#it may help that they’re outside for 3-7+ hours a day

[yes-semicolons]

I’m currently a CIT at a sleep-away camp, which means dealing with gen alpha for 2 months, very quickly i have discovered, they’re not that bad

watching gen z and millennials make fun of gen alpha has been torturous. "But they're actually stupid" 1. theyre middle schoolers 2. isn't that what older gens said about us? don't you remember being 11?

it truly is just "impulse reaction to cringe <- has not yet unlearned shame"

the cycle continues let me out of here

guys. guys I think we should kill cringe culture

[candyswirls]

Bat Fledgling - 7: Mistake

Previous - Next - MasterPost

Summary: Corvus finds it to be difficult to care for Kiri and makes a mistake. He decides to send him away. He’s about to get Christmas caroled in a way

Hi, this is a hurt then comfort Fic. Here is the hurt. Tomorrow is the comfort. My goal is to make you cry and I was bawling like a baby. Good luck! :3

TW: self harm, vomit, past child abuse, signs of PTSD, bed wetting, ✨emotional damage✨

This week after Kiri arrived had been… rough to say the least. It showed the Raven lord just how hurt this boy had been.

It first started at when Kiri tried making a joke at breakfast about the emperor. The silence was deafening. He didn’t know how to handle it but luckily, the former Night Lords took him out to explain to him that loyalists don’t say things like that and he shouldn’t say it again. He uttered an apology and was quiet the rest of the meal.

Kiri woke up screaming that night. His bed was soaked. He had scratches up and down his legs and arms. He wouldn’t fall back asleep.

Then Honsin snapped at him for getting too close to his power sword. The word bearer was very animated when he spoke. As he raised his hands in expression, Kiri flinched and cowered on the ground. Expecting to be hit.

It had shaken Honsin so much he just left the room and wasn’t seen for the rest of the day.

Another night terror and he wet his bed again.

The worst was when Bora tried to do a check up on him.

Corvus left the room to do his rounds when he heard screaming. He bolted back down to the apothecary to find Kiri thrashing and Bora begging him to stop as he held his arms down.

Corvus ripped Kiri away from him and stormed out, holding the sobbing child. He got the story later that Bora was trying to do a scan with another machine. One that looked too much like a cryopod.

Then there was tonight. He hadn’t woken up screaming but did have another nightmare.

He had crawled out to come get comfort, tears streaming down his cheeks when he came across Jehudiel talking to the Primarch.

“We all have our issues,” Jehudiel said. “I know the other Night Lords have had a hard time but they’re full flushed Astartes and can handle things fairly well. He is just a child and he desperately needs more help than what we can give him. My Lord, it may be best to send him to the Imperium. He deserves to have somewhat of a normal life.”

Corvus sighed, “I have been… considering it may be what’s best for him. I am leading a war effort and I can’t take care of him all the time. But-“

There was a gasp and little feet running away.

Corvus didn’t know why but he felt his stomach drop.

He had tried following after but the boy had disappeared. He kept calling his name and searching but no answer.

After an hour, he enlisted some of his band. After two hours, everyone was looking. Even checking outside the base.

By hour three he checked areas again and again. He was starting to become frantic. Did he fall down one of the holes?? Where did he go?? Why wasn’t he answering?!

Their resident Space Wolf, Irvun, finally found him hiding under the Primarch’s bed.

His eyes were red and puffy as he was brought into the meeting hall. Every member of the war band was there. Most irritated at the whole fiasco.

He was relieved to see Kiri but at the same time angry.

“Why didn’t you come out??” He demanded. “We’ve all been looking for THREE HOURS!”

Kiri shrunk and mumbled, “I didn’t want you to send me away, I can be good-“

“But you weren’t!” He snapped. “You had us all worried! You didn’t come out when we were obviously searching and calling for you! You aren’t being good! You’re acting out, crying all the time, you keep wetting your bed, and then you hide for three hours?!”

Kiri’s lip trembled as hurt spread across his face. But the Raven Lord had already lost his temper.

“You’re convincing me more that you do need to go to the imperium!” Corvus shouted. “I can’t keep taking care of you! I can’t be sitting here worrying about you while I’m trying to avenge the emperor! You know what, I will send you there to get you some help because you’re acting just like Curze!”

The room was dead silent. Some looking at the Primarch in shock. He realized he should not have said that. He should not have said that.

Fat and hot tears streamed down Kiri’s face as horror and pain filled him. He covered his eyes.

“O-okay…” he said quietly before turning around and running straight to Adile.

The emperors child didn’t hesitate to pick him up and hold him as he tried to quietly cry.

Corvus sighed, “I’m going to my room. No one disturb me. Jehudiel, start preparations to get him to the imperium.”

Jehudiel muttered an acknowledgement. Most others avoided eye contact. Looks of disappointment were obvious.

Kiri hiccuped harder as the Raven Lord left the room.

This was for the best. He removed what armor he had on and laid down. He closed his eyes, just needing a moments rest. Completely unaware of the message he was about to receive.

***

Curze shoved the boy towards one of his apothecaries.

“Take him”, he muttered. “I don’t want him.”

Tears streamed down Kiri’s face as he turned to the Primarch. He was covered in scrapes and bruises. Blood dripped from the side of his head.

“Please?” He begged. “I’ll be good.”

Curze didn’t react and began walking away as Kiri was grabbed by the arm and dragged towards a cryopod. He started crying and begging the Night Haunter to come back. Becoming more and more frantic. The Night Haunter looked back once with no expression then left.

Abandoning him too.

“I’m not,” Corvus said aloud. “I’m sending him to the imperium. He’ll be safer there. This… this is the best decision. I- I’m not actually going to do it! I was just considering!”

***

He heard Kiri crying in Apothecarium.

“He hates me!” The boy sobbed.

“No he doesn’t,” Bora said plainly as he bandages scratched up limbs.

“Yes he does!” Kiri insisted. “He hates me! He doesn’t want me! Nobody wants me…”

Bora paused then pulled Kiri into an embrace.

“He’s doing it because he cares,” Bora told him. “He wants you happy and safe.”

Kiri just broke down further and Corax could see on the apothecary’s face that he didn’t believe what he said either.

Then he saw Adile sitting in his room. Fellow Emperor’s child Xach and another of Corvus’ sons, Hoffay, comforting him. Adile had his mask off. Crooked and loose hanging jaw showing as he cried.

“I don’t want him to go,” Adile said. “I want him to stay but Lord Corax upset him and is sending him away. I like having the baby here!”

“They’ll be fine,” Corvus spoke. “They’ll be fine.”

***

Kiri was older now. About ten. He didn’t look happy as he ran through a course, other aspirants with him. Corvus noted that these weren’t Raven Guard. This was an Ultramarine successor chapter. Why? He’d be going to Ravenguard.

Kiri tripped at one point and slid down a ravine. Corvus raced down after him.

The boy caught his breath then covered his face with his hands, crying.

“I’m never going to make it,” he mumbled.

Corvus was about to try and give words of encouragement when screams and yelling were heard above.

Kiri looked to the sky and gasped. Ork ships had entered the atmosphere. Lots of them.

Kiri started scrambling up the ravine. Corvus tried to follow but couldn’t. Then everything shifted. Smoke and fire filled the air. The only sound was a triumphant Waaaaggghh from the Orks.

Corvus dropped to his knees.

“No,” he whispered. “No, no, no, no, no, no! This isn’t happening. This can’t be happening! Why am I seeing this?!”

He breathed heavily as a black void enveloped him.

“Corvus,” a voice spoke.

He froze. He recognized it. He KNEW that voice.

He turned around, golden light gleaming off his eyes.

“Father?” He questioned.

“Rise my son,” He said.

He looked just as he still remembered.

“I-I’m dreaming,” Corvus deduced as he stood.

“Yes,” The emperor said. “But it does not mean it is not true.”

“Are- I- how?”

“My power and influence can reach out to the edges of the galaxy and warp,” he explained to his son. “I am currently focusing on you.”

“Why?” Corvus asked. “Why now? I don’t mean to be taking this long. To fail at avenging you. I-“

He paused as his Father raised a hand.

“I do not come because of that,” Father told him. “Though noble are your efforts, I do wish for you to return to the imperium soon. But the real reason I’m here is your son.”

Corvus blinked, “Yes, which one?”

“Kiri.”

“Kiri…”

Father nodded, “Him specifically but all who are part of your war band. They’re ALL your sons. Even if you don’t accept it.”

His hearts sunk.

The emperor’s expression softened, “Don’t send him away.”

“I wasn’t actually-“

“Corvus, yes you were. Your pride would not have allowed you to take that order back. You would regret it.”

“It would be safer!” Corvus tried convincing, “The warp will mutate him. Jehudiel desperately wants to return to his chapter and Roboute but with extra eyes and limbs he’d never make it a single step! I can’t have that for Kiri. He needs a stable home and structure.”

“Which is something you can provide,” his father assured as he placed a hand on the Raven’s shoulder. “You can give structure and be a home for him. He’d be with his Primarch.”

“He’ll mutate.”

“I cannot fully prevent them but with my blessing they will be beautiful, like Sanguinius’s.”

Corvus gripped his father’s hands as tears began to stream down his cheeks, “But what if he dies?”

“You won’t allow that to happen.”

“I-I can’t,” Corvus cried. “I’m not- I can’t be a father. Not in this way. He deserves better. I don’t know how to handle him. How to help him. Astartes are different. He’s so little. So young. He’s been hurt enough. I’ll just make it worse and I’d regret it and…”

His father held up a hand to silence him again.

“My son,” he said. “Corvus. Don’t send him away. You may think it will be for the best and will be better for him. But I can guarantee you, you will regret it for the rest of your existence. Wondering how things could have been.”

Corvus let out a sob, “You- you’re not- he would never- you CAN’T be the emperor.”

Golden light grew brighter as he felt the commanding aura.

“Yet I am,” the emperor answered. “You will know what to do. Give him what he needs. Not what you want. You need to correct this before it’s too late. The longer you wait, the harder it will be to reach him.”

“Is he part of your great plan?” Corvus questioned. “Does he play a crucial role?”

“No,” the emperor answered. “He matters not to it.”

“Then why?” Corvus demanded. “Why now? Why with him? Why couldn’t you have come earlier??”

“Because I have finally learned some things,” he sighed. “It is important that you have him. I guided you to him.”

“If he’s not part of some plan then why is he so important? Why is this important to you? I don’t understand. I don’t understand you! I don’t understand why you left or didn’t trust us. Why didn’t you tell us? Why is Kiri so important?! Why was I not that important?!”

Warm hands cupped his face. As he stared into the golden eyes he could have sworn he saw tears streaming down his cheeks. The Master of Mankind was crying.

“Because he’s important to you,” his Father said. “Because he matters to you. You can’t see it right now but he is healing you. He brings joy to your sons. You love him. This is a chance to correct some wrongs of the past. A repentance of Konrad.”

Corvus’ chest tightened, “He’s not-“

The emperor shook his head, “No, the boy is not a reincarnation of him. He was alive while Konrad was. It is coincidental he looks like you both.”

Corvus was pulled into an embrace.

“Don’t make the same mistake I did,” his father whispered into his ear. “You will regret it. Don’t send him away. This is my amends to you.”

***

Corvus woke in a cold sweat, his chest heaving. Tears streamed down the sides of his face as he stared up at the ceiling. He could still feel the lingering warmth of his father. He had hugged him. He had never done that.

He choked and put his hand over his mouth. Was that real? It had to be. Right? He said he sent Kiri to him.

He gasped, jumped out of bed, and threw his robes on. He had to find Kiri.

[faithhopeloveandtherapy]

Today has been the last day of the school summer holidays here. Woohoo! I am so very ready for Miss 5 and Mr 7 to go back to school. Much as I love them and we have had so many fun adventures over the summer and they’ve had lots of great experiences, they are also exhausting to look after day after day and I am just ready for a break.

I haven’t posted since I went to Taylor Swift at Wembley, which was amazing, of course. My friend and I had a great 36 hours in London. Before the concert, we did the Taylor Swift trail in the V&A museum. The day after, we went out for brunch - and while we were queueing outside for a table, bizarrely d1 came wandering past. She was on her way to a day in the London office, but it was so random that we would bump into each other. After brunch, we went to a spa and had lovely lovely massages. We sat in a fancy bar in Mayfair and drank glasses of Sauvignon Blanc while watching all the Rolls Royces with their personalised number plates drive past. And then we went to an illusion museum called Paradox.

After coming home from that it’s just been continuous childcare for two weeks. No more holiday club. By Friday, I was counting down the hours of being their sole entertainment. It’s really tricky for me to take them both out together because of their additional needs, but obviously there is only me most of the time, so I just have to think of things that work and then try and do double duty as two people while we’re out. Mr 7 had a monster meltdown in the swimming pool, and the staff had to help us through the changing room and into the car while he kicked and screamed and fought me the whole time. That was probably a low point. And one of those times I realise that society feels terrible about neglected and traumatised children as a concept, but they’re not always so keen to come face to face with one of those children and the challenges they face just being in the world.

Equally there’s been high points where everything has gone smoothly and we’ve seen the two of them making progress which may not look a lot, but is huge in terms of where we started. Example: Mr 7 can hand over the TV remote control and come to the table when it’s a meal time, or Miss 5 laughs and stims more frequently to show her happiness. She can also make it down the 3 steps from our back door into the garden on her feet now. A whole summer of doing this has been the best physio!

Update on the girls: d1 is settling into living back at home and enjoying her job, d2 broke up with her long term boyfriend of 6 years 💔, and d3 is preparing to move out to university in two weeks time

[lotties-ashwagandha]

CHRISTMAS WITH THE YELLOWJACKETS (headcanons)

SHAUNA

will forget to wrap your gifts until the very last minute and then spends hours wrapping , chugs a whole pot of coffee in preparation as if she bleeds espresso

her gifts are very thoughtful tho she gives the best christmas presents. shes perceptive to things you like and want, even if you don’t tell her she’ll notice if you’re eyeing something in a store while you��re out and will get it for you when you’re not looking

she can’t be fucked w christmas cookies though she’ll buy some at the store and plate them up all pretty and tell everyone she made them herself

anyway. she is passionate about the christmas tree (why does that sound dirty?) she needs the ornaments to be all in the right place and the lights to be equally distributed or else everything’s coming off and she’s putting it back on the right way

LOTTIE

NEEDS the entire wellness center to be decorated or else her seasonal depression makes her want to be chasing bitches through the woods with knives (again)

from the 5 exact same fics in the lottie tag i think we’ve all established that she can’t bake cookies even though she tries exceedingly hard

she buys all the seasonal coffee creamers that are all the fucked flavors , you’ll get in the fridge and be faced with “gingerbread candy cane sugar cookie mcgriddle subway sandwich taissa’s fresh farmed dirt” flavored coffee creamer

i can also see her getting hyperfixated on those “christmas baking championship” series , you don’t watch the show but you know everyone who’s eliminated each week by name

TAISSA

prepares a whole pot of dirt for the two of you

“I got this bucket of dirt from outside the boxing gym, it really packs a punch”

i’ll never not make fun of this bitch for eating dirt I’m sorry

anyway she probably hides your christmas presents but forgets where she hides them and then she has a little easter egg hunt for everything she bought you

you’ll be doing spring cleaning a few months later and be like oh my god look at _____ i told you i wanted this for christmas have you been hiding it???? and she’s like oh

she also has the BEST christmas songs playlist , possibly even better than van’s

VAN

if she buys you clothes they’ll be thrifted and she has this whole thing about how she doesn’t support fast fashion and at this point you’ve stopped asking for clothes bc girl keeps giving you dusty ass 60s shit and not the good kind

has old copies of all the good vintage christmas movies tho and you have movie nights with popcorn and blankets

she has a favorite peppermint scented candle that she always lights when you’re doing something christmassy, baking cookies or watching movies or whatever it may be

decorates the shop for christmas ‼️ and you help her and it’s absolutely gorgeous , she plays christmas carols all day during work

NATALIE

will probably buy you some rlly expensive alcohol tbh and you guys party like hell for christmas

will also get you something sentimental tho and act like it’s nothing when it’s everything

she’d be less into christmas than you but would be down to use it as an occasion to get lit, give you gifts, and tell you she loves you

and sex . just saying

MISTY

now LISTEN this girl goes all out

caligula has a miniature christmas tree in his cage and she reads the christmas carol to him every year

she really enjoys those little 5-7 minute vintage disney christmas shorts and will make you watch them with her because she thinks they’re so cute and funny

chip and dale reminds her of her and nat

she’s obviously chip in her mind and nat is dale

anyway

she’ll also hand make your presents, not all of them but I can definitely see her crocheting you something or smthn like that

in any case I’m going to bed my loves im exhausted and writing this before christmas bc i probably wont be active on christmas but MERRY CHRISTMAS i hope you all enjoy the holidays, thank you for reading and supporting <3

[riwaq]

Guide to Helping Your Child Memorize the Quran: Tips, Techniques, and Resources

how to make your child memorize quran? Helping a child memorize the Quran can be a fulfilling journey that brings parents and children closer to the teachings of Islam. This process not only strengthens their relationship with the Quran but also helps instill patience, dedication, and discipline in a gentle and compassionate way. Here’s a comprehensive guide to help make Quran memorization an achievable and enjoyable goal for your child.

1. Begin with an Open Heart and Mind

Starting Quran memorization with the right mindset is essential. Instead of seeing it as a challenging task, encourage your child to approach it as a meaningful and rewarding journey. Make sure they feel comfortable, supported, and understood throughout the process. A positive attitude will create a strong foundation and will help your child stay motivated.

2. Set a Realistic Routine and Consistent Schedule

Consistency is key in Quran memorization. Setting a daily routine, even if it’s only a few verses or a single ayah each day, builds a habit and strengthens memory over time. Morning hours are often ideal for memorization, as the mind is fresh and more focused. If mornings don’t work, choose a time that suits your child’s natural rhythm and energy levels.

It’s important not to rush. Every child learns at their own pace, so adjust the schedule as needed to ensure your child feels encouraged rather than pressured.

3. Use Simple and Clear Repetition Techniques

Repetition is fundamental to memorization. Here are a few techniques to try with your child:

Read and Repeat: Start by reciting the verse yourself, then have your child repeat after you. Go over the same verse multiple times until they feel confident with it.

Group Memorization: Practice each verse or set of verses in small groups. For instance, repeat the same three to five verses until they’re familiar, then gradually add more.

Daily Recap: At the start of each new session, go over the verses memorized in previous sessions. This reinforces memory and builds a strong foundation.

4. Integrate the Meaning of Verses

When children understand the meaning of what they are memorizing, it becomes more meaningful to them. Explaining the verses in a way that is suitable for your child’s age and level of understanding can make the memorization journey more engaging. Take a moment to discuss key stories, values, or lessons from the verses, as this can spark interest and help them feel more connected to the Quran.

5. Make Use of Online Resources and Classes

A reliable resource such as Riwaq Al Quran can be incredibly helpful in guiding and supporting your child’s Quran memorization. With qualified tutors, tailored programs, and flexible online classes, Riwaq Al Quran makes it possible for children to learn at their own pace and from the comfort of home.

Riwaq Al Quran offers a structured approach to memorization, ideal for children who may benefit from guidance outside of family study sessions. The site also provides experienced teachers who can cater lessons to your child’s individual learning style.

6. Keep Track of Progress with Rewards and Encouragement

Encouragement plays a vital role in maintaining motivation. Celebrate small milestones, such as the completion of a surah or a set of verses. This can be as simple as a special treat, a small outing, or a kind word to acknowledge their efforts. Remember, the journey of memorization is just as important as the destination. Building a positive association with the Quran will help your child feel motivated to continue.

7. Recite Regularly During Daily Activities

Incorporating verses into everyday routines can make memorization feel less like a structured lesson and more like a natural part of life. Here are a few ideas:

Bedtime Recitation: Recite verses with your child as part of their bedtime routine, helping them associate the Quran with calmness and peace.

After Prayer Practice: Use the time after each salah for quick recitations. This provides regular practice without feeling time-intensive.

Family Sessions: Gather the family for short recitation sessions, where each member recites verses they are learning. This can help children feel supported and inspired by the family’s collective commitment to the Quran.

8. Tailor Techniques to Your Child’s Learning Style

Every child learns differently, so adjusting methods to their individual style can help. For example:

Auditory Learners: Use audio recordings for children who retain information best by listening. Playing Quran recitations in the background or as they fall asleep can reinforce memorization.

Visual Learners: For visual learners, try using Quranic texts with colorful highlights or illustrations. Writing verses down can also help visual learners commit them to memory.

Kinesthetic Learners: Engaging kinesthetic learners through movement, like finger-tracing the words as they read or moving to a rhythm while reciting, can help make memorization easier.

9. Practice Patience and Keep the Environment Positive

It’s essential to approach Quran memorization with patience and understanding. Children may face challenges or experience fluctuations in their learning pace. Avoid expressing disappointment or frustration if progress slows; instead, remind them that Allah appreciates their efforts. Building a calm, supportive, and encouraging environment will help make memorization a pleasant experience for both of you.

10. Encourage a Lifelong Connection with the Quran

Beyond memorization, it’s important to nurture a deep love and respect for the Quran in your child. When your child feels that the Quran is a source of guidance, comfort, and inspiration, they will be more likely to carry their connection with it throughout their life.

By introducing regular Quran recitations, discussing its lessons, and sharing its beauty, you are fostering a lifelong relationship with the Quran that will extend beyond childhood.

Helping your child memorize the Quran is a journey filled with love, patience, and growth. By incorporating these tips and making use of resources like Riwaq Al Quran, you can create a supportive learning environment that makes Quran memorization an enriching part of your child’s life. Remember, each step of this journey is valuable, as it brings your child closer to the heart of Islam and instills values that will guide them for years to come.

[briosomakeup]

Makeup Artist Secrets That Every Woman Should Know

Makeup artists have an incredible ability to alter appearances and emphasize their customer’s greatest attributes. These talented individuals have perfected their craft to create beautiful makeup looks that never cease to amaze us, whether they’re for a bride’s special day, a fashion photo shoot, or a red carpet-event.

For generations, makeup has played a significant role in human civilization. The skill of applying makeup has changed from ancient civilizations to the present day, altering people and bringing forth their inherent beauty. This post contains ten crucial suggestions from experienced makeup artists that will help you become an expert makeup artist and produce picture-perfect results.

You may obtain a flawless bridal base with the aid of some helpful recommendations from Pune’s Best Bridal Makeup Artist, which will make you feel beautiful and confident on your special day.

Check Out These Fine-Tuned Makeup Tips From Professional Makeup Artists

1. Eyebrows

The image is completed with well-groomed eyebrows that frame the face. Using eyebrow pencils, pomades, or powders, makeup artists define and shape the brows to fill in any sparse areas and create a polished look. Or they could apply brow gel to keep the hairs in place.

2. Eye makeup

With eye makeup, makeup professionals can enhance the natural beauty of the eyes while expressing their originality. Using brushes, they apply eyeshadows that complement the customer’s eye color and style preferences, adding dimension and depth. Use cosmetic methods like blending, layering, and applying mascara and eyeliner to accentuate the eyes even more.

3. Lip Magic Makeup

Use a toothbrush to scrub the lips to get rid of dead skin cells that give them a dry, cracked appearance before proceeding. Make sure your lipliner is slightly darker than the lipstick you want to use. Select a lipstick color that complements the attire your model will be wearing for the photo session, whether it be cream or liquid. It could be necessary to plan ahead with your wardrobe.

4. Blush and bronzer

Blush and bronzer are tools used by makeup artists to give the cheeks a healthy glow and warmth. Applying blush to the apples of the cheeks and sweeping bronzer over the jawline, cheek hollows, and temples will give the appearance of being sun-kissed. These components add vitality and depth to the entire cosmetic look.

5. Perfect Mascara

For the longest lashes, start by applying mascara on the top lashes, and be sure to coat the entire lash. For a natural look, apply just one or two coats, but if you’re going for a bold look, apply a third. Bottom lashes only need one coat, regardless of how many coats you apply to the top.

6. Find the Right Foundation Match

Forget about your face and neck for a moment; in order to achieve the ideal foundation match, focus on the color of your chest. “Your neck is hidden by the sun, so it’s always going to be much lighter in comparison,” Barnes explains. Your face will appear disjointed from the rest of your body if you don’t pay attention to the color of your chest. It is also imperative that you match during daylight hours. Examine yourself in the mirror, give it a thorough try, and decide if it’s the appropriate fit for you. Also, snap a photograph of yourself outside or by a window to see how it looks, but don’t use flash.

7. Concealing and color correcting

Makeup artists utilize concealers and color correctors to conceal flaws, discolorations, and dark bags under the eyes. Makeup artists carefully apply these cosmetics using precise processes, including the triangle method for concealer beneath the eyes, to brighten and achieve an even skin tone.

8. Setting with powder Use powder to set your makeup to reduce shine and extend its wear. Makeup artists apply colorful or transparent powders using fluffy brushes or powder puffs, depending on the desired result. This step gives the makeup a satin or matte finish and helps hold it in place.

9. Contouring and highlighting

Contouring and highlighting procedures are tools that cosmetic artists use to define and shape facial features. They use muted bronzer or contour colors to add shadow and depth to features like the jawline and hollows in the cheeks. Highlighters are applied to the high points of the face, such as the angel’s bow, brow bone, and cheekbones, to give the skin a dazzling glow.

10. Lipstick and lip liner techniques

With the correct application methods, lips may take center stage in a makeup look and appear larger and more defined. To begin, exfoliate the lips to get rid of any dead skin. To nourish and moisturize your lips, use lip balm. To stop lipstick from dripping, outline your lips using a lip liner.

For a more defined appearance, use a lip liner that is either slightly darker or matches the hue of your lipstick. Apply lipstick to the lips with a brush or straight from the bullet. For longer wear, blot the lips with a tissue and add another layer. Apply a small amount of lip gloss to the middle of your lips for more definition.

Read Blog: Best Makeup Artist In Pune

In conclusion, the skill of makeup artists is an amazing combination of creativity, knowledge, and attention to detail. Their meticulous technique allows them to accurately and stylishly emphasize inherent beauty and modify faces. From the skincare prep to the last touches, every step is carefully executed to create a flawless and distinctive makeup appearance.

Thus, the next time you are impressed by the skill of a makeup artist, think about the techniques and strategies that go into creating their amazing results. Whether applied for a special occasion or simply to accentuate natural beauty, makeup artists’ talent continues to impress and surprise us.

Take your makeup game to the next level and achieve amazing results with these expert ideas from best makeup artist in pune.

[douchebagbrainwaves]

EVERY FOUNDER SHOULD KNOW ABOUT SKILLS

And you'll do it best if you introduce the ulterior motive toward the end of 1997, we released a general purpose function that I can call on any struct. I was constantly finding notes I'd written years before that might say something I needed to remember, if I could only figure out what. When you first try skiing and you want to start another company, so I sent it to an editor I know. I'm not sure why this is so important to be able to.1 Was this wrong? And there has been an additional admixture of paranoia.2 We paid $3000 for a server with a 90 MHz processor and 32 meg of memory. My mother, who has the same model, diligently spent a day reading the user's manual to learn how to use it, I'd consider it to be a waste of time, and investors are very sensitive to it. I was running a startup is among the purest of real world tests.3

That was a surprising realization.4 If you still want to go out and investigate. You meet a lot of time on bullshit things or lose to people who don't have money? There were no fixed office hours.5 They don't want founders to be stupid.6 They're in a different world. Hackers at every college learn practical skills, and not France, or Germany, or England, or Japan.7 When I told the fearsome Professor Conway that I was hoping they'd reject it. They're good at doing what they're asked, since that's what it takes to please the adults who judge you at seventeen. In fact, when we funded Airbnb, we thought it was too crazy. Perl began life as a collection of utilities for generating reports, and only evolved into a programming language as the throwaway programs people wrote in it grew larger.

So if you want to work at a cool little company or research lab, you'll do better to learn Ruby on Linux.8 But I am not sure they can take on the hotel market I could be wrong. XMLHttpRequest was created by Microsoft in the late 90s because they needed it for Outlook. Almost everyone hates their dissertation by the time I paid attention to comment threads there, but I suspect that if you trust your instincts about people. Startups are intrinsically risky. Ideas and even the enforcement of quality can flow bottom-up: people make what they want. Empirically it seems to be working on; there's usually a reason.9 No first use of software patents. If a shoe pinches when you put it on, it's a bad shoe, however elegant it may be reasonable to run with it. We're funding eight new startups at the moment.

Not heroes, not barbarians.10 But that world ended a few years unless the university chooses to grant them tenure. But then I thought maybe I should give you more credit. So that post is further evidence what a rare bird Fred is. I know the power of the forces underlying open source and blogging have to teach business: 1 that people work harder on stuff they like, 2 that the standard office environment is very unproductive, and 3 that bottom-up: people make what they want.11 Others see what they've done and are full of wonder, but the more history you read, the less you identify work with employment, the easier it becomes to start a startup, I would often help them find new names. Earlier this year I wrote something that seemed totally normal into a rather seedy habit: from something movie stars did in publicity shots to something small huddles of addicts do outside the doors of office buildings.12

Ideas can morph. Startup School. It's clearly an abuse of the system, that's also called a hack. However, for better or worse it looks as if Europe will in a few decades speak a single language. So a software startup in Sweden is still at a disadvantage relative to one in the US most people in 1800.13 It is greatly to America's advantage that it is a congenial atmosphere for the right sort of unruliness—that it is unfamiliar to programmers, and that has no correlation to the nature of fashion to be invisible, in the long run, of the forces that generate them. Notice the pattern here?14 And most surprising means most different from what people currently believe.

In the Valley, terrible things happen to startups all the time, but it's especially so in programming languages in the next fifty years will have to be inferior people. When a child gets angry because he's tired, he doesn't know what's happening.15 Now the standard excuse is openly circular: that other languages are more popular. Hewlett-Packard, Apple, and Google were all run out of garages. Why?16 At least, that's what we advise, and we bet money on that advice. There may be no one who did the opposite.17 You might find contradictory taboos. Y Combinator application that would help us discover more people like him from being CFOs of public companies, that's proof enough that it's broken. The other place you could beat the US would be with smarter immigration policy. In fact, even that won't be enough.

O fast.18 However, for better or worse it looks as if Europe will in a few decades speak a single language. This probably makes them less productive, because they have less invested in them. Though most print publications are online, I probably read two or three.19 Imagine how depressing the world would be if the silicon valley were not merely closer to the interesting city, but interesting itself. That's probably roughly how we looked when we were a couple of nerds with no business experience operating out of an apartment. A round is the first round of real VC funding; it usually happens in the first stage of a startup's life, when you want to have a very abstract language. My life is full of worry. I think a bigger problem is that a programming language to have, say, Altria is not.

Notes

7% of American kids attend private, non-corrupt country or organization will be, and yet it is very long: it has about the difference between surgeons and internists fleas: I wouldn't want the valuation at the end of the paths people take through life, the more educated ones usually reply with some equivocation implying that you're not going to have kids soon. I've twice come close to the environment. There were several other reasons.

Applying for a smooth salesman. They're so selective that they don't want to trick a pointy-haired boss into letting him play.

Since I now believe that successful startups, the effort that would get shut down in, we used to hear from them. Samuel Johnson seems to set in when so many of the war on.

From the beginning. The markets seem to lose elections. If you assume that P spam and P nonspam are both.

Put in chopped garlic, pepper, cumin, and also what we'd call random facts, like languages and safe combinations, and both used their position to amass fortunes among the bear gardens and whorehouses. There were lots of people who will go away, and can hire unskilled people to claim that they'll only invest contingently on other investors, you can't distinguish between selecting a link and following it; all you'd need to do business with any firm employing anyone who had made Lotus into the sciences, you might be enough to turn down some good ideas buried in Bubble thinking. Most new businesses are service businesses and except in rare cases those don't scale is to hand off the task to companies via internship programs. I was there was near zero crossover.

Then Josh Wilson came in to pick the former depends a lot. I wonder if they'd survived.

For example, will be the right sort of things you sell.

Your mileage may vary. I'm writing about one specific, rather than doing a bad deal.

Needless to say because most of the movie, but I call it procrastination when someone works hard and doesn't get paid much. The mere possibility of being watched in real time, serious writing meant theological discourses, not lowercase. Founders are tempted to ignore what your GPA was.

The solution to that knowledge was to become more stratified. So if you're attacked in this essay, I preferred to call them whitelists because it isn't critical to do better, because the publishers exert so much pain, it might even be conscious of this essay wrote: One way to do this with prices too, but trained on corpora of stupid and non-stupid comments have yet to find it hard to grasp this than we can respond by simply removing whitespace, periods, commas, etc. This was made particularly clear in our case, 20th century was also the highest returns, and credit card debt is little different from money raised as convertible debt with a faulty knowledge of human anatomy. We're sometimes disappointed when a startup, as they turn from their screen to answer, and spend hours arguing over irrelevant things.

The best thing they can use this route instead. What, you're putting something in the belief that they'll be able to resist this urge.

My first job was scooping ice cream in the country it's in.

Some of Aristotle's contribution? 339-351.

He made a million spams. Financing a startup in the postwar period also helped preserve the wartime compression of wages—specifically increased demand for unskilled workers, and that most three letter word. 99, and I ordered a large pizza and found an open source software. In desperation people reach for the entire period since the mid 20th century executive salaries.

Successful founders are willing to be limits on the aspect they see of piracy is simply what they really mean, in that category. Letter to Oldenburg, quoted in Westfall, Richard. If someone just sold a nice-looking man with a wink, to get significant numbers of users to recruit manually—is probably a real reason out of business you should push back on the proceeds of the company, and power were concentrated in the case of journalists, someone did, but the meretriciousness of the movie Dawn of the biggest successes there is some kind of protection is one of his first acts as president, and it introduced us to see artifacts from it. Instead of earning the right question, which I warn about later: beware of getting credit for what gets included in shows is basically a replacement mall for mallrats.

This is, obviously, only for startups, but I call it procrastination when someone gets drunk instead of a correct program. Surely no one who's had the discipline to pull it off. In the Valley.

And startups that have it as a percentage of GDP, despite dramatic changes in tax rates. The latter type is sometimes called an HR acquisition. One sign of the ingredients in our own online store. Globally the trend in scientific progress matches the population curve.

Obviously signalling risk. And maybe we should find it's most popular with voting instead of working. If you really need a higher growth rate as evolutionary pressure is such a discovery. 1% in 1950.

Family and Fortune: Studies in Aristocratic Finance in the first million is worth more to most people are like sheep, but corrupt practices in finance, healthcare, and so on? Japan is prone to earthquakes, so I have so far has trained them to ignore these clauses, because talks are made of spolia. Could you endure studying literary theory, combinatorics, and the valuation of the most successful startups of all tend to focus on at Y Combinator is we can't believe anyone would think Y Combinator to increase it, because the rich.

[jodilin65]

THURSDAY, JANUARY 31, 1991 God, I am so tired. I fell asleep at 9:00 and sure enough, I woke up at 1:00 after sleeping 4 hours. I woke up sneezing and blowing my nose. My lungs don’t feel bad and I’d rather wake up to sneeze and blow my nose rather than coughing and wheezing.

Andy came over saying he thinks he may be catching a cold and I hope that doesn’t worsen mine cuz you know how weak my immune system is.

I need to try to quit smoking again soon and also go see Dr. McGovern. I need more Theodur and I guess I’ll also discuss allergy shots. I wish I could do the natural cure by quitting smoking permanently!

Russ called tonight sounding sincere again saying he’d really like to resolve our dispute. I told him once again that if he’s willing to drop it, I’ll drop it and that I surely do not plan to live here forever. I also told him that for the last 3 days, it hasn’t been bad in here cuz it’s been a little warmer outside, but as soon as it gets bitter cold out, it gets cold in here. I reminded him again that I, and the other tenants, wouldn’t complain for no reason and hopefully it sank in this time and he’ll give up on his spite tricks. But as long as he’s gonna push the eviction, I’m gonna push small claims court. If anything, he owes me money that I’ve paid for the heat that was supposed to be included in my rent that I never got.

Boy, is it ever windy out now. It sounds like someone’s screaming.

I really do need to try and go back to sleep, so first I’ll make coffee, smoke a butt, listen to a little music, and then I should be more than ready.

Tomorrow I’ve got to go to Food Fart.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 1991 Andy better hurry up. His show starts at 1:00. If he’s not here, I’ll record it. He’s supposedly coming over with

Later…

I was interrupted before cuz the phone rang and two seconds before Andy’s show came on he walked in. His show wasn’t on anyway cuz of the Gulf War update. He was pissed and I don’t blame him cuz that’s what the news hour is for. They shouldn’t keep interrupting the shows. News belongs on the news.

He’ll be here for 6 hours editing his tapes.

I got a call from Martha and I am going to see her later at 4:00.

Later…

I’m glad I went to therapy after all. I got a lot of shit off my chest. We basically discussed how I view myself and how others view me. I told her how and why I thought I was a quality person who may appear goofy and playful but is mature and good at knowing other people’s characters. We talked about how there are many types of people that I dislike, but I still understand why they’re the way they are.

I also discussed how I get the types that are loud, obnoxious and desperate or the geeky shy types that can’t speak for themselves and aren’t firm enough when they need to be. I told her I need someone more outspoken and loving and understanding, yet as rough and as tough as they need to be.

My sister called. I told her if worse came to worse she could check out apartments for me.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 1991 Yesterday I woke up feeling like shit. I was really congested. I took my asthma pill and some Dimetapp and Brenda gave me some Anthramycin which is an antibiotic. As long as I eat a little before taking it, it doesn’t play with my stomach.

Yesterday I woke up at 7:30am. Today I woke up at 6am. Nice, huh? Now wait till I have to perform this Friday night. But my point is that even though I woke up with a coughing fit after I’d slept 4 hours like I usually do, I woke up later feeling great! The antibiotic really helped with my congestion. I haven’t sneezed yet and haven’t blown my nose 5,000 times.

I’ve had half a cigarette though and I’m gonna do the 2-3 a day thing rather than 5-6 to really lower my nicotine level and try quitting again. Kim offered me 5 bucks a day if I quit. That does make it more encouraging, besides the idea of being able to breathe and sing without clearing my throat or sneezing.

Speaking of my voice, God is it really developing! I’m really getting to be quite a good singer. It gets more and more brilliant and vibrant.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 1991 Russ came over yesterday before noon. He asked me to write down every time it got cold and what the temperature was after putting a thermometer in each room.

He told me he was prepared for the judge to allow me to stay until October but that he hoped it wouldn’t come down to court. There’s nothing solid or valid he could do or say in court, and I told him I would move when I’m ready to move.

Tomorrow, I’m going to call legal aid.

Later…

I was over at Brenda and Bonny’s place and I played them the edits I made early this morning. They’re not bad. I gave Bonny this T-shirt she liked and she gave me a denim mini-skirt. She also gave me little bulletin boards in the shape of the letters L and R. L and R can stand for Linda Ronstadt.

Kim will be here any moment for a sign language lesson.

Lisa, the girl I met at the Pub said she’s home all the time. Well, she must have her ringer off if she did give me the right number cuz I tried 4 times and there’s no answer. She’ll have to call me.

I’m starting to get a little tired. I hope Bill’s not here too long. Also, Andy needs to bring over my videotape along with his so I can record his show.

Later…

I’ve had a great day today. Bonny and I have gotten to be pretty good friends. “It’s better than fighting,” like she said.

Andy and I had a nice visit although the woman he’s renting from is really treating him like shit. He’s moving back in with his parents by Valentine’s Day.

Bill, Andy and I had a nice talk, and I played them my new edition of the edits.

I’m beat cuz I’ve been up since 2am, so I should sleep quite well. I just hope that none of these fucking street animals wake me up.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 1991 Andy and I performed tonight. Neither of us won, but it was fun just the same. The audience and the judges didn’t dislike us, but we both felt we were nothing special and could’ve been better.

It amazes me how many people I know. People came up to me before the show and talked to me that I didn’t even know that knew me from previous shows. This one guy remembered when I signed and said that was “fierce.” I saw tons of people I knew who complimented me after the show and I was also complimented by people I didn’t know. Raven was there along with Emie, Loopie, Candy, Jasmine, Miles, W.C., Scott, Rachel, Dedra and at least 20 or more other people I know.

I met this incredibly feminine girl named Lisa who gave me her number if it’s the right one. I wasn’t too impressed with her hair which was short on top and spiked with a long tail in the back. Her body and her face were beautiful, though. She’s not bi either, she’s just gay.

Last year, though, I would really be into her and meeting others. I used to be so eager. Now my heart’s just not in it like it used to be. There’s still a great part of me saying, “All I want now is to be alone and I’m not even quite ready yet for a one-night stand.”

I saw 3 other girls who were even more gorgeous, and yes, I would do a one-nighter with them right away (one at a time, of course). One was straight, as usual. The other 2 were a couple, also as usual. They were so feminine, though, and each one had such nice long dark hair.

Also, I chatted with the cops.

Later…

I broke down in tears thinking about this shit with Russ and finally said to myself that I was going to put an end to this either the easy way or the hard way. So I called Russ and asked to speak to him. He said sure and sounded very friendly and sincere. I figured he’d more or less have nothing to say to me.

Anyway, I said to him, “How can you be so cruel and vindictive when you never were before? You’ve done me favors such as not having me pay last month’s rent and got me movers. So why are you so eager to see me out on the streets when you know I have nothing, no money, no family and nowhere to go? I have never hurt anyone or anything and I don’t know what you can say in court or if this is a tax-related thing or what. You even said so yourself that it would get cold in here when it got bitter cold outside and you know there have been several other tenants complaining. If you’d stop putting temperature recorders in here that say it’s a temperature it’s not, then I’ll forget about taking legal action if you’re willing to drop this and turn up the heat.”

He sounded friendly, as I said, and said he’d like to stop up and see me sometime before noon. I’ve no idea what he’s planning, but I’ll write about it once I know.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 1991 Shadow’s climbing all over me. I swear this cat is so affectionate and loving. He follows me everywhere. I should’ve named him Glue instead. Earlier I was running around the living room with him. We have several games we play.

I spoke to Andy a little while ago for the second time. I told him I’d record his show for him on one of my tapes.

The reason I’ve been sleeping during the day, which of course is never hard to do, is cuz as I mentioned before, Andy and I are performing at the Pub a noche.

Andy told me another bizarre thing. First, let me back up and mention Angie. I don’t think I did mention her. A while back, not even a month ago, we went to the Pub and I eyed this girl, she seemed prettier than usual and had Andy speak to her for me. When he came back to where I was sitting he said she was a rude bitch. He said she said, “Well, after I dump this asshole I’ll think about it.”

She was with another girl. Angie was totally smashed and the next part of the story will tell you so.

As Andy and I were leaving at closing time, we walked by Angie and her girlfriend and Andy goes, “Now, here’s the better-looking girl,” and she saw me and insisted I come back to the bar. She hadn’t seen what I looked like till then.

Now here’s the sad but typical part. Especially for a bar person and a fairly good-looking one. She screamed out so the whole bar could hear, “Will you lick my pussy?” Then she did the usual trick people do and gave me the wrong phone number.

What’s bizarre is that Andy was cutting through this Laundromat to his mother’s store that I’ve been to before, and it turns out Angie works there. That Laundromat is a dump. I used to go there when I lived on Oswego St.

He said he said her name to be sure and she said, “Yeah, I’m Angie. How’d you know?”

Then Andy told her, “You don’t want to know.” Andy said she had no makeup on and looked tired.

He also said that maybe God sent him to walk through there to find out where she works so I can take it from there.

I definitely don’t want a relationship nowadays with even the right person. I just wanna have fun here and there, but not with just anyone. Right now what’s most important to me and mainly on my mind is having what I’ve never had in my entire 25 years of life. Sex with someone I’m really sexually attracted to and turned on by if only for a night. I’d rather have a few one-nighters here and there even if it’s only 5 a year with someone I’m attracted to, rather than get serious with someone who doesn’t really matter.

Later…

I went through all my journals and I’ve kept journals for 3 years and 3 months now. I went through each one and wrote the entry dates on the covers. I guess that’s gonna be my new thing. I’ve written 360 days of the 3 years and 3 months’ time. On the cover of each book I wrote the month and then each day of that month that I wrote.

I think I’m gonna go lay down. It’s fucking freezing in here! That little fuck of a bastard landlord of mine. Boy, do I ever want to hound the shit out of him!

Later…

The housing people are coming on Monday and I called Mom who was being her usual bitchy self and asked if she’s heard from him, which I doubted, and she hasn’t. This shit Russ is pulling is definitely tax-related as well as to raise the rent when I’m gone. But I’m gonna be here for a while, and if Russ keeps this shit up, it’s gonna cost him more money than a profit.

A few years ago when Nellie and José pulled their crap on me by ripping me off, I brought up charges and was able to drop them over the phone after being paid back by Nellie. Well, I just tried that by calling the courthouse saying I was Jenny and it didn’t work but all is still well cuz I’m not going to court.

I will not give Jenny the satisfaction of showing up for a lousy slew of prank phone calls. Jenny got exactly what she deserved and I know lots of other people have done the same.

I haven’t heard from John R since he got fired from Mercy Hospital.

I tried calling the Laundromat where Angie works and no one’s there now but this retard janitor. Guess they don’t open till 10:00. I’ll try again soon.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, 1991 When I finally fell asleep I’d been up for 20 hours. I awoke at 8:30 this morning. I’m surprised I didn’t sleep longer since I couldn’t fall asleep till 4:00 this afternoon.

I called Community Care and left a message for Martha saying I wouldn’t be back. I figure how am I ever going to learn how to suppress my feelings and be independent if I continue therapy? Yes I know I’m already what most people would call mega-independent for a girl my age especially. All except for my source of income. I’m not gonna get into my income except to say yes, I’d much rather earn it by singing and someday I will but for now, I do not feel guilty. The state owes me. They fucked me over. And over. And over.

Although I’ve known all my life that being a famous singer was destined, I also knew it wouldn’t come young. I figured I’d be between the ages of 30-32. I knew it’d be fast once it all started. That may be why it’s not coming till 30-32 rather than now.

Also, I knew that the Gods had lots of learning experiences for me and survival tests lined up for me and boy have I now had 5 lifetimes of that! However, I am grateful to have learned some of the things I’ve learned. What you don’t know can hurt you or severely frustrate you or raise false hopes for you.

I am surprised Andy and Fran haven’t tried calling. Also, there was no message on the machine from Brenda.

Later…

I am going to try to stay up till 9:00 when the Western Mass legal aid office opens. I need to speak to a legal intern who’s got some advice for me. I don’t know if I wrote about it yet, but Russ is being a prick by trying to evict me. I know it’s cuz I’ve been demanding the heat that I pay for in my rent that I haven’t gotten along with several other tenants. This may also be for tax purposes or to get people out so he can raise the rent. My parents and Tammy are pissed at him and Dad referred me to Legal Aid. The little fuck, though, wouldn’t speak to me or Tammy and never called Dad back. He refuses to give me a reason while he told Andy it was cuz I didn’t like the neighborhood so I can move out. I was in the ER at the time so he handed the notice to Andy.

I went down to the housing court and the woman there said that cuz I pay on the 1st, he can’t evict me till February 9th. He gave me a 30-day notice on January 9th, but by law, the little fuck can’t do shit till March 1st. Hopefully, Russ will hurry up and take me to court so I can sue him there and try and get rent back payments for the months I froze my ass off. That’s probably what that Wendy at Legal Aid will tell me to do. I mean, what the fuck does this prick expect to say or do in court other than make a spectacle out of himself. Steve says the jackass will drop it. Bullshit. I know how people are. When they start trouble they start trouble but this little fuck obviously doesn’t realize he’s fucking with the wrong girl.

Same with Jenny C. Court on March 6th! HA! Jenny got exactly what she deserved, so she’s going to have to enjoy going to court herself cuz I sure as hell won’t be there.

Later…

Me and Andy are performing at the Pub this Friday night. He’s gonna do If I Were You by Stevie Nicks and I’m gonna do Words Get in the Way by Gloria.

Speaking of Gloria, she’s got a new album due to come out in 5 days. I hope there are some songs in Spanish on it. I wish I could’ve gotten that album with a lot of her songs in Spanish on it including Words Get in the Way (No Me Vuelvo a Enamorar). It would be better to do the Spanish version for the contest. I’ll need to order that album.

Brenda gave me 2 ciggies so now that’ll make 7. I’m really gonna pay for this. God, please don’t let me have a bad attack till I can once again get up the will to try and quit again.

Ok, time to move me, my coffee and my phone to the bedroom where I’m nice and comfortable.

Later…

I woke up feeling fairly good. I slept with my humidifier on.

Little fuck Fran’s up to his shit again. I woke up to a message from his neighbor Debbie accusing me of saying I’m gonna hurt her 2-year-old daughter and that Fran got a call from DES. I then had to explain to her how long I’ve known Fran and how little she knew him and that she had quite a bit to learn. This poor girl was terrified and I assured her no threats were made. Fran got her all worked up and it’s obviously a rejection issue or the fact that Fran had a horrendously lousy day. Debbie said I sounded sincere and I told her not to worry about Fran’s BS and not to let it get to her. I also told her to tell Fran that not only is he not welcome here anymore, but he’s not welcome to call me either. Between the shit Fran pulled with my mother along with other stuff and now this, that’s the final straw and I don’t need him.

Andy left a message about returning the videotape of his so I can record his soap. I called over where he lives and Gail says he’s not there. I also called over at Brenda’s, assuming he’d be there, but there was no answer.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 1991 I have therapy today yet I don’t know how the hell I’m going to get there. I slept till almost 8:00 last night.

Andy came over last night and once again things are fairly good between us now that we’re not living together. See, when you have a fight with someone over the phone, you can just hang up on them. It’s not that simple when you’re living with someone.

Since Sunday I’ve been having 2-3 cigarettes a day and it’s catching up to me so I’ve got to be careful again. My back pain’s back and I’m waking up coughing again.

MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 1991 Yesterday my niece Lisa turned 8.

The day before yesterday I had about 4 cigarettes. I was terrified to go to bed thinking I’d wake up with a wicked bad attack, but I woke up fine. In fact, I feel better than I have in a long time. My nose and lungs are clearer and I’m not tight in the chest and there’s no back pain. Today I’ve had only one, but I could really go for one now.

Later…

Right after I last wrote, Jimmy gave me a cigarette which was my second. I fell asleep at 9:00 this morning figuring it’d be easy to get up at 1pm cuz I’d slept so many hours the day before. How wrong I was. I was dead tired. I didn’t get up until a few minutes before 4:00 when Bill rang the buzzer. I remained tired ever since but at least I got my grocery shopping done. I want to do more laundry tonight but I’m too beat. Last night I did two loads from around 12:30-2:30 AM. It was quite convenient as I’m a night person and knowing no one would be using the machines.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 19, 1991 Sure enough, I fucking woke up hacking my brains out about an hour ago. I had fallen asleep right after I last wrote. I definitely have a cold. No doubt about it as I can really feel it now.

Andy said that even when I feel I’ve kicked the smoking habit, I’ll still have urges. Of course, I know I will every so often and Andy’s been supportive but I think he’s starting to get jealous somewhat. God knows he’s very capable of that too, as I’ve seen him display jealousy before. It’s ok to feel a little jealous of someone now and then but it depends on how you handle that jealousy. Andy has quit before for 10 days two different times. Depending on the situation, I sometimes will look at a glass of water as being either half full or half empty. Andy will always see it as half empty.

Well, the street animals are out playing musical horns as usual.

Thank fucking God Andy will be here in less than 12 hours!

Later…

I wish to hell I could go back to sleep for a while. I have a lot of shit I need to do today and I want to sleep tomorrow night to be awake for Sunday’s voice lesson.

I started to get really pissed off with my urge to smoke. Even though they’re not intense, they’re still pretty frequent and I know it’ll be this way forever. The thought of always craving a cigarette pissed me off to the point where I held one and stared at it. I told myself if I smoked it, I’d have a severe attack which is true. I told myself I didn’t want to ever have to go to the ER again and be within inches of death 24 hours a day and in so much constant pain that I WISHED I were dead. I also thought of my singing. Yes, craving one is a better way of suffering, but it’s going to suck just the same. Since I do not drink or do drugs, it’s hard not having something of some kind to do, and watching others smoke.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 1991 If I’m such a cruel nasty bitch who has so many bad points and not too much good, as people like to tell me, then why do people bother with me? Why not go find someone like themselves? I’m sorry but I just don’t feel guilty or selfish cuz I want to live alone. Or be myself.

I haven’t talked with Steve or Jessie for the longest time. I’m not good enough for them. That’s how I feel. I can’t help but always feel that with everyone even though I know I have good qualities. If I dump all my friends I won’t have to worry about communication and being misunderstood. Or feeling like I’m not good enough or a burden to them. People can be so contradicting, too. They play with my head. I’ll say something in which they’ll say they agree with 100%, then the next day they’ll use it against me and play me for a fool. Like, “How dare you say that Jodi!” But yesterday they agreed with and fully understood what I said. I’m no longer gonna be made to feel ashamed, foolish or guilty about the way I feel about things. The way I feel is the way I feel and who and what I am is who and what I am. Not what others want me to be, say, act or feel.

Later…

The little wimpett is going to start moving today and be out by tomorrow. I’m counting down the minutes.

Another reason I haven’t spoken to Steve is, that I’m tired of the “Andy said” bullshit. It puts me on the spot when I’m all of a sudden hit with something Andy said. Then I have to defend myself and explain something he made up or twisted around to make them dislike me or misunderstand me. He loves to turn people against me and he’s dropped plenty of hints that he’s had some pretty long and heavy-duty talks with his friend Adam concerning me. With many others, too. If you typed up all he’s ever said to people about me, he’d have a 3” thick book. Of course, in the long run, as far as Andy thinks, he’s 95% right and I’m 95% wrong.

Later…

Tomorrow Mr. Melodramatic is out of here. Thank fucking God! I can’t wait to have this place back to myself. I don’t know how much longer I’ll be here but God only knows I’m counting down the minutes till Mr. Antic is out of here.

It shocks the shit out of me to say that as of 1am tonight, it’ll be 5 days, going on 6, since I last smoked. Amazing, huh? Not that I’m not getting urges here and there. I am. But the urges are very brief and 5 days is fantastic seeing that the longest I’ve ever made it before was just a tad over 2 days. My back pain is gone. And I am no longer so severely short of breath. I’m still a little tight in the chest, though, and a little wheezy and still coughing and sneezing some. Besides having bad withdrawal I also have a cold. The cold is subsiding much quicker than it would’ve if I smoked still. It’ll be really nice to only have a cold for 4 days out of a year rather than 300 days out of a year.

Later…

Jesus, I’ve been up for 22 hours! When am I gonna fall asleep? I think part of it is cuz I’m so psyched for Andy to get the fuck out tomorrow morning. Wait till the people he rents from finds out he doesn’t do chores and he breaks things. Or tries to when he isn’t getting his way. Wait till he himself finds out our friendship is over.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 1991 Well, in an hour I’ll have gone 72 hours without smoking. The reality of it all still hasn’t quite hit me, but everything’s gone just as I predicted. Just like with the Navane and other things I’ve predicted how, why and when they’d happen. Some predictions, for example, with the Navane and smoking I predicted 3 or 4 years before it happened. Before I quit, I mean. I could see how it was gonna happen too, and why.

Later…

Am I ever psyched for Andy to get the hell out! He’s supposed to move this Saturday to rent a room on Dickinson. Yeah sure, but I’m like, get this wacko outa here! Andy never really was a true friend. Not in all ways, but in some ways. The reason I’m running around calling him a liar about this and that so much lately is cuz he’s done it so much to me. He can’t take his best friend’s word for anything so now he’s seeing how he likes it. Why would I, or any other 25-year-old need to lie? I’m not a child who has to fear punishment if the truth is told.

I cannot wait till he’s outa here and I will never ever let myself get into this situation again. I, of course, should’ve known better with a person like Andy. Or his type. Andy just freaks over anything and everything. I know plenty of other people who I have much less in common with but could live with them so much easier. However, I never will live with anyone again. That’s how I felt before Andy moved in so I sure as hell won’t change my mind about that now. He has lived here for almost a month.

Later…

The last sentence got cut off cuz Andy and I started talking. We also played the piano and sang. I still say, though, that yes he has a lot of good qualities, and yes we have a lot in common, but God he can be an asshole!

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16, 1991 While I’m waiting for Martha I can tell you how well I woke up. It was 5am and fucking Andy asked me to wake him up at 7:00. I told him to set his alarm in case I fell asleep and I did. I then woke up briefly at 9am. The next thing I know, the little fuck is saying, “Hey! Hey! Don’t you have an appointment?”

It was 1:15 PM and my alarm had another 45 minutes to go. I wanted to kill him! Then the little fuck goes, “Thanks for waking me up.”

I told him it’s not my fucking responsibility to get him up. I also set his alarm and he said it didn’t work so he took his anger and frustration out on me by waking me up. Then the immature brat plays the answering machine messages back loudly, stomps his feet and sings at the top of his lungs. Is this guy ever going to grow up?

His favorite show had 20 more minutes to go when he left, and I had had it with his bullshit, so I stopped the VCR from recording.

He’s got two days to get the fuck out.

As for the good news and yes, believe it or not, there is good news. Very, very, very good news. I have not smoked since January 14th!!! No, I do not feel like I want one!!!!!

Later…

I let it all out in therapy today. About how despite the fact that there’s a lot of good in Andy, he’s also an immature, spiteful, selfish little boy who only will hear what he wants to hear. And how he’s got to either condemn or make someone miserable in some way when things in life aren’t going the way he wants.

He’s over crying on Brenda and Bonny’s shoulder now as he’s not man enough to face me. Like last night when he said how his mother said it was wrong for him to go to Brenda. I simply said, “Andy, you’re gonna do what you’re gonna do, believe what you want to believe, say what you want to say, and hear what you want to hear.”

He’s a wimp and even though he’s turned Brenda, Bonny and Steve against me, I know they’re really fed up with him crying on their shoulders and needing a babysitter. Of course, God help someone if they should be upset or sick and go cry on HIS shoulder.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 13, 1991 Well, I’m still feeling like shit, unfortunately. There’s no feeling worse than wanting to pick yourself up, be happy, be productive, but you just can’t. My asthma’s killing me and I’m still under mega-stress. Way more so than I’ve been in a long time. I mean, this has got to stop, but I feel helpless. Like I don’t know where to begin to help myself. It just isn’t always easy. I miss those days when I was productive non-stop and could physically bounce off the walls for endless hours. I was a dancer. Now I take two steps and my heart’s racing or I’m wheezing or both. I wanted to kill myself for getting so out of breath with only two bags of groceries to carry up. Two years ago I could’ve run up those stairs 20 times.

I still can’t stand having Andy here. Even if I lived with Brenda I’d go nuts, even though she’d be easier to live with cuz she’s more easygoing and calm compared to Andy.

Andy looked at a room on Mulberry St., but I’m afraid he’ll be here much longer than I can stand. Andy and I will remain friends, but I may move to CT since there’s nothing for me here and Andy and I will save money and then maybe move to PHX.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 1991 It started to snow a few hours ago so I was off by one day but that’s still close.

Right now I’m listening to Andy, Fran, Tracy and Raven make prank phone calls. Raven was in the lip sync contest and never won. She was a pitiful drag queen and literally froze on stage, but seems to be a nice person. Fran’s taken him in for a month till he gets a job. Well, like Tracy said, Fran’s good for taking people off the streets.

Last night was a hell of a night. I had a severe migraine and was crying for hours in bed till I finally threw up twice. Of course, Andy didn’t give a fuck and I knew it so I held it in and suppressed the urge to scream out. I needed someone so badly last night. Well, I had to puke instead cuz Andy would’ve freaked if I woke him up. Plus, he’d rather make me feel worse than better. I get shit on whether I speak positive or negative about myself. The guy who’s supposed to be my best friend’s busy turning my friends against me and constantly talking shit to Brenda, Bonny, Steve, you name it. He said, both to me and others, more negative shit about me than positive.

I’ll write more later since all I have to talk to is this book unless I hold it in till I puke. But puking is better than trashing things, though I can’t believe I didn’t. Reaching out to people and communicating with them only gets me in trouble and misunderstood so I’d rather puke and lose weight.

MONDAY, JANUARY 7, 1991 Well, it didn’t snow today like I felt it would, but they say it may snow Wednesday.

I met this really nice nurse named Kim at Baystate ER. She’s super nice, open-minded, and the type you feel you’ve known for years the second you meet her.

She was on her way home when I was standing outside the ER entrance when I saw The Joy of Signing book in her hand and we took it from there. It turns out that we have a lot in common and I’m giving her sign language lessons. We’ve met 3 times so far and today she took me to Valley’s for baked stuffed shrimp in exchange for me to teach her sign language. However, she really is doing me a favor too, by giving me a chance to use my sign language and to keep on top of it.

Later…

From now on I must learn to be my own therapist. I shall try to discuss as much as I can about my feelings with myself or write them in this book. I always admired myself for being able to speak my mind but now I find it’s better to keep my mouth shut most of the time. Communication only starts fights and arguments. People often misunderstand the things I say and do and take me the wrong way so what’s the use? I’m gonna just start going along with as much as I can except for things like sex with an ugly woman or a man. I want to learn to talk less and be able to cheer my own self up when I’m depressed or sick as independently as I can.

I’m really proud of myself for last night. I had a massive asthma attack and I was terrified. I mean fucking terrified. I was crying tears like a leaky faucet, but I didn’t wimp out to anyone. I was about to dial 911 and say, “Look, it’s been hours that I’ve been trying to fight this off and I just can’t.” Yet even after being told at the ER what a risk it is to your heart and in other ways, I beat it on my own.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 5, 1991 I just took some decongestant medicine Brenda gave me and I'm so drowsy now.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 1, 1991 Age 25

New Year’s Eve sucked. First of all, Jimmy, downstairs, and I made a big mistake of picking up Fran and bringing him over. Fran embarrassed the shit out of Jimmy who had Mike and Lisa over. Mike and Lisa live next door in #11. Jimmy’s in #10 directly below me. He’s getting evicted which sucks. He turned out to be an ok neighbor. With my luck, some jackass will move in who’s the type that’ll freak if I have the stereo on the lowest volume.

Fran was drunk off his ass. He couldn’t stop playing with my hair, slapping me and Andy on our heads and he fucking raided the kitchen as if he hasn’t eaten in years. He’s not ever again coming over here.

Tracy was over tonight. She lost a lot of weight.

Andy and I had a huge fight and we shoved each other. Much later when we were calm we laughed about it, admitting we were glad we shoved each other to get our frustrations out.

I really do hate having a roommate and I explained to him that it’s gonna take some serious getting used to and adjusting. I’ve been alone so long and I do prefer it that way. 3 years or so ago I’d have jumped at the thought of having a roommate, but as I’ve gotten older, my desires have changed. Just like I really don’t care to be with a woman or to have a baby anymore. I do want to very occasionally have casual sex, but not with just anyone. I really wish someday I could have one night, just one night, with a woman I’m attracted to and I feel that spark with, rather than a woman who’s just ok. I know it won’t happen, though, and I accepted that a long time ago. Well, like I always said, better to fantasize about first best, rather than to settle for second best. Another reason that’s better about fantasy is that if the relationship is getting rocky, you can simply click it off and out of your mind. You certainly can’t do this in a real-life relationship.

[modernbeautyjournal]

7 Useful Tips to Protect Your Skin from Sun Damage After Laser Treatments

Sun protection is one thing many patients may initially not think about if they’re undergoing treatments with lasers, such as Fraxel®. Los Angeles’ Skin Care and Laser Physicians of Beverly Hills team explains that laser treatments that use fractional laser technology to rejuvenate the skin can improve its texture and appearance, but also increase its sun sensitivity for a while.

Before undergoing any type of laser skin resurfacing, you should be aware of how the treatment works, what it does to your skin, and how to care for yourself in the following days.

Fractional laser treatments work by using laser energy to penetrate deep below the surface. The energy causes small micro-injuries in the skin, which trigger the body's natural healing processes. The skin then repairs itself by producing new skin cells, which leads to an improvement in overall skin texture and tone.

This process, however, also makes the skin more vulnerable to the sun's harmful UV rays. Sun sensitivity is a common side effect because the skin is in a state of healing—in addition to simply being thinner and more delicate and therefore more susceptible to damage from the sun. This means the skin is more likely to burn and develop age spots, fine lines, and wrinkles if exposed to the sun without proper protection.

Additionally, the heat generated by laser treatments can cause the skin to become more susceptible to sunburn, which can result in further skin damage and an increased risk of skin cancer.

The laser energy used in fractional laser treatments can also damage melanocytes, which are cells responsible for producing melanin in the skin. When melanocytes are damaged, the skin becomes more susceptible to sun damage.

After any laser treatment, it is crucial to take extra precautions to protect your skin. Here are seven useful tips to help protect your skin from sun damage after fractional laser treatments.

1. Avoid Direct Sunlight

The first and most important tip is to avoid direct sunlight for at least two weeks. Stay in the shade as much as possible and avoid being outside during peak sun hours between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. If you have to be in the sun, make sure you wear protective clothing, a wide-brimmed hat, and sunglasses.

2. Use Sunscreen Regularly

The next most important step in protecting your skin from sun damage is to apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher every day. Reapply every two hours when you are in direct sunlight.

3. Stick to Physical Sunscreens

Physical sunscreens, also known as mineral sunscreens, contain zinc oxide or titanium dioxide that physically block UV rays from reaching the skin. They are gentle on sensitive skin and can provide better protection compared to chemical sunscreens.

4. Wear Protective Clothing

Wear a wide-brimmed hat and long-sleeved shirt to protect your face and arms from sun exposure. Choose clothing made from tightly woven fabrics, because they offer better protection than other fabrics. Wearing a lightweight scarf can help protect the neck and décolletage from sun damage, especially if you have had laser treatment on those areas.

5. Hydrate Your Skin

Drinking plenty of water and using a hydrating moisturizer can help keep your skin hydrated and healthy, making it more resistant to sun damage.

6. Use Antioxidants

Antioxidants can help protect the skin from free radical damage, which can cause premature aging and skin damage. Use products containing vitamin C and E to help protect your skin.

7. Use a Sunscreen-Infused Lip Balm

The skin on the lips is thin and delicate, making it especially vulnerable to sun damage. Applying a lip balm with SPF protection can help protect the lips from sun damage.

Want more advice about laser-treatment aftercare? Contact the Los Angeles-based Skin Care & Laser Physicians of Beverly Hills for further information about how to protect your skin from sun damage. Call 310-246-0495 or fill out a contact form online to request a consultation.

[simplysj02]

I have to know, do you do this too?? (Please let me know I’m not alone) 😬

‼️Do you spend your whole Saturday and/or weekend cleaning/doing chores and doing yard work? ‼️

TRUTH BOMB: I don’t know how people do this, because...I. Could. Never. 🙅‍♀️🙅‍♀️🙅‍♀️

Here’s why….

I like my weekends. We work all week, I want to spend the one or two days I have off doing something FUN with my family and focus on rest, not more work. 🛝🎳

Instead I’ve chosen to prioritize spending the weekend with my family and really enjoying them by taking these steps instead…

🙌 And yes, this works for those working outside the home too!) 🙌

1. I choose one day a week and I spend 1 hour (or less) cleaning our home top to bottom in 7 easy to follow steps that keep it guest ready and clean all week long. 🧹🧺🧽

2. I spend 15 minutes a day cleaning up/organizing hot spots in our home-the shoe/coat rack, a bookshelf, my desk etc). I time myself and race the clock to see what I can accomplish in that 15 minutes, then I’m done. ✔️

3. I follow an easy to stick to zone cleaning system that helps me prioritize one area of my home each week and spend 15-20 minutes working on those areas each day.

Bonus step: I take two minutes a day after gotten ready for the day to wipe down my sinks and mirrors and swipe the toilets clean so they’re always sparkling and ready for anything the day may bring. 🚽🪞

So, I really have to know...is this you, too? Raise your hand if you answered YES! ✋

DM me so we can chat about your why behind it.

#moms #momof5 #happyhomemaking #momoffivekids #mentalhealth #selfcare #selfcarematters #rest #selfcaretips #organizationhacks #easyroutines #homeschool #fifteenminutes #routines #getmoving #mondaymotivation #mondayinspiration #weekendadventures #easyroutine #easyroutines #cleaninghacks #cleaning #cleaningmotivation #cleaningtips #cleaninghouse #cleaningmotivation #cleaningmotivation2023 #enjoylife #familytime #family

[tempest-zephyr]

I’m going to start posting art on here. I saw some video’s (down in read more) and they got more secure, confident and more inspired to do it. I got a tablet like at the beginning of the pandemic, but really only made like 2 or 3 finished drawings (i’ll post them some other time). No reason hold back even when they’re unfinished. It is what it is. 

This is mainly about learning how to use the air soft brush to create those smoother soft transitions in shading (set opacity to something like 40% and light strokes as if spray painting something irl, use a full opacity eraser to make the hard edges, and then the smear tool to blend out any streaky-ness from the multiple strokes) and overcoming the mental block that using the symmetry tool somehow cheating. This is also for another idea I’m working on 

Ref:

Videos I mentioned before:

Sloth & Greed Section- 3:53 No one’s gonna make my ideas real except for me, so rather than bottling up those desires and letting them fade away forgotten, just do it.  Lotta ideas I’ve been thinking about drawing that I think are cool, but letting them be ideas, stops you from moving on and obsessing over new ones and growing

Don’t let an overly strong ego turn into perfectionism and feeling disappointed with a piece that it freezes you into inaction like a deer in head lights, humility is accepting that you’re going to be bad at it, and going to make some very mid looking things. “You’re just shielding yourself from vulnerability”- I felt so called out by that. 

7:12 The learning process. don’t have overly high expectations for your skill  bc that’s just a mental block that gatekeeps you from doing or making things you want. the people who are good at what you want to do it’s mainly cause they’ve put in 1000s of hours into it, only a part of it is talent, Don’t fall for the mental trap that you have to be “good enough” to start something or show off what you’ve working on. The earnestness and sincerity of working hard on something is valuable in itself.

10:33 - Just take your time little by little, don’t worry about optimizing, or learning every tool under the sun that may be helpful. just take what you can from the guides you look at with what skill level you’re at in the present. Trying to Internalize everything in a guide isn’t necessary and probably makes it harder learn the 1-2 good things for your skill level, it’s just unrealistic.

“A few days after I picked up Tekken, I got on Twitter and posted a video of me hitting King’s most basic, unoptimized combo.  

 I did it!” I might have said. 

And a passing commenter might have asked “Did what?”

This will be a pattern that repeats over your time in fighting games. You're gonna put a lot of effort into mastering things that, to outsiders, appear inconsequential, and to experts insignificant. 

But that doesn’t mean it’s not an accomplishment. Good job.”

I did it! 

Honestly learning the existence of using the air brush + opacity took me too long of a while because I didn't know where to begin to even look for a tutorial. Like what is this called? gradient shading? smudge smearing? Blending? I tried the smear tools and they only worked like 30% of the time to get anything close to what I wanted (I feel like if i knew what i was doing it could’ve worked more consistently, but i don’t sooo)

[msbarrows]

Jan 30 - My thing for today was making a batch of pizzas, one to eat and two for the freezer. Even more chopping then for the vat of chili - started making dough and prepping toppings a bit before 2pm, and slid pizza into the oven a bit after 4pm, so two+ hours of nothing but prep and assembly. I still vastly prefer homemade over commercially frozen, but damn is frozen a lot more convenient (though 2 hours of prep time covering three meals is a reasonable investment of time - not as good as the chili time sink per meal, but acceptable).

Also tried to spot the green comet tonight. Got to go outside and stand in the driveway (unhelpfully illuminated by the motion sensitive light at the back door) and stand around feeling vaguely idiotic while waving my phone at the night sky to try and spot where the comet should be. No luck, there’s some partial clouds off that way, through I did spot the brightish dot that was probably the Hubble Deep Space telescope, a bit off to the east where the sky was clear, as Star Map helpfully includes labels for things like major satellites.

After that first attempt I ended up having to come back indoors and upgrade the star gazing app on my phone to one that actually, you know, includes comets so I had a better idea of exactly where to look. Between the thin layer of clouds and the fuck-off-huge pine tree beside the garage in our back yard, I still couldn’t find it, even with a helpful pointer on screen guiding me as to which bit of the sky to actually be looking at - that portion of the sky was mostly unrelieved grey or snowy pine branches.

May try again on another night (closest approach is in the next 3-4 days) if the sky is clearer, though first I’d want to actually be dressed to wade through back yard drifts, plus dig out my binoculars first (since even without my shitty eye sight those are recommended). They’re... somewhere in the basement. In a big plastic tote. Of which I have about 6-7 (the really huge ones). Argh.

Though I am amused. Since I didn’t plan to be outdoors long, and I’m wearing my oversized (reaches down below the knees) blanket hoodie, I didn’t bother with a coat or gloves. It’s a still night, so while my hands and face reported it was indeed winter outside, I wasn’t in the least cold.

Checked the temp after getting back indoors. It’s -20C out there (-4F). Good job, blanket hoodie, good job.

[bitchesgetriches]

20 tips to stay cool without air conditioning that anyone can try

1. Close your curtains and blinds—especially in sunny rooms.

Windows let in visible light. But unless your windows are fairly new and high-tech, they also let in lots of radiant heat. Curtains and blinds will help keep that extra heat out.

Thick curtains are a great investment because they work in all seasons. They block the sun in the summer, stop cold drafts in the winter, and act as additional soundproofing if you live in a noisy area. They’re also among the easiest beginner sewing projects. But if you can’t afford them, no worries! Hang an unused blanket or towel instead—it may not be pretty, but it’s better than nothing.

I hate living in a cave, so I open my blinds throughout the day as the sun moves. Just closing the curtains on any sunny, south-facing windows for the hottest parts of the day will make a big impact.

2. Install window film.

The next level of window protection is window film. Renters, don’t worry—you can install this yourself without getting help or permission from your housing shortage profiteer of a landlord!

To install window film, all you need to do is cut it to size, spritz the window with water, and let static cling hold it effortlessly in place. It comes in a lot of fun patterns, and can also double as privacy film if you choose a pattered or frosted design.

3. Shut the door to any rooms you aren’t using.

Whether it’s summer or winter, closing the doors to unused rooms will help regulate temperatures. It’s much easier to heat/cool one room than five.

My partner shocks me every day by going upstairs an hour before bedtime and turning on the window AC unit in our bedroom preemptively. If the door it shut, it will be pleasantly chilly by the time we’re ready to turn in. I just… what is it even like to have proper executive function like that?! So glad I’m the beneficiary of his amazing neurotypicality…

4. Open your windows at night.

In many areas, the overnight temperature drops by 10° or 20°. So once the sun has gone down, let all the accumulated heat out of your house by cracking your windows open overnight.

If possible, open them from the top rather than the bottom. Hot air rises, so that’s the stuff you want to GTFO overnight.

5. Create airflow with box fans.

Box fans are incredible. They don’t cost much to buy or run, but they make a huge impact on quality of life in a hot climate.

Believe it or not, installation makes a huge difference. If you put your box fan in the wrong spot, it’ll only make your heat issues worse! The placement and direction of airflow has a huge impact on its efficacy! (More on this in the next section.)

If you place a box fan in a sunny, south-facing window that looks out over a boiling-hot parking lot, you want it to push that hot air outside, not suck it all back in. But if you have a window that’s on the cooler north side of the house, maybe shaded by a big tree, flip it around so it’s pulling the cooler air inside.

If you have just one, point it away from the biggest source of heat and try to sit near it. If you have two or more, point them all in the same direction to create airflow throughout the whole house.

6. Point your fan blades in the correct direction.

Notice how fan blades are tilted at an angle? Depending on which direction they’re turning, they will either push air in, or pull it out.

The same goes for ceiling fans. If you’ve never changed the direction of your ceiling fan blades, you’re using them wrong!

Ceiling fans in the summer should run counter-clockwise, to push hot ceiling air down to cool.

Ceiling fans in the winter should run clockwise, to pull cold air up and distribute heat evenly.

For box fans, you physically flip the whole unit around. For ceiling fans, hop up on a chair and look for a little switch on the side. You’re welcome.

7. Install AC window units.

Okay, okay, when I said “without air conditioning,” I should’ve stipulated that I really meant “without central air.”

Depending on your area, the age/design of your building, the floor you live on, and your personal tolerance for heat, fans and such may not be enough! If you need the sweet relief of air conditioning, window units are a life-saver. (Literally.)

We have a small 5,000 BTU unit for our bedroom, and a larger 10,000 BTU unit to cool our entire first floor. It doesn’t make the whole house frigid, but it lowers the temperature from “a warm summer day in Hell” to “a warm summer day on Earth, in a good timeline.”

Obviously they use more energy, which equates to money and carbon emissions. So the best thing you can do is to get an energy-efficient model, make sure it’s the correct size for your home, turn the unit on only as needed, and use it in combination with all the other methods suggested here.

8. Run a dehumidifier.

Humidity sucks. It reduces the efficacy of all of our bodies’ built-in cooling systems, plus many of the other techniques suggested here. A dehumidifier will help remove moisture from the air, making the heat feel a lot more bearable.

9. Avoid cooking with heat indoors.

The winter is a wonderful time to simmer soups, bake bread, and make your kitchen a source of continual warmth and satiety. Not so, the accursed summer! Cast your high-effort pie-baking aside until the howling of wolves summons autumn.

THIS IS SUMMER. SUMMER IS FOR SANDWICHES. And caprese, and smoothies, and Choco Tacos. END OF LIST.

Grow the list of meals you can make that cook quickly, with little or no additional heat. If you must apply heat, do it outside on a little Smokey Joe. Or wait until the heat of the day is long past.

10. Line-dry your clothing—or only use dryers at night.

After stoves, clothes dryers are the hottest appliance. So put your clothing in the dryer only after the sun has gone down. If you’re rocking a low-maintenance wardrobe with no need to iron, you can set it to go right before bed and safely forget about it until morning.

(Or, y’know, five days after, when you go to put another load in, if you’re trying to be more like your hero: me!)

If you have the space (and your climate is something closer to the Sahara than the Amazon), consider line-drying your clothes. Piggy has strung a retired climbing rope in her backyard for just this purpose… the smug, crunchy bitch.

11. Unplug unused appliances.

This tip is just perennially good in all situations: unplug shit you ain’t using! Lots of appliances pull phantom power, even when supposedly turned off. This adds heat to your house, dollars to your power bill, and unnecessary carbon to the atmosphere.

The average American household spends $100+ each year to power devices that are turned off. I can think of many things I would rather spend that money on, such as…

17 blocks of pretty good Parmesan cheese,

10 blocks of really, really good Parmesan cheese with those crunchy flavor crystals, or

25 store brand cannisters of shake Parmesean cheese because, listen, we’ve had it up to here with your out-of-touch neoliberal cheese snobbery!

So if you’re not using it, unplug it fully. Make it a habit to flip your power strips off as part of your bedtime ritual. (Or follow the next step, for all of the benefits with none of the work!)

12. Use programmable power strips.

I must confess that this article started as an attempt to answer a cheap-person question that has plagued my marriage for years. “Is it cheaper to run your window AC on a low setting all day? Or to blast it at full strength to cool the room back down after it’s gotten boiling hot?”

The tl;dr is that it is better to run it only as needed. Your AC doesn’t have to “work harder” to cool the room; it is programmed to run efficiently, regardless of the room’s temperature.

If you’re someone who really struggles with high heat, and cannot wait for your home or apartment to be brought to a comfortable temperature, here’s what you do. Get a programmable power strip. You can set it to turn your AC on an hour before you get home from school or work. In general, these things are great, and they pay for themselves within a very short time.

13. Use LED lightbulbs.

LED light bulbs cost a bit more than incandescent (old-fashioned) bulbs. But they consume 1/8th the energy, die less frequently, and run much colder. Incandescent bulbs reach a surface temperature of 250°, whereas LED bulbs are closer to 100°.

The rise of LED bulbs may have killed the Easy Bake Oven industrial complex—but it has also spared our homes from much unnecessary heat.

14. Sleep on breathable sheets.

The best sheets for summer tend to be linen, bamboo, eucalyptus, Tencel, and cotton/poly blends. They are breathable, moisture-wicking, or both.

The worst sheets for summer are flannel, fleece, and pure cotton. These are fantastic insulators best left to the winter months.

15. Try a cooling pillow.

Bedding technology has come a long way in recent years. You can get whole mattresses engineered to please hot sleepers.

But since mattresses are a big investment, start with a cooling pillow. They’re filled with materials designed to let heat escape from your head and face.

16. Dress down.

I’m not saying you should get naked… but listen. If you come around my house in the summertime, you are absolutely going to have to wait at the door while I put some pants on.

The easiest, most environmentally friendly way to control your body temperature is to dress appropriately for the season. So make sure you’re in shorts and a tank top before you reach for the thermostat.

It’s too hot for modesty. Save the planet. Slut it up.

17. Eat and drink cool stuff.

Staying hydrated is the best way to aid your body’s amazing natural cooling system: getting schwetty. Ingesting cold foods and liquids can help lower your body temperature by 2.4° for about half an hour.

Look, Bitches Get Riches has always been a pro-ice cream, pro-iced coffee, pro-gazpacho blog. But we’re done hiding our allegiances in the shadows. If you don’t know, now you know.

18. Take a cool mid-day shower—not cold!

Taking a cold shower will actually work against you. The sudden shock of cold will make you feel cooler, but it will also kickstart your body’s temperature regulation systems, ultimately warming you up.

But a cool shower is great—especially if you don’t dry off immediately. Let the water evaporate slowly off your skin for maximum true cooling.

19. Hold a cold ice pack to your neck.

Here’s a fun tip: if you’re ever helping someone experiencing heat stroke, the three most effective areas for rapid cooling are the neck, the underarms, and the groin. These areas have major arterial blood flow, with blood vessels very close to the skin. So cooling the blood there has the quickest positive impact.

Plus, anyone who’s ever had long hair will tell you it’s a disgusting swamp back there when it’s hot out. The back of the neck is nature’s furnace. So if you can’t shower, place a cold washcloth or ice pack against your neck for some instant, easy relief.

20. Escape!

Sometimes retreat is the best option. If a really bad heat wave is coming, and you live on the 4th floor of a city apartment surrounded by shimmering pavement, you could be in very real danger.

The hottest part of the day is between 12 and 4 p.m. On really bad days, plan to use that time to go somewhere to escape. You can run errands in air-conditioned stores, do your work at a local coffee shop or library, catch a movie, go swimming, or do anything to get you out of the house.

While you’re away, leave your windows cracked to let the worst of the heat escape. And remember to check on any elderly or disabled neighbors, as they are especially vulnerable during heat waves.

- 25 Tricks to Stay Cool WITHOUT Air Conditioning

[xxxdreamscapexxx]

I don’t want to hear thoughts... Unless they’re yours

Chapter 3 - Chance meetings Pairing: Wanda Maximoff x Reader Word count: 4.7k Summary: Wanda wanted to live the normal life she was never afforded, but something was always missing. Something she denied herself and buried deep inside. But watching you move next door, she quickly realizes that this may not be possible for much longer. Especially with all the interesting things she found in your thoughts. Chapter summary:  Chance meetings can be delightful... But Wanda had no patience for such things. Sometimes, fate has to be helped. Warning: This will be a multi-chapter fic and this is part 3. There are some mentiones of sexual thoughts and desires and a brief description of a sexual fantasy, but the whole thing is mostly fluffy and cute. Enjoy! Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6, Part 7; Part 8; Part 9; Part 10 Series materlist                                     Masterlist of all my works

The next morning Wanda woke up with a groan. It was way too early and still dark outside. She had barely slept at all and she was having a headache that threatened to split her head in half. She tried to go back to sleep, but after tossing and turning for another half hour she gave up. She recalled battles that had left her in less pain than this stupid sleepless night and she made the trip to her medicine cabinet her first priority. She had 2 small boys in the house and knew that the peace and quiet that she now experienced will soon be replaced by loud voices and choirs and she wasn’t ready to face that, unless she was properly medicated. Wanda was curious to know what you dreamed of, nestled in your comfortable bed, but with the pain in her head, she dared not peak. She knew there was still time, before the world, her sons and you woke up and she gladly took the time for herself, making a hot cup of tea and sitting by her bedroom window, allowing her eyes to plunge into the darkness outside and her mind to fully relax. After the night she had, she welcomed the feeling of thoughtlessness and the quietness of the small town in such an early hour. She didn’t need mental barriers so early, each of the citizen’s minds blissfully away and closed in their own little worlds of dreams.   When her alarm went off, Wanda slowly blinked away the calming nothingness, allowing herself to adjust to feeling her own body again. Meditation was always helpful, mind exercises were just as important for a person with her gifts, as the physical preparation. She was grateful that while she was with the Avengers, they tailored her training to her abilities, expanding them further and helping her feel in control of her own thoughts and feelings. They were good to her in many ways… Those people she once called friends. Sometimes she missed them, remembering the good things they once gave her… Sometimes she was so angry at them… Hating all that they took away, resenting them for all the loss they caused… Even the loss that was their deaths. With the morning quickly approaching, Wanda didn’t have much time to think of the many feelings she had for the people who once were her family, so she pushed them out of her mind, thoughts anchoring in the present. She had to make breakfast for Billy and Tommy, before they ran downstairs, reminding her that her new life, even though much simpler, was infinitely better. Here, in Eastview, she didn’t need to be a hero, didn’t need to save the world, she just needed her family. Being a mom was enough. It was better. While making pancakes, Wanda heard your mind stir into consciousness, startled by your own alarm going off and pulling you back to reality. You felt an instant shot of excitement and slight anxiety at the thought of your first day, but you hurried to replace it. You wanted to feel positive and good, so you played music while making your morning coffee. Wanda almost scoffed the first time she found out what you called morning coffee. A caramel macchiato, which was mostly milk and caramel, with a shot of espresso. Your drink was so sweet, she could hardly call it coffee, but you made it proudly each morning, drinking happily from your cup, that she couldn’t hold it against you. Wanda even tried it one afternoon, curiosity piqued by your love for it. She followed the recipe in your mind, only to find it was delicious, just not morning worthy. Then, after a couple of days, she realized, the drink was simply for your enjoyment and had nothing to do with waking up. Your mind was active enough without it, yet you never failed to make one. Billy and Tommy rushed down the stairs, following the smell of Wanda’s delicious cooking, just as you were about to get dressed for the morning, your mind picturing different outfits. Making a good impression was important and you wanted to look impeccable. Without your knowledge, your next door neighbor was secretly listening in to all your ideas, waiting for you to pick. Her boys kept Wanda busy, demanding her attention and pulling her away from you, so she pulled back the blanket of her magic from your house, retreating completely inside her own head, so she could focus on her sons. Being split between her own thoughts, yours and Billy and Tommy’s was simply too much. She knew such a thing will bring back the terrible headache that she barely fought off and she absolutely did not want that. Not to mention that being split in 3 was more than she could handle in a morning. Whichever outfit you chose, she would simply have to see for herself. After trying and discarding at least 4 outfits, you finally settled, more because you were running out of time, than because you were satisfied, but you eventually settled into the idea that the choice suited you well. You gathered your files and notes from yesterday and put them together with your laptop, grabbed your phone and headphones, that you never left the house without, ever since you were 15, put your keys in your increasingly messy bag, chose a pair of shoes you thought would complement your outfit and walked out the door. - Good morning, Y/N. – You heard a voice call out to you and you went searching for the source of the sound, only to see Wanda Maximoff in her front yard, carrying a few envelopes in her hands. The woman looked beautiful, you thought, watching her come closer to the small fence that divided your properties. She was wearing simple jeans, yet the way they hugged her thighs tightly left very little to the imagination and her loose dark red top revealed strong arms that would have you drool if such a thing wasn’t entirely inappropriate. Her red hair looked perfect as it fell in heavy curls around her face, but her piercing green eyes were what truly stopped you in your tracks. They followed you, examining meticulously every detail of your appearance, while somehow the woman managed to seem casual. - I hope it’s not too forward of me to call you by your first name. – Wanda enquired, eyes still devouring you in a way that almost seemed predatory. – And, of course, I hope you’ll call me Wanda! None of that ‘’ Ms. Maximoff’’ that everyone throws my way. Makes me feel like an old cat lady! - Good morning! – You manage to respond, instinctively walking closer to the woman. – Of course, you’re not being forward, Wanda. Especially not after that delicious pie you brought me! Apple is my favorite! - Oh really? Such a lucky guess! I was hoping you’ll like it. – Wanda smiled, more to her own private joke, than at you. She hadn’t made a lucky guess once. Not when she could get everything she needs straight from your thoughts. - It was great, Wanda. Thank you again. And I hope my music didn’t bother you this morning. Let me know if it’s too loud. - Oh, no, not at all! I have twin boys, it doesn’t get louder than that. – Wanda laughed fondly. - You mentioned them last time. How old are they? – You ask sweetly, your mind pulling together an image of her sons from the first time you saw them at the door and again yesterday, when you saw the family playing together in their yard. - They’re 4 now. – Wanda radiates serenity when she speaks of them. – Billy and Tommy. They’re inside, devouring an ungodly amount of pancakes. I never thought such small creatures could eat so much! You laugh sweetly at her ranting, enjoying how she fills the silence. You weren’t the most sociable person and you were notoriously bad at small talk, so it felt nice to just listen to her talk. Something Wanda would have picked up on, if she hadn’t already known that from finding some terrible attempts at small talk that lingered in your memories and made you cringe, so she came prepared. - Are you heading out for work? – She asks nicely, redirecting the conversation. - Yes. – You say with a twinge of nervousness, straightening your blazer, pulling your hands behind your back and squaring your shoulders. It wasn’t Wanda that made you feel that way, but the thought of the unfamiliar environment you were yet to face. – It’s my first day at the new office. – You explain as you draw patterns with the tips of your fingers against the palm of your hand. It was a habit you had, that soothed you. Drawing a five-pointed star against your skin over and over, following the pattern in your head. – I’m pretty excited. – You say with a smile. Wanda noticed the little mannerisms and marveled at how natural and composed you looked. Had she not known how shy you were, she would have assumed you were perfectly at ease. Your facial expressions gave away nothing and by keeping your hands behind your back, you hid the nervous movement well. It made her wonder what had made you so good at hiding your feelings of unease. - Oh, that’s great! I hope I’m not keeping you just now. I wouldn’t want to be the reason you’re late! – She says as she eyes you. Drinking in everything she saw. - No, not at all. I was leaving early anyway. – You tell her and she finds with delight that you felt happy she approached you. – What do you do, by the way? I never asked. - Currently? I mostly paint and stay home with the boys. – She explains vaguely, her mind scrambling to find the right words to make the fact that she was a single mom that didn’t have to work believable. – Before I moved here, my job was really demanding, so when I moved, I thought to find a more relaxing way to make money. I sell some of my art, I make birthday cakes and pastries for parties… You know… All kinds of things, really. - You’re an artist? That’s amazing! You must be really good to make it a living. I’d love to see some of your paintings sometime. If you don’t mind of course. – You say with a genuine smile and Wanda releases the breath she didn’t realize she was holding. She’d hardly ever shown anyone her paintings, let alone sold any of them. - Of course I don’t mind. I’ve been dying for a second pair of eyes on this one piece I’m working on, but no one’s interested in little old me. - Well, I’d love to see it! – You tell her with a radiant smile and enough confidence in your voice to make Wanda believe you without having to read your thoughts. – And I’d love to stay and talk, but I should probably get going. – You finish, pulling your left hand from behind your back and looking at your watch. - It was great speaking to you, Y/N. – Wanda takes the opportunity that your distraction presents to let her gaze linger on your body. An action she quickly covers with a smile, when your eyes meet hers. – I hope you have an amazing first day! – She wishes you and starts to back away without turning her back. - You too, Wanda! It really was nice seeing you. – You manage to say, before she turns around and you make your way to your car. Wanda pauses at her front door, thoughtfully watching you walk away. You wore an all-black ensemble - high-heeled shoes, a tight pencil skirt with a slit that opened at the side of your right thigh, to reveal your soft skin, a satin top with a low neckline, with your breasts lifted slightly out of it. They were beautifully accentuated by the simple golden chain around your neck, with a gorgeous, hexagonal pink crystal that rested against them and a stylish blazer with shoulder pads. Your hair fell on long, heavy curls around your face and your make up flattered your features, though she liked your face much better without it. The redhead traced the outline of your ass in the tight skirt and mused at your excellent choice of clothing. You looked stunning. Your hips swayed delicately, but sensually and she couldn’t help the more sexual thoughts that dominated her mind. With the fantasies Wanda had seen yesterday, not to mention the rather revealing outfit, it wasn’t hard for her to imagine herself tangling her fingers in your hair, pulling you close and kissing you passionately. To see herself dragging you back to the house and pushing you against the first hard surface she finds, so she can let her hands roam over your exposed thighs and higher, beneath your skirt. In her head she saw herself meet the soaked fabric of a G-string that barely covered anything, only to push the garment aside and sink her fingers in your soaked pussy. Her possessive nature would prevent her from ever letting you leave the house in such an outfit, should you have been hers… Unless she could be there to make sure that no one would try to take you away from her, of course. But the more primal, dominant part of her wanted to ravage you in your delicious ensemble. To fuck you with her fingers, still fully dressed, until you came all over them. To taste you, skirt bunched up around your waist and your back against the closest wall, blazer and top scattered on the floor and your breasts spilling out of your bra obscenely. She could see herself pull out her strap, the one with the special treat inside, as she was bending you over the kitchen table, slapping your ass and burying herself inside you. She would fuck you until you couldn’t walk anymore. She’d mark your pretty skin with hickeys and bruises, before spilling her cum inside you and then dragging you back to your bedroom, so she can find something more appropriate for you to wear. A sweet thing like you needed her Mommy to tell her that wearing such outfits was naughty. That there were so many people out there, who would gladly take your sweet body. Terrible people who would take advantage of you, who would do dirty, filthy, disgusting things to you... People like Wanda. When you drove away, looking in the direction of her house, Wanda walked inside. The envelopes in her hands all fell apart, scattering into the air like ash, as if burned, before falling to the ground without a single trace. There was absolutely nothing in them, of course. She just needed an excuse to see you and made an impulsive decision. She knew the falseness of her actions, of her lies, would have consequences, but she didn’t have time to think this through. Not really. She quickly made peace with what happened, with the lie she had told you about herself, rationalizing that she couldn’t very well tell you the story of her past. That would be absurd. What she did was better. Kinder. It was what she needed to do. With that as her consolation, she joined her sons back into the kitchen, who seemed to have barely noticed she was not with them, just in time to see them finish their breakfast. The smile they gave her pushed away the thoughts she had of you aside and she resolved to anchoring herself in the present.                                                   *             *             * Your day at the office went by so quickly you barely noticed the time slipping by you. Between introductory meetings, looking through the plans for the project and the budgets, not to mention the CV’s from various candidates, applying for positions in your team, you were absolutely exhausted by the time you left the office, half of which was still being renovated and re-decorated. All you wanted was to get home, make yourself dinner and finally eat, so you could crash in your back yard, surrounded by the sound of water and insects while you drank a nice glass of wine. It was dark by the time you could actually do that, but mercifully most of the tension had left your body. While cooking, your head was filled with thoughts of your day. It all replayed itself in front of you and you felt safe to examine all the things that had happened in a calmer way. There weren’t many people there yet. Some security, a girl at the front desk, some people from HR, who welcomed you and helped you settle in your new office, a cleaning lady, who seemed to avoid you at first, before she realized you were a nice enough person… It felt fairly empty compared to what you were used to, but you knew the building will get filled up quickly. It always worked like that. When you finally settled down on the lounge chair, a glass of red wine in your hand, your head had finally quieted. You weren’t great at relaxing. Whenever you had free time, your brain craved stimulation, craved activity, craved entertainment, so you knew that whatever this was, it wasn’t going to last long. Either you were going to daydream, or you were going to start doing something on your phone. And because you knew that, you also knew that you should take this miracle and enjoy the quietness of your thoughts. You closed your eyes, taking slow, deep breaths, even the wine fully forgotten. You stayed like this, weightless and unthinking for what felt like hours. You had your phone, an audio book ready to play on your headphones whenever you wanted, but you weren’t ready yet to give up the calmness, when a sound pulled your attention towards the house next door. It was Wanda. She stepped outside, taking a seat on the swing that was hanging from a branch, obviously made for her kids, but big enough for her to comfortably sit in. Her eyes were turned to the sky, her back to your house, looking at the starts that shown above and for a moment you questioned if you should make your presence known. You didn’t want to disturb her, but thought that should she have realized you’re just there, watching her unannounced, she might get scared. Might get the wrong idea about you. - Good evening, Wanda. – You say softly, before you think too much about it and spiral, and you see the woman’s shoulders tense. Wanda knows it’s you, she knew you were there before she walked outside, yet she couldn’t stop the involuntary reaction of her body. She still found it hard to keep her back turned to the darkness, especially when there was someone waiting for her there. - Good evening, Y/N. – She smiles, forced and tight, allowing herself to relax only when her eyes finally find you. – My, you startled me. – She tries to laugh, but knows she still looks on edge. - I’m terribly sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you! – You hurry to apologize, getting up quickly and instinctively approaching the woman. – I just saw you walk outside and didn’t want you to think I was being a creep, just being here unannounced. She watches you closely as you approach, eyes big and apologetic, hands gesturing needlessly and she lets a kinder, more genuine smile to form on her face. - I could never think that! – She waves your words off and steps closer. You’re no longer wearing the clothes from the morning, instead settled in a comfortable, ankle length white dress, with thin straps that clung to your shoulders. – You just don’t have that kind of face. – She adds, more for your comfort than hers. - Oh… - For a moment you lose your thoughts. Completely forgetting all other apologies you were thinking of. – Thank you. I think? You laugh softly, a little embarrassed and Wanda laughs with you, watching your nerves calming slightly as well. - So, how was your first day? – She asks, changing the subject. - Um… A blur, actually. – You confess. – It was… Very intense and stressful… But that’s just me, I think. I just need some time to get used to it all. You try to put it all into words, but it seems impossible to explain all the mixed emotions you were experiencing currently. - I’m sure you will. – Wanda says kindly, reassuringly, and her words are soothing in their simplicity. – Were you trying to relax? – She asks, her hand pointing to the untouched glass of wine, still on the small table next to your lounge chair.   - Yes, actually. It’s so quiet here! I never expected that. – You say, eyes wondering aimlessly at your surroundings, as if seeing them for the first time. - It’s amazing, isn’t it? – Wanda reads the wonder in your voice, smiling. She felt just as surprised when she first moved to Eastview. She never thought there was a quiet place for a telepath, until she walked out in her garden, the first week after she moved and she realized her mind was completely open and there wasn’t a single thought to be heard. - God, yes! – Your eyes sparkle with emotion in the dim lights of the garden lamps and it makes your face look so bright it makes Wanda’s heart beat a little bit faster. She can hear the countless little thoughts that accompany this one, the deep need you feel for the seclusion, the elation from feeling so much peace.   - Well, I should let you enjoy it then. – Wanda says softly. She looks at you a moment longer, before starting to walk away. – Goodnight, Y/N! You hesitated for a second. You thought you were thinking this through, but the truth was, you simply hesitated. You froze before speaking, the decision one of the more impulsive ones you’ve made. - Wanda? – You call out after her, looking at her back, not sure what exactly you were expecting. - Yes, dear? – The redhead asks, her upper body turning towards you. - Were you … Trying to look at the stars? – You ask shyly. – When I interrupted you. – You try to clarify and in a moment of nervousness, pulling your hands behind your back, so you can hide your fidgeting. - Yes. – Wanda’s voice seems unsure, vibrating and unsteady, but the word is short enough that she’s sure you didn’t even notice. She hears the thought before you voice it. Shaky and insecure even in your head. - Would you like to join me? I’m sure the lounge chairs will be much more comfortable for stargazing. – The words come out so softly, Wanda barely hears them and you feel so nervous, you hardly think you’ll be able to say them again. Your hands fidget even more while you wait for her response, clammy and cold in the warm night air, but she doesn’t make you wait for long. - Would there be wine? – She asks jokingly and your features visibly relax at her response. - I’ll bring the bottle. – You promise, lifting a brow at her, still waiting for her to actually agree. - Well, I guess I can’t say ‘’No’’ to that. – Wanda replies, leaving her eyes to linger on you for a few seconds longer. – I’ll be right over. – She promises, this time walking away before you say another word.   She checks on Billy and Tommy first. Peaking into their room, to see them peacefully asleep, before making her way to your house. She didn’t expect you to invite her over, it certainly wasn’t her intention. All she wanted was a glance of you in your lounge chair, to listen to your thoughts for a bit, hoping they will be soothing, hoping to hear more of that new book with poetry you were reading… Hoping not to have to spend the night alone, watching TV. In a way, she got her wish, she mused, while she settled next to you, a glass of wine in her hand and a bottle, left between the two of you. In fact, as she looked over at you, eyes looking at the stary sky, she thought that this was better.                                                *             *             * - I’m sorry I’m such poor company. Wanda hears your voice, hears the words you say, but it takes some time for them to register. When she first took her spot at the chair next to yours, adjusting it, so she could lay back, just like you have, the silence felt tense. She had focused on your thoughts, hoping to find a topic to bring up, but got quickly carried away. You were looking up, distant, when she heard you. ‘Silently one by one, in the infinite meadows of heaven, Blossomed the lovely stars, the forget-me-nots of the angels.” The thought was so beautiful when she heard it whispered within the confines of your head, that Wanda was left speechless and in a moment of perfect clarity, she decided to keep her words to herself and listen to your thoughts instead. It was what she wanted after all. It was more than she had asked of the universe when she stepped out of her house tonight. She was here, beside you, the night warm and filled with the smell of blossoming flowers and she could hear everything, without you uttering a single word. “For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream” - Came another. Beautiful. Soft. It was lovely. She thought for a moment to try and remember the names of the people who said these beautiful words, but she knew she wouldn’t be able to. She didn’t care. The words continued to flow within you. Some were yours, some belonged to others. They carried Wanda so far away that when you spoke, asking if you are poor company, or rather making it a statement, she was almost dazed. - Oh, no. – She cleared her throat, her voice hoarse. You were looking at her, words swirling in your head, overwhelming and powerful. For a moment she felt split between reality and your inner voice and she hurried to block your thoughts, before she felt completely overpowered. – I can appreciate the comfortable silence. – She responded with a smile. - That’s rare. – You mused, not quite fully present, still being drawn to your little private world. Wanda was tempted to let you drift back into it, to immerse herself in your thoughts, but she knew she shouldn’t, so she started a conversation. When she got you going, when she had you relaxed, she was happy to find that you were wonderful company. You talked about cooking and how you had started to learn, when you started to live on your own and she happily offered to share some of her recipes. She talked about Billy and Tommy, making you laugh, when she told you how they asked to ‘’help’’ her with a new cake she was making and ended up eating half her batter and using the other half to start a fight and smear it all over their faces and half her kitchen floors. You shared how you started water battles with your best friend and how much your mom had fumed, when she came home and found you both soaking wet and grinning like idiots. Wanda told you that she used to have little fake fights like that with her brother Pietro when they were young. She remembered him fondly, but quickly changed the subject after she told you he was gone now. The thought hurt way too much for her to linger on. The conversation went on. She was delighted to have you tell her all these little facts about yourself, rather than piecing them together through your thoughts and she only reluctantly left, when she realized it was midnight and she had kept you much longer than she intended to stay. When she slipped into her bed, more exhausted than she felt in a while, her final thoughts went back to yours. To a string of words that touched her so profoundly, she thought she’d have them engraved into her mind. “Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light; I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night. “ _______________________________________________________ Ok, so i finished this chapter at 04:30 in the morning, so please forgive any errors. Also, your thoughts and ideas are always welcome! Feel free to tell me what you think!

[monstersdownthepath]

Monster Spotlight: Gray Render

CR 8

Neutral Large Magical Beast

Bestiary 2, pg. 140 (Art from D&D 5e’s Mordenkainen’s Fome of Toes, pg. 209

These monstrously strong and solitary beasts are predators that feed on whatever smaller beast they can catch, spending hours of their day chasing down prey and devouring it. They’ll eat just about anything they believe they can kill, and once they sight prey with their numerous eyes, they’ll chase them through any obstacle. The Render’s hungering rampages are a sight to behold as they tear boulders from the ground and rip entire trees to splinters in their search for meat, to say nothing of the savagery they display when they manage to catch their prey, ripping it limb from limb and sometimes going so far as to begin eating before it’s is even dead.

Granted, the same can be said for a lot of mundane predators, so let’s not fault the Gray Render there! With an Int of 3, barely past the threshold of sapience, their actions are just destructive instinct, NOT malice and certainly not sadism. One shouldn’t hate a lion or crocodile for eating a gazelle, after all. They’re even noted to be largely peaceful outside of their hunts, ignoring other creatures until one proves it’s a threat to avoid wasting energy and risking their health, just like any big cat! That’s just nature!

What’s NOT natural is the Render’s unusual fixation on keeping pets. For reasons that can only be guessed at (they can speak Giant, but again they’re barely sapient), Renders will “adopt” herds of herbivores, solitary marsh dwellers, or even entire small settlements of humanoids as their “pets.” They grow uncannily fixated on their pets, never straying far from them, charging straight to their side when they need help, and even giving their own lives protecting them. Gray Renders do NOT fight to the death in the wild, but will fearlessly leap in front of a dragon or demon to give their pets a chance to escape.

Amusingly, Renders will also save portions of their kills to give to their pets, even if the pet never expresses a desire for the meat (or can’t eat it in the first place), which the book notes is like “a domesticated cat.” Tragically, it notes Renders will respond with ‘confused sadness’ if their pet attacks them, returning to their side time and time again until the pet either accepts them... or finally kills them. They don’t seem capable of understanding why some creatures may not react well to their terrifying shape, but those that DO react well find themselves in the presence of a powerful guardian, especially if someone among the population under the thing’s protection can speak Giant.

While Gray Renders lack defensive abilities, they make up for it with high AC, high HP, and incredible strength. Their offense is limited to a CCB, each claw dealing 1d8+7 damage, while the bite deals 2d6+7. Like their name suggests, however, anyone struck by both claw attacks in one round suffers from Rend, taking an additional 1d8+10 damage, and Gray Renders also Grab anything they strike with their claws to wrestle them down with incredible strength and pulverizing weight, snapping or even tearing off limbs to disable both attackers and prey.

Their statblock is largely undecorated by unique powers (aside from a descriptively-named Double Damage Against Objects), but their incredible strength, Power Attack feat, and ability to Rend anything they strike makes them formidable nonetheless. Their suicidal defense of their pets means the only running that will happen will be yours, as the beasts will battle until they can no longer draw breath if it means keeping their pets safe... whether or not their pets even like the Render in the first place. Their bizarre habits makes them easy, if tragic, creatures to throw in the path of any adventuring party, either defending a tiny village of people, protecting a herd of livestock (even from its own owner, which is where the party comes in), or fighting the party alongside another monster it’s attached to.

One final note to end on, though: A Gray Render can stay attached to a single pet anywhere from a month to a decade, never once doing anything that could possibly harm its pet. However, once this attachment ends, the Render will wander off to find a new pet, completely ignoring its old one even if they come seeking it out. It won’t attack them, but it will never defend them again unless the attachment reforms, going so far as to gently pick them up and physically turn them around, pushing them away like an unwanted animal. Everything about the Renders makes me feel emotions I don’t like :(

You can read more about them here.

[tarosin]

The great adventures of y/n tommy tubbo and ranboo - the best mcc team

this is an extra to the great adventures series

the moment you found out ranboo got into mcc you instantly ran into the room you were sharing pulling him into a hug you were honestly so proud of him and he was going to be with tubbo

“BOO I'M SO PROUD OF YOU YOU'RE GOING TO DO AMAZING”

unfortunately, you weren’t going to be in mcc this month but that didn’t stop you from being over the moon for your friend. when it was finally time for mcc you wished your friend good luck and apologised for not being able to watch his pov as you weren’t about to break the tradition of watching Tommy after all he was your first and biggest supporter. 3 hours later the event ended and everyone who was watching ranboos pov heard you faintly screaming at Tommy over discord whilst tubbo sat laughing and ranboo was concerned, he heard from Tommy that you would often yell at him however he didn’t believe that he was being honest

“FUCK YOU TOMMY STOP LAUGHING YOU HIT ME IN TO GET TO THE OTHER SIDE ON PURPOSE THEN LAUGHED ABOUT ME NOT BEING IN…..fine when I get in I’m requesting to be on Scott's team…I’m still mad at you but you did great I'm so proud of you congrats Tommy I’ll see you soon goodbye”

at the start of the next month, you received a message from Scott

Scott: so I have a few things to tell you 1 - how would you feel about becoming head twitch mod it’s only fair you’ve been my mod for a while and 2 - welcome to mcc make sure to fill in the form asap!

y/n: 1 - of course I’d love to be head twitch mod and 2 - heh??

not long later you received a form at the same time as your friends, you decided not to tell anyone and somehow you managed to keep it a secret, Scott agreed to lie to the others about whos team they’re on as he knew how excited everyone was going to be. today was the day your big secret would be released, you Tommy tubbo and ranboo were sat outside when the notification went out announcing the team honestly you’ll never forget the look on their faces when they realised

MCChampionship_ tweeted: 👑announcing team green guardians 👑

@tommyinnit @tubbolive @ranboosaysstuff @y/n

Watch them in MCC on Saturday, August 28th at 8 pm BST!

“Y/N WHAT THE FUCK”

“congrats y/n”

ranboo didn’t say anything he just tackled you into a hug like you did last month when you found he was in mcc. Tommy and tubbo were still processing what they just read

“Scott fucking lied to me”

“aye I told him to”

“what the fuck”

from then the four of you would constantly stream with each other on the mcc training server, you were a strong team when you weren’t yelling at each other.

time flew by soon enough it was the 28th of August. Tommy genuinely couldn’t believe it his best friend was in mcc and on a team with him and he genuinely believed you all had a decent chance in winning as you were a strong team. Tommy invited you over to stream mcc he claimed it was because there would be three people trying to stream in the same room, in reality, it was because he wanted to see your reaction and be there for your first mcc.

Tommy let you stream from his room he had spent the previous night getting advice from tubbo on how he managed to set up so he could stream with ranboo in the same room.

“you ready y/n”

“of course I’ve been watching and learning from the best”

you and Tommy set up and joined the discord call and the mcc server, it was finally time. similarly to ranboo this was something you had wanted to do since Tommy told you all about it on your way home from school one day. 30 minutes later it was time for the games to begin and this is where the chaos began.

“you know what I hope it’s build mart”

“what the fuck y/n”

“fuck you I’m good at build mart- oh you’re joking it’s fucking parkour tag”

this is when you realised that two screaming teenagers in the same room both trying to stream the event wasn’t the best idea, you and Tommy would constantly scream at poor ranboo who was just trying to hunt the other team

“RANBOO CATCH THEM”

“really y/n?! I thought I’d let them win this round”

unsurprisingly your team was doing great you had won 7/8 rounds but there was still one more round, determined to be the one to get dream you decided to be the hunter

“y/n don’t worry if you can’t get them we’re doing well”

“Y/N IGNORE RANBOO ME AND TOMMY DON'T WANT TO LOSE”

“not putting pressure on me at all thank you boys”

being close friends with technoblade gave you an advantage you didn’t expect due to the fact he helped to “train” you for your first mcc which ended up being the reason you were able to catch them all and then helped the others avoid being caught

“tubbo he's to your left TUBBO I SAID HES TO YOUR LEFT WHY ARE YOU GOING LEFT TOMMY RUN RUN RUN RUN ranboo you’re doing great”

“NO WAY”

you had just successfully won the round against dream sapnap George and quackity and you would never let dream live this down

“do you guys think dream will let me be in one of his manhunts now”

“no”

“fuck you tubbo you’re just mad you couldn’t catch all the runners in yellow yaks. you couldn’t catch jack manifold”

so far everything was going well you were currently in 4th place and your team had high hopes. you all felt the need to confirm to your chats that you’re all not actually mad at each other and not to worry about everything.

the next game was survival games ranboo wasn’t ready for this due to the last mcc where he died pretty early on, it started well you all stuck together as a team until the game was nearly over and you got distracted by a chest and ran away from the others whilst they were fighting another team this ended up being a happy accident in disguise you got the notification that Tommy tubbo and ranboo were killed fighting another team

“oh fuck”

“WE COULD HAVE WON WAIT Y/N DID YOU DIE”

“no”

tubbo could practically hear your smile as you explained to them that you ran off and was currently under a tree watching the others fight, you used the fact they died in the game to your advantage they would tell you if anyone was coming to attack you whilst you ran around collecting loot avoiding the others shooting arrows

“AYO STOP FUCKING SHOOTING ME ITS MY FIRST MCC LET ME WIN”

“Y/N HAVE YOU GOT LAVA”

“I DO AAAAAA PISS OFF LET ME WIN”

“USE THE LAVA YOU CAN EASILY TAKE OUT HALF OF THE REMAINING PLAYERS”

to everyone’s surprise, it worked due to the border being smaller so there was less room to run soon it was you vs punz at this point you were determined to win

“GO Y/N GO GO GO HIT HIM YOU CAN DO IT”

“you’re doing so well y/n”

some may call it beginners luck but you ended up winning the fight against punz

“LETS FUCKING GO Y/N”

“I DID IT OH MY GOD”

the next game was hole in the wall and long story short you sucked, ranboo on the other hand did not. it didn’t take long for you to fall every single round. this helped the others though as you were able to yell which side the wall was coming from

“fuck this stupid game the wall hates me”

“y/n you're supposed to jump through the gaps“

“you know what no I’m going to get on a sapnap alt stream by glitching through”

this didn’t work you died again

“well fuck there I go I guess you’ve got this though guys Tommy you’re doing decent”

“I'm doing great thank you- oh I died FUCK YOU FOR DISTRACTING ME”

“blah blah blah GO TUBBO AND RANBOO”

you couldn’t believe it ranboo was one of the final people remaining, unfortunately, ranboo jumped too late resulting in him falling but nonetheless you were proud of him

“unlucky boo you all did great”

the next game was battle box the four of you had been practising this a lot so there was a lot of pressure to do well especially since you were now in the top 3 on the leaderboard, the strategies you made from practicing paid off you managed to win the majority of the rounds, however, there was a lot of screaming and arguing during the last round

“RANBOO STOP STEALING MY KILLS OR I'M GOING TO START HITTING YOU WITH A SWORD”

“he’s been stealing mine too y/n”

tubbo was honestly playing well during this game and you were amazed

unfortunately, the arguing resulted in you losing the round as you were all focusing on arguing which meant you missed the other team rushing to wool

“unlucky boys”

“7 wins out of 9 rounds honestly isn’t that bad we should still be third we just need to stay strong with the rest of the games”

during the break before the last four games, the four of you sat making plans for the next few round

“I want to get to the other side last I think that will be our strength”

there was still a rather long break left so you did what anyone else would do run around the server and yell this was a huge mistake as it messed with the soundproofing resulting in tommys mic picking you up and vice versa

“so I guess we’re streaming like this now”

“FIX IT”

“well since you asked so nicely tubso…no”

tubbo ended up doing the same to the soundproofing in the room he was in with ranboo were in meaning all four of you were now having a scuffed stream as you ran out of time to fix it because before you knew it, it was time to play sky battle

“right we should go left”

“tubbo will get iron Tommy will make the bridge and y/n will do…something”

you did the same thing techno did in the pride mcc and hid occasionally breaking blocks from underneath people so they would fall the others were doing well the game was a mixture of you all encouraging each other and you all cursing each other out whilst ranboo ignored you all and spoke to his chat

“chat I know you can hear double everyone if I could fix it I would but tubbo y/n and Tommy are being too stubborn to fix everything and we don’t have time”

“Y/N WHERE ARE YOU”

“making people fall to their death can we talk about our feelings now because this is stressful as hell”

“NOT THE TIME”

you all did decently you weren’t amazing at this game but that was expected it was something you all weren’t the biggest fan of but somehow you were all still in third place and that was something you weren’t expecting especially for your first mcc

it was now time for sands of time you all needed to do well

“bruh I wanted build mart what the fuck is this”

“we’re not going to win this game boys”

and tubbo would be corrected that that statement, you ended up having a visual glitch making it difficult, Tommy would constantly get trapped in a dungeon like last time things weren’t loading for ranboo you had no idea what tubbo was doing and quite frankly you didn’t want to find out unless it was going to be good news and considering all you could hear was tubbo yelling anything that came to mind you could guess it wasn’t going well. you tried to rage quit a couple of times only to be yelled at by the others every time you disconnected from the server

“Y/N STOP LEAVING”

“I CAN'T SEE SHIT”

“you’re doing well y/n stay calm we’re going to be fine”

“OH I CAN'T PLAY THIS GAME I'M DYSLEXIC”

“CLEARLY WE'RE NOT FINE TUBBO IS STRUGGLING TOMMY IS LOCKED IN A DUNGEON AND I CAN'T SEE SHIT...HAVE YOU GOT THE LETTER N YET”

“no, they’re spawning one in for me”

“could them maybe I don’t know speed up the process”

yeah you ended up losing that game and got knocked down the 4th good news is it was only by a couple hundred points

next up was ace race

“do yous reckon Scott's tested this map”

“aren’t you his head twitch mod”

“you’re right I'll message him and find out”

luckily you all managed to do pretty well, Tommy was off to a great start you tubbo and ranboo weren’t far behind you all agreed to follow each other rather than the crowd which paid off as when everyone else went the wrong way rather than following you all managed to go the right way thanks to ranboo yelling he thinks that he knows where to go and thankfully he was correct which put Tommy first tubbo second ranboo third and you fourth, you all ended up lapping people on your final lap and honestly, none of you guessed this would happen but you weren’t exactly complaining. a few moments later you all crossed the finishing line and were the first team to finish giving you the bonus points you needed to push you to second place

“did you know since I first got into mcc I would put y/ns name down for who I wanted to play with”

“TOMMY OH MY GODDDD”

a few seconds later you showed up on Tommy's face cam as you ran over to him giving him a hug

“you’re doing great y/n we might get into dodgebolt”

“dude we’re winning this shit”

soon enough it was time for the last game (unless you got into dodgebolt) and luckily it was to get to the other side

“we've got this we have actually got this we’re going to get to dodgebolt”

you stuck with Tommy for almost every round mainly because speed bridging wasn’t for you. you were all doing great you were the first team to finish for multiple rounds however you were also the last team to finish for a few rounds

“boys I'm not sure if we’ll get through”

“We all had fun”

“if we get into dodgebolt we’re going to be against dream”

“WILL YOU ALL FUCKING FOCUS”

“no- OW TOMMY HIT ME WITH A PEN”

“IT WAS THE CLOSEST THING WOULD YOU RATHER I CHUCK MY COMPUTER MOUSE”

“will you two quit fighting we’re about to find out the final scores.”

3..2..1

“oh my god”

“what the fuck”

“ranboo and y/n are about to play dodgebolt”

“LETS GO WHAT THE FUCK”

you all did it you successfully kept 2nd place somehow now all you had to do was win dodgebolt against dream George sapnap and quackity. safe to say you and ranboo were nervous as fuck and rightfully so as you all lost the first game

“let’s be serious we need to focus now”

you all won the next round

“LETS FUCKING GO WE'VE GOT THIS”

it was now the third round Tommy and tubbo were now out it was you and ranboo against dream and sapnap

“bruh were fucked ranboo”

ranboo took aim and somehow hit sapnap whilst you took a moment to type a message in chat

y/n: it’s my first mcc how do you feel knowing you’re about to lose

it was now your turn to take aim and Tommy yelling in the background wasn’t helping you and the yelling made you shoot before you were ready luckily ranboo picked up an arrow and was able to hit dream, it was now 1 vs 2 if you won this round you would all be the champions and that’s exactly what happened you all quit yelling at each other hell you muted the discord call so you could focus all you could hear was Tommy next to you occasionally supporting you

“come on y/n final round. you’re about to win your first mcc I’m so proud of you”

“you’re doing amazing Tommy thank you for everything now let’s win this thing”

and just like that, it was over Tommy took the final shot and hit sapnap

you all unmuted the four of you yelling

“TOMMY TUBBO RANBOO I'M SO PROUD OF YOU GUYS”

“WE DID IT WE FUCKING DID IT”

“OH MY GOD”

“WELL DONE EVERYONE”

this time Tommy ran over to you pulling you into a hug he was genuinely so proud of you and the others

“you did it y/n you won your first mcc that’s amazing”

“I couldn’t have done it without you or the others I love you all”

after talking to the other teams and ending stream

you and Tommy stayed on call with tubbo and ranboo

“you two need to make your way back here”

“me and y/n could probably catch a train if we’re very quick”

you nodded and quickly grabbed everything you needed thankfully your good luck hadn’t come to an end yet as you and Tommy were able to catch one of the last trains, Tommy had an arm around you as he noticed you were getting tired after all you did just go through the stress of your first mcc to over 170k viewers you ended up falling asleep on his shoulder a few hours passed and you were at the last stop Tommy lightly tapped your shoulder

“hey y/n were here tubbo and ranboo are waiting for us over there…let’s go celebrate this win shall we”

an: do not publish my work :)

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