#new resolution

[researobinsky]

Turning things around #1

I've been struggling with mental health mostly due to my current everyday, so I've decided to put a positive spin on things I would usually complain about. Maybe at one point I will internalize it and not let loneliness and fatigue blind me to my privileges.

Today's complaints:

I have to go to work. I have a job. I make money.

I need to go to work by bike, and I wish I could walk or take a bus instead. I own a bike. I do not pay for transport. My body is healthy enough to let me bike on the daily.

I have to wash the dishes. I have had enough food lately to get all my plates and cutlery dirty. I have never gone hungry for an entire day.

I didn't have the motivation to study what I planned today. I worked on a research paper instead.

I feel like I had so little time today. Today has been the first time in weeks that I slept more than 7 hours.

[georgi-girl]

Babble: Track Nine

(author's note before we go any further; you should know I imagine Zodiac to be voiced by Hazel Duope

Name it, Rate it, Tune it, Print it,

Scan it, Send it, Fax-Rename it.

Touch it, Bring it, Pay it, Watch it,

Turn it, Leave it, Stop-Format it.

Technologic... Technologic... Technologic... Technologic.

@@@@

In the morning light, the glamour making the Bergens look human faded away. They passed out in the snow, and were encased in a stone shell.

Tone stuck her arm out. Exposure to sunlight caused scabs to form all over. She retracted her hand, and the scabs evaporated.

“Fascinating.” Zodiac said.

@@@@

Riley looked Species up and down.

"So, are you still Russel?"

"Oh yeah for sure for sure. I'm other people too but I'm also me. I remember Migul my boyfriend. I remember you Riley. You're emotions can talk. And you..." He looked at Tone. "I don't remember you."

Miguel introduced them. “Species meet Tone. Tone meet Species. Tone was experimented on like you and now she has trolls... possessing her, I guess. But not in a creepy way."

Species looked Tone up and down just like Riley did with him. “Uh, nice hair.”

Tone pressed a hand to her heart, deeply touched. “Thank youuuuu!”

The Species saw Zodiac, and was immediately intrigued.

“Are you that glowing person we saw outside?” he asked eagerly.

“Uh, maybe?” Zodiac answered unsurely.

“Cool.” Species smiled at them starry-eyed.

After taking some time to relax and regroup. Everyone sat in the rec room. Bridget told the story as she knew it.

Chef had been banished from the Bergen kingdom. But twenty years later, she came back. She said met someone who could help them be happy again. A spirit named Pitch Black. A great shadow filled the town like a flood, and all the Bergens sank into it, waking up in a new world with new appearances and new jobs.

"This isn't my real face." Bridjet mentioned, "This is a special kind of magic called Glamour. My real face... isn't that pretty."

They needed a vessel to channel the troll essence to them. While looking for one, they practice merging people from other worlds into willing volunteers. The most viable subjects were the dimensions native humans. Species was a prototype.

Renee had been in an accident and her family was desperate. They performed a ritual on her to summon as many trolls as possible into her body.

"So, they're actually, physically inside her?" Riley asked.

"I don't know how it works." Bridjet admitted.

Riley looked at Tone, remembering the meetings between her emotions and the different trolls. She wondered if they were aware of the world outside her mind, listening to Bridget speak. She wondered if they were angry.

@@@@

Species was asked more about how the animals were merged into him. As Russel, he remembered being prepped for an operation, as for the animals...

On the way to the gala, Professor Rupert Marmaled had the limo pull over next to some ruins by the crater. He said he had something to show them.

There was a mural showing a black silhouette of a man. Marmalade lit a black candle. Mr. Wolf wondered if this was some kind of memorial.

Rupert shouted out; “Great King of Nightmares! I offer you this sacrifice!”

“What are you…hgk!” Wolf was impaled by a long black harpoon that dragged him to the wall. More spikes impaled Mr. Shark and Mr. Piraña. Mr. Snake freaked and tried to leave, but the professors’ butler grabbed him and held him up. A black tentacle grabbed him and another grabbed Miss Tarantula. They were sucked in as Diane Foxinton called out.

“Professor! Mr. Wolf! What are you doing parked over…” she froze once she came into view and saw what was happening.

“Her too!” Rupert yelled pointing at her. One more harpoon took her.

That was all the bad guys remembered. Rupert and his butler Cuddles calmly walked into the painting. 

@@@@

"Next thing we know, I wake up in a sterile bedroom with six new sets of memories and a bunch of carnivore instincts."

Everyone sat in a circle on the floor, engrossed in Species' story.

"Whoa..." Miguel whispered.

"Yeah. After that, they wouldn't let me leave my room, and I had to get blood tests all the time. No thank you! Got out of there as soon as I could. He turned to Miguel; "That's when I sent that message to you. Been living on the lam ever since."

"All by yourself?"

"Not quite all by myself. I had Dante of course. And after a while, I had..."

He suddenly stood up in shock. "OMYGOSH I left Jack outside!"

He speed-walked to the nearest window. The others asked him who Jack was.

"Okay," he said, opening the window, "You've all seen proof of magic and monsters. So, you're probably up for believing in some weird stuff right?"

"Yes" said Tone. "Yeah sure" said Riley. "Of course" said Miguel.

"So if I were to tell you that Jack Frost helped me escape, you'd believe me right?"

"Jack Frost?" Tone cocked her head. "The man from the poem?"

"I'm from a lot more than just that!" came a voice from outside. Up floated a young barefoot man with white hair, a dark blue hoodie, brown trousers, and carrying a crooked Shepards' staff. He entered the room in a breeze full of glowing snowflakes. He landed gracefully on the floor as everyone gazed at him.

"So... Safe to say you can all see me?"

@@@@

They spent the day exploring the archives.

According to Renee's file, she was from New Hampshire. Diagnosed with Autism at age two. Back in August, she was hit by a car while grocery shopping. It was right near her home, she went there all the time. She should have been safe... Riley became overwhelmed. Her emotions ran around headquarters, freaking out.

@@@@

Renne took out the tiny lyre. As an experiment, she plucked the blue string.

Riley heard a funny electric warbling behind her and turned around. A blue-skinned fish man floated in front of her. She watched him in awe.

"How are you doing that?"

"It's hard to explain. Same way you're doing that I guess." He pointed to Riley's emotions, sitting on her shoulders.

Disgust, slid down Riley's arm and studied the new Aspect, grinning. "Awesome."

“What else you got?” Miguel asked.

“What else you need?” The Techno Aspect said smugly.

Zodiac pounded the Techno Aspect with questions.

“Are they stronger than regular hair?”

“Can you use your own hair?”

“Do they make any song magic?”

Then Species chimed in.

“What happens if you lick one?”

They all looked at him in confusion.

[arioagio]

Thank you 2024.

It's been a hell of a ride. 💪🏻

[gdfalksen]

Yes

[eggsdoodz]

bye bye 2024

[arioagio]

New Year, fellas. 📣

“Fear less, hope more, eat less, chew more, whine less, breathe more, talk less, say more, hate less, love more, and good things will be yours.”

— Swedish Proverb

[sweetdreamspootypie]

Do not quit alcohol cold turkey

Do not suddenly stop drinking alcohol as a new years resolution if you have been consistently using alcohol most days

Your body gets used to the presence of the alcohol as a sedative in your system

Suddenly removing the sedative you are chemically accustomed to is like suddenly removing the wall you are leaning on - you will topple over

You brain electricity gets overexcited

This causes seizures

This causes sudden onset dementia (Wernicke's encephalopathy)

This causes brain damage

If you use alcohol often (even in moderate amounts)

Or in large amounts

Or you have ever noticed you get shakey tremors and anxious when you stop drinking

Then your body is chemically dependant and you need to be very careful coming off alcohol otherwise you will cause brain damage

Slowly wean down the amount you drink over days or weeks

Talk to a doctor about your goals to quit and ask about support options

Medically supported withdrawal is a lot safer

If alcohol withdrawal goes badly there is a 15% chance it will kill you.

Do not go this alone

You deserve to be safe

[linipik]

Exercises for all the homies who want to have a long career drawing.

The true problem with being an artist and drawing all day (as I wanted my whole life) is that human backs are not designed to hold that position, so it is very common for artists and designers to have really stiff shoulder blades, creating a chain of muscle strain towards the arm AND the back... and a lot of pain.

These are some physical exercises for artists and honestly anyone who works at a desk.

(all credit to my physiotherapist)

[shutinthenutouse]

[shorthistorian]

Make this your New Year’s Resolution. I promise it will pay off.

[biblicallyaccuratemoth]

Woah! Is that @kaylasartwork , @bubbleverseart , AND @nyxisart ? What is this, a New Years crossover episode? (Seriously, though. Thank you all for participating, your art is wonderful and getting to know y’all this winter has been delightful.)

It’s going to be a good year, 2025. And it’s going to be good because the queer community, all of us, are there for each other. Every single one of us is badass alone, and together we can weather anything.

[cronchy-baguette]

Is fate something you can earn?

[arioagio]

Ada kalanya diri ini lelah.

Ada kalanya diri ini sudah tak berpengharapan.

Ada kalanya diri ini kecewa.

Semua sudah diupayakan.

Semua cara sudah dilakukan.

Semua jalan sudah ditempuh.

Semuanya kembali dengan hasil yang sama. Jalan yang buntu.

Sekarang hanya bisa memasrahkan diri.

Sekarang hanya bisa berharap.

Sekarang hanya bisa melalukan yang terbaik.

Semoga kebahagiaan itu dapat dicapai.

@arioagio

[montereybayaquarium]

Wishing that the new year brings you as much joy as this picture of Ruby chomping on ice. 🦦🧊

Every week, our sea otter team prepares a frosty feast of ice cubes and tasty treats packed in ice molds for our resident sea otters. This enrichment keeps the otters and their sharp teeth busy and helps with hydration too!

Sea otters are one of the few marine mammals that can drink seawater—thanks to their otterly impressive kidneys, which filter out excess salt! Still, most of their hydration comes from the food they eat.

[ed-recoverry]

“The year is almost over and I did nothing!”

Okay, well did you…

Finish a book?

Make a home cooked meal?

Get a new job?

Get a promotion?

Finish another semester of school?

Get your GED/high school diploma?

Get your associates, certification, degree, masters, and or doctorate?

Take an online class?

Finish a project?

Start a new hobby?

Start a new book?

Talk to a new person?

Made a new friend?

Went to something you didn’t want to?

Write a new story?

Start journaling?

Start to dress different?

Start learning a new skill?

Go to the doctor?

Fix your sleep schedule?

Rekindle a relationship?

Go on a date?

Get help?

Ask for help?

Apologize?

Make amends?

Stay sober (even for a few days)?

Stay clean (even for a few days)?

Donate to charity?

Volunteer?

Try something new?

Travel somewhere new?

Do something you were dreading?

Do something you were scared of?

Start showering regularly?

Start brushing your teeth regularly?

Come out?

Go to therapy?

Admit you need help?

Start regularly walking?

Finally find the right combination of meds?

Finally get a diagnosis?

Create a morning routine?

Stick to a morning routine?

Create a nighttime routine?

Stick to a nighttime routine?

Start spending allotted time without electronics?

Admit you’re wrong?

Confront someone who wronged you?

Start reaching out first?

Make a really big decision?

Break up with a toxic partner/friend?

Realize you were traumatized?

Talk about your trauma?

Clean your room regularly?

Make your bed regularly?

Lose weight healthily?

Gain weight healthily?

Start recovery?

Attempt to start recovery?

Continue recovering?

Become a parent?

Adopt a pet?

Care for a person?

Care for a pet?

Care for yourself?

Quit that job you hate?

Get into your dream school?

Pass that shitty class?

Make progress in therapy?

Get that haircut you’ve always wanted?

Start hormone therapy?

Start treatment?

Get surgery?

Care for a plant?

Save money?

Get engaged?

Get married?

Make a big purchase?

Move?

Grieve?

Stay alive?

Because in my book, that is a huge accomplishment!

[linkedsoul]

2025

DO IT SCARED

DO IT FOR THE JOURNEY

BECOME UNGOVERNABLE

CHANNEL THE OTHERWORLDLY

WRITE LOVE LETTERS TO YOUR FRIENDS

WORSHIP THE GOD OF LITTLE JOYS

LAUGH WITH YOUR THROAT BARED

TRUST THE SHARPNESS OF YOUR TEETH

DO NOT FORGET TO SCREAM