoe to drop, so that she'll know him and then hate him like everyone else. Who does this? Who just allows anyone to help with chores, and then finds cute when they can't do it? Who just welcomes someone in their home without caring about where they came from? It's weird. Rosaly is weird. Just as weird as Hector, a grown man who can't stay with other people and hasn't learned basic matters.

Being in touch with the blessings of the earth, feeling the seasons in the cold water... Seeing everyone’s smiles, having a meal with someone, going to bed grateful that the day has ended safely... All of these are wonderful things that are hard to come by. I have received everything I want from everyone.

Of course, the difference is that Rosaly is not naive due to lack of experience. She chooses to be stubbornly optimistic. She will love everyone to death. You have no choice.

And her relentless optimism is what allows her to see past Hector's barriers and mistery. He's just a good person to her, nothing more and nothing less.

Your name is Hector, you have beautiful silver hair, you were injured, you never did laundry, and you helped me and Ted. That's enough for me.

Another thing is that, Rosaly doesn't need Hector for household chores. She seems to be living alone just fine, and in fact she is the one who always helps others. So this is not really for her benefit: it's for Hector's. It's to give him something to do instead of drowning in his own thoughts. It's to make him feel less alone. There is symbolism in how Hector is still standing in the shadow, not hiding but still not ready to face the human world, and Rosaly says it's not healthy and drags him out to enjoy the sunlight, which he eventually accepts.

Hector is a proud, competent, intelligent man and warrior, but he's also a stunted child who has cowered from the world for years. Rosaly, without knowing anything about him and his upbringing, but sensing that something is different about him, is happy to show him the world and let him grow. Not because Hector is needed, but because he is wanted and welcomed.

My adoptive parents died a long time ago, so now I'm the only one here. So yeah, I would really love it if you stayed here.

Rosaly is used to live alone... but what if two lonely people lived together and helped each other?

In case it wasn't clear, the parallels between the beloveds fill me with warmth and joy :)

PtR gives us a similar concept, but with different characterizations:

"The unspent ferry fare for the Nether Rivers... to make up for it…"

"Worn-out and shiny? Thank you for the thought, but they'll think I stole it... I wonder if you don't know the world..."

Interestingly, here Hector's naiveté is painted in a more traditional manner. Sure, there's the heartbreaking part of him paying Rosaly for her basic kindness, because he is that foreign to the idea that he can be cared for without giving anything in return; and there's the symbolic part where he refers to the belt as pretty much the Charon's obol he had failed to pay, because he had planned to die but Rosaly saved his life so she is the one who gets to be paid. But Rosaly can't accept the gift for sensible reasons: it's too ostentatious, and she can't go around with it without drawing unwanted attention. Remember that this is also a time of witch hunts, and people are growing angrier and more suspicious, secretly due to the Curse.

Hector wouldn't know it. He lived isolated in the castle for years, so isolated that he couldn't hear the scream inside the stone walls. So for him it's a very straightforward reasoning: this woman is showing kindness to me, so I'll pay her with the most precious thing I own. (and even then I have my own ideas about that belt and why he has it)

Btw, this naiveté is not completely gone by CoD. He's surprisingly earnest with Julia when he meets her, revealing his background to a stranger. Thankfully nothing bad comes from it, but she seems to be much more guarded than him. I like to see this as a sign that he mellowed out after Rosaly :) or maybe he's just a gentleman lol.

Anyway I love Hector so much and I find it a more complex, vulnerable and relatable character than most assume 💖

[mcalhenwrites]

I am still alive but have no spoons to directly reply to anyone right now. I'm working on stuff with roommate and therapy, but... unless the money situation improves, my life won't. There are no good days to return to. The problem is, I have a collective 39 years that have added to nothing. And I have still tried to be optimistic. To work through the chronic pain to write, work, and be there for my friends when they need me. (But it all gets harder the more time that passes.) When people still say I'm a good friend, I'm baffled. I don't see it. My writing isn't working out. I need it to, or I will not survive financially, and it just seems a little cruel to ask me to hold out and hold out for something that's never going to happen - all so I can die the hardest possible way in the end, bc I fought like hell to still be at the bottom. I'm not currently suicidal, but I'm pretty much just going day-by-day, trying to find improvements and realizing it all comes down to the same issue: I have no money. And the issue isn't "fix health to work more at a job that isn't writing" - I can manage fibromyalgia and IBS, and the latter costs money to obtain the correct food to do so. I qualify for medicaid; I don't qualify for food assistance now that I work a job! I quit crochet and people threw a tantrum, and if you want to see my self-defensive "I CANNOT DO THIS AND WILL NOT AND FUCK OFF" as a tantrum... go ahead. I do not give a fuck. I love writing. I did it even when I knew it was awful, bc I figured the more I did it, the more I would improve. I worked hard. It just isn't good enough for the world. That's okay. I have always been a loser at everything. Everything ties back to writing: I need to do it for my comfort and therapy. I want my stories out there bc I want to be able to offer other people that comfort. Too many of us come from abusive households, and some of us had it shape our mental health and our sexualities. I need to publish to make money to survive, bc I can write while bedridden. I can write while most of my body is sore and my eyes are half-closed and I'm bored but unable to play games or read or clean or anything else due to physical pain/exhaustion. (And yes, there are times writing is also impossible, and I'm crying in bed bc of the pain intensity levels.) Unless you have a chronic pain issue coupled with comorbidities, I don't want your lectures or assumptions. I don't want to hear that there is "help" while I watched the system try to push my autistic brother into a goodwill job that falls below min wage, and when he wasn't able to handle the responsibilities, they've basically refused to help him otherwise. Even though my brother is capable of many things, he is "disabled" in the system, and they want to insert him into a fixed situation they put all disabled people. I'm doing better than him financially, but when my parents go, he has no one. And I can't be that person, ever. I can't even get my dog back right now. I can barely afford to visit him, but I'm going to anyway soon bc I need to hug him or I really will fucking off myself. I need a lot of support to get my writing off the ground, and I'm never going to deserve it. If I did, it would have happened by now. My roommate wants me to keep trying, but... I don't have hope it'll work out. Right now, I'm so overworked I can barely get any writing done. And I'm working about 15 hours a week. At a low-demand job where I sit most of the time, and cleaning maybe takes 40 minutes at its WORST. Yeah. I'm pathetic indeed. I can't help but feel that way. And when I give myself a little treat to survive the next day, it's at a steep cost to my future. I can buy a book and go to the library, but at the end of the day, that's all time and money that should have been spent on work and saving. Life is punishing, and I just don't know if I can keep being punished. I'm not even this kind of masochist lol

[not-shamhat]

KinguLio

I haven’t watched Promare yet but Lio reminds me enough of a certain chuuni claychild that I’d already die for him

P.S. NEXUS by Laco fuckin slaps

[starlit-scarlet]

Under the Weather

Pairing: Levi x Reader

Word Count: ~2.3k

Levi takes care of a sick reader.

A/N: Just a bit of fluff for anyone who's sick. Nothing better than imagining this gruff man taking care of his sick s/o. At least, not for me :') Well...there are...but...you know what I mean lol XD But I'm not going to lie, I just used stuff from my own experiences of being sick for ideas of what Levi could do for a sick reader. It's probably pretty basic in terms of comfort, but I like the simple when I'm sick.

The minute you awoke, you knew something was amiss. Stuffy nose, sore throat, that annoying congested feeling all signaling the worst.

You’d caught a cold.

And at the busiest time of the year no less, how was this even fair?

With everything you had to do, there was no way you could take a sick day. It just wasn’t happening.

Forcing yourself up, you immediately flopped back down with a groan when you were hit with a pounding pressure in your head.

Fuck, this could not be happening. What were you supposed to do? A few frustrated tears leaked from your eyes as you whimpered. You had deadlines to meet for crying out loud. Surely you wouldn’t be bedridden over something as silly as a cold.

The sunlight was filtering in from behind the curtains of the window, and you couldn’t help but pout at the sight. It was as if the rays were taunting you, reminding you of the day, of your responsibilities, of why you simply couldn’t take a sick day.

Trying a second time, you managed to push yourself into a sitting position on the edge of the bed, though you were hit with that same pressure in your head that had you resting it in your hands, elbows on your knees as you hunched over, a weakened moan spilling from your lips.

Fucking hell.

And that was how he found you when he came in to say goodbye before leaving for the day.

He’d poked his head into the room, ready to head out for work himself—dressed in his usual suit and tie—but when he saw your state, he was by your side in an instant. Settling down next to you, he draped an arm over your shoulder, drawing you up against him.

“Baby? Are you okay?”

Sniffling, you leaned against him, feeling weak from the effort of simply sitting up.

“I think I’m sick, Levi.” You sounded as weak as you felt, and a shiver hit you as you were struck with a sudden chill at the lack of blankets.

“Tsk, overworked yourself as well, I’m sure.” The words were perhaps a touch gruff, but you knew what he meant beneath the words.

That was the thing about Levi, everything he said often had a hidden meaning, something deeper that he always struggled to get out. So the words he said sometimes came out harsher than he’d intended.

Like now, for example. He’d always been worried about how much you put on yourself, how much you take on, trying to remind you to take care of yourself and take time for you. And now he was worried that the stress you constantly put on yourself hadn’t helped.

But before you could say anything, he’d guided you back down on the mattress, ignoring your protests about having responsibilities and things to do.

“Hush,” he gave your forehead a little kiss, his bangs tickling across your skin as he tucked the blankets around you, “you’re gonna lie down and relax, and let me take care of you.”

More protests from you that were waved away from him when you tried to tell him that he had work as well.

“They can live without me for a day,” he murmured, grazing his knuckles along your cheek, “and if you’re sick longer, I can always work from home if I need to.”

And that was the end of the discussion. Knowing there was no arguing, you simply settled down into the bed. Fuck, you hated being sick.

He left only to return with a thermometer in one hand, and a glass of juice and some cold medicine in another. You opened your mouth dutifully so he could take your temperature, waiting until it beeped with the reading.

Glancing at it, he hummed at what he saw. “You have a bit of a fever, but nothing concerning right now. I’ll check it again in a bit.” He passed you the cold medicine and the orange juice, waiting until you’d finished both before taking the empty glass back. “Here, take this sweetheart.”

You noticed his voice had gentled as he spoke to you, and you glanced up at him and saw the worry in his eyes. He’d never seen you sick before, and it was sure to be a surprising sight from your usual self. But you also knew that he would take care of you.

And he did.

For breakfast he brought you a simple bit of toast with a little jelly, wanting to make sure you could hold down solids before giving you anything else. Noticing that he’d changed out of his work clothes into something more comfortable, you couldn’t help but feel overjoyed that he’d stayed home with you. His presence was more comforting than he probably realized, but it was enough.

After helping you settle back in bed once you’d finished eating, he laid a cold cloth on your forehead, and the coolness of it was surprisingly soothing. He simply stroked your hair, telling you to get some rest, and this time, you didn’t resist, letting yourself drift off. While you slept, he was constantly checking in on you, making sure you were still fine. Thankfully, that cold medicine had done the trick and had you out for a few hours.

You awoke once again, just in time for lunch. Carrying in a tray holding some soup and crackers, he set it down on the nightstand before helping you up into a seated position. There was something so sweet and comforting at the way he was taking care of you. Had someone told you three years ago when you’d met him, that this gruff man would steal your heart, you would have laughed in their faces. But as you’d slowly learned more about him, you’d realized there was more to him that met the eye, that he wasn’t this cold and callous person so many people made him out to be.

The proof of it was right in front of you, the way he’d called out from work just to take care of you, the way he made sure you were resting. Some probably would have expected him to shy away from disease, but not Levi. He was a bit of a clean freak, but he wasn’t excessive in the slightest, not in that sense at least. Watching as he moved the tray of food over your lap, you were amazed to see that the soup looked completely homemade.

Just some more proof to you that he had a heart of gold that was simply locked away from most, only to show itself to those he trusted to never hurt it.

Gawking at him, you barely managed to force out the question. “You made this?” You couldn’t help the way your voice sounded so stuffy and thick. It even sounded different to you.

A cough escaped you, followed by a sneeze that had him frowning as he pressed the back of his hand to your forehead before reaching for the thermometer and placing it in your mouth once again.

“To answer your question, yes, I made it.”

He almost sounded embarrassed, which was actually rather cute. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t cooked for you before, but this was in a different sense, and was the sweetest thing anyone had ever done. He’d taken the time to make you—actually make—a bowl of soup, whereas most would simply dump some powder into boiling water or crack open a can.

But not Levi.

You shouldn’t be surprised. He wasn’t exactly the type to cut corners.

When he pulled the thermometer out, you thought he looked a touch relieved.

He nodded at the reading before wiping off the thermometer with a cotton ball dipped in rubbing alcohol, and replacing the cap, placing it back on the nightstand. “Well, you still have a bit of a fever, but it’s gone down a bit.”

That was good news at least, and you were grateful that at least you still had an appetite as you dug into the food—even if you could barely taste it thanks to the stuffy, runny nose. He sat on the bed watching to make sure you ate every bite—at least, every bite that you could.

When you’d finished, he carted the tray back to the kitchen and you could hear the clattering of dishes as he cleaned up. That was your Levi, he could never leave behind a mess, not unless he had no other choice. You could feel yourself beginning to drift off once again, a combination of the warm meal, the leftover remnants of medicine, and the fatigue from the cold drawing you to sleep. He was quick to return, asking if there was anything you needed.

Feeling pathetic, you drowsily asked if he could hold you while you slept wanting to feel his strong arms around you, holding you close. Never one to deny you, he simply toed off his shoes, setting them neatly by the door, before crawling under the covers with you and pulling you close.

Before you drifted off to sleep, you felt him press a kiss to the top of your head.

“I love you.”

The whispered words had a sleepy smile filling your face as you snuggled close to him, the soft sound of his heartbeat filling your ears, and lulling you to sleep.

~ - ~

At dinner time, he brought you some more soup and crackers, only this time, he included a bit of jello as well, giving you something else to eat. He’d eaten his meals on his own, which you were grateful for. Had he brought his food into the room so he could eat with you, you would have been unable to beg him with your eyes for a morsel of whatever he’d made for himself.

And he would have struggled to resist you, to resist giving into what you wanted. So he’d removed the chance of that happening. It was something else about him that made him your Levi. The way he always thought ahead.

So you simply dug into the food, enjoying the way he was lounging on the bed beside you, waiting for you to finish. As you swallowed a bite, you sent him a curious look.

“Levi, how do you know all of this?”

He simply smiled and ruffled your hair. “It was how my mom used to take care of me when I was sick.”

He didn’t talk about her often, but when he did, the stories were always kind and sweet. You wished you could have met her, but she’d died before you’d met him, when he’d just barely graduated high school. She was sure to have been a strong and vibrant woman to have raised such an amazing son.

He may have been gruff.

He may have the tendency of being an asshole.

But he was your, sweet, sweet Levi.

It wasn’t often that you were sick, but when you were, one of the only things you wanted to do was sleep. And this time, you didn’t even have to ask Levi to hold you. The minute he’d returned from cleaning up the kitchen once again, he simply settled back beside of you and drew you close. Almost instantly, you were asleep, the heat of his body soothing the aches and fighting off the chills from the cold.

He didn’t let you lift a finger the entire time you were sick, even going so far as to pluck you out of the bed and carry you to the shower each day so he could help you wash up. Understanding that this was one of the ways he showed you he cared, you didn’t resist, simply enjoying the feel of his hands caressing across your body, massaging shampoo into your scalp. Why would you want to resist such sweetness?

And when you were finally better a few days later…

He took you out for a picnic in the park where he bought you ice cream after lunch. A sweet treat for you after having eaten nothing but soup and crackers the entire time you were recovering from your cold. The two of you cuddled close together on the blanket as you watched the clouds drift along in the sky, towering trees surrounding you. Birds flew across the sky, their chirps and whistles resounding through the air. Across the park, others were enjoying the day. Couples. Friends. Families.

But the two of you barely noticed any of them, simply caught up in your own little world where no one else existed.

Turning your head, you met his gaze full of adoration for you, and it had your heart skipping a beat.

“You know I love you, right?”

It had taken him so, so long to get to the point where he could say those words. But you’d waited patiently, knowing how he felt simply by how he showed you. Then, the first time he’d told you, you’d pounced on him, filled with a joy you’d never felt at hearing the words for the first time.

Even now, hearing the sentiment brought a shy smile to your face. The fact that you’d somehow managed to win him over, win his heart was something you’d never expected. But he was a prize you’d never expected to have. And it made you cherish it all the more.

Pressing a kiss to the tip of his narrow nose, followed by one to each of his rounded cheeks, you nuzzled against his face.

“I do, and I love you too, you sweet, gruff man.”

He didn’t always have the most expressive of faces, but there were moments where it was as if he could no longer contain his emotions.

This was one of those moments as you watched a gentle smile curl his lips, joy lighting those warm blue eyes of his. It was a sight only you ever got to see.

And that made it all the more special.

[cerastes]

Alright, now that I got some time, a More Complete Update than the other day’s brief one:

HEY PAISANOS, so, I got like two or so months to go before I am gucci. As all of you know, I fucking hate academia so I am happy to almost be done with it for the foreseeable future. I am also not doing more therapy work and have been able to start getting experience in what I want to do, more on the industrial side of things, though I’ll likely end up doing private therapy at some points anyways. Thing is, I’m Good rn.

I’ve stopped drinking! Well, not entirely, but I only drink socially now. No more downing liters and liters of alcohol on the daily. It’s helped me drop a lot of weight, bwahaha.

I got Toasty (my best friend, if you remember him from streams) fully weebified so now we are super watching anime together, it’s been pretty cool introducing him to stuff like Nichibros and Higurashi.

Speaking of? I still fucking love Higurashi dude it’s so good. I rewatched it recently.

Please watch Higurashi, especially season 1, it was made with a budget of three pocket lints but it still bops, it fucking GOES dude. 

Also watch Angel Beats.

AND MADE IN AB--

Speaking of The Japanese Animes, I’ve not been up to date with SHIT my dude, just been watching Oldies I Missed But Are Supposedly Good, like Anohana. Anohana good.

My thesis is going good! Already did the experiment, it went well, just gotta properly analyze the data and I will be ready for my thesis defense in around 2 months! AIMING FOR THAT PERFECT SCORE MY GOOD PROSTITUTES.

Fire Emblem Three Houses is a fucking home run. Golden Deer best route, I fight for Australian Rights while God Shattering Star plays in the background. I name my Male Byleth “Kakashi” and Female Byleth “Marypoppins”.

here’s mymans Lysithea, play Three Houses, pretty fucking primo.

BLOODSTAINED WAS FUCKING GOOD, THENKS, I WAS SCARED MAN, I FEARED IT WOULD BE ANOTHER MIGHTY NO.9 OR YUKEY LAYLAY HIEEEEEE it delivered, IGA still can make a fucking good game, play Bloodstained for the love of fuck play Bloodstained, primo IGAvania experience, you will shit blood from your nostrils due to how damn good it is.

Please look at this smile:

Thanks.

Well shit I dunno what else I gotta talk about specifically, but yeah, I’m not back yet, I’m gonna show up here and there with unspecified frequency to drop a post here and there but I ain’t back BACK yet.

To be frank, I was bedridden for three weeks because I overworked myself into an acute bronquitis, lol, so my doc was like “hey what the fuck man do things you like” and I was like “but I gotta Perform...!” and she was like “you gotta fucking reward yourself or you’ll break down so do things you like” so I was like “ok I’m going to unleash a chastity belt post on tumblr” and here we are! So yeah remember to take breaks instead of not taking breaks because if you don’t take breaks, you break.

SO yeah just give me two months and we can fuck around again like the good ol’ times of 2018 and prior.

[travelinglowcarb]

Why Do You Keto? 👀 I've been eating "keto" for just over 8 years. For me it's a simple way to manage chronic pain & inflammation so I can enjoy a FUN active lifestyle. 🤸‍♀️

Of course, I started out with the goal of losing weight, like most people. I had NO idea then about all the other benefits & results I would experience...

Before going low carb in 2011 I was often in chronic pain, sometimes completely debilitating pain. There were days I couldn't even lift my coffee mug to my mouth.

I was a passenger in a near fatal car accident when I was 20 that resulted in a back injury and head injury.

I had a miraculous recovery. While I'm still deaf on one side and have regressive memory loss, I'm no longer paralyzed and am able to live "a normal life" - vs probably bedridden & never working again, as diagnosed.

By the time I was in my 30's some of my memory started to return. I was still very off balance, I assumed because of the head trauma and being deaf on one side.

The back injury resulted in inflammatory arthritis. Inflammation flare ups pinched my sciatic nerve, causing numbness and pain throughout my entire body.

As a result muscle groups would tighten into burning knots, overworked from compensating for the other muscles. The knotting and tightness was enough to pull my entire back out of alignment, causing even more pain and immobility.

I used a variety of pain medication and physical therapy to get through daily life. I saw a chiropractor regularly, electronic muscle stimulation, ice therapy, stretching machines, massage (the painful kind, lol).

This was my life, but I felt GRATEFUL to be able to work and walk - and just to be alive - given the severity of that accident.

When I first went low carb, doing 20 net carbs per day + healthy fats (keto), I dropped 8 pounds in 10 days, and continued losing weight & feeling great! 🙂❤

Then one day, maybe 2 months in(?), I realized I wasn't in pain and my mobility had drastically improved.

I didn't put much thought into it at first, I had good spells sometimes, but as I continued to feel better and better it made me curious.

I did some research, and that's when I learned that carbs and sugar promote inflammation in your body. I discovered all the known health benefits of being in ketosis, and boxes were checking off in my head: yes! ✔

The following summer I got back up on a water ski for the first time in 23 years. ❤

I'm now hiking, climbing, skiing, dancing in heels, scaling bluffs and fallen trees with amazing balance, and having FUN! 🏃‍♀️

Why do YOU keto - and what amazing results have you experienced? 👀

[immergladsss]

So these pictures are of my “best” work for 2017. The first is the cover for my fanfiction (The Secret of Moonacre) and the rest are my Miraculous Fanart. I couldn’t exactly post my fanfiction... that would be too long lol.  Anyways, now that I’m back from family I have been thinking of 2017 and, I’m gonna get a bit sentimental right now. 2017, was personally a tough year for me...

 School wise, I became a TA, started a job as a research assistant, and took on a bit too many classes- bottom line, I overworked myself. Not only that, but we started working with another research lab and my partner can be so arrogant and condescending to me. This just has drained my life and passion for research. :(  Healthwise, I fell off my horse and hurt my hip, and now, due to the stress of school and neglecting my health, I also lost hearing on my right ear (weird I know- sudden hearing loss, its a thing LOL). As someone who dances, this has been such a shock. Music sounds so different now since it was my high-frequency hearing that was affected, and it was just so sudden it left me worried it’ll happen to my other ear.   Emotionally, my puppy passed away and my boyfriend and I became long distance due to school. We have been together for 6 years, practically inseparable, so this was like super hard.

I know others have it worst, and I know I have many things to be grateful for (its what keeps me pushing forwards) but I still can’t help but think how tired I am. 

And yet, despite it all, there are so many wonderful things that have happened and connected to the above. For one, I actually wrote something! Since 8th grade, I always tried to write a story but I always failed. It just never sounded right to me. But now, after watching the Secret of Moonacre and being upset with the ending, I got down to writing and finished my first fanfiction! It’s over 100,000 words long AND I started a part 2. So excited!!! :D 

Due to my school stress and horse accident, I have been focusing on my drawing and I believe it has improved! After I fell off my horse, I couldn’t walk for a few days so I was bedridden. While visiting, my 5-year-old neice decided to decorate my phone case with Miraculous stickers. I had seen some fanart before and decided since I had nothing else to watch, went on Netflix and binged watched it. I loved it! When work and school started getting too miserable, I have been inspired to draw my own fanart and gave digital drawing a shot. Its been a tough learning curve, but I think I’m getting better!

Relationships and friendships. Because I no longer have my BF with me, I was forced to make new friends and oh my god its been the best thing ever! I have learned so much, done so much, and grown so much. I am NOT the same person I was last year just because of the wonderful friends I’ve made. This includes my online friends I’ve made through miraculous, Secret of Moonacre, and other fandoms. You are all the best. 

So, overall, I want to pretend that my misfortunes happened for a reason. I mean, it was the year of the rooster, and according to the zodiac, as a rooster myself, that year is an unlucky year... But from them, I have been forced to learn, grow, and change, and for that, I will always be thankful. No lie, I’m actually scared for 2018. I am worried that my hearing will continue deteriorating, and I actually kinda dread going to work now... But life continues and so long as I keep writing, drawing, and dancing, I think I will be alright.