#ive started taking some vitamins in hopes that helps and honestly? it really kind of has

[dawnedon]

ive posted abt my goals for dawn for 2024 but my personal goals (for tumblr at least) is to try to be around a little bit more, be a little bit more active and involved and such which is like! easier said than done! last year was just such a rough time emotionally and i had a tough time in the rpc but im hopeful things will be better this year. i need to try letting go of some of that brutal anxiety otherwise im bound to feel stagnant bc of my own self/actions :') ik this is probably Relatable but i cant help but irrationally think that like. sending people asks/interacting with people's posts only makes them annoyed/think im annoying in the sense of like. 'OMG its her again can she just leave me alone!!' which in my heart i know isnt true because, if it was then like... why would i be mutuals with as many people as i am you know! just stupid brain moment, and an issue that i can only tackle by just ignoring those thoughts and putting such things into practice.....

that being said though. from jan 17th - jan 22nd ill be out of town bc me and my bf are going to vegas and im SO excited for it bc ive never been there!! and i havent left the state in general since like!!! 2018!!!!!!!

[hold-me-sickfics]

14 Days: J-Hope (Part 1)

Aaaaaand we’re at J-Hope! I had to split this fic into two parts because I wanted to do an injury/hospital and then a “back at home recovering.” Huge thank you to @thatoneemokpop-02 for the help on ideas and proofreading and all the support! (BTW: thanks to them, there will be a few major fluffy and sweet moments in part two!) 

TW: Emeto, injury (broken bones), fainting, hospital, anxiety/panic attack, food (if there are any I missed, please let me know!)

Prompt: Dance practice has been grueling. Every day, Hoseok has been in the studio practicing from 6:30 a.m. till around 8:00 p.m. at night. The others tell him it’s too much, but he insists that he’s just going over the routines on video for part of it, and that he’s taking breaks regularly. The members all know that Hoseok is overworking himself, but they can’t keep him from it. But what happens when Hoseok finally pushes himself over the edge, and makes a mistake? The kind that might keep him off his feet for a couple weeks…

“Is he home yet?” Namjoon came into the apartment and closed the door. The air outside was frigid, so he was glad he’d worn a thick coat.

“Nope. Won’t even answer his phone.” Jin tapped away at the keypad, dialing Hoseok’s number again.

A couple seconds later, Jin turned the phone to face Namjoon and put it on speaker.

“We’re sorry. Your call could not be completed as dialed. Please check the number and try again.” The dial tone started up once again. Jin hit the end call button and placed the phone on the counter.

“I can’t believe this. He swore he’d be home by 8:00.” Namjoon sat down and placed his face in his hands. “He’s gonna hurt himself Jin. He’s putting too much stress on his body and I don’t know if he even cares. He’s so consumed with perfecting those routines that he’s pushing himself too hard.”

Jin brought over a mug of coffee.

“I know. I wish he’d take a break, but the best thing is just to wait until he perfects it and calms down on his own.”

Before Namjoon finished his coffee, Hoseok half-stumbled through the door.

“I thought you were gonna be home by 8.” Namjoon took another sip.

“Sorry. Just wanted to do one more run through.”

“It’s 11:30 at night Hoseok. You’ve gotta stop.”

“Don’t worry about me. I’m alright. See?” Hoseok straightened up and showed the others that he was alright.

“I’m not gonna let you run yourself into the ground like this! What if you get hurt?” Namjoon didn’t mean to raise his voice, he just felt so worried that he couldn’t help himself.

“Easy Joon. I think he gets it.” Jin looked the dancer over.

“Hobi, are you alright? You look really pale.” Jin touched his palm to Hoseok’s face.

“Yeah, yeah I’m fine.” Hobi looked at Namjoon weakly.

“Hobi, I’m sorry. I’m sorry okay? I just… I worry. Jungkook just got stitches put in a couple months ago, and he’s just now back. I don’t want anything to happen to you or any of us for that matter.”

“It’s alright Joon.” Hoseok half-smiled to show him that it was okay. “I’m just gonna go to sleep. I think I need rest more than anything. Goodnight guys.” Hoseok got up slowly and went to his room.

“I’m really worried Jin.” Namjoon took the last sip of coffee, and then placed the mug in the sink.

“I am too. But, there isn’t anything we can do right now. Honestly, Joon you need to rest yourself. You’ve got that Zoom meeting with BigHit in the morning and you look like you’ve been up for days.” Jin rubbed his back.

“Maybe you’re right.”

Jin and Namjoon prepared for bed, but little did they know, Hoseok was in a lot more pain than he let on.

Hoseok could feel each muscle in his body just aching- aching like they had been put through a ringer and then put back in him. He refused to take any pain meds, and just hoped that a hot shower and a good night’s rest would help.

Well, 5:00 a.m. came, and Hoseok couldn’t believe it, but he felt even worse. He decided to leave the house and head to the studio before the others were up so they wouldn’t ask questions. He did stop and grab breakfast at a local McDonald’s before he started up, but he would soon realize that the buttery biscuit and crisp bacon with a coffee and an orange juice would come back to bite him.

He reached the studio, and proceeded to start the music and jump right into the routine he’d been practicing the night before. He really, really should have stretched.

“Light! It! Up! Like! Dynamite!”

Hoseok kept getting stuck at the part where he had to move his feet quickly and get back in formation. He decided to run it again, and try to get it right this time.

“Light! It! Up! Like-“

And everything went black…

“Hoseok! Hoseok? Hey can you hear us?”

Hoseok awoke to staff members standing all around him. Two of them were on the phone, three were from the med staff, there were six standing around talking to office staff, and there were two… oh no.

“He’s not responding to it. Hoseok, can you move your toes?”

“No no no…” Hoseok started crying. He knew what he’d done, and he was about to be paying for it.

“Okay its alright, we’re calling the paramedics.”

“I’m gonna puke-“ Hoseok turned to the side, and threw up everything he’d had for breakfast. He didn’t realize how much he’d eaten until it was all splattered out in front of him.

Then, he heard one of the staff speaking.

“Yeah, he’s awake. We’ll send a car over to pick you guys up. I don’t know how bad the break is. He can’t move his toes. It doesn’t look good.”

He must be talking to the other members. Hoseok knew he was about to be in huge trouble, but at least he’d have the others to comfort him. Now that the initial shock was over, the pain was setting in… and it hurt… bad.

“Ah aghhhh,” Hoseok turned his head to the side hoping that not seeing his leg would ease the pain. It did a little, but not enough.

“Hoseok, the paramedics are here. Just breathe, we’re gonna take you to the hospital.” Hoseok nodded in response to the staff member’s words.

It didn’t take long for Hoseok to get admitted into the ER triage room. His blood pressure was skyrocketed, he was physically exhausted, his body was extremely lacking in vitamins and he was dehydrated, and oh yeah, his right leg was broken in two places. The first place was a hairline fracture in his femur, and the second was a full break in his right ankle.

Hoseok had gotten lucky. The hairline fracture would take 4 months to heal, but it would be able to recover completely. The ankle breakage would require Hoseok to be in a wheelchair for at least six weeks, then, they’d consider switching him to crutches. Hoseok was heartbroken, and due to traffic, he had to hear the news alone…

The medical staff had to put Hoseok on some pretty high anxiety medications to help him calm down. His blood pressure was nearly back to normal, but he was also relatively knocked out. As expected, when the boys showed up, Yoongi was the first to bust through the door.

“Hobi!” He rushed to the boy’s side.

“Dang it Jung Hoseok…” Yoongi’s eyes flooded with tears. Yoongi kissed his hand, and held it close to his chest.

The doctor filled Namjoon in on the condition of their injured bandmate. Namjoon just nodded and joined the others in the recovery room.

A nurse came in and turned down the dial on Hoseok’s IV.

“Hi guys, I’m gonna go ahead and wake him up. If he’s still too panicky, we’ll have to try something different. I think the whole incident traumatized him a bit. Try to help him stay calm. No raising voices or talking about difficult topics if you can.”

Hoseok woke up slowly, and his heart began racing again.

“Hey, hey easy baby, it’s alright. Easy Hobi…” Yoongi held Hoseok’s hand with one of his own, and used the other to sweep Hoseok’s sweaty locks back off of his forehead.

“Hmmmm, hmmm…” Hoseok uttered shaky whimpers. “Yoon-Yoongi? I- I-“ Hoseok’s breathing sped up, and then he gagged. Hoseok was known for his tendency to throw up under scary situations.

The nurse held a small plastic bag under Hoseok’s chin.

“Here, may I?” Yoongi asked, standing up.

“Sure,” the nurse handed the bag over, and moved over to Hoseok’s other side.

“It’s okay, hey remember what we practiced? Hm? Look at me baby. Count to five for me. One, two..”

“T-th-three..” Yoongi relaxed as Hoseok started to count with him.

“Good job bud, okay now tell me what is something you can see right now?”

“Y-you.”

“Right. What’s something you smell?”

“Your c-cologne.”

“Which one?” Yoongi thumbed Hoseok’s hand.

“T-the one I bought you.”

“Yeah, yeah that’s good babe. That’s good. What’s something you can feel?”

“You.”

“Good. What do I feel like?”

“Cold. It feels good.”

“There you go baby. You’ve got it.”

Hoseok started breathing normally and Yoongi gave the unused bag back to the nurse. She left once she realized that Hoseok was in good hands. She did tell them that if he needed anything, to call her.

“I’m scared Yoongi…”

“I know you’re afraid. Just focus on me right now. We’re not here, we’re at home. We’re watching that stupid soap opera you like.” Yoongi chuckled through tears. Hoseok let out a small chuckle himself.

“Hoseok?” Namjoon spoke up. They all watched as Hoseok’s heart rate jumped slightly.

“Don’t worry, it’s okay. You don’t have to be scared. I just wanted to tell you I’m glad you’re alright. You’ll be alright and we’re all here for you. Even JK brought you a sprite that he’s too shy to tell you about himself.”

Hoseok’s heart rate went back down and he smiled as the other members split and let Jungkook come through.

“Here you go hyung… I thought… you might be thirsty…” Jungkook’s lip quivered, and Hoseok went into hyung mode.

“It’s alright Kookie, come here.” Hoseok still felt weak, but he lifted himself up to give the youngest a hug.

“We’re all glad you’re okay Hoseok, and we’re here for anything you need.” Jin lightly squeezed Hoseok’s arm.

Hoseok heard a couple sniffles from the back of the group.

“Jimin-ah, Taehyungie, I can hug you both too.” Hoseok held his arms out to them, and they of course came to hug him.

“Joon, why don’t we take the boys home? Yoongi, you just stay here with him. I’ll send a bag back with yours and Hoseok’s things for the night.”

“Thanks Jin.” Yoongi and Hoseok watched as the others left.

“How are you feeling babe? Any pain?”

“Yeah… it’s kinda intense. It wasn’t as bad when it first happened, but I guess I was half out of it. They were gonna give me meds but I told them I’d probably just puke them all back up.”

Yoongi stroked Hoseok’s cheek.

“Yoongi…?”

“Yeah?”

“I can’t dance… for months… what if… what if they forget… what if they forget about me?”

“Okay first, that’s not gonna happen. Second, I know that because when I had my shoulder surgery, all ARMY did was send me mail, gifts, watch my livestreams, and post videos of them crying when I wasn’t at shows. But Hoseok, you’re gonna be there. And even if you weren’t, they wouldn’t forget you. You’re their hope remember? You’re my hope too…”

Yoongi squeezed Hoseok’s hand to reassure him.

“I love you.” Hoseok’s eyes were misty.

“I love you too Hoseok,” Yoongi kissed his cheek. “Now, you just rest and let that leg of yours get healed up. I’m gonna sleep in this chair right here, and if you need anything you tell me okay? And I mean anything.”

“I promise, I will.”

Hoseok went to sleep hand-in-hand with Yoongi.

The next day would be the start of a big hurdle for Hoseok, but luckily, he had the other members by his side to help him the whole way through.

Part 2 coming soon!

[danideservedbetter]

Day 7, 8, 9, and 10 / Elaboration

Hey y’all! I said yesterday I would elaborate a little more on what my doctor’s visit yesterday told me, and here I am to do just that! I meant to yesterday, honestly, but by the time I got home my medicine had worn off and that wasn’t looking very likely 😅😅 But regardless!!! Here is what my results look like and honestly? These things probably have been affecting my sleeping disorder to a degree I’d previously disregarded without detailed info I’ve gotten from these tests.

Full write up under the cut!

—I got two major tests done, blood work and a genetics test. Back in my hometown the nurses couldn’t even figure out how to open the damn swab, but technology here managed to map out my entire DNA sequence which is utterly NUTS to me.

—My body is deficient in almost every important vitamin known to mankind, which makes sense because my diet is not… the best 😅 So, I started on several (SEVERAL) supplements to start out.

—I say start out because it’s very likely that I’ll be taking vitamin C and some liver enzyme through an IV once a month. A younger me might’ve thought something like this was scary, but at this point I’m so desperate to be healthy that getting nutrients drip fed into my system for them to work quicker sounds just fine to me.

—Other than that it’s normal lifestyle stuff. Eat more fruits and vegetables (I’ve been eating olives by the can for like days and I intend to buy fresh fruit packets for breakfast whenever I can afford them) as well as staying more active— which I DEFINITELY have been since I moved closer to New Orleans, in Louisiana proper where my dad lives.

But enough of the boring medicinal stuff. I’m sure you guys are much more interested in the whys— is there a reason my hypersomnia is so bad? Is there a deeper explanation than “lack of vitamins bad and you should feel bad”?

Well, yeah. YES. The genetics test revealed a metric fuckton to say the least 😂😂😂 but the most important was what kinds of diseases I’m predisposed to or how my body can process certain types of hormones/enzymes/proteins. Things like why caffeine won’t work for me (my body processes it very fast but not very thoroughly) or my metabolism being the strongest recorded genotype (which is why it’s been so hard to gain weight). Below, I’ll go into detail about stuff my new general doctor’s in-office geneticist (I still can’t believe that’s a thing I’m typing) has revealed about my disorder.

Naturally, this is specific to me because of my parents and our family lines. Maybe if you see info pertinent to yourself, looking into genetic mapping may be a good idea for you?

We are pretty confident that I have Idiopathic Hypersomnia. The reason for this is that a tiny link has been found between individuals who contracted mononucleosis in their childhood and adolescence and individuals who fell within the sleep cycles indicating IH. Now, IH will be genetic sometimes, but considering I’ve tracked my disorder to starting around 14, the same year I contracted Mono, the coincidence definitely doesn’t seem like… well, a coincidence. My blood test shows that I do in fact have the antibodies in my system, and they’re doing something… odd.

The geneticist found some “active” antibodies. Well, not some, really 😅 Basically, she’s surmised that these antibodies have a hair-trigger response and can react to any given environmental factor (stress, hunger, etc.) to the point where they activate as if they think they’re **fighting off a virus that’s been out of my system for ten years.** Of course this takes up an inordinate amount of energy, which is her hypothesis as to why my hypersomnia is so random and varies in intensity. The goal for this summer is flushing these antibodies out of my system.

My previous neurologist tried out a couple stimulants and then shit insurance prevented me from trying any others. So I’m stuck on something traditionally prescribed for adhd. A narcotic. *However* since my body is severely dysfunctional in general, the way I describe it is I basically have to induce a high to stay awake and function normally. We want to eventually get me off of these kinds of drugs, of course, since prolonged exposure weakens their effects and they’re highly addictive.

Another in credibly interesting thing we found is that I'm lacking in three major hormones. However, it's not because I don't produce them. I've never identified with symptoms of depression (anxiety, certainly, but not depression) yet for most of my life my childhood general practitioner insisted I had it. Well, the geneticist found that while I'm lacking in serotonin, dopamine, and melatonin, which yes are the two major mood enhancers and then the hormone that induces sleep, it's not because I can't produce them. It's because my neural transmitters are so damaged from a less-than-good diet and years of exhaustion that they simply can't process them. Just as the antibodies can have a hair-trigger response to environmental factors, so too can these processors. Simple things like a good meal, my high from my stimulants, or even micro dopamine shots from getting things done can activate the transmitters. Another thing on the docket for the summer is fixing these permanently with treatments of vitamins and supplements.

My stimulants have caused appetite issues, unfortunately, and that plus Covid at the beginning of this year caused me to get down to my lowest recorded weight ever, 94 pounds, which I haven't weighed since before I hit my final growth spurt way back in middle school. My dad does physical labor (he's a contractor who frames houses in the humid heat of the Deep South lol) so he's used to feeling tired. When he caught Covid, he said that he'd never felt as tired, drained, or out of it in his entire life. He never gets sick and hardly goes to the doctor and NEVER takes off work because of health, but in his last few weeks before full recovery he had to take off early multiple times. He was floored when he described the brain fog and exhaustion and I told him that I had no idea I even had Covid, because I just thought it was my disorder acting up. It was only when my grandmother started feeling tired that we got tested and we tested positive.

All that said, we think that there's hope for a future for me. She said that while there's no cure for IH, the cause that I have may can be mitigated by changes in exercise, diet, routine, and medication,to the point where I may mitigate symptoms of my disorder entirely. I'm still setting up appointments with a new neurologist here in the city, though, because technology is of course more advanced here.

And again, taking all of this into consideration, while it was looking likelier by the day, we've both agreed that I'll be here in the city 'til New Years. Which means no school this semester, but if I can go back in spring at more than 20% functionality and maybe succeed, I'm perfectly fine having to remain on break.

However, another good update: I weigh 103 pounds! I'm steadily gaining weight-- which means the other medication, the one for my appetite, is working as it should and as long as I stay on-track I should reach my goal of 120 by the end of the year as well.

So, yeah! That's what it's looking like. I have another appointment to go more in depth with the results tomorrow, but for now I'm planning out my week since I decided to let myself rest all last week. I'd love to finish helping out for our current podfic, ACTUALLY start the damn 100 Theme Challenge (LOL), finish betaing something that's been on hold for months, properly reconnect with our discord, catch up on all the media I fell behind on, clean my damn room, and establish a budget for this week on what I can buy. A more specific plan for today will follow, but til then, I hope this gives everyone some insight on what I'm looking at and how I'm gonna try to fix it.

Xoxo

Dani

[abdicatedarchive]

Cherish’s House Party || Chase and Savvy

𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍: cherish’s house party // 15th of january.

𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆: chase x savvy ( @savvy-cassidy ).

𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐆𝐄𝐑𝐒: underage drinking.

𝐃𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐒: two cheerleaders playing ping pong and having a good time gossiping

Chase had come over to find beer pong in the kitchen and no one to play with until he saw Savvy. "Savvy, I challenge you to a game of pong" he said as he pulled her over to the table lightly. "That is if you can take the heat" Chase teased as he racked up the cups. Gabrielle was off doing something, and he always enjoyed talking to Savannah. Maybe he would even hear some good gossip out of it. 

Savvy was, as usual, sipping on her drink and mingling around the party. That is, until she was ushered over to the beer pong table. "when have i ever not been able to take the heat?" she scoffed and finished off the drink in her head. "good thing i get better at this game the more i drink," the brunette was already a bit tipsy. 

"I mean that's just the science behind it" said Chase laughing a little, "once you have double vision then you get two cups at once" he joked. Once the cups were racked he grabbed two balls and washed them off in the sink. "Ladies first" he said as he handed her the ping pong balls and went to his side of the table. "So tell me, have you seen anything interesting at the party so far?" Chase asked.

"i think i just try harder when my vision is blurry so i really work twice as hard on trying to have good aim," she commented with a laugh. "how polite of you. not too many of the males around here have manners," she joked. taking the ball she took her shot, seeing it bounce off of one of the rims. "off to a great start. hm. ive been in two bedrooms and neither were occupied at the time i stumbled upon them, i thought that was pretty interesting because that never happens. also, staci poured a full beer down sara's shirt when she told her to be careful not to spill it."

"Well, I was in the cheer chat during the men suck discussion, so I'm on my best behavior" he said sarcastically, he didn't mind. Especially when it came to all the girl's boyfriends being kind of shit. There had been a lot of newly single moments recently on the team in general. He was happy with his girlfriend so hating on men was definitely an option, it kept him in line with his own relationship. Chase caught the ball when it bounced off the rim and held it while he waited for her to throw again. "Well Sara had it coming with that comment, and you never tell someone with a full cup to do anything" he joked, "Staci's got low impulse control that's for sure". "to be fair, i think we all have our moments of sucking so dont worry it isn't just men," although they did seem to have far more moments, but that was beside the point and she didn't feel the need to bring it up. on her next attempt, she sank the ball, "yesss hopefully now im getting somewhere. and you're right on both of those counts. what about you what interesting things have you seen thus far?"  Chase took the ball out of the cup and chugged the whole thing. "Well" he said catching his breath, "I saw one guy constantly changing rooms, so I investigated a little" he said throwing his first ball and it sinking into the cup. "And it turns out he is talking to two girls at this party, and I am 30% sure they are texting each other about this cute mystery guy that they're talking to" Chase said as he tried the other ball and missed. "So I cannot wait to see how that turns out"  Savvy lifted her brows as he took a breath, knowing that whatever he was about to say was probably quite the story. Lifting up the cup, she took out the ball and chugged the liquid, something a good friend of hers had taught her to do well over the years. "dont they know that the circles around here are small? its like we've all slept with each other by association."

"Everybody is sleeping with everybody" said Chase letting a small laugh fall from his lips as he waited for her to throw again. "Speaking of, who is your newest conquest? I have to live vicariously through others now that I'm back with Gabrielle" he said, intrigued to know what the girl was up to. She was one of the most beautiful girls in school, it only made sense that she had guys at her beck and call.  "That is putting it lightly," she chuckled, setting down the now empty cup and setting up her next shot. it circled the rim of the cup a couple of times before finally sinking inside. "conquest? you mean like, have i hooked up with anyone tonight? chase. im a lady. you think i do that kind of thing at a party where there are loads of people who could walk in at any moment?" the girl was rambling playfully before eventually answering, "jet." mostly because everyone likely already knew anyway, it happened at most parties. it was like knowing that someone was going to end up throwing up in the bushes, jet and savvy were going to hook up. "how is that going?"  "A lady never tells" said Chase, knowing full well that there was always Jet. He was hoping there was maybe some variety in there, but Jet was ... well he was kinda it. He was that guy in town for sure. "Oh that's still going?" he said with a smile, "He is super hot, and I heard he's very good in bed. Good for you" Chase replied. Chase chugged the cup and put it to the side before continuing. "It's going great, it's a race right now to see who is the drunker one and who is in charge of getting us home. I'm hoping she's the responsible one tonight, but who is to say at this rate. She could be off taking shots with Juliette right now, and they're both so tiny they'll be on the floor in minutes" the boy said with a laugh.  "We have a nice arrangement. It's very convenient. Plus, I wont have to worry I won't get off, which is definitely a big plus. Like an old, yet reliable habit." Savvy had to laugh at her own description, the alcohol definitely making her sound a little ridiculous. "Maybe someone else will get a turn, i just dont really want it to be when i have beer goggles, because ew." Crinkling her nose at the thought she shook her head. "so who do you think is winning? how drunk are you?"  "I get that, what you know is better than something new. And if it works for you, then why bother with anything else" said Chase, completely understanding. That was something about being with Gabrielle that he loved, it was always good because they had been at it for so long. "She only drinks liquor so probably her, but it has been me before and I am working my hardest at it" said Chase laughing a little, he didn't mind taking care of her at the end of the night. It was fun when she took care of him though. "Knowing her, it's who she is with. She can either drink a lot because she's having a really good time or a really bad time. But if it's in between she won't be drunk at all ... just a little buzzed"  “Something new can be exciting, if it’s the right something new,” Sav pointed out with a shrug. “It is always nice to have a safe option though too.” Because who didn’t like options. “Yikes she could be going pretty hard right now. So that will not be a fun morning for her. “  "It can be, but I am a sucker for the classics. Only one girl out there for me" said Chase with a small smile. He was soft for Gabrielle like that, sure he would be having a great deal more fun as a single guy at this school, but there was nothing that beat to comfort of being loved. "She'll be fine. No matter what I'll make her breakfast, even if I'm about to yak" said the boy. 

“Oh isn’t that just adorable,” to be fair, there was a time when Savvy may have thought the same thing, when she was dating someone she liked to think it would be for the long haul but that was rarely the case. “Breakfast too? Damn you really are one of the good ones.”  "Yeah the perks of her family taking me in, we get to spend every morning together no matter what rooms we sleep in" said Chase with a proud smile. He also treated her very well, just going above and beyond whenever he could. It made him feel like he was repaying a debt to her family. "What do your mornings with Jet look like? Or is it purely a party affair?" he asked, curious to know more.  “That is a pretty unique situation so I guess you should enjoy it as long as possible because you lucked out there. Do they let you stay in the same room though?” Sav was glad that her friend was happy though it seemed to be going well and that’s what was most important. Her brows raised at his question “we usually have each other for breakfast,” she answered as if it was nonchalant. “And then go out for pancakes because were fucking starving.”  "Yeah, I am milking it as much as physically possible" said Chase in all earnesty. He was certain they would not separate for college, but if they didn't get into the right schools then they would be screwed. Having a child together, even though it was a secret bonded them past the usual high school relationship, but it was hard to explain that to anyone because he couldn't. "That's a hearty breakfast, lots of vitamin d in that one" Chase joked, proud of himself for that one. "Pancakes is always a good dessert after a hearty breakfast"  “I can’t say that I blame you, I think most people would do the same thing. But hey im glad that it works out for you and you’re both happy with it, that’s honestly all that matters,” the girl nodded with a shrug. She couldn’t help but chuckle, “vitamin d, good joke. Best of the night so far. But agreed pancakes are the best. A nice way to refuel.”  "You can tell who at this school has a major vitamin d deficiency" said Chase with a small chuckle as well. There were a lot of people who just needed some kind of release, any kind. Whether it was a boxing class or getting laid, people needed to do something. 

Savvy couldn’t help but chuckle and nod in agreement, “you are correct about that, I wish them all the best, honestly. Might help some of their piss poor attitudes.” "I think that might be our big ticket to victory this cheer season" said Chase feeling the alcohol start to hit him. He hated to admit it, but a lot like his girlfriend he was a light weight. 

"everyone getting laid? you might be on to something with that," she chuckled and nodded in agreement, "you down for the count on this game, or what? i can already see your eyes getting glassy, you're sucha lightweight," she teased him.  "I did some shots earlier, but I think it's all kicking in now" said Chase, the room was a little spinny. "All I am is bone and muscle, there's nothing to absorb the alcohol" he said to defend himself, but it was the honest reason he couldn't handle too much to drink.

[batsysims]

100 QUESTIONS NO ONE ASKS

I was tagged by @tickledsims ty ily!!

1. DO YOU SLEEP WITH YOUR CLOSET DOORS OPEN OR CLOSED? CLOSED when i was younger my little sister had a baby doll that would talk on its own at night and we called it the demon baby and hooooly shit

2. DO YOU TAKE THE SHAMPOOS AND CONDITIONER BOTTLES FROM HOTELS? i dont take those bc my hair cant take cheap hair products but i do take the soaps!!

3. DO YOU SLEEP WITH YOUR SHEETS TUCKED IN OR OUT? i put the mattress cover sheet thingy on my bed but i dont use an actual sheet :/

4. HAVE YOU STOLEN A STREET SIGN BEFORE? nah lol

5. DO YOU LIKE TO USE POST-IT NOTES? YES i love using office supplies i could spend all day at staples omg

6. DO YOU CUT OUT COUPONS BUT THEN NEVER USE THEM? no lol but il save the lil receipt coupons and find them in my wallet months after they expire

7. WOULD YOU RATHER BE ATTACKED BY A BIG BEAR OR A SWARM OF BEES? hhhhh bees

8. DO YOU HAVE FRECKLES? yep!! i love them its why im scared to use foundation i dont wanna lose em

9. DO YOU ALWAYS SMILE FOR PICTURES? i either smile or if my moms takin the pic il make a stupid face 

10. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST PET PEEVE? i have terrible road rage...... um........... i also hate it when men interrupt me i just walk away at that point 

11. DO YOU EVER COUNT YOUR STEPS WHEN YOU WALK? yeah i pretty much count everything

12. HAVE YOU PEED IN THE WOODS? i dont think so??

13. HAVE YOU EVER POOPED IN THE WOODS? def not lmao

14. DO YOU EVER DANCE EVEN IF THERES NO MUSIC PLAYING? i have an eating dance, a drinking dance, and a video game playing dance hahaa

15. DO YOU CHEW YOUR PENS AND PENCILS? yes ugh it annoys me but i cant stop

16. HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE YOU SLEPT WITH THIS WEEK? at LEAST 0

17. WHAT SIZE IS YOUR BED? i think its a single? a single or a twin either way im miserable send help

18. WHAT IS YOUR SONG OF THE WEEK? ummm probably You by Weird Milk?? its the most recent song i added on spotify so  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

19. IS IT OK FOR GUYS TO WEAR PINK? yeah def unless its one of those “real men wear pink shirts” like just.... stop

20. DO YOU STILL WATCH CARTOONS? sometimes my sister makes me watch stevens universe?? il watch phineas and ferb too bc honestly who doesnt anime too but not always cartoon ones or w/e

21. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE MOVIE? 2001: A Space Odyssey and Daughters of the Dust come to mind

22. WHERE WOULD YOU BURY HIDDEN TREASURE IF YOU HAD SOME? u kno where ;) no how big is the treasure?? if its a lil bit id put it in that drawer under the oven bc my family never uses that but if its BIG TREASURE id hide it in the backyard of the last house i lived in bc a. nobody lives there now and 2. its totally overrun with green bc of like two floods

23. WHAT DO YOU DRINK WITH DINNER? water! only water ever

24. WHAT DO YOU DIP A CHICKEN NUGGET IN? honey if theyre mcnuggets but other than that i use honey mustard!

25. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FOOD? chicky parm

26. WHAT MOVIES COULD YOU WATCH OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND STILL LOVE? honestly Inception is my feel-good movie

27. LAST PERSON, YOU KISSED/KISSED YOU? a lil babu

28. WERE YOU EVER A BOY/GIRL SCOUT? i was in girl scouts much longer than i ever wanted to be lmao WISH i coulda done BOY SCOUTS

29. WOULD YOU EVER STRIP OR POSE NUDE IN A MAGAZINE? if cash is involved absolutely

30. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU WROTE A LETTER TO SOMEONE ON PAPER? aboutttt three months ago!

31. CAN YOU CHANGE THE OIL ON A CAR? no but i can watch

32. EVER GOTTEN A SPEEDING TICKET? when i first got my license yea :( 15 yr olds are dum

33. EVER RAN OUT OF GAS? twice! very good memories

34. WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE KIND OF SANDWICH? egg salad gud

35. BEST THING TO EAT FOR BREAKFAST? the all star breakfast at waffle house yasssss

36. WHAT IS YOUR USUAL BEDTIME? honestly like 9 since i always have to wake up at 7 in the am but il stay up til 11 if i can

37. ARE YOU LAZY? absolutely when have ACTIVE ppl done ANYTHING

38. WHEN YOU WERE A KID, WHAT DID YOU DRESS UP AS FOR HALLOWEEN? i was usually a cat bc i never could find a costume i liked smh but when i was 2 i went as winnie the pooh lmao

39. WHAT IS YOUR CHINESE ASTROLOGICAL SIGN? ox!

40. HOW MANY LANGUAGES CAN YOU SPEAK? just english but im tryna learn spanish and japanese and im fluent in french if a two year olds speech patterns can be considered as such

41. DO YOU HAVE ANY MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTIONS? nah

42. WHICH ARE BETTER: LEGOS OR LINCOLN LOGS? LEGOS lincoln logs are big with nostalgia thoooo

43. ARE YOU STUBBORN? with dumb shit yeah but i usually just dont care enough abt stuff to deal

44. WHO IS BETTER: LENO OR LETTERMAN? theyre both old idc

45. EVER WATCH SOAP OPERAS? no lol

46. ARE YOU AFRAID OF HEIGHTS? not really tbh i like the adrenaline

47. DO YOU SING IN THE CAR? if im alone!! nobody deserves to hear that

48. DO YOU SING IN THE SHOWER? nahhh

49. DO YOU DANCE IN THE CAR? when im in the drive thru haaaa

50. EVER USED A GUN? id like to go to a shooting range some time but ive never used one im also very anti gun so i probs would never buy one unless it was a cute lil glock i can handle well

51. LAST TIME YOU GOT A PORTRAIT TAKEN BY A PHOTOGRAPHER? st patricks day it wasnt technically for me tho

52. DO YOU THINK MUSICALS ARE CHEESY? not in general but when ppl start obsessing over a certain one for months on end abt a certain time period and certain performers and certain songs and certain people of history i start wanting ppl to die

53. IS CHRISTMAS STRESSFUL? YEAH I NEVER HAVE MONEY WTF

54. EVER EAT A PIEROGI? my sisters obsessed with them so yea but never like. authentic polish potato pockets or anything just a frozen box of em

55. FAVORITE TYPE OF FRUIT PIE? apple?? im not rly into pie tbh

56. OCCUPATIONS YOU WANTED TO BE WHEN YOU WERE A KID? ive wanted to go into law enforcement/criminology my whole life!! for a sec i wanted to be a firefighter, a journalist/writer/poet, and some sort of artist but u know how kids are

57. DO YOU BELIEVE IN GHOSTS? i tried to find that clip from malcolm in the middle for like ten mins but i couldnt yea

58. EVER HAVE A DEJA-VU FEELING? doesnt everyone tho?

59. DO YOU TAKE A VITAMIN DAILY? no im a bad adult

60. DO YOU WEAR SLIPPERS? nah

61. DO YOU WEAR A BATH ROBE? im not rich!!

62. WHAT DO YOU WEAR TO BED? usually just my undies but when im living with other people il wear a soft shirt and my dc heroes pajama bottoms ayyy

63. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CONCERT? ive never been to one! i was gonna go see metallica in baltimore but i moved before i could smh

64. WALMART, TARGET, OR KMART? walmart sry targets cool but too much money!!! i go there for home things tho does kmart still exist

65. NIKE OR ADIDAS? ADIDAS ive been trying to get a full adidas tracksuit for YEARS

66. CHEETOS OR FRITOS? fritos! i like the super hot cheetos tho

67. PEANUTS OR SUNFLOWER SEEDS? peanutsssss

68. EVER HEAR OF THE GROUP TRES BIEN? Nope but they must be good im keepin @tickledsims response bc it made me laugh

69. EVER TAKE DANCE LESSONS? when i was a lil babu i took ballet and gymnastics a lil later

70. IS THERE A PROFESSION YOU PICTURE YOUR FUTURE SPOUSE DOING? i hope to never have a spouse  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

71. CAN YOU CURL YOUR TONGUE? yep

72. EVER WON A SPELLING BEE? ive actually never even had a spelling bee im sure theyre a myth

73. HAVE YOU EVER CRIED BECAUSE YOU WERE SO HAPPY? i think so??

74. OWN ANY RECORD ALBUMS? nah

75. OWN A RECORD PLAYER? nahhhhh

76. DO YOU REGULARLY BURN INCENSE? no but i had a roommate who did i fell in love

77. EVER BEEN IN LOVE? yeah ok lol so one time when i was a sophomore my french teacher had to use a substitute teacher and hes the reason i believe in love at first sight im STILL in love with him wtf ive also had a bf haha im hilarious

78. WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE IN CONCERT? i dont really do concerts so i couldnt say but i think matd would be fun!!

79. WHAT WAS THE LAST CONCERT YOU SAW? oh my god

80. HOT TEA OR COLD TEA? hot!!!!

81. TEA OR COFFEE? coffee!!!!!!

82. SUGAR COOKIES OR SNICKERDOODLES? i dont rly like either but i prefer snickerdoodles over sugar

83. CAN YOU SWIM WELL? i can only do that weird frog swim i forget what its called so no im shit at it

84. CAN YOU HOLD YOUR BREATH WITHOUT HOLDING YOUR NOSE? ye

85. ARE YOU PATIENT? if im able to distract myself?? it also depends on the severity of what im waiting on i guess

86. DJ OR BAND AT A WEDDING? probs a band i guess i dont rly think abt that kinda stuff sry

87. EVER WON A CONTEST? when i was four i won a coloring contest at the ice cream store

88. HAVE YOU EVER HAD PLASTIC SURGERY? nope im poor 89. WHICH ARE BETTER: BLACK OR GREEN OLIVES? both are good!

90. CAN YOU KNIT OR CROCHET? i can knit but i cant crochet

91. BEST ROOM FOR A FIREPLACE? fckn bathroom

92. DO YOU WANT TO GET MARRIED? not rly unless its a partnership longlasting romance stresses me out especially with financial responsibility etc

93. IF MARRIED, HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN MARRIED? -20 years

94. WHO WAS YOUR HIGH SCHOOL CRUSH? my high school boyfriend hahaaa h,,,,

95. DO YOU CRY AND THROW A FIT UNTIL YOU GET YOUR OWN WAY? im an adult sry

96. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? 1!

97. DO YOU WANT KIDS? nope! lmao i love her tho

98. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE COLOR? red but i also like many others??? idk

99. DO YOU MISS ANYONE RIGHT NOW? ummm not rly?? im not close enough to anyone to miss them and those i am close to im able to hang with

100. WHO ARE YOU GOING TO TAG TO DO THIS TAG NEXT? god uhhh if you havent done it already and want to, @dreambot @nebula-simms @ellowynsims and @pixelbloom

[miamihotlines]

im copying some of my friends by doing an ask thing whoops

1. Would you have sex with the last person you text messaged? like, sms? in which case NO 2. You talked to an ex today, correct? thank god not 3. Have you taken someones virginity? no 4. Is trust a big issue for you? yea i have rly bad trust issues 5. Did you hang out with the person you like recently? no, ive been cooped up in my house making art 6. What are you excited for? SPLAT 2 SPLAT 2 SPLAT 2 7. What happened tonight? i drew and hung out with some comrades on a discord server 8. Do you think it’s disgusting when girls get really wasted? no? why would i? i just worry if theyll be ok 9. Is confidence cute? im indifferent honestly 10. What is the last beverage you had? green tea 11. How many people of the opposite sex do you fully trust? i only rly get along with guys so i guess? 12. Do you own a pair of skinny jeans? too many 13. What are you gonna do Saturday night? go to pride and have a Swell time 14. What are you going to spend money on next? video games probably 15. Are you going out with the last person you kissed? NO THANK FUCKING GOD 16. Do you think you’ll change in the next 3 months? not really 17. Who do you feel most comfortable talking to about anything? i dunno honestly. ever since //d// left me i havent really felt comfortable talking to anyone  18. The last time you felt broken? right now 19. Have you had sex today? no 20. Are you starting to realize anything? my initial feelings during 8th grade were right. 21. Are you in a good mood? ???? 22. Would you ever want to swim with sharks? sounds fun 23. Are your eyes the same color as your dad’s? no, my dad has brown eyes and i have like. poopy brown 24. What do you want right this second? a cute anarcho-boyfriend to cuddle with and play video games with 25. What would you say if the person you love/like kissed another girl/boy? cool i guess. i mean im kind of possessive sometimes but 26. Is your current hair color your natural hair color? yea. i wanna dye it blue but school wont let me 27. Would you be able to date someone who doesn’t make you laugh? i tried that once and uh. lets just say it was terrible 28. What was the last thing that made you laugh? ryan’s bara tiddies 29. Do you really, truly miss someone right now? yes yes yes yes yes yes yes 30. Does everyone deserve a second chance? Anyone can turn themselves around. 31. Honestly, do you hate the last boy you were talking to? a small part of me does. 32. Does the person you have feelings for right now, know you do? i dont really fully have feelings for him but i guess 33. Are you one of those people who never drinks soda? i do sometimes, im trying to stop 34. Listening to? broken from the plastic beach album 35. Do you ever write in pencil anymore? mechanical pencils only 36. Do you know where the last person you kissed is? dont know dont care i hope i never see him again 37. Do you believe in love at first sight? i get infatuated with people but i wouldnt call that love 38. Who did you last call? my dad probably 39. Who was the last person you danced with? i dont dance 40. Why did you kiss the last person you kissed? we were dating and i was on his lap watching anime 41. When was the last time you ate a cupcake? dont know but now i want one 42. Did you hug/kiss one of your parents today? i hug my dad everytime he comes home 43. Ever embarrass yourself in front of a crush? all the time. i do it in the attempt they notice me 44. Do you tan in the nude? i want to. the sun is good for my acne 45. If you could, would you take back your last kiss? yes yes yes yes 46. Did you talk to someone until you fell asleep last night? no 47. Who was the last person to call you? my dad 48. Do you sing in the shower? of course i do. really off-key 49. Do you dance in the car? mostly when im with my squad and we listen to eurobeat while drving rly fast 50. Ever used a bow and arrow? no 51. Last time you got a portrait taken by a photographer? uhhh a few months ago for band 52. Do you think musicals are cheesy? no i love them so much 53. Is Christmas stressful? no, but its lost its charm 54. Ever eat a pierogi? a what 55. Favorite type of fruit pie? fruit is dumb 56. Occupations you wanted to be when you were a kid? a scientist 57. Do you believe in ghosts? ghosts are a spook 58. Ever have a Deja-vu feeling? had one earlier today 59. Take a vitamin daily? i have them but i forget to take them 60. Wear slippers? barefoot or bust 61. Wear a bath robe? no 62. What do you wear to bed? undies only 63. First concert? some christian band i cant remember 64. Wal-Mart, Target or Kmart? i fucking hate walmart so target 65. Nike or Adidas? adidas for the A E S T H E T I C 66. Cheetos Or Fritos? cheetos. but only the spicy ones 67. Peanuts or Sunflower seeds? does peanut butter count? 68. Favorite Taylor Swift song? ...bad blood 69. Ever take dance lessons? no 70. Is there a profession you picture your future spouse doing? spouse? you think anyone would marry ME? 71. Can you curl your tongue? i think so? 72. Ever won a spelling bee? yeah. i was a big spelling nerd when i was a kid 73. Have you ever cried because you were so happy? sometimes. 74. What is your favorite book? the communist manifesto 75. Do you study better with or without music? vaporwave helps me concentrate 76. Regularly burn incense? every day 77. Ever been in love? a few times. doesnt happen very often 78. Who would you like to see in concert? GORILLAZ 79. What was the last concert you saw? same as before, some christian band 80. Hot tea or cold tea? cold 81. Tea or coffee? coffee 82. Favorite type of cookie? peanut butter 83. Can you swim well? i can, but not well 84. Can you hold your breath without holding your nose? yea but water still gets in my nose 85. Are you patient? no 86. DJ or band, at a wedding? DJ. 87. Ever won a contest? ive won a few art contests in my day 88. Ever have plastic surgery? no 89. Which are better black or green olives? neither olives are gross 90. Opinions on sex before marriage? dont care 91. Best room for a fireplace? a living room with a tv and bear rug 92. Do you want to get married? not really. a ceremony would be nice tho

[sincerelyskin]

What’s the Deal With Walnut Scrubs?

Last week I talked about confidence in relation to our skin, and how our mental health is ultimately impacted by conditions like acne. In times where I’ve felt hopeless, I turned to educating myself further on my own skin and the products that could help me. Understanding the products we use and how they can affect your skin can ultimately save you from both harming your skin further and wasting your money. There’s been countless times over the years where I’ve purchased a product and was so hopeful of it improving my skin, but in the end I saw no changes and I had spent my money for nothing. Through the trials of using natural oils, niacinamide serums, or exfoliants, I grew to know the feeling of disappointment after using a product for a whole month and not having my expectations met. It was easy for me to feel hopeful about a product after watching one YouTube video about it, or reading a couple good reviews here and there. Once the product was in my hands, I felt excited to start using it right away––maybe this was the next miracle product I’d been searching for. I had used the product for one week, two weeks, three... but I saw no real difference in my skin. For a while I’d feel in denial––maybe I still hadn’t been using the product long enough to see results. It wasn’t until the bottles were empty that it would really hit me that this was another failure. It was yet another instance of false hope. Nowadays, I make sure to research a product more in-depth, look at the ingredients, and see if I can find reviews by others who have personally already tried the product. Armed with the right information, I’m able to make more conscious skincare decisions that make my skin feel and look better. I encourage you call to do your own research. 

Introducing Kylie Skin

This week, I want to shed light on a particular product that has been under fire on social media. On May 22nd, Kylie Jenner launched her new skincare line, Kylie Skin. The 21 year old billionaire has already released a successful makeup line, Kylie Cosmetics, and has stated in her Instagram post announcing Kylie Skin that “skincare and makeup go hand in hand and Kylie Skin was something i dreamt up soon after Kylie Cosmetics.” 

Her new skincare line includes six relatively affordable products: Foaming Face Wash, Vanilla Milk Toner, Moisturizer, Eye Cream, Vitamin C Serum, and the product most under fire––Walnut Face Scrub. Altogether the set costs a combined total of $125. The products claim to be cruelty free, gluten free, sulfate free, paraben free, vegan, and dermatologist tested.

Expectations and Reactions

When I first saw that Kylie was dropping a skincare line, I wanted to be hopeful. With such a large platform, Kylie has a large audience following her and interested in the products that she sells or promotes. Many young girls look up to her and take inspiration from her. Because of her massive influence and privilege to access resources many of us can’t, I genuinely hoped she did her research to put out products with great ingredients and market them honestly. However, in the first video I watched about her skincare line, the way in which she described using her walnut scrub immediately came off to me as dishonest.

In the video, she says “My walnut skin scrub is my secret to a fresh face.” Considering Kylie is in a privileged position where she has access to the most expensive products and treatments, as well as links to top rated dermatologists and professionals, I somehow doubt her secret to her smooth glowy skin is a $22 face scrub. Also, I was appalled to hear her say that the product was gentle enough to be used every day. Physical exfoliants can easily irritate the skin if they are used too frequently, and you can end up damaging your skin further as opposed to helping it. I’ve experienced this with my own skin after I used my physical exfoliant every other day for a few weeks. My skin eventually grew sensitive and would burn any time I applied any of my regular skincare products. In general, considering the negative reputation that walnut face scrubs have, her words appear even more realistic to me. 

This negative reputation of walnut face scrubs was clearly manifested in the tweets replying to the video. Tweet after tweet, numerous individuals––and aestheticians––voiced their disapproval and concern over the marketing of this product. 

This Sounds Familiar...

Clearly, many people aren’t happy with the scrub due to its potential to harm your skin. Some individuals even compared Kylie’s products to yet another infamous face scrub––the St. Ives Apricot Scrub. The St. Ives scrub is said to be too abrasive on the skin, and some dermatologists have voiced their concerns. An article from The Atlantic shares insight from dermatologist Annie Chiu, she says “The problem [with scrubs] is that with over-zealous or too often use, they can irritate and cause more inflammation.” And here’s a fun fact: two women sued St. Ives for $5 million as they claimed that the product has the potential for damaging skin and its “dermatologist tested” label is suspicious.

Figuring Out the Formula

Evidently, walnut face scrubs have a bad rep. But how can these products actually harm your face? What should we be wary about? 

In its list of ingredients, Kylie’s Walnut Face Scrub includes some seemingly-beneficial ingredients that claim to benefit you skin. 

However, the problem lies within the “walnut” part of the face scrub. Walnut scrubs are quite self-explanatory––they contain crushed up bits of walnut that then serve to exfoliate the skin from dead skin cells. This kind of scrub is a physical exfoliant (as opposed to a chemical exfoliant). Physical exfoliants involve some type of granules like sugar or walnut shells (these face scrubs look like they have little “beads” in the formula) and you literally use them to “scrub” away dead skin cells when you wash your face. Chemical exfoliants, on the other hand, involve acids––like glycolic, salicylic, or lactic acids––and are found in serums, toners, or peels in order to gradually dissolve dead skin cells as the product seeps into the skin. Board-certified dermatologist Mary P. Lupo describes more in depth how you should choose the right exfoliant and how often you should use it.

Remember the Risks

Using a walnut face scrub comes with its risks. This exfoliant is prone to irritating the skin and can actually leave micro tears in the skin as you are literally scrubbing it with physical granules. Joshua Zeichner, MD, states that “Walnut shell scrubs have traditionally been considered to be harsh on the skin,” and, “The issue was that if the powder wasn’t finally ground up enough, sharp edges may disrupt the skin barrier.” If used too often and too abrasively, walnut scrubs can work on your skin like sandpaper instead of an effective exfoliant. This problem is also not necessarily exclusive to walnut face scrubs, as other kinds of physical exfoliants can also become abrasive if used often and harshly. Such aggressive scrubbing and everyday use of walnut scrubs can not only contribute to micro tears in the skin, but can lead to broken capillaries in the face.

A Second Opinion

In addition, I found this video tweeted by Hassan Sayyed, who created his own all natural skin and body care called Haus Urban. He explains well the idea that using scrubs like the one in question can essentially pierce the skin instead of exfoliating it. His warning reflects those of other voiced concerns as he depicts that using products like this one without the proper knowledge can result in more harm than help. 

Cassandra Bankson, who I mentioned in my previous blogpost, made a video talking more in depth about the walnut scrub and also addressed the rest of Kylie’s products from her skincare line. She describes further the benefits and concerns revolving the ingredients inside these products. 

What Are the Alternatives?

There are plenty of options out in the world of skincare that serve the same purpose as Kylie’s scrub. I’ve looked into two other kinds of exfoliants that may produce satisfactory results with smaller risks. But, it is important to note that you shouldn’t just take my word for the products you want to buy. Everyone has different skin and different needs. Everyone’s skin will react differently to the same product. My goal here is to provide you all with a place to start looking. 

The two products I’ve found are chemical exfolinats. As I explained above, chemical exfoliants are found in a variety of products and include different kinds of acids (glycolic, lactic, salicylic, ect.). These products dissolve dead skin cells gradually as opposed to having them scrubbed off with physical exfoliants. I have personally turned to using chemical exfoliants because they are less abrasive on my skin. 

The first product is the T.L.C. Framboos™ Glycolic Night Serum from Drunk Elephant. This night serum is packed with a blend of AHA acids such as glycolic and lactic acid that help smooth, even-out, and brighten the skin. In addition to the acids, this serum includes several beneficial ingredients that contain antioxidants and are soothing. Raspberry fruit extract, cactus extract, and horse chestnut are just a few of the many ingredients packed into this small bottle. However, this serum is on the pricey side, as it costs $90 for a 30 ml bottle. 

A more affordable alternative is the Skin Perfecting 8% AHA Gel Exfoliant from Paula’s Choice Skincare, priced at about $25 for 3.3 oz of product. This gel naturally helps to shed dead skin cells as it evens skin tone, smooths out fine lines, and improve the skin’s surface. While this product may not have as many ingredients packed into it as the Drunk Elephant exfoliant, there are still many great ingredients inside the bottle. Chamomile, green tea, and Sodium Hyaluronate are a few of the skin-soothing and antioxidants in the ingredients list. I’ve personally been using this product for the past couple of weeks, and so far it hasn’t irritated my skin or dried it out. I’ve also been experiencing less breakouts, but I’m not positive if this is due entirely to the exfoliant itself. In general, I’ve been liking this product so far and hope to see if it helps reduce any of my hyperpigmentation as I continue to use it. 

Think Before You Buy

Kylie Skin has just barely emerged onto the market, and I’m interested to see what other information we receive as people get their hands on the product. The entire web-store sold out soon after the products launched on May 22nd on kylieskin.com, and I wonder how positive or negative the reactions will be once everyone’s packages arrive in the coming days. However, considering what we know about the walnut scrub at the moment, I hope this cautionary tale illustrates how we should be careful with the products we use and are curious about. Sometimes we end up taking harmful risks blindly if we are not educated on the skincare products we use. That being said, I encourage everyone to do their own research on products before using it themselves. Consult a dermatologist, conduct research online, read reviews by those who have tried it, find out your skin type, and pay attention to key ingredients. Everyone’s skin is different––what ultimately works for one person may have little to no effect for the next person. Understanding what your skin likes, and discovering what ingredients can benefit your situation the most, will ultimately lead to smarter and healthier skincare expenses. Buying products just because we know the name or our favorite celebrity promotes it does not mean that we should be spending money on them. You know your skin better than Kylie Jenner or anyone else.  

[royal-despair-threads]

Liz & Dmitri [Prologue]

The pink haired chef sighed, making a mental note to himself to stay as far away from Ethan Townsworth as possible. The Psychologist was clearly someone disagreeable, or at least, someone who could be respected but his personality honestly needed more work. Still, there was another person involved in the Kai incident, wasn't there?

He approached the girl, the soft footfall of his boots alerting people to his presence. "My name is Dmitri Cierzon, Miss. I'd like to talk about Kai."

Liz recognized this person, he was one of the ones from earlier when Kai's... situation, was being discussed, although she wasn't one for confrontation she had actually been hoping to talk to him about what had happened, "Ah, hello, I'm Liz, and yes, I was hoping to talk to you about that whole situation as well..."

"Indeed," he nodded. "You seem to have Kai's best interests at heart, and I don't begrudge you for your curiosity. But getting him to eat and drink and rest is only the first step. I was concerned because if it was said in front of him, and he rejected it, he could refuse to accept any help and force himself to not eat at all."

A look of alarm showed on Liz's face, "O-oh... oh no... I hadn't thought about that..." She sighs and pinches her nose in annoyance and disappointment at her own inconsideration, "I... really I just want to make sure that he's healthy, and doesn't get hurt.  Maybe I shouldn't have been too forceful, I just don't know how to approach these sorts of things..."

"I know," Dmitri nods, his tone gentle. "That's why I'm talking with you. My talent doesn't lie in taking care of others; I only cook for them. I was hoping you could help in this."

Liz thinks for a moment, a bit frustrated, "I wish I could say that I'll be more useful in this situation, but I'm no nurse or caretaker, and I know so frustratingly little about psychology or how to treat a patient suffering from such an illness... did you talk to Ethan about this? if you did, did he have any insight in how to treat this situation? he is  technically a psychologist after all..."

"...." Dmitri sighed, his expression speaking volumes of his disappointment. "He wasn't interested. He also tried to flirt with me."

She notices the disappointment and thinks a bit more, "I think... the most we can do is try to have someone with him as much as possible?  If not to try to get him to eat and drink at the very least to make sure he doesn't get hurt somehow? since he probably wouldn't tell us if he did get hurt...  but... Ethan really just flirted with you...?"

"He threatened me, tried to get off on a technicality, told me to slap him if it made me feel better, then tried to flirt with me just to appease me," Dmitri counted off his fingers. "Then he asked for a civil conversation after I shut his flirting down."

"I..I see, thats very... odd, its a shame he can't be of more use, we really do need a psychologist to deal with this..." Liz looks at Dmitri with concern, "but I guess there's no use arguing about it, um, sorry for getting so irritated at you earlier I guess it was just in the heat of the moment... And... Yeah "

"I think he's deprived," Dmitri nodded. "Or he thinks with the wrong head." Blunt much, wow. "But it's fine. I'm thinking... maybe, if we can make group meals, we can encourage everyone to eat together? And bring Kai along. I'm thinking sweets, but too many sweets are bad for a person too..."

"hmm, that could work but it definitely should be something more substantial, though I guess sweets would be more enticing to most people... But if food overall isn't motivating to him then maybe we should put our efforts towards getting him to ingest more nutritionally substantial foods instead of sweets...?" She trails off, "group meals are a good idea though..."

Dmitri thought about it a little more, chewing on his lower lip. ".... would a pie work?"

"a pie,,," Liz grins, "I'd say it's worth a shot. I was hoping to also get him to take some vitamins too, but one step at a time, we'll start with the pie."

"I can do that. Maybe more fruits in the pie to bring in some vitamins?" He nodded his head. It sounded like a good game plan. "Do you think a savoury pie would be too harsh on him? I could go for a sweet or a sour also."

"Usually savory pies are a bit heavier than sweet pies, so I feel like that might be too much, but I wouldn't want him to just eat something extremely sweet... maybe a sweet pie? but not one that has an obnoxious amount of sugar in it?" She nods, happy that she is able to help in some way with Kai. "if worse comes to worse it would really help to have a feeding tube and an IV, but let's hope it doesn't come to that."

"I'm worried that there may not be adequate medical equipment, because you can't really substitute good equipment with anything makeshift without big problems happening," Dmitri sighed. "Maybe a small slice of a sweet pie? More liquids like milk and soup maybe, though we might need to find someone else to cook mains. Then we can slowly try getting him to eat bigger portions I guess?"

She sighs, "I know, this is incredibly frustrating to be so limited," She nods, "Yeah I was thinking liquids might be a good idea as well, I think I remember Raiden saying something about being able to cook? but yeah that sounds like a good plan, start small with liquids, then build up to more substantial meals."

"Raiden?" Dmitri hasn't met the guy yet. "Is that the pink haired super extra tall lady or the extra tall guy in green?"

"Umm, I think he would be the sumo wrestler guy in green."

"Oh.... he's the one who says he'll make soup that sumo wrestlers eat," he nodded, before paling. "Wait, does that mean we'll get fat if we eat the soup?"

Liz tries to stifle a laugh, "We might... but maybe he knows how to make something else... besides, why wouldn't you want that sweet sumo wrestler bod?" Liz isn't usually the type to make jokes, she hopes it goes over well, and Dmitri doesn't just look at her with a blank look, then decides to ignore her from the cringiness, she shivers at the remembrance of  the many failed attempts at humor of the past.

He gives her a look of faux-horror, returning the joke because why not? "With my height? The look would be wasted, I'd just look short and fat! No, I think I'm better off being average."

Liz awkardly reaches her hand behind her head, "haha, yeah... but anyway, I think it's cool that you're actually... doing something about this and trying to be supportive of Kai, so, um, yeah, just wanted to say that."

"Not really," he shook his head. "I just think it's my duty to help everyone I can, you know? So thank you for agreeing to help also."

"That's admirable, I'm glad to be of help"  She smiles genuinely.  "I guess its kind of my duty to make sure everyone is healthy

"Your duty....?" He blinked. "Are you like, a doctor?"

"H-huh? Oh right! I guess I never really did tell you my ultimate talent, I'm the ultimate surgeon, though I can also do things like setting broken bones and whatnot that don't really involve surgery." With a finger to her chin she glances over at Dmitri, "and let me guess, your talent has something to do with cooking? " God she hopes she's right and didn't just sound like an ass.

He nods with a smile. "I can technically bake just about anything passably, but I specialise in pastries. Pastry Chef's it."

"Oh, that's cool!  I'm just awful at cooking so it's nice to know that there are a few cooks on board. Not that we have access to a kitchen...  but anyway,  how did you become so good at baking? Have you just always baked since you were little?" She glances at Dmitri curiously.

"Yup! My family owns a bakery, so I help out lots," He informed her. "There's really no cheats or luck involved in baking, since many of the recipes are simple to accomplish, but easy to mess up. Practice is needed, and depending on what it is that you're making, there may be no room to hide."

She grins, "that sounds kinda intense in a weird sort of way. I tried making a pie for dinner one time and the crust ended up being like cardboard... I guess I should just stick to medicine."

"I can teach you if we ever get access to a kitchen?" He offered. "I don't mind!"