#like i used to finish a meal in like 15 minutes and now sometimes it takes like 1 and a half hours

[sleepless-crows]

ever since i got braces ive gotten so tired of eating like it feels like a chore i have to do and before i used to eat so much and i loved eating but now it takes me longer than an hour to finish one meal and its so so so tiring

[pastel-charm-14]

dealing with academic burnout

hey lovelies! if you're feeling burnt out with school right now, you're not alone. here are some tips to help you push through and finish strong!! (long post incoming :))

BREAK IT DOWN -

big assignments can feel overwhelming, so break them into smaller, more manageable tasks. instead of "write a 10-page paper," think "write an outline," "research for 1 hour," "write the introduction," and so on. this makes the workload less daunting and helps you make consistent progress. it's also helpful to keep track of those smaller tasks in a list.

BE REALISTIC -

prioritize your tasks and set achievable daily or weekly goals. don't try to do everything at once. make a to-do list every day, and highlight your most important tasks. this helps you stay organized but also it feels really good to check things off your list :) for example, aim to complete two math problems instead of the entire set, or read one chapter instead of the whole book, and see where it goes from there.

TAKE BREAKS -

in order to be productive, you need to rest your mind!! try the pomodoro technique: work for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break. after four cycles, take a longer break (15-30 minutes). during your breaks, do something completely different from your study activity. get up, stretch, grab a snack, or go for a quick walk outside. it's refreshing for your mind and body.

STAY ACTIVE -

physical activity helps reduce stress and improve your mood. so you should aim to get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day. this could be a workout, a yoga session, or even just a really fast walk. if you don't have much time, try putting short bursts of activity in throughout your day. for example, do some stretches or a few jumping jacks between pomodoro cycles.

GET SUPPORT -

talk to friends, family, or a counselor if you're feeling overwhelmed. sometimes, just having someone listen can make a huge difference!! if you’re struggling with a particular subject or area, try forming/joining a study group or seeking help from a tutor. working with others can give you new perspectives and helps with loneliness.

HAVE A HEALTHY DIET -

your brain needs proper fuel to function at its best. try to eat balanced meals with fruits, veggies, whole grains, and protein. avoid too much caffeine and sugary snacks, because those can lead to energy crashes. keep a water bottle with you and make sure you're drinking enough throughout the day to keep your energy levels stable.

GET ENOUGH SLEEP -

pulling all-nighters is going to affect your concentration and memory. go for 7-8 hours of sleep each night. get a bedtime routine in place to help signal to your body that it's time to wind down. this could include stuff like reading a book, listening to calming music, or doing some mindfulness exercises. avoid screens at least an hour before bed, because the blue light can interfere with your sleep.

REWARD YOURSELF -

give yourself something to look forward to after completing a task. a favorite snack, watching an episode of your favorite show, or spending some time on social media, really anything that makes you happy. rewards reinforce your positive behavior and make studying feel more manageable. for example, tell yourself, "after I finish this chapter, I'll take a break to watch a funny youtube video."

STAY ORGANIZED -

keep track of deadlines and dates!! it will save you so much stress!! use a planner, calendar app, or bullet journal to log all your assignments and exam dates. you can also color code by subject/priority to make it easier to see what needs attention. review your schedule often and adjust it when you need to.

GIVE YOURSELF SOME LOVE -

it's okay to feel tired and stressed!! be kind to yourself and remember that you're doing your best. if you need to take a break, don't feel guilty about it. self-care is just as important as academic achievement. try some mindfulness or meditation and just take a moment to ground yourself.

hang in there, you've got this! just a little bit more to go and it'll be all worth it in the end. 🫶

[raenizza]

Post-Workout

Sypnosis: Jey pulls up to the house after his long workout with his brothers. He originally planned to be home at an earlier time to help the Reader prepare dinner, but it has been over two hours since. In order to make up for it, he bought her flowers and her favorite candy to sweeten her up for his lateness while also laying down another surprise for her.

Characters/ Pairings: Jey Uso x Reader, Jey Uso x Black Reader, Jey Uso x OC, Jey Uso x Black OC, Jey Uso x Y/N

Word Count: 2,688

Warnings: Cursing, WAP, a little bump and grind, creamy glizzy, and some good ole luvin’

Author’s Note: Hello my loves! It has been a while since I’ve written something so I decided to surprise yall with something short and sweet to read over the weekend. Enjoy 😊

~~

“Aight y’all, I gotta hit the road” Jey says to his brothers after placing down the weights and moving towards the lockers to get his gym bag. 

“Already? Bro we just started” Jimmy chuckles. 

The boys planned to do a quick 3-hour session in, but then 3 hours quickly turned into 5, due to their competitive nature. Jimmy and Solo stopped their routine and stood up from their machines as they watched their brother gather his things. 

“Uce it's just 30 more minutes. It won’t take long” Solo spoke out. 

“Nah man, I gotta go. I promised y/n that I’d be home like 2 hours ago.” Jey responded to them heading in their direction.

“Maaan she goin be aight, we just got finish up this one last set-”

“Listen, yall can get it done without me, aight, I really gotta go. Plus I promised her” 

Jey said to his brothers as hugged them goodbye and sprinted tothe front of the gym.

“Uggggh, fine. But you owe us!” Jimmy said.

“I know, I’ll see y’all later, Love u!” he shouted as he opened the gym’s door.

“Love you too!” They both shouted back.

~

Jey realized how late it was getting and knew that he was going to have to make up for it big time. As he drove out of the gym's parking lot and headed down the main road, he pulled out his phone to give you quick call.

“Hey baby,” he said with such softness.

“Well Well, look who finally called. I was wondering when I was gonna get my husband back” you giggled on the other line.

“Look baby, I am on my way home now, aight. Imma be there in about 15-20 minutes tops.” He responded. 

“Mmhmm you said that, lemme check. about 3 whole hours ago.”

“I know I know I know things just got outta hand at the gym, you know competitive me and my brothers are plus we-” He stopped for a moment as he sat at the stoplight staring at the Target sign that lit up just a few miles down the road. 

“You know what baby, on second thought, make it 30 minutes.”

“THIRTY MINUTES?!?! Why?”

“ Don’t worry, I gotta surprise for you okay, just be ready when I get home.” 

You let out a deep negro sigh.

“Okay, just please come home safe, love” you ended the call. 

You wondered why he was so hesitant to end the call. Hoping that it was an actual surprise and that nothing actually happened to him on his commute home. You got up from the couch and entered the kitchen, looking at the mess you made from the meal you prepared. A small wave of sadness flooded you as you set aside his plate of food. The food looked amazing and came out great, hell it would’ve been perfect if he was here to enjoy it. You and Jey agreed that after his workout session, he’d come straight home and help make dinner, together. Like you always do with him, but sometimes things don’t work out as planned. And that’s okay, but when becomes a frequent occurrence, things start to change.

It’s not that you don’t mind your husband working and getting the things that need to be done, it’s just that some days you want him all to yourself. You want to feel his presence, his love, and warmth but due to the change in his schedule things have been quite difficult. You started to miss your man more often and try to spend every second with him as much as possible. 

After washing the dishes and putting dinner away, you swept up the kitchen making it as clean as possible. As you headed towards the staircase, you heard the machine for the garage door, open, indicating that your man has finally reached home. Excited as you are, you rushed towards the garage eager to grab the doorknob. But it sprung open before you could even get the chance. Jey’s beautiful face pierced out from the doorway. 

“IM HOMEEE!!” Jey said with his arms lifted in the air and the biggest smile on his face. Showing his bottom grills. He hugged and then picked you up all at the same time, flooding you with kisses and nibbles all over your face and neck.

“Ahhh!” you yelped out once he started to playfully bite your cheeks. You pushed him back, looking at the object in his hands.

“Are these for me?” You grabbed the large bouquet of flowers in his right hand.

“They most certainly are. They didn’t have any Roses, so I got these.” You looked at the beautiful bright pink carnation flowers and smiled at the kind gesture. Jey proceeded to go down on one knee, holding the flowers, and looking up to you. 

“Baby, I would like to apologize for my lateness, tonight. It won’t happen again, I promise you.” He handed the flowers to you. “Oh and one more thing.” Held in his other hand were three of your favorite candies. 

“I know you’ve been craving these for a minute now.” He said with a chuckle.  You laughed, grabbed the bouquet and kissed him deeply. 

“Thank you so much, baby. Your apology is accepted and I sure have” Trying to open up one of the candy bars. For a brief moment, the both of you stood there in each other's embrace, his cologne was so strong that even a few hours of the gym couldn’t stand a chance. All you could think of at that moment was how much you missed him. 

“I have one more surprise for you.” He said in a deep tone. Jey lifted you up, bridesmaid style and carried you up the stairs and into the master bedroom. He grabbed the bouquet and your candy from your hands and placed it on the dressing table. He placed you gently on the bed and started to undress you pulling off your sweatpants and t-shirt (his t-shirt to be exact) and worked his way from your beautiful brown thighs all the way up to your gorgeous face covering you with kisses, love bites, and massages. Before he reached your neck, he stripped himself of his clothes, leaving him with just his bright red briefs. You stopped him quickly.

“Wait, hold on baby. You’re not tired from the gym?” you asked with a concerned look.

“I got one more session in me.” He responded, going right back down to you. He finally reached your lips and started to kiss you slowly and intimately. The tip of his tongue swirls against yours as he exchanges saliva with you. You moaned in his mouth with every kiss, feeling him press his body against yours. You felt his dick harden in his undergarments as it grazed perfectly on your entrance. Jey slowly started to grind himself into you, without even stripping you down to your full nude. Kissing you still he grabbed his left hand and slid inside your damp panties, rubbing your already wet folds.

“Mmhmm baby, look at you. Already wet for me,” he said in between kisses. You couldn't help but only moaned as he spoke to you. It’s been a hot minute since you’ve felt like this, his heat mixing in with yours. He continued to rub your entrance, teasing you as his fingers would slide over your clit. You wanted him to pick up the pace just a bit more, and within a second he did. You grind your hips against his thick large fingers. ‘Fuck this feels so fucking good’ you thought. His breath was on your lips as he tempted to slide just one finger in, but he backed down instantly. He pulled his hand out from you and sucked your juices off his fingers. 

“Mmm you taste so good, baby girl,”  he says to you looking at your full lips. “Come taste it” as he kisses you again crashing his tongue once more into your mouth. It felt so good to have him in your face again. You closed your legs and started to shift your position a bit so you can kiss him even deeper. You feel yourself getting warm and hot as he slid his hand underneath grabbing your ass.

“I wanna cum so bad” you whispered on his lips.

“Mhmm, you wanna cum? Mmmmm” he moaned out

“We haven’t done anything yet baby, just kissing makes you wanna cum huh” he moans in your ear. You nodded your head in agreement. 

He pulled away and got up. Positioning himself right in front of you, Jey went straight to taking your panties off to unclasping your bra with the swiftness. He pulled his member out and began smacking it against your pussy lips.  As he slides the tip in, he let his spit fall directly on his shaft before fully entering and then making direct eye contact with you. Growling as your walls start to expand on his girth.

Jey started with slow and steady strokes, making you feel every inch of his dick, watching you moan in pleasure. 

“Oh you taking it baby, you taking that shit.” He says passionately on your lips. You felt him pump in and out of you slowly, making sure you adjust to his size just right. “Mmmm you feel so good.” you moaned out to him, as you dig your nails deeper into his tatted skin. Your eyes began to roll back as his strokes quickened. Moving at a much faster rate, you feel him holding your waist down as he fucks deep into you. You glance at the ceiling for a moment and then look back up to him in awe.  His gold Cuban link dangling over your face. 

“Mhmm mhmm, how that shit feel bae,” he said breathlessly in your ear.

“It. feels. So- mmmmhm.” You replied biting down on your lips and in between his strokes. Him pounding your shit felt so good you couldn’t even get any words out.

Jey slowed down a bit so he can reach his hand down to your pussy to rub your clit. He gently wrapped his free hand around your throat. This sent you over the edge, him pleasuring in ways only you could only imagine. Your pussy felt so good wrapped around his dick, taking him in. He watches you tense up at his strokes and as you moan in ecstasy. 

 “FUCK!.” he groaned to seeing your juices covering his dick, the room filled with wet noises coming from his deep strokes and his thighs slapping against you.

Jey then pulled you closer to him and decided to slow down for a bit, he lowered his head in the vape of your neck kissing it. He pulled back looking at you. 

“Look at my eyes.” You divert your attention from watching his waist and movement to his beautiful face, avoiding eye contact.

“You see how good you make me feel. Just look in my eyes. Can you see my desire for you?” he said in a breathy and lustful tone. You stared at the grills in his mouth, still not looking directly at him like wants you to.

“You see how bad I wanna fuck you. LOOK. AT. ME.” He grabbed your face instantly, forcing contact. You finally looked into his eyes. His beautiful dark chocolate brown eyes. He fucked you even deeper now that he made you look, his pelvis making a deep connection to yours. 

“That’s right baby, Look at me.” He says to you. You sensed your body feeling warm again, as you felt yourself coming close. Jey sensed this too and immediately stopped. “No baby don’t stop please don’t, keep goin.” You begged. 

“Mhmm, baby you gotta put in some work too,” he said as he slid out and laid on his back next to you. 

“C’mere. Come ride me.” He patted his lap signaling you to come. You quickly took position facing him. 

“Uhn Uhn turn around.” Shocked by this you turned yourself around, ass facing him. You arched a bit, so you can grab his tip gently placing it at the front of your entrance.

“Look at that. Look at that,” he says in between slaps on your ass, adoring every inch of you. He grabs your waist pulling you down onto him making it easier for the both of you. You started off slow, moving up and down at a good pace. 

“That’s it, baby. Keep going.” Jey started to grunt and moan. 

“Fuckkk” he whispered under his breath, watching your ass bounce on his dick made felt so fucking good. You felt his dick pulsate inside you, you started to pick up the pace.

“Mmmm yes, Daddy.” You breathed out to him, gripping your hips tiger, keeping that rhythm flowing. Riding him was always a favorite position of his and yours as well. You loved the satisfaction it gave you, his grunts and moans as you bounce on his dick, turns you on the most.

“Mmmhm That ass taking this dick. Gimme that ass baby” Jey growls under you. You proceeded to follow his request, giving him what he wants. Hell he deserves it. 

“ Ooouuu fuckkkk, that ass sounds so good on my dick baby! Shit!” He moaned out, this time slamming himself into you, fucking you right back, deeper and harder. 

From the sounds of your ass clapping echoes in the room, turning you on even more. Then on to the sounds from his Cuban link, heaving on his chest as he watches your ass shake all in his face.

His balls slapping against your clit made you cream so hard that it kept slipping out.

“Get it back in. Get. It. Back. In” he said through gritted teeth. You placed his dick right back at your entrance sliding it in. “Mmmmmm” you moaned out

Jey continued his pace from before but then quickly change positions. Instead of laying on his back, he got up and began hitting you from the back.

“Ouuuu Jey please-” you bawled out as your face is mushed in the mattress. Jey pounded himself into you, ignoring your cries. 

“Baby pleaseeee, please” You shifted your head forward looking at the full-length mirror on the wall in front of the bed. 

You watched your man focused on fucking you from behind. You started to feel yourself reach your climax. He glanced up at you through the mirror.

You try to pull back just for a quick second because of how close you are. 

“You tryna push me away huh.” He says feeling your pussy grip on his dick. He knows you are close.

“Don’t run, cum on this dick baby.” He spoke to you through the mirror.

“Fuccckkkk.” you looked at him

“Cum on it baby, that’s it.” He says grunting. “Ouuu shittttt!!!” you screamed out, closing your eyes and gripping the sheets. You came at the exact moment, as he started to fuck you even harder, reaching his own climax.

“That’s it, baby bust your fucking nut. Let that shit out.” He said fiercely. Jey felt himself reach his breaking point after watching you cum all over him. 

“Fuck I’m close as shit. Damn!” He looks down at the creamy substance covering his dick.

 You realized how much work he was putting in, and wanted to help him out a bit. So you fucked him right back, with the same steady pace. You turned your head around to face him, now locking eyes.

Jey bent down and gave you a quick sloppy kiss. 

“I'm bout to nut! Im bout to fucking- uhhhnnn uhhnn FUCK!!” he whined out grabbing your hips and putting you to a stop.

 “Fuck!” Jey pulled himself out and collapsed right next to you, taking a minute to catch his breath. You follow suit, laying on his tatted chest. Both of you panting on the bed, staring at the ceiling. 

You looked up at him giving him soft kisses on his face. He held you in his arms, kissing you right back. You both stopped and gazed at each other for an instant, embracing each other’s love.

[simslegacy5083]

NSB (Straud Legacy) Gen 9 Ep 32: Beau's Burger

Beau left the nightclub after his fight with Luigi cursing under his breath. Who would have guessed that plumhole was so strong!? Now his wrist complained bitterly whenever he bent it at any angle, and Beau couldn’t afford problems like that, in multiple ways for multiple reasons.

He hadn’t had a chance to grab a bite to eat at the club and now he was starving on top of everything else. Considering his nearly empty fridge at home he turned towards the first burger joint he saw. Greasy fast food wouldn’t fix his hand, but it beat scrounging up scraps back at his place.

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He arrived and spun out of his costume, with its tight gloves that were pinching his swollen wrist. Heading up to the register he ordered his favorite deluxe burger combo from the pretty cashier. He even added a mint chocolate milkshake, figuring he could hold it against his forearm to numb the pain.

When he heard “Order Up!” Beau eagerly grabbed his tray only to almost spill his shake when he had to drop it back down on the counter. His injured wrist had felt like it was ripping in half when he used it. He let loose with a string of forbidden words, startling the other sim.

---------------------------------------------

He started to ask her to bag his meal up so he could carry it home one handed and suffer in private, but she surprised him by grabbing the tray herself.

She called over her shoulder: “Taking my break, be back in 15” as she strode around the counter to the foggy eyed Beau. He could only give her a weak thankful smile as she led the way to a table by the window saying, “This is my favorite spot, it’s got a can’t miss view of the laundromat”.

He sat down where she placed his tray and took a bite of his burger, looking up with surprise as she slid in across from him. “Thank you…?” he said as he squinted at her name badge. “Breanne”, she replied, “and you’re welcome. Waving at his arm she continued “if you don’t mind me asking, what happened here?”

---------------------------------------------

Beau grumbled, gingerly making a fist and releasing it, wincing at the pain. “An old enemy heard me tell his friend that I didn’t like their stupid Star Wars costume. His Highness took exception to my honesty and picked a fight. He got lucky and I got hurt. Happy Spooky Day to me I guess.”

Breanne nodded along, tucking a stray strand of hair back into her cap and looking up at him from under her bangs as she replied: “Sounds like you picked the wrong Jedi to tussle with. I admit Star Wars isn’t my cup of tea either, but sometimes you gotta let the fans have their day.”

He swallowed his impulse to correct her about Luigi’s costume along with a gulp of his shake. Her statement was true where it mattered. If he was honest, he’d mostly been looking for an excuse to put the boot to his royal pain in the ass, but unfortunately, he’d been the one that had gotten his butt kicked.

---------------------------------------------

Beau’s tablemate was exactly his type, and he suddenly realized that he might salvage something out of the evening after all. He turned the focus of the conversation by asking after her own preference for Spooky Day attire.

She lit up, giving an oddly fascinating explanation of her candle making side hustle and her wish to make a giant, scented and glowing, costume some year. They spent the next few minutes happily chatting about their hobbies and interests. Learning he was on the University E-Sports team she glanced down again at his aching wrist. “So, you’re headed to the clinic to patch up your mousing hand as soon as you finish our fine cuisine”?

Beau laughed bitterly. “I wish. Sadly, I’m not really rolling in simoleons.” He went on to say he’d be fine, he just needed some ice, a good night’s sleep, and worst case he knew his dad had a wrist brace lying around the house somewhere. As he said the words, he silently hoped they were true.

---------------------------------------------

She frowned at that but didn’t comment. Rising instead she said “Welp, break times over for me, back to the grind! Good luck with everything kid”.

Before she could walk away Beau forced himself to push past his anxiety and take a chance on being rejected. He blurted out “Hey, can I get your number? Take you out somewhere with an even better view of the laundromat?”

Breanne made his whole week by pointing back at him with a smile as she said “come back tomorrow with a wrist brace, and its yours”. He didn’t know why she’d been so nice, but she was right. Barring a miracle, he’d need his dad’s brace (and painkillers…) to get through his next e-sports practice!

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View The Full Story of My Not So Berry Challenge Here

[formerlyknownas-delight]

Sorry to hear you're also sick! Gute Besserung!

From the 30+ ask game:

4. Favorite chore?

7. Any groceries you've been getting into lately?

8. What cleaning product do you swear by?

15. Do you go down each aisle when you grocery shop, or only the ones you know you need stuff from?

25. Favorite old person activity?

32. How do you take your morning coffee/tea?

39. What little treat do you always get when you run errands?

42. What's an unjustifiably expensive appliance that you really want?

43. Favorite book you've read recently?

48. If you could build your home from scratch, what outrageous feature would you want to build into it?

56. Favorite low-effort meal that you make?

64. Last time you visited a farmer's market?

66. Do you get your taxes in as soon as possible, at the last minute, or late?

Or like.. any subset you feel like doing <3

4) Favourite chore is probably folding laundry, ever since I watched Marie Kondo. It's kinda calming and I can listen to a podcast or audiobook while doing it😊 7) Another grocerie I discovered is non-meat Wiener Würstchen. Pretty good, I probably wouldn't notice the difference taste-wise and I actually prefer the consistency with a less noticable skin. 8) Not a product, but having a spray bottle with diluted soapy cleaner was a game change in the kitchen. Way more accessible than having to wet a sponge and get the soap for cleaning up a little mess in the fridge or on the stovetop or whereve. Just "pffft pffft, swipe, done" 15) at Aldi or drug stores I really enjoy roaming ALL THE AISLES even if I have a specific plan of what I want to get. It's very enriching😌 25) old person activity besides crocheting and naps is checking the new Aldi Angebote the moment they come out on sunday (which I call Alditag bc it's the first thing I do after getting up). My favourite is when they have DIY products. 32) I can't stand coffee and find tea pretty boring to drink, so I start each day with an instant chocolate cappuchino (sometimes with a little cinnamon, or hazelnut flavour, or extra chocolate). Being a night owl, I have a very hard time entering awakeness mode, and adding a little bit of coffein helps tons. 39) My little treat I often get is Capri Sun. I think it's bc mom refused to buy it when we were little, so now, just like Fruchtzwerge, it has this aura of rebellion and special occassion. 43) Due to my daily 3+h commute each workday I get a lot of reading done, but the last one I finished was especially good: Sarggeschichten ("casket stories") by a German funeral director and a grief counsellor. It's a little like my favourite youtube channel AskAMortician, but with more focus on how to deal with a loss on a practical and psychological level on top of the "what happens with a body". While reading, I felt like I was getting the best possible preparation for one day having to deal with the death of a loved one again. It won't ever be easy, but I genuinely feel more empowered to make helpful and informed choices now. On top of that they really make sure to be inclusive in their advice and anecdotes: there's mention of poly relationships, an extra chapter about/for trans people, inclusive language throughout, additional advice for especially difficult losses like miscarriages or suicides... Just. 10/10 and a definite recommendation 48) apart from SLIDES EVERYWHERE, I'd want extensive cat furniture on the walls. Platforms and cat trees and bridges and tunnels! Let them go hogwild! 56) It used to be toast Hawaii, but alas I havent found a good substitute for ham yet:/// So now it's probably pizza baguette made with prebaked baguette, canned tuna in sauce and sliced cheese. All I have to do is half the bread, spread the tuna sauce stuff, add cheese and bake for 15 minutes.👍 64) like three weeks ago during my lunch break to get 2 kg of dried worms for the chickens 66) A wild mix: I start early bc I actually enjoy doing the taxes for me and the Mosswife. I'll get it 95% done in one go and leave the details that need further thought. Then I'll procrastinate on that for weeks until I've forgotten everything I planned to look into, so at that point it would be a whole lo of work to get into it again. Which is why I ignore the task for more weeks. At some point I have to admit that I probably won't do it properly anymore bc it's been too long and I'd basically be equivalent of having to start all over again. From there I need a little while to come to terms with this fact. And THEN, when it's really about time to hand it in, I just do it, 95% finished. So far that worked well for me XD Thank you for sending asks, that was fun! Luckily my sickness mostly consists of feeling like I'm filled with lead all over, without any additional ailments.

[jumpywhumpywriter]

Captured -- wild humans hunted and captured to be used as servants part 7

Warnings: captivity, starvation, starvation whump, painful recovery, etc.

Four whole days passed, each with the same routine. And slowly, Corbin began to heal. He started looking like a healthy teenage human again, his ribs no longer showing. And he had gotten used to Kazimir being around, despite his terrifying appearance and the unsettling dark energy he always radiated wherever he went.

At first Corbin had doubted his true intentions, but Kazimir seemed to sincerely care about his well-being, slowly earning his trust bit by bit. He didn't flinch as hard anymore when the bird-man approached or entered the room. And Kazimir respected him, giving him space when needed and keeping his powers to himself, something Nakita nor any other bird-folk had ever done for him. He appreciated that.

"Do you have any friends other than Prince Devlon and what's-his-name? Brown-wings?" Corbin asked one day at the meal table.

Kazimir's feathered black wings twitched in surprise at the question. "Dexter," he said, "the brown-winged one is Dexter, brother to Prince Devlon. And they are not what I would consider 'friends'..."

Corbin arched an eyebrow quizzically. "Oh? I assumed you were friends since you traveled together when you visited Nakita."

"Then you were mistaken," Kazimir sighed, but a dark look crossed his face as he stabbed a piece of fruit with his fork.

"So... what's your history with them, then?" Corbin pried curiously.

Kazimir paused, thinking about it for a minute before answering.

"They are both arrogant jerks, in my opinion. I met Devlon before he was announced to be a prince. We weren't quite friends at the time, but... acquaintances. He knew about my gifts, even though he'd never seen me use them before. He'd heard tales and rumors about it. So when he became prince, his first request was that I would be his top guard. I eagerly accepted, of course, because I was naive and excited by the thought of working for royalty." He let out a disgusted snort.

"Oh, how wrong I was in my assumptions. I assumed Devlon would stay the same, the shy and timid boy I met in the beginning, but the power he gained in his new title changed him. He became cold and cruel to anyone he came upon, be it poor or rich. He thinks he's better than everyone now. And worse yet, he dragged me into that darkness time and time again, putting me in tough positions where I had to commit unspeakable acts of violence against my will..." He trailed off, lost in a memory, before shaking his head.

"Dexter is an equally big idiot, though I find him slightly more tolerable than his brother. He's the more impulsive of the two. I met him shortly after joining the ranks of nobility as a trusted guard." He finished the rest of his meal in complete and utter silence, offering no more tidbits of information about his past, and Corbin didn't press him, sensing he'd already edged on a raw nerve.

Kazimir got up and headed off for the night, and he did the same, enjoying the comfort of his bed. He still wasn't used to its lush softness. It was surreal sometimes.

Corbin kept track of every day that passed, and it was by day 15 that he was almost fully recovered. He had grown to view Kazimir as an ally, a friend... or at least friend-adjacent. But today was different than usual. He found Kazimir in another room clicking a strap over his shoulder that held a small bag in place right between his shoulder blades and wings, like a mini backpack.

"What's that for?" Corbin asked, leaning on the doorframe.

"I'm taking a trip into the city to restock my resources, buy more weapons and food," Kazimir tossed over his shoulder without even glancing at him, absorbed in his preparations.

"And how long will you be gone?"

"Probably most of the day, if not all of it."

Corbin's gut twisted at that. What if Nakita found his cabin while he was gone? What if she found him, and dragged him back to that awful mansion of horrors she lived in?

"What's going on in that weird human head of yours?" Kazimir teased lightly, sensing the sudden mood shift. But his brow was furrowed with concern.

"It's just... I want to go with you," Corbin blurted loudly, pushing off the doorframe.

"Oh really?" Kazimir gave him a calculating look.

"I'm serious. I... would feel a lot safer sticking with you," Corbin admitted. "I don't want to be left here alone."

Kazimir tilted his head. "Understandable. But no." It was such a short, simple answer that it took a moment for Corbin to register it as he watched him finish getting ready.

"Wait, why not?" Corbin sputtered, trotting behind the bird-man as he went to the main room.

"Too risky," Kazimir answered. "A lot of things can go wrong, especially if we come across someone who recognizes you. Or even a stranger, for that matter... you have to realize that to the rest of my race, humans are no more than petty, sometimes useful playthings. If you run into someone, chances are good they will treat you horribly. I don't want to have to get you out of any trouble you find yourself in."

"I won't get into trouble!" Corbin argued vehemently, and circled around to stand in front of his friend to block the path to the door. "I'm very good at going unnoticed."

"Mmhmm. So good at being unnoticed that you got caught and sold to a bird-folk," Kazimir retorted sarcastically, unconvinced.

"Please," Corbin pleaded. "I will do anything you ask of me, follow any and all rules you give if I get to come. I just... I'm afraid of being left alone in this cabin, okay?"

"So you used to be scared of me, and now you're scared to be without me?" Kazimir laughed, and his face reddened with embarrassment.

"Come on, there has to be some way you can take me with you," Corbin wheedled.

Kazimir stared long and hard at him with those piercing forest-green eyes, his resolve wavering, until finally he let out an annoyed huff of defeat. "All right, all right... I'll take you with me. But... you're going to have to act like my servant to blend in. Are you comfortable doing that?" His tone was stern and serious.

Corbin nodded grimly with a shiver. He didn't like the thought of being a measly servant again... but there was no way around it.

⏪️ Back Next ⏩️

Masterlist

[chaotic-archaeologist]

What does a week in the life of a grad student look like?

So the answer to this will depend heavily on what stage of research you are in. I'll give my answer as someone who is currently in pursuit of a Master's degree, because this is currently my only firsthand experience.

As a Master's student, I am expected to take a certain number of courses, usually about three a semester. Often they meet just once a week, for 2+ hours at a time, and they are discussions/seminars rather than lectures.

On top of that, I have my teaching assistantship, which is contractually for 20 hours/week, but can go above or below that depending on when students turn in assignments.

With that being said, here's a week in my life:

Sunday: A heavy work day, during which I do most of my reading/work for Monday's class, catch up on emails, run errands that didn't get done on Friday. I do not go onto campus.

Monday: In the morning I finish up my reading for class in the afternoon. Depending on how much I have left to do, I will also do administrative tasks for my TAship, or work that needs to be done for my own research. Right now that means filling out internship and fellowship applications. Class from 2:30-5:15, after which I come home and eat dinner. From 6:15-7:30 I do reading for Wednesday's class.

Tuesday: No classes of my own today! If students for the class I TA have submitted assignments, I will spend an hour(ish) working on grading those. I am responsible for grading about 100 papers at a time. I try to spend no more than 2 minutes per paper/quiz. The class I TA meets from 2:30-3:45. The professor lectures while I do work on my computer. I get home and do more reading/work for Wednesday's class.

Wednesday: In the morning I finish any reading/work that needs to be done. If I have been productive in the front half of the week I use this time to run errands or do my own work. If I have not been productive I am cramming for class in the afternoon. Class goes from 2:30-5:15. I come home, eat dinner, and then do reading for Thursday's class until 7:30.

Thursday: In the morning I finish the reading for class in the afternoon. Class meets from 2:30-5pm. I come home and give myself permission to not do any work because my brain is fried and I do not have class tomorrow.

Friday: No class today! I start the morning with therapy, and then this is my day to attend to personal errands. This is mostly grocery shopping, laundry, and tidying. In the evening I often go out with friends to things like hockey games and bar trivia. Sometimes I go to Friday night Shabbat services.

Saturday: This is my day to decompress. I sleep in and then spend most of the early afternoon doing nothing. I paint my nails, read for fun, or take my dog for a long walk. In the afternoon I'll do something social—most weeks this is volunteering with Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Not pictured are daily activities that include, but are not limited to:

Checking email. Seriously, so many emails. I was not prepared for how many emails I would be getting in grad school

Classwork that I need to be turning in like paper abstracts, discussion posts, meeting with faculty

Doctors appointments

Cooking for myself. Trader Joe's frozen meals are a life saver

Attending talks/programs held on campus, usually in the evenings. These are prime time for networking

Hanging out with friends before class sometimes

Miscellaneous meetings

Walking my dog

Evening routines like Duolingo, journal entries, creative writing time, etc.

NAPS

Unexpected crises

Also, keep in mind that as someone living with a chronic illness/disability, I operate with less energy than some of my peers. But overall, my MA schedule is similar to my bachelor's one, but with fewer classes that each take up more time, and alongside working as a TA. My academic commitments with three grad classes are about the same as my undergrad semester when I took six classes.

As always, other people are free to chime in with their own experiences/observations.

-Reid

[hellhound5925]

Cyare Verd *Beloved Warrior*

Chapter sixteen

Soon after we finished our meals, Rex gave the order for everyone to get some sleep. Everyone helped clean up before we all parted ways. Rex and I walked together to our quarters - considering they were next to one another. "Nervous?" He asked. "Eh..no, not really." I said looking a head. "I just look forward to destroying some clankers" I look up at him and smirk. "That's my girl" he laughs. That's my girl....Maker I'll be playing that over and over in my head until the end of time. I can't help the smile that grows on my face from the warm feeling I get. I opt to tease him, "my girl huh?" I raise a brow at him. He rubs the back of his neck "if I over stepped...I'm sorry...I-" "Rex, Udesii (relax) you didn't over step". "Oh...alright" he laughs nervously. "Can I ask you something?" I'm feeling rather bold - I've been wanting to ask but I was afraid I'd scare him off. "Uh..sure" he replies. "Do I make you nervous?" I ask. He cocks his head at me, "I mean, it's just, when we are alone. Sometimes I feel like I make you nervous and I don't want you to feel that way around me" I ramble. "You don't make me nervous Raven" he sighs almost like he realized something. "Oh okay, good" I say. Osik...why can't you just tell him...are yo afraid he will reject you? Maybe that why he gets nervous around me when I flirt with him. We make it to my door and say our good nights. I head in my room and get around for bed.

Morning comes and I'm rearing and ready to go. I know it will be a bit of a journey on the ship but I'm looking forward to the scene change. I gather the rest of my belongings and make it to the hangar by 0530. I'm the only one there....well other than the mechanics and crew getting the Resolute ready. I lay my armor case down and sit on top of it. After about 10-15 minutes I can hear familiar voices. Fives and Echo are the first two to the hangar and they notice me. "Like a sen'ika (little bird) on a perch" Five teases. "Very funny" I roll my eyes. "Ooh I'm totally calling you that from now on...Sen'ika" he playfully nudges Echo to get approval. Echo nods "It's got a nice ring to it". The rest of the squad shows up in pairs until we are just waiting for Rex. I'm sure the poor man has been up busting his sheb (ass). Just then, Rex comes in with Anakin, Ahsoka, and the new 501st group behind. "Look out...shinies" Jesse and Fives tease the new group. "Attention"  I remind them, we all stand and salute. "At ease" Anakin says when we gets over to us. We all relax. I hear the ramp to the ship drop down behind us. "Good timing" says Ahsoka. I nod my 'good morning' to Rex and he reciprocates.

We all grab our things and head inside "First time on a venator?" Asks Echo. "Actually, yeah it is" I say almost feeling embarrassed. "Don't worry Sen'ika, we can give you the tour" says Fives putting his arms around Echo's and my shoulders. "First things first, I need to find my quarters" I say poking Fives in the side. He removes his arms from me and Echo, "Hey Cap!" He yells. "Yes Fives?" He asks glancing between the three of us. "Do you know where  Sen'ika will be staying?" He asks putting emphasis on the new nickname. "uh, let me check" he says looking at a data pad. "You'll be right down the hall from me. I can show you the way" he says looking up. "We will catch up with you later, bye" Fives spits out quickly and drags Echo away. Rex raises a brow "Sen'ika?" He asks. "Don't even get me started" I roll my eyes causing him to laugh. "Alright, this way". He leads me down the hall to my room which looks oddly similar to the one I have in the barracks. "You know what they say...home is where you make it" I say sarcastically. Rex laughs "I'm right down the hall again if you need me". I put my stuff away and there's a knock on my door shortly after. Before I can even get up to open it, its flying open with Fives and Echo right behind it. "Tour time!" Fives says. They give me a quick tour, showing my Fives favorite places first before Echo shows the more practical places.

We end with the mess hall where the rest of the squad is currently getting breakfast. We get in line and there's an announcement over the comms "Resolute to all passengers, be aware we are taking off. Resolute on route to Aargonar". "And we're off" says Echo. "It's going to take us about one rotation to get to Aargonar, might want to get comfortable" Fives complains. "hey it would be worse" I laugh. We sit down and eat our food, not long after a trooper comes get Rex and I to head to the bridge. "Sorry I know you guys are settling in but I figured I'd give you and update a head of time" begins Anakin. "When we get in range, We will send down a drop ship for you guys and the squad to infiltrate the base. While we take 4 drop ships land out here, to create our distraction. Any extra supplies you might need can be on a ship waiting for the call" He continues. "Sounds good to me Sir" says Rex. "I agree" I say. "Good now to get comfortable we've got about 20 hours until we need to get ready" Anakin finishes. "Sir yes sir" both Rex and I say together.

We head out the blast door and get in the turbo lift. "How are you going to spent the rest of the trip Captain?" I playfully ask Rex. He sighs, "I better finish that draft". "Well don't have too much fun without me" I wink at him. "Wouldn't dream of it" he replies with a smile. "If you need a break let me know. I'll come hang out with you, pass the time" I continue. He smiles "I'd like that".

I head off toward my quarters to get a nap in while I can. There's a knock on my door. Now what. I open it to see Echo standing there. "What's up?" I ask. "I hate to ask but uh, can I take a nap here..... Hardcase and Fives wanna play cards and they're making too much noise" that classic Echo innocence showing through. "Sure, I was about to do the same" I smile. He comes in, "You hog the bed though and we will have a problem" I tease. "I was just gunna sleep on the floor" he says watching me crawl into my bed. "Echo, you're not sleeping on the floor before a fight.....there's enough room in here I swear" I scold him. He crawls in next to me and we both lay on our backs in silence. Echo breaks the silence "You know, Fives and I have been trying to get Rex to ask you out". I shot up and looked over at him "Pare! (hang on)". "Look we know he likes you and you, like him" he smirks. "Echo- I- how?" I ask. "You don't think we don't see you stealing glances at one another, when the other isn't looking. Or the way you light up at the mention of the others name" he says. I lay back down and pull the covers over my head. "I knew it" he laughs "Rex talks about you all the time too". "Cody put you up to this didn't he?" I ask removing the covers form over my head. "Commander Cody? What? No. Cody knows?" He says in a way I know he isn't lying. "Cody said the same thing you just did. He apparently noticed something I didn't with Rex" I say feeling my face turn bright red. "So you do like him?" Echo asks making me say it out loud. "Okay fine... yes I do. I find Rex attractive. Now go to sleep" I admit. "I think it's more than you 'find him attractive'" he teases. "You didn't come in here to nap did you?" I ask. "Nope....peace and quiet will be a bonus though" he says rolling over. "Haar'chak Echo! (Damn it Echo)" I playfully shove him and he fake snores. "Mmmhmm" I hum before rolling the other way and fall asleep.

-------

I wake up having forgotten Echo was in my bed. I rolled over and he was snoring away next to me. I decide to let him sleep and crept over him. It's only been about 4 hours. I should go check on Rex...but first a shower would be great. I look over and see Echo still snoring. He'll be fine. I shower quickly not bothering to dry my hair and letting it go natural, throw on a black tank top, and my flught suit tying the sleeves around my waste. When I come out of the fresher, I check to see if Echo is where I left him. He hasn't moved. Quietly I tie my boots and grab my vambraces.

When I'm outside my door I use the left one to comm Rex. He picks up "Captain Rex". "Hope you aren't working too hard....Captain" I say through a grin. "I was just finishing up actually" He laughs. "Good I'll come find you". "Actually I'm on my way to you. Going to freshen up quick if you don't mind" He says. "Oh Rex don't put your makeup on just for me" I can practically hear him rolls his eyes at me. "I'll see you soon" He says before ending the link.

Before I know it he's making his way down the hall at me. I see him give my a once over with his eyes. I give him a look letting him know he's been caught. He rubs the back of his neck "I'll be out in a second" He says heading to his quarters. When be comes out we start walking towards the main hallways. I tell him about Echo coming to my room for a nap - leaving out why he actually was there. "Sounds about right" he laughs. I play with the sleeves around my waste. "I'm gunna say something and you don't have to respond or say anything back but I just want to get it off my chest" I start to explain. Rex quirks his eye brow "okay?". "I think I have feelings for you" I blurt out. "Now that I think about it this may not have been the best time to tell you but I did and here we are" I laugh nervously to myself. Rex looks genuinely shocked and we stare at one another in silence.

Masterlist

[clatterbane]

With the topic of immigrant food and "authenticity" coming up, I had to get a tad amused at the relatively low spoons and incidentally fairly international spread we ended up with for tonight's supper.

I got an urge for my own take on a family version of the good old Southern US macaroni and tomatoes. Take a can of tomatoes, stew them up for maybe 15-20 minutes in a small pot with plenty of chopped onion and optional garlic (preferably first sauteed some in the fat of your choice), throwing in whatever seasonings you want. Tonight I went super basic with just the onion in some sunflower oil, and plenty of salt and mixed pepper. Meanwhile, cook about half a pound of macaroni (or other short pasta). When that's done, just mix it all together and let it sit a few minutes.

I also pulled out some grated Gouda, since he always likes to cheese his up.

Anyway, to go with that? Rummaging around, I found some of these frozen grilled chicken legs seasoned with a very Swedish take on a barbecue dry rub. Perfect! Let's thaw that shit out in the microwave, then finish them off in the oven for a few minutes while the macaroni cooks.

To go with the chicken? Some commercial ajvar! It's extremely popular, with the amount of assorted Balkan immigrant food here in Sweden. Goes great with pretty much any grilled meat! Amusingly, even though Mr. C is really not a fan of either roasted peppers or eggplant? He loves the stuff, and introduced me to it after hunting some down in London.

Now, for more vegetable matter. It looks like he already ate half of the leftover takeout pizzasallad from last night that I was thinking of having. (Itself possibly influenced by a Balkan cabbage salad. Since pretty much all of the pizza places here are still run by a variety of non-Italian immigrants.)

What else have we got on hand? OK, I can throw together some quick cucumber and onion salad, dressed with this leftover garlic yogurt kebab sauce! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

From the same pizza place, which as per local standard also serves a bunch of kebab and shawarma options. Alongside Balkan grilled delights sometimes, but not from that particular place. This one did have an Indonesian menu section, which was the first instance I had noticed. Occasionally you do see Thai food from a pizza/kebab place.

At any rate, it did all work together remarkably well in the end. Nobody went away hungry.

And I'm sure that either one of my grandmothers would have gladly eaten the hell out of that meal. My Nana probably would have also been plotting how to produce her own version of the ajvar, once her peppers and eggplants started coming in. Because that's how these things do tend to work.

[chalkrevelations]

Solstice vigil starting in about 15 minutes - gonna bring back the sun!

I've lost track of how many times I've held vigil over the longest night, waiting up to welcome the dawn - this was something I started doing on my own, not long out of college, before i even met spouse. We still host it every year, beginning at sundown, sharp, and making our last offering at sunrise the next morning to Sol Invictus, the Unconquered Sun.

Tips for successful vigil:

Do not plan any big project overnight, during vigil. You'll be tempted to say, if I'm going to be up all night, I can get something done, like clean out the spare room, or make pepper jelly and can it, or paint the kitchen. No, this is the forces of chaos talking. You're going to feel great and energized when you start the evening, but there will be an utterly grim period sometime between 3:30-5:30 a.m. when you will feel the existential despair of your forebears wondering if the sun would ever return. Conserve your energy!

Do something, even though it's not big projects. We usually start out with guests who are coven members and/or collaborators in other witchy/community/activist projects, so after dinner, we spend some time planning for the upcoming year, getting big rocks on the calendar for the full year and going into more detail for at least the first quarter-to-half of the year's activities. We also will watch holiday episodes of teevee, and sometimes holiday movies, later in the night.

Ritualize the entire experience. Vigil got easier when I stole another group's idea of planning an invocation and offering at the top of every hour, to mark the passing of time during the night. Now, we open ritual space at sundown, call in ancestors and deities and spirits, then make an offering to Saturnus, since we're overlapping Saturnalia. That usually happens by about 5:30, then we leave ritual space open and finish prepping dinner. (We don't work in a circle for this one - the bounds of the magical space are the house, itself.) From 6 p.m. to 7 a.m., we have a whole cycle of deities and spirits - seasonal and/or personal - assigned to each hour, and at the top of the hour, we break from whatever else everyone is doing and come back to the altar space to make an offering for the deity/spirit/ancestor of that hour.

Eat! We usually will have dinner after the 6 p.m. offering, some light tapas or snacky things (at the table, so it feels like a meal) after the midnight ritual, and breakfast after the 5 a.m. or 6 a.m. ritual, depending on how we're feeling. Sometimes, you have to get up and get moving around again after the 5 a.m. offering or you're done for.

Prep. If at all possible, make dinner soup the day before, so all you have to do is heat it up on the night. Clean at least a day or two beforehand, and set up your ritual space as much as possible the day before. On the day of, sleep in, then take yourself out for brunch, then take a nap - ideally by 1 p.m.-ish, early enough to get a couple of good hours of nap in but still be up and moving and ready before the early sunset of the shortest day.

Don't worry if you don't make it the entire night. There are plenty of us - sometimes taking it in shifts - waiting for the sun to come back. You will not be responsible for eternal darkness.

Oh hey, there's the first knock on the door. Catch you guys on the flip, after the long dark!

[syasyakmrzn]

MY DIPLOMA LIFE IN KPTM BANGI

Journal Entry #1 July 25, 2024

On this day, I will remember because it was my unforgettable memory, which is that I met a new friend as I’d get in Bangi. I met them to get along with them as a friend, but, in a long time, I became close with them. We went eating and spent our free time together. It was filled with a lot of stories and laughter at our jokes. It makes me forget about my stress work and something that has become a hard life to be going through. Every time we finish our class around 12 pm, we’ll go for lunch before other classes start. Sometimes, we’ll do our task together as we can help each other. Also, it will make it easier to ask something that we don’t know. My friend’s character is that they were cheerful people. Easily to communicate, a good listener, and they were giving advice when I’m facing a problem. They will always be beside me whenever I’m having a hard time. But it is weird for me, as I can’t imagine how the situation becomes awkward when I’m not getting close with them anymore. My life will not be the same anymore because I need friends to be my support. That was an important thing and the main reason I’m alive now.

Not only that, they cared for me like a mother’s care for her daughter. They will ask me if something goes wrong and when I’m not in the mood. They will cherish me and make the situation look like it's happening with their annoying jokes just to make me happy as before. When things fall apart, the effort that comes from them never ending also cannot be replaced by others. In this life, having a true friend is meaningful and grateful.

Sincerely,

Syasya

Journal Entry #2 August 17, 2024

That day I had a site visit in Kuala Lumpur, and I woke up at 8am to prepare myself. I’m so happy and can’t wait to go with all my friends. It was my happy day as I got to know more friends that day. We had good intentions and the chemistry we have created together. Along the journey, we had 3 places to go, which are Pavilion, Dataran Merdeka, and KLCC. But, after we have done the site visit at Pavilion, it was raining heavily, and we will not be able to visit Dataran Merdeka. So, we change our mind by going to KLCC. When we arrived at KLCC, we took a sight of the place, and suddenly my friends took a picture with a foreigner. It is a funny thing to remember because they went straight to the foreigner and asked to take a picture. That was so random! I had enjoyed a lot during that day. I loved my friends as they always made goofy jokes, and I’m easy to laugh with their jokes. We had been going through so much. We walked together to find near MRT, and it takes about 45 minutes to arrive. After we arrive at our next destination, we wait for a bus for about 15 minutes, and my friends go to the toilet. When the bus arrived, we were waiting for my friend, but he takes a long time and can’t wait any longer, so the bus left us. Then, we had to wait for another bus to come, about 30 minutes. We had so much frustration because of my friends.

But then, when I remember back, I’m no longer close with them because something happened. We used to do all things together, like going together. I had cherished moments at that time. Even though these things happened, I’m just going to accept it. Maybe these things happened as a reason. I’m getting used to it, and I don’t mind because I had my other friends with me. They always be with me when I’m at my lowest. I have removed people who don’t give me necessary things. We have to know between quantity and quality when choosing friends. I used to have a lot of friends, but now in a small quantity. I’m being happier with my friends now.

Sincerely,

Syasya

Journey Entry #3 September 6, 2024

It was my birthday that I have never forgotten. I woke up early, and after being ready, I went to the kitchen to take breakfast. I had my first meal while chatting with my mother. Suddenly, my mother told me that she wanted to do a birthday party this night. She has invited her friends, my cousin, and my relative. My parents prepared food while my sister was doing a decoration table, my brother decorated a booth, and I’m helping them by cleaning the house. The party was started at 9 p.m., and when it comes at night, everyone that she invited comes to my house with a gift and cakes. They are also wishing me a happy birthday, a good life, and good luck in the future. I’m appreciative of those kinds of words. Moreover, I’m willing myself to express how I feel during my birthday party. After that, my sister did a surprise by giving a big cake and a bouquet of flowers. Everyone was singing to me so much louder and cheering to me. The situation became happening like crazy. During my birthday party, there were three cakes with cheese tarts and pizza. There are so many varieties of food and drinks that cannot be chosen.

During that night, when everybody finished eating, they took a picture at the booth, one by one getting pictured with me. They put on their social media with the caption “Birthday girl turns 18!”. That was so sweet ever! Everyone enjoyed their time gratefully, and I’m so shocked because that was the most the most unexpected thing that ever happened in my life. That moment is unforgettable to me, and I’m so thankful for all of this. A good memory should we keep them as we cannot turn back this time again. We have to appreciate that moment because not everyone is getting this. For me, if someone ask me what the best thing happened in your life, I would say this day.

Sincerely,

Syasya

[mprimn]

There were so many things to talk about that I can hear the thoughts in my head crashing against each other.

I've been typing and deleting a single sentence for well over 15 minutes now. I haven't written a post in a while, but I really wanted to write something. To be fair, there wasn't anything relatively interesting to talk about until last week.

Most of the days went on the same. I go study, come back, play games, sleep, and repeat. Sometimes I'd join a group of exchange students that cook and share food from their countries at dinner time. Thank to them, my meals now have more variety than frozen food or cafeteria lunch that I never bother to change my order.

Me and the classmate that came to this same exchange program has been getting along well. She usually let me hang out in her room while she cooks. I mostly help with washing the dishes because, well, that should be obvious. One day last week I was still at her room while we chat about random stuff. It was getting late, and I was thinking of going back to my room. We suddenly heard a loud noise.

And before we knew it, the whole room was shaking.

My first earthquake experience was a 5.0 magnitude with the center right in the province I live in.

Luckily, the shake lasted a couple of seconds. It was so short that fear didn't even get a chance to register in my brain. A small aftershock also followed after, but it was nothing compared to the main quake so no one really cared. I guess this is what it feels like to live in a country where earthquake is a normal occurrence.

Few days later me and a couple other exchange students went to Hitachi Seaside Park. We all got crowded on a small car of this kind Japanese friend who was living to drive us there. The whole ride was chaotic because the junior from my country kept trolling the poor Japanese guy to say bad words in our language.

Before seeing the Nemophila, we hung around the amusement park area first. Half of the group decided to get on some rides while the other half chose to spend money on consumables.

Here is my failed attempt at taking a photo of the two-tone ice cream because right after the seller handed it to me, the thing started melting too soon that I had to finish it all.

Fortunately, I had enough time to get a second cone because some weren't done with the attractions yet (the ice cream also tasted so good that I was willing to have another one despite the expensive price).

Once everyone gathered up, we finally headed to the most popular spot of the park, and the view was breathtaking.

The Nemophila field looks just like what I saw on the TV so it kind of felt unreal to me. Both local and foreigner tourists can be seen on every part of the field because this was the last few days before the seasonal flower gets changed.

We found a couple of cosplayers at the park too. There were Riddle, Ace, and Deuce from twst who came as a group, Artoria Caster from fgo who seem to come with her photographer, and Frieren Himmel duo who were done with their shoot and was taking photos with everyone who passed their way. They then got misunderstood as characters from Evangelion by a random couple who were behind us. Seriously baffled at how they could guess so wrong.

I of course didn't miss the chance of taking photos of my oshi plushie in this stunning scenery. Please witness them below.

My yumejoshi brain considered this trip our date.

I had several more photos of the plushie, but most of them are with food with similar angles so they're rather boring looking if put together. I will need to look for more photo ideas from now on.

[blog-reflection]

ONE / ELEVEN - A Genius Plan

Soo, where do I begin?

I decided to go up in my room and grab things I need for like about one, maybe two weeks. I took Henry, chargers but also clothes as well as my plushie bee I just called Majesty. I’ve thrown the loaded back down the stairs and almost threw myself with it. Once down, I grabbed and saved anything I could from the fridge. Luckily, unlike my bag, it wasn’t loaded. I checked every room before throwing on that new jacket and getting out of the house via the garage to get my bike. It was a black bike with white feels and a basket in front of the handlebar which was decorated with fake flowers. I threw the bag on the back of my bike and semi secured it with some string I found in the garage. I put my bag as well as a small music box in the basket and made sure Majesty will be secured as well, I really don’t want to miss out on her. I exited the home and turned left. During the ride I listened to a lot of music and just enjoyed the ride. Yes it was fall, yes it could have been warmer and yes it lowkey socket but it was also lowkey nice. It took me around 40 minutes to get to Shepherdswell but damn was I happy to be here. Back in the days I was driving to my grandparents all summer. They took me to the beach, to the city and sometimes even to London. It was a nice time. I placed my bike in the gateway and went to the door to knock, a couple of seconds later, my granny opened the door.

Thea: William? James: Hi Granny.

The entire ride I was thinking about how to tell them, how to say hi, but now? It all came out so naturally. I stepped closer to Thea and gave her a big hug.

Thea: James? Why are you here? Why is your bike so full of stuff? James: Oh can’t I just visit you? I wanted to surprise you.

I made sure to come across nice and innocent, but I haven even a bigger one for them. Thea went inside and I went to my bike to grab my bags. I put my bike next to the door and went inside. I let loose of the big bag in the hallway and walked into the kitchen so I could store the food in it.

James: Hey Granny, where’s Joe? Josepphe: I’m right here boy.

I looked around and noticed my grand dad standing in the door frame.

Josepphe: James what are you doing? James: Oh I just wanted to come around, you know, do some surprise cooking. Josepphe: Let me guess, beef with your mum? James: What? No, I really just wanted to give my two favourite old people a visit. Is that so hard to believe? Josepphe: Alright alright, then what meal are you doing? James: Depending, do you have rice?

Both of us started laughing really loud, even Thea joined in. It was a nice time. We all ate Lunch and then played some games, mostly card games, till the moon started rising. We cleaned it all up and then started to prepare dinner all together. Josepphe cut some veggies, Thea prepared the meat and I took care of the sauce. It’s all like it used to be when I was little. I am even sitting on the counter. Once everything was done I started to get the table ready and tried to decorate it a bit. I wandered through the living room looking for candles and a small candelabra. After a couple of seconds I spotted one right on the shelf. I carefully grabbed it and placed it in the middle of the desk. I also went outside to get some, more or less pretty flowers. The table looked pretty, I mean it. It had a lot of cottage living vibes while also looking sort of elegant, but that’s mainly due to the candelabra. We again, ate our meals and finished off with some wine and a tesco dessert. It’s been great. 

I headed to my old room for the night, it wasn’t prepared so I had to do that first. It was then when I realised that I haven’t looked at my phone since I arrived. I grabbed it from the floor, since it fell out of my pocket and turned it on. Spotify was still open, streaming a variety of songs from a shuffled mix I don’t know. The battery was almost dead, leaving me with 15% charge and docent messages from Jesse. FUCK. I WAS SUPPOSED TO MESSAGE JESSE ONCE I ARRIVED. I Ignored their messages and started calling them.

Jesse: You are such a mess sometimes. James: Hi yeah… I ehm...I might have forgotten. I’m sorry. Jesse: All fine, at least now I know you haven’t been murdered during the ride by a random dude with an axe. James: You, my friend, are watching too many movies. Jesse: I am an adult I can watch movies whenever I want to! Also, you never know. James: Okay topic change, it worked! I’m currently at my grandparents and no one is sus.  Jesse: Well, you are a pretty good liar I have to say. Not sure if that’s a good thing but in that case, well done! What’s your plan now? James: Weeelll I am not so sure. I brought Henry with me so maybe just browse until I find some apartments that I could visit.  Jesse: THAT’S IT!!! James: “THAT IS WHAT”? Jesse: Suggest a trip to Brighton for a week with them, it’s a gift from me. How about that? James: You are brilliant! That is a genius plan! Taking them to Brighton saves so much time not gonna lie! Jesse: So tell me everything, I got time now….

Jesse and I were talking for what felt like hours. I told them everything that happened at home, they updated me on their life. Apparently Jesse is getting close with a girl they know from their course. I don’t think they mean it in a romantic way though, otherwise they wouldn’t have told me. As open as we are Jesse never talks about who they date. I could be a dick and just look up the classes on Henry but..well who am I kidding. I booted up Henry and browsed through the Royal Holloway classes of Jesse's year. Usually the classes for Video Games Arts and Design are always loaded but that year was rather chill. There are only 48 out of 60

People in the courses, probably less knowing a lot of people don’t even attend lectures. Let's see…. We have 4 people that did not fill in any gender so I assume they are somewhere under the non-binary umbrella, so Jesse will love it there. The rest are split into 29 girls and 27 boys. But all in all they seem like a nice class so whoever the lucky one is to be friends with my best friend, she must be cool then! I browsed a bit through some pages of B&Bs to stay until I finally fell asleep. 

I got woken up by the smell of coffee and bacon with a small note of pancakes. I put on my shirt and ran down into the kitchen. Unlike last time there wasn’t much. Just a typical English breakfast. But that is great too! I took some pancakes and beans and ate rather fast. I found an awesome B&B and I really wanted to tell them. That’s when Joe spoke up.

Josepphe: James? What would you say to a trip? Just for a week. Your work must be pretty hard and I assume you haven’t had a proper vacation for now. James: You are right, there was no vacation. What are you planning on? Josepphe: Well, since you look for apartments in Brighton I thought we could go there? We could visit the beach or go shopping in between the apartments. What do you say? James: That’s amazing! I actually already looked around, I kinda wanted to surprise you but well works that way too haha Josepphe: Alright big boy, get your stuff, we will meet in two hours so we can get there by train, I’ll get us a taxi! James: Alright!

It didn’t take long to get everything ready since I haven’t even unboxed my bag. I changed into more appropriate clothes then a long shirt and boxer shorts and made my way downstairs. Josepphe and Thea were waiting in the living room, yet there was only one bag. Joe said granny can’t get with us because of her walking issue, which is fair. We waited another ten minutes outside before the taxi arrived. We hugged Thea goodbye and placed ourselves in the taxi which drove us right in front of the Dover main station. We went through the gates and on the train.

I can’t wait to be in Brighton

[good-night-space-kid]

Hi, I am looking to go to a university next year with a STEM major, and I was wondering how you find balance between courses, social life, jobs, and relationships. Or if you have any tips on how to manage these things, if you do, please share because I am worried for college life. Thanks!

Hello, anon! Being a STEM major is hard, but I honestly love my major. I won't sugarcoat it though, it's going to be a lot of work and I myself have a hard time balancing everything.

Disclaimer: I want to make the most of my time as a student and keep myself very busy, other people I know in other and the same STEM majors are significantly less busy so my experience may not be yours.

To start off, I'll outline my general college situation

I'm a geology major, and while many people likely don't know, geology is a very academically challenging and time consuming major. I routinely spend 8-13 hours on a single one of my upper level classes every week, which is why I try to space out the classes that I know will be really difficult.

I'm getting a history minor with a focus on public history to support my major as I want to pursue grad school in museum studies.

I've taken on average 15-20 credits a semester. Don't take over 15, much less 20 credits unless you absolutely have to.

I work during the school year, but not a lot. I am a TA for intro level geology classes and have worked 2-3 labs (~3.5 hours each time) with a TA meeting. In the past I also worked ~9 hours a week in a geology research lab.

I'm now the president of a club which takes ~15 minutes to 1 hour of prep work for each week.

I'm generally away from my dorm from 8am to 5 with classes/work, but often I don't get back until 9-11pm on weekdays because I need physical resources or other people to work on something. I won't lie I kind of hate this part, but I chose a very hands on major. It really varies for me though, sometimes I'm doing homework until 1am and sometimes i'm done by 4pm.

Here are things that I recommend to help balance school and social life (in no particular order):

I do everything I can to ensure that I have one weekend day where I do not plan to work on school work. Sometimes it happens that it's either not possible or I want to get ahead, but I really try to make it happen. This allows me to go to an estate sale, do some grocery shopping, go on a hike, watch a show, whatever I don't have time for during the week. This truly saves my mental health.

Know your sleep needs. I am such a sleepy guy, and if I don't sleep enough my mental and physical health is hot garbage. I prioritize getting 6.5-9 hours of sleep every night because I know that I will be happier and more capable of finishing work faster if I'm well rested.

I have dinner with my non-geology friends once a week, typically Friday evenings. I also try to schedule a meal with another friend at some point in the week when I can. Making time to see people you like purely for fun is really important.

Try to have at least one class that you are genuinely looking forward to each semester. The history minor is good for grad school, but it's also so I have something other than STEM to do each semester so I don't go crazy. Take a class just because it looks like fun, you're in college. And get a minor in something random if you enjoy it.

I have homework friends and I have fun friends, and it's okay (and imo often better) for those to be different people.

Start a group chat and set up study sessions for your classes. My school has a "study buddies" feature on an app where you can sign up and anybody can email out to those people so that's how I've started many of them, but just asking people also works. I study best in a group, but know yourself on this one. I especially recommend finding some people in your major early on for this.

Don't be afraid to use campus tutoring if you need it.

Take a break before going to bed. Read, watch a show, drink a cup of decaf tea, whatever works for you. I try to be done with all of my work by 9pm so I can just chill for a bit and this helps a lot.

Don't take 20 credits a semester, and if you do, don't do it more than one semester back to back.

Join a club, any club. I know that this is very standard advice, but it is actually a good one. I'm in a small major so we have our own club and it's a great way to get to know other majors as well as something to add to your resume/scholarship applications. It's a great way to make friends, and going to a random club is very low stakes because you can always just not go back.

Keep up with a hobby. I have lots of succulents and it brings me great joy to care for them, but I have plenty of other friends who crochet, draw, etc. You just have to have something to do other than school.

Be unapologetically yourself, it's the best way to make friends that you actually want to be around. Also it makes you super cool.

SAY YES. If you are being invited to do something (that you want to do ofc), say yes. People are inviting you because they want you to come. But this also goes for opportunities. If you have the chance to do some research, work in a lab, volunteer for a cool event, whatever it may be, give it a try.

And in a similar vein, invite people to do things with you. It might be awkward at first, but the best way to make friends is to just do things with them. Especially as a freshman because everybody is in the same boat and making friends is hard.

Shameless geology promo, take an intro geology class if you can (they usually fulfill at least one gen ed). They're a good way to learn a bit about the world around you, and the labs are usually very fun and way better than a chemistry or physics lab.

I know this was kind of a lot, but I hope at least some of it helps! Despite having a really full schedule, college has been a lot of fun for me and I've had the opportunity to learn a lot and meet really cool people!

[eleanor-speaks]

Thursday, August 10, 2023

It has been a couple of weeks since I updated. I am no longer on bedrest. Last Tuesday, the team met and medical agreed it was okay for me to go on full. That means that I can't leave the day room until it closes at 9:30 at night.

Currently, my schedule looks like this:

Nurses wake me up at 5:30, they let me into my bathroom so I can "empty" and then they wheel me in the wheelchair down to the nurses station for weights and vitals and any labs or tests that need to be done. They also flush my tube. Once they wheel me back, I do some reading until the psych tech gets to my room at 7:10 to give me my shower. They unlock the bathroom again, I have 15 minutes to shower and do everything I need to do in there, although sometimes, they give me 20 minutes since I'm the only one on supervised locked bathrooms right now.

Once I get done in the shower, the tech wheels me to the nurse's window so I can get my morning meds, vitamins, and first supervised fluid, and then they wheel me back to my room where I read a bit more before the nurses come in around 7:55 and hook me up to the pump. Then they wheel me down to the dining room where I sit in supportive dining. I have breakfast, or try to have breakfast. I'm on full portions of the smallest meal plan now. I also have to drink both of my fluids at meals, and if I finish my meal, I can have coffee. This morning, I had cheerios with milk, an orange, and almonds, two waters, and a black coffee meaning I finished breakfast this morning!

After breakfast, I get wheeled down to the day room where I sit on my sofa, my special spot with all of my stuff that I need for the day. There's a break before the first group at 9:10. And that's my morning routine.

Today's groups were Relapse Prevention, then I had a dietary session at 10:00, Mindfulness at 11:10, then there was lunch. Today I had tofurkey and cheese sandwich with mayonnaise and a salad with dressing. I wasn't able to finish it, so I had to have a Boost. I went with strawberry. After lunch was psych rounds and then nursing came in to give me my second round of supervised fluids. There's another break time there, so I worked on homework until the group at 3:10 which was connection and relationships. Normally I would go to student support to do school stuff, but since I'm on full and have a feeding tube, I'm not allowed to go.

After that group is the long break. Since I finished my homework, I decided to do some crocheting. I'm working on a blanket right now. While I was doing that, I hung out with the staff person and we chatted. She's very nice. I like her. Around 4:15, nursing came into check my vitals since I have to have them done at every shift change. Then the 5:00 group was examining perfectionism. After that is dinner.

Dinner tonight was wild rice with tofu, steamed carrots, butter, walnuts, and grapes with two waters. I had to have another Boost because I couldn't finish the rice and didn't use the butter. I went with vanilla tonight.

After dinner is the meal support group and then evening snack, which I have to have because of my blood sugar. You would think that the feeding tube would keep things normal, but I think medical is playing it safe. I also have to do a bedtime snack for the same reason. I don't know what's going on. Medical says it's reactive hypoglycemia or something like that. But for my evening snack, I had cheerios with yogurt. Then there was an evening process group at 8:30.

At 9:00, I played a game with staff until the room closed at 9:30. Then staff wheeled me down to the nurse's station where they unhooked the pump and flushed the tube. They also checked my vitals at that time and gave me my evening meds and third supervised fluid before wheeling me back to my room. Then one of the counselors came in to unlock my bathroom and let me get ready for bed. Then at 10:00, they wheeled me down for my bedtime snack. I had a strawberry bar with milk. I chatted a bit more with the staff person and then at 10:20, they wheeled me back to my room, and now here I am journaling about the day.

I really want to exercise, but with this stupid window in the room and my door having to be open and the bathroom locked, I'll get stopped. I'm going to try to sleep and hope that I don't freak out in the morning when I weigh in.

[angelart67]

I grew up mainly, between Iowa, Nebraska & Texas...and never once did I ever question my parents income, it was never a discussion. We didn't eat a lot of fast food because that was considered a special treat, not a food group. We drank Wylers, and it was made from water that came from our kitchen sink and had real sugar. We ate bologna sandwiches on Winder bread with mustard, or sardines, even tuna sometimes (which was in a can not a pouch), PB&J & grilled cheese sandwiches, & hot dogs, but mostly we had homemade meals consisting of meat, potatoes, and vegetables, and we were grateful we had food and a parent who cooked it for us.

We grew up during a time when we mowed lawns, pulled weeds, babysat, or helped neighbors with chores to be able to earn our own money. And got jobs as soon as we were old enough. We by no means were given everything we wanted.

We went outside a lot to play, rode bikes, ran with friends, played hide and seek, or went swimming. We rarely just sat inside. We drank tap water from the water hose outside, bottled water was completely unheard of. If we had a Coke or Bubble-Up, it came in a glass bottle, and we didn’t break the bottle when we were finished. We saved it and cashed it back in at the store for a refund then bought our own Bazooka Bubble Gum.

We were not allowed to watch TV in my house, & didn't even own one. Personally, we had a stereo where we could play our families Christian albums & on weekends all of us gathered around the radio for storytime type radio shows, there was always a lesson or moral. but the kids I went to school with watched TV shows like Gilligan's Island, Happy Days, Wild, Wild West, Bewitched, Lost in Space, Star Trek, The Brady Bunch, Looney Tunes, The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Sanford and Son and Mork and Mindy. And their mom and dad still decided everything that was watched or not watched.

We walked or rode our bikes to school. After school, we came home and did homework and chores, before going outside or having friends over. We would ride our bikes for hours. We had to tell our parents where we were going, who we were going with, and be home BEFORE the street lights came on, and heaven help you if you wasn't accounted for, and our street light, across from our house, was called the "Early Bird" so we had about 15 minutes less to be home than others nearby.

You LEARNED life's lessons from your parents instead of disrespecting them, and treating them as if they knew absolutely nothing. What they said was LAW, and you did not question it, and you had better know it!

We watched what we said around our elders because we knew if we DISRESPECTED any grown-up we would get our behinds whipped, and that wasn't called abuse, it was called discipline, and nobody was taken away cause your daddy spanked you. We held doors, carried groceries, and gave up our seat for an older person without needing to be asked. You didn't hear curse words on the radio in songs or TV, and if you cursed and got caught you had a bar of soap stuck in your mouth. Dial soap in my case, it was vile and I learned really quick!

“Please, Thank you, yes please, no thank you, yes ma'am, no ma'am yes sir, and no sir were part of our daily vocabulary!

The world we live in now is just so full of crooked people, hate and disrespect for others.

Consider Re-posting if you're thankful for your childhood. I will never forget where I came from and only wish children now days had half the chance at the fun and respect for real life we grew up with! And we were never bored!