#so don't stress yourself out with keeping this up or maintaining a super consistent schedule :)

[sophieswundergarten]

GUESS WHAT, I JUST SO HAPPENED TO HAVE THE TIME

This is turning out to be so incredible! Every chapter has been more exciting and entertaining than the last, even though the soul-crushing horror of knowing the friendship will inevitably fall apart lurks around every corner. You have done such an amazing job of holding true to the characters while also taking artistic license to delve into fascinating backstories. One of my favorite parts once I've absorbed the plot is to go back and reread for all of the unique idiosyncrasies you've added.

The bits with Milligan and Kate are so precious! The two of them love each other so much, and it is really neat to see their relationship when she was so little. I also LOVE that you included the Whisperer messages/classes from the books! I used to memorize and recite them to myself like poetry because the cadence is so enthralling. BABY JACKSON. The way that Milligan realizes that the island, as ground zero, has the least interference from the Emergency is so cool! S. Q. enjoys playing with Kate and it is so sweet!!! I am really sad that we didn't get to see any of that as they got older, it would have been awesome for her to meet the boys and Constance and be like "And this is my big brother S. Q.! We're not really related, but he's great and I've known him forever so I call him my brother". PIERRE. The mental image of Curtain constantly being like "S. Q., this is the last thing we are keeping" and then immediately going back on his word because his kid is so softhearted. And he changed the windows!! Also Curtain solely caring about children if the child is S. Q. Milligan really is incredibly smart, and the way that he starts to pick up on Curtain's suspicious behaviour because he knows his friend so well is terrific to read. Poor Jeffers getting instantly smacked in the face. Oh, and Curtain is so messed up he's desensitized himself to the situation, and it's heartbreaking to see him act so dismissive while Milligan is fighting so hard to reach him. And Garrison! She has been through so much and you can really understand how it's killing her to be a part of this, but she is so scared of losing control (parallels) of everything she's worked on and losing all the few people she has left that she feels utterly helpless. (Okay, but "Garrison stared at Curtain, consumed by the overwhelming desire to punch him in the face." is hysterical and I loved the placement in the middle of this emotional scene!) The way she was so scared of rehab is such a complicated detail, oh my. And the bit about Curtain paying them and technically being an employer comes back around!! The way that he thinks through manipulating her is so twisted because on one level he's trying to gain total control and run his Institute "properly", but you can also see how reluctant he is to drive his friends away and lose some of the only people who've ever understood him. Milligan has figured it out seventy-five whole times? I was not expecting that. And poor Garrison (and to a lesser extent, Curtain) has had to go through this whole gut-wrenching process seventy-five times. " 'I think you need better friends,' she suggested. 'And I think my friend deserves better,' Milligan replied." oh just stab me in the heart a couple more times why don't you. Garrison trying to use the Whisperer for its initial purpose of soothing her fears when all she really needs is a hug and reassurance from a real person. And then the flip-side mirror-verse subversion of the first scene is such a fantastic ending!!!

My apologies to everyone who followed me for non-fan fic related content, because I've been on a writing kick recently...

...and yes. Yes I did just post another chapter of S.O.S. and I do plan on having periods where I take weeks or even months to update the fic and then post like 3 insanely long chapters at a time like some sort of mad man. But I hope that doesn't stop you from enjoying it!

Chapter 6 Summary: When Garrison and Milligan discover Curtain's plans for their inventions, they disagree on how to best deal with the situation, which creates a rift in their friendship. Meanwhile, eight-year-old SQ and three-year-old Kate attempt to plan a play date.

Click Here to Read the Chapter

Well, @serial-serializednovelreader @myfairkatiecat @oflightningandstars @sophieswundergarten @kneeslapworthy @mvshortcut most of you said you wanted another chapter soon so... here it is! (No pressure to read until you have time, I just realized this thing is already insanely long and will probably end up being the longest thing I've ever written so oops, but I look forward to reading your comments and hope you enjoy it!)

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idk if it depends on the country/specific college but my biggest fear going into uni is that it'll take up all my time and i won't have enough free time to hang out or do hobby stuff so ig my question is is it rlly like that...for some reason i have this image of uni in my head where it's far more stressful and energy consuming and serious than high school idk why

hi! i'm going into my junior year at a college in nevada, what will follow is a few pictures of how my schedules have looked through the semesters

for me to maintain my scholarships, i have to take 15 credits a semester. each 50-75 minute class taken twice a week for a semester gives me three credits. labs give me one credit on top of the class i'd be taking them for, and special cases where, say, i'd have to take a class every day instead of every other day, would give me four credits instead of three (see math 181 in the 4th semester, that was four credits).

i also have a part time job. focusing in on the fourth semester, during that time i would also work around 20-25 hours a week each week (incl. weekends). still, with all this, i was able to maintain a social life and complete my schoolwork and pass my classes (all As and Bs in the fourth semester ☺️)

my college let me create my schedule for myself from the second semester onward. if your college lets you do this too, i do have a few tips:

a.) don't schedule classes you know you're not going to. if you have a hobby like a sport or work later in the day, i suggest not taking super early morning classes. you're not a machine, you're not going to be able to remain consistent with energy for 12-14 hours. only take early classes if you know you can maintain it

b.) give yourself a gap around lunchtime, especially if your school has food accommodations. if they do, i suggest having your lunchtime break from 11-12 or from 1-2. everyone is gonna be trying to buy lunch from 12-1 and shit gets packed.

c.) try to balance out your days. don't take four classes on m/w and one class on t/t. that is going to suck.

and some tips for maintaining your schedule:

a.) college isn't highschool, and (at least in my experience) you're allowed to leave class/not go at all without giving a justification to the teacher. don't do this for labs or recitations, but if you need a break or are sick, don't stress

b.) if you follow the above advice, make sure you know what's going on the day you skip. one of my teachers a year ago randomly decided there were two days we HAD TO COME INTO a week before the days aforementioned, and i almost failed the class because i missed it 😭 don't allow yourself to slip either, just be aware of your limits and know that you can skip days that aren't as important as you need to

c.) if you have friends that go to the same college, hang out with them during your breaks! it's a nice opportunity to recharge

good luck! maybe your college doesn't look or function like mine does, but i still had plenty of time to keep up with my hobbies and hang out with friends despite working a job and maintaining these schedules. i personally found college a lot better than highschool in this sense, and i hope you feel the same