#weird little blueberry spend like 10 minutes on this for no reason

[bluebxmfing]

This is stupid, validate me anyway

[likefacesaretohearts]

Knocked Up

Pablo and reader grow in their relationship and possibly their family.

Listen to this Kings of Leon song while you readdd

Warnings: fluff, mentions of sex, some slightly graphic language, mentions of unprotected sex, pregnancy

*******************************************************

The last few weeks you spent in Canada with Pablo and his two boys had been amazing. At first you were apprehensive about going on a trip with just him and his kids because you hadn't spent much time with them. Plus, you didn't want to be the stereotypical younger girlfriend that tags along and makes family trips awkward.

"The boys think you're cool. It'll be fun for all of us to spend time together. Trust me, babydoll," Pablo had told you while you were laying in bed the night before you left California.

Thankfully he was right. You got a chance to be with Pablo without all the distractions that were in LA and a chance to really get to know his kids. When you had first started dating Pablo, neither of you were sure if it was gonna be a lasting relationship or just a brief fling, so you agreed that you wouldn't meet his children until you got serious. Without expecting it, you fell quickly and deeply in love within 10 months of being together.

You were on an early morning hike with Pablo on a beautiful trail in the hills when you both decided to take a break and sit on the grass, looking out at a gorgeous wooded area. He had taken his shirt off and beads of sweat glistened off his back, chest and arms. You found his love of nature and being active so sexy— you laid your head on his damp shoulder and let out a contented sigh. "I'm so glad we came here," you said. "I feel like this is the life I wanna live."

"Me too," he said. "It's weird...I never thought someone could just fit in our family, but you do, y/n."

The sun was getting hotter as it got later in the morning, so the two of you decided to head back to the cabin you were staying in because the kids would be awake soon. You made a beeline for the shower because, well, you were in dire need of one after that hike. Peeling off your leggings and tank top and then feeling the cool water against your skin was an unmatched feeling. After a few minutes you heard a light knock on the bathroom door and Pablo asking "Ok if I come in?"

"Yeah, babe," you shouted so he could hear you. You figured that maybe he had to pee or wanted to brush his teeth or something. Instead, he opened the shower curtain and soon he was in the shower right behind you, planting a kiss on your bare shoulder. He grabbed the bottle of body wash that was nearby and said "Can I get under the water baby?" You switched spots with him so he could rinse himself off too.

"Rose hip oil? What the hell does that do?" He was reading the bottle of body wash in confusion.

"I don't know, but it smells good, right?" You replied.

He stepped closer to you so that his chest was touching yours and said "You smell good" with a very sly smile. "Ah so that's why you came in here," you said with a laugh. "You sneaky bastard." Pablo grabbed you and started kissing you as if he were in need of air and you were the only supply of it. His hand traveled down to your ass, then wandered between your legs. His dick was hard against your thigh and he whispered lustfully on your ear "You're so beautiful, honey. Let me show you how beautiful you are." Between heavy kisses you managed to say "Oh, baby I want to but I can't right now." You and Pablo both had very high sex drives and there was rarely a time when the two of you didn't feel like having sex...except for when you were ovulating. That was a time when the two of you were very careful and refrained from being together during that window of time because you weren't on birth control and you hadn't had a conversation about having children together yet. Hell, you were just now becoming comfortable with the two children that he had.

A look of understanding spread across his face, and he grabbed your face in his hands then kissed your forehead then your lips. "Alright sweetheart. How about I make you breakfast instead? What do you want, we got just about everything in the kitchen..."

"Surprise me," you said with a smile. He jumped out of the shower and grabbed a towel, leaving you to relax some more and exfoliate.

Fresh out of the shower and dressed in a pair of shorts and a comfy sweatshirt, you went into the kitchen to see what Pablo was cooking. "Blueberry or pecan?" He asked. Waffles. "Hmm...both!" The boys were at the other end of the house in the living room playing video games, but even though they weren't close by he lowered his voice when he said "So about earlier...would it be so bad?" Pablo did this sometimes, speaking as if you already knew what he was talking about without actually explaining first and you'd have to reel him in. "Babe, did you have the first part of this conversation without me?"

He put some freshly made waffles on a plate and started making more. "Remember in the shower earlier? When you said you couldn't..." he raised his eyebrows at the risk of the kids somehow hearing his say the word 'sex'. "Would it be so bad if we did... had a baby?"

You almost choked on the coffee you had been sipping. Of course you loved him and you wanted kids, you always had, but you had no idea he had even thought about having more. After taking a second to gather you thoughts, you said "You want another baby?"

"I mean, yeah. I never really put a time or intention on it because I haven't been in a serious relationship in a while, but it's something that's always been in the back of my mind. I don't wanna freak you out if it's too soon for you to think about...but I can see that for us. What if we had alittle girl that looks just like you?"

Hearing him talk like that made you emotional for some reason. It was the thing everyone who wants a family wants to hear their partner say. You got up and hugged him from behind as he continued to cook and kissed his shoulder.

"So you're open to it?" He asked sheepishly.

"Mhm," you said, smiling. He turned around and planted a sweet kiss on your lips.

"Boys, breakfast is ready. Come & get it!"

*************************************************

To put it simply, you felt like shit. You had notoriously bad periods and you could definitely feel it coming on. It was a about a week late but along with being generally awful, your periods were also unpredictable. The strange part was that you didn't have cramps, but we're extremely nauseous and overall weak. You and Pablo were still in Canada and it'd been about two weeks since you had agreed that a baby was in the cards for y'all. He joked that the two of you should start "trying" but you'd been feeling so terrible lately that you barely had the energy to do the day to day activities you guys usually did with the kids, like hiking, riding dirt bikes and watching movies, let alone have the kind of energetic sex you and Pablo usually have.

Pablo and the kids were about to head to the store to stock up on some more food and supplies for the cabin. He came into the room you shared where you'd been laying down and watching 13 Going on 30 on TV to distract you from how gross you felt. He crouched down next to the bed and rubbed your head.

"Is there anything you want me to grab for you at the store? I hate seein you like this, honey."

Somehow in that moment, it all clicked. You felt dumb for not realizing what the cause of your sickness probably was. Without even really thinking it through, you blurted out, "I think I need a pregnancy test...kind of...I think!"

"You think you could be pregnant?" He asked with innocent excitement growing in his voice.

"I mean, I wouldn't quite rule it out."

About an hour later the three of them had returned and after making the boys a quick snack to hold them over before dinner, he brought a plastic bag into your room and sat on the bed. "Alright, my lovely," he said, pulling out a ginger ale, some sour gummy worms for your nausea and...the pregnancy test. Two of them, as a matter of fact. "I have an idea, but let me know if you're not up for it: you take both the tests, leave them in the bathroom, then me and you go for a walk outside and when we come back we can look at it together."

"Let's do it," you said, pulling on some shoes and a hoodie to protect you from the brisk night air.

The sky was a gorgeous orange, yellow and faded purple, the perfect backdrop for a sunset. You and Pablo walked hand in hand through the nearby wooded area, taking about the possibility of you carrying your first child together and how thrilled his boys would be. As you walked and talked, time got away from you and nearly an hour had passed when you decided it would be best to head back. You sent Pablo to the bathroom to go get the tests and bring them to out to the front porch where you'd both decided to sit to look out at the stars.

"You ready?" He asked, reaching out for your hand. You grabbed it and rubbed his hand with your thumb. You turned over one test and he turned over the other at the same time.

Pregnant and pregnant.

Your eyes welled up with tears immediately and you covered your mouth with your hands. He reached over and grabbed you into a bear hug, kissing the top of your head and peppering your face with kisses.

"Baby, how do you feel?" You asked him, your voice muffled by the jacket he was wearing.

"Let's do it, sweetheart."

He grabbed you and lifted you up, carrying you into the house bridal style. The love in both of your eyes was enough to last a lifetime. You couldn't wait to grow your family with him and give the boys a little sibling

[incorrectly-quoted-queers]

Drunk Punch Love: Chapter 8

Pairing: FemShep and Garrus Vakarian (Shakarian)

Rating: PG-13 (with some tossed F-bombs)

Summary: Their awkward, badass journey through saving the galaxy and accidentally falling in love

The emptier the ship got, the more apparent it was that the ones left were avoiding her.

Chapter 8: Bloody Workout Gear

Quite a few of the crew-members from the Saren mission were taking shore leave on the Citadel, while the Normandy was hopping around the galaxy, taking people home. Tali had gone back to the Flotilla, despite Anya insisting that she'd buy a few junk ships and be her new flotilla if she wanted. And they were currently on their way to drop Wrex off on Tuchanka. He decided, after all their time together, that maybe he should head back and try to bring some order to his people. After all, there was a war coming and Krogan enjoyed a good war.

But it was a little awkward when Kaidan and Liara were still on board and she sometimes went days without seeing them. Liara spent most of her time in her science office, analyzing any Prothean artifacts they had and preparing for her next research position, which they were taking her to after Wrex was gone. And Kaidan was always spending his time with Chakwas, Joker, or working with newer recruits. Basically anything away from Shepard.

Even Garrus seemed to be avoiding her. He kept on saying he was busy with some calibrations, always under the Mako, or working on their guns. She thought they were finally good, actually more than good, after Ashley's funeral. But maybe they weren't.

Anya knew that Kaidan had a very good reason to avoid her; she broke his heart into too many pieces that night before Ilos, and she understood that. And she knew Liara was really overwhelmed by suddenly being the foremost researcher on everyone's new favorite ancient species. She at least apologized for continually ditching Shepard at every turn.

Garrus really was the confusing part; she had no clue what she did.

The only person left talking to her was Wrex. She'd have Joker, but Kaidan was holding her favorite pilot hostage as his own personal buddy, so that wasn't an option. It was kinda pathetic that the only person who would talk to her was about to abandon ship in a day or two.

At least the guy loved taking breaks to do some target practice.

"Your aim is shit today, Shepard."

Anya grumbled, took another shot at the target. This time, she hit a half-inch off. "It's not bad."

Wrex laughed at her, laying his own gun on his shoulder. He pointed a very accusatory finger at the target and said, "Yeah, sure. You and the turian can spend hours here waiting for someone to miss, but missing it every time today isn't that bad."

"Fuck off, old man."

Even though she put her pistol in the holster and tried to walk away, Wrex followed her. All the way upstairs to the kitchen, even. "So what's eating you?"

Anya didn't really want to hear it. "Absolutely nothing."

"You say that like a Varren gnawing off their own leg."

Turning around, Anya punched his chest plate. She was pretty over all his prying. The only good part of hanging out with him was their very short conversations. When did it suddenly need to get all serious? "What is it with you and comparing me to Varren?"

"I dunno, you're kinda like one. Vicious and badass, but kinda cute when domesticated."

"It sounds like you're calling me a dog." Shepard took her blueberry juice out of the fridge and poured herself a glass. It was hard not to notice how empty the mess was; empty enough that their voices kind of echoed.

Wrex sat down on a stool across from her. Mental note that if she wants to be bitter and alone, to remove all seating from the kitchen. "No clue what that is, but sure." He gave a pointed look between Anya and the fridge. She groaned, but maybe it would shut him up. She poured him a glass of some very dense Krogan beverage (non alcoholic) and slid it to him. Unfortunately for her, that didn't stop him from talking. "Hope you're not getting feeble on me. I'm expecting you to take care of the galaxy while I take care of Tuchanka."

"I wouldn't dare." When Wrex started drinking, Anya's prayers seemed to be answered. He was glugging down the- beverage? It smelled nice, but looked like sludge. She didn't really know what to make of it. The silent company was nice, reminded her she had friends but didn't remind her that she was off her game because of the other fickle crewmates.

Well, it was good until a certain pilot walked up. "Ooh blue juice? Pass me some of that."

Anya glared at him while she got out the juice, poured another glass, and then handed it to him. She hoped her annoyance seethed into the drink. "Joker, what the hell are you doing here?"

"We're stopped above Tuchanka. We got here early. No one tell you over comms?"

Looking between Wrex and herself, Anya shook her head. "Um, no. That's your job."

"Right... Well, I've taken to not broadcasting my location all over the ship. Sure, I may be at the pilot's seat 10/10 times, but a certain angsty biotic doesn't need to know that."

Shepard peered at Joker and crossed her arms. "Is that why you've been pinging everyone whenever you're in weird places around the ship?"

"Convinced Tali to give me a device that lets me say I'm anywhere without having to be there."

"C'mon, Kaidan can't be that bad."

"He's not, unless he's in a bug funk mood about a certain Commander rejecting him. Oh wait, he is." After frowning at her and rolling his eyes, Joker then turned to Wrex and said, "We told the drop ship that you'd be ready in thirty minutes."

The tall Krogan downed the rest of his drink. "Good thing I haven't packed yet." He waved at them before heading downstairs. Presumably, to do that packing thing. That left Joker, Anya, and the blueberry juice.

After a sip from his glass, Joker said, "So, haven't seen any cranky turians in your room lately."

Anya was about ready to throw her drink at him. Glass first, hopefully. "You shouldn't be seeing anyone in my room, because you shouldn't ever be there in the first place."

"A guy's gotta protect his bones, okay?"

"We're both nearly 30, Joker, maybe stop getting so drunk you need your old academy roomie to babysit you."

Joker took another sip, which seemed to be a sure sign of him saying something annoying. "So you are really bothered about not hanging out with Garrus lately."

"I'm going to break your dick, I swear."

"At least aim for a more impressive threat, Shep. Because that's not a hard thing for anyone to do."

Grumbling, Anya didn't want to dance around whatever stupid point he was trying to make. "Okay, fine. What do you want to say about it?"

"You two just seemed cozy, hanging out on that couch."

"We have a weekly movie night, this isn't exactly wild news."

"I know. Even more suspicious."

Anya was pretty over it. Joker was having too much fun dancing around what he really wanted to say, and she'd rather he just spit it the fuck out. Especially since she knew he was enough of a Kaidan beacon to need anti-lieutenant protocols. She didn't really want to have to deal with that right now, either. "Get to the fucking point, Jeff."

"All I'm saying is that you don't get very cozy with people. Exhibit A is literally stalking me around this ship out of heartbreak. I just want to get a feel on what's happening here. Mama bear would be interested if you're getting close to someone. She was pretty pissed you didn't tell her about Rike back in the day."

"One, why are you discussing my sex life with my mother? And two, there's nothing for her or you to be pissed or prying about. So shove off it."

"You say that, but I have eyes."

"Not for long if you keep this up."

"Fine, fine. I'm just saying, why aren't you talking to him?"

"I-" Before she could say anything, Wrex came upstairs, dragging Vakarian in tow. Garrus looked a little shell-shocked and Anya couldn't help but stare. Wrex didn't even let the poor guy wipe the oil grease off his face.

Then very loudly, Wrex announced, "Now, you two are gonna escort me down to Tuchanka."

While she and Garrus were just swallowing down the awkwardness between them, Wrex was shouldering his pack. Joker said, "I wish I could pack that fast. Damn."

Leaving her blueberry juice, Anya tried to get a handle on the very quickly changing situation. "I'll just go grab my armor-"

"No need, I just wanna show off that the so called "savior of the Citadel" has my back. Good way to start showing dominance and fixing shit up, right?"

Anya didn't even know how to argue. "I guess, sure. The workout gear will do."

He threw an arm around her and Garrus and then dragged them to the stairs. "Time to show my planet I'm back."

They followed him to the docking port in relative silence. Their next few minutes were spent entering a drop ship and watching the burning planet all the way to the surface. No one spoke. Wrex had this purposeful energy to him, and she didn't know what to say out loud that they hadn't already said the past few days.

But Garrus, across from her? He seemed like he was itching with something. He kept on fidgeting with his armor and checking the clips on his sniper rifle. Even that night she was a drunken idiot, he could look at her the next day. Albeit after a lot of awkward talking, but now he seemed a world away. What made it worse was that she had no clue how to reach him.

When they landed, Wrex was happy to walk out into the Krogan hub, with the blistering sun hitting his face. but when he exited into the harsh brightness, Anya suck it up and opted for the least tactful approach. She grabbed Garrus' arm. "I don't know what I did, but whatever it was, I'm sorry."

"Shepard, I-"

His answer was interrupted by Wrex calling them over to a group of nearby Krogan. The entire ship port experience was Wrex just dragging her around, telling slightly exaggerated stories of how badass he was to prove a point. She understood that for a merc coming home, this was the equivalent of networking. But with the turian on his other side, she couldn't help but feel like she had some things to say that were getting overrun by Wrex's posturing.

That is, until she felt a bullet whiz past her ear. She turned her head around and saw a trio of Krogan running their way. With a quick order to take cover barked at her companions, Anya dove behind cover as quickly as she could. From the looks of their armor, they didn't seem to have any merc gang affiliations, so her only source of information was the krogan in cover next to her. "What the hell, Wrex?! You told me not to wear armor!"

He shrugged. "I figured someone might come after me. Chances were low, but it definitely proves a bigger point if we kick their ass in no armor."

"You're not wrong, but I hate you for it. You owe me new workout gear if this gets bloody."

"I can do that."

Lucky for her, Wrex brought along the two best shots on the team. And even better, the krogan attacking were mostly relying on shotguns. They just had to shoot 'em out before they got too close. She just had to hope their durability wasn't great.

Just as they downed the lead krogan, she noticed a shimmer on the other side of Garrus. Any infiltrator knew what that meant. "Vakarian! Tactical cloak to your left." Garrus reacted accordingly and they shot the stealthy one down, but it made her a little more wary of what they were up against. Looking towards her krogan friend, she yelled, "Shit, Wrex, they must really want you dead."

"Great, huh?"

"Not the word I'd use for it."

Anya was about to peek out from cover and take some shots at the final krogan, but Garrus beat her to the punch. "Shepard, look out!" He was rolling from his cover to hers and dragged her to where Wrex was hiding.

And right after they got behind the metal crates, the final krogan barrelled through the box she'd been hiding behind. Her eyes met Garrus' and she said, "Thanks." The second she spoke, though, he released her waist like it was a ticking grenade and instead stood up, shot the krogan in the eye, and he dropped dead.

Wrex stood up and smirked. "That's the best welcome home present I've ever gotten."

"Bud, we're gotta have a conversation about what you find endearing." Taking a deep breath, Anya glanced down at her shirt and noticed there was a few drops of blood on her. They seemed to be coming from a forehead scrape from when Garrus dragged her away from the danger box. "Shit. And you definitely owe me new clothes."

"Technically Garrus did that."

"Yeah, but you're the one who made me come without my gear."

"Fine, I'll send the credits. But it was worth it."

When her omni-tool pinged with the money, she let out a sigh. It also emptied out any annoyance for putting her life in danger, since everyone always did that to her all the time. Including herself. "Tell us if you got too many assassins to handle."

"I think I'll be set after that display of quads." Then, Wrex turned to her and Garrus and pulled them into a hug. "Until next time." And when he stepped back, he gave Anya a wink. "Vakarian. Shepard."

She rolled her eyes, but played along. "Wrex."

And then he picked up his bag and walked off.

Anya should definitely be less surprised that they just had the most krogan goodbye in existence. But for now, she'd settle for getting off the damn planet. She just jogged her ass back to the drop ship. While Shepard wasn't one for running away, she also wasn't about to encourage any other krogan to try to fight her, not like this. If she was lucky she could rub out the blood and have two pairs of good workout gear.

Garrus followed behind silently and, in a few short minutes, they were closed up in the drop ship, her wound was bandaged, and they were heading back to the Normandy.

But that was when the real battle started. Anya hated to admit it, but Joker was right. She couldn't stand not talking to Garrus, and it had to stop. "Garrus..."

"Shepard, I'm leaving."

The words hung between them like a dead man. Her fingers felt numb. After too long of him not looking at her, Anya asked, "What?"

"When we talked, I figured out I wanted to do more for the galaxy. Like you do. And the next day, I got an offer to join the Spectres training program. I said yes."

Everything felt so dry and cold, the air, her skin, the energy between them. Anya didn't really know how to process it. But she did know what she should say, what was honest and true. "You'd make a great Spectre, Garrus." Then, she tried to add it all together, and still ended up lost and confused. "But then why were you avoiding me?"

"Because I didn't know how to tell you I was leaving. Or maybe I just didn't want to tell you." Garrus sighed and sat down next to her. "I know this is what I want, but that doesn't mean I want to leave you. I didn't want you to feel like that's why I did it."

"Of course not. I get it." There were a lot of feelings running around her head, but in all honesty? Few of them had anything to do with him. She was proud of him and admired him. He wanted to be a hero. How could she blame any of her fantastic team for wanting to make a difference, even if it meant leaving her?

The only real things making her pause were her own, irrelevant feelings of attachment to him. And they were her problem, not his. So, like a good friend, Anya shut up the feelings and added, "When do you leave?"

"Two weeks. We'll drop off Liara, check out Alchera for the Council, and then when we stop back to the Citadel to report, I stay."

Anya crossed her arms and gave him the most deadpan, serious look she could. "Well, we got a lot of movies to watch before that, then."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. You ever heard of James Bond?"

///

The thought of Garrus leaving literally cracks my heart so that’s fun. 

I’m sick an burning my tongue with warm beverages like a proper knob, but posting this stuff and being my weird creative self with you folks help make it better <3 

The true behind the screens drama is that I’m sick ALL THE TIME so sorry if that’s the narrative 50% of the time.

Anyway, thanks so much for reading, and double thanks to my lovely patrons:

Danyell Jones

Amy Connolly

If you'd like to support my writing and creations, please go check out my bio for more info :) (hint, I’m trying to buy a desktop to share more of my goon, fandom trash behavior with everyone. Any support is appreciated!) 

[dreammutual-remade]

high school!donghyuck

request: idk if you’re taking reqs but i really like ur highscool aus so if u want to write one abt hyuck ill be :^))))))) - anonymous

word count: 5.1k

a/n: oof its been awhile unnies!!!! ive had exams for the past two weeks and I still have exams now so im sorry for not posting anything but reblogs with headassery in the tags!!! we are continuing the high school series n renjun is next!! since I got like 3 requests for him !!!!! hhehhehehheheh its gonna b cute <3 anyways hope u enjoy this I love my lil duckie baby

masterlist

mark, renjun, jeno, donghyuck, jaemin, chenle, jisung

big oof i’m gonna cry while writing this

i’m running out of creative ways to say let’s dive in

let us take the plunge

okay!!!!!!!!!! so you’ve been an editor/writer for the school paper for pretty much all of your high school career

you’re not super well known though because you don’t try to take any credit for anything and always sign your pieces like “- the daily newspaper team” or smth 

anywhom you’ve always loved writing about the stuff around you or making up little short stories

one of your hobbies is just going people watching and trying to write down a brief description of people you see and what you think they’re on the way to do

you’ve befriended the baristas at your favorite spot, lucas and mark, and they always beg to read them but you never let them because mark is too nice to tell you it’s shit and lucas is too dumb to at least say it nicely

you’ve got at least 6 notebooks FULL of these little stories but you’ve never really ? showed anyone because wow showing others your work is Scary

criticism ???/$&/&:&:&:

it’s midway through the first semester of the school year and you’ve been super busy since it’s football season and you gotta write about all the games

and you haven’t had much time to write your cute little stories for yourself and you miss it a lot :/

this weekend though the chance of rain is SUPER high so the football game is cancelled and you have plenty of time to yourself !! :D

there is, a setback tho

THUNDER!!!!! IS SO SCARY !!!!!!

u fckin softie

you decide to tough it out though and get suited up in some polka dot rain boots and a rain jacket and set off to find somewhere to chill

as you’re walking to the nearest lil greenhouse/cafe thing it starts raining ,, ,,, hARDER

when you started it wasn’t rlly raining it was just like that weird tension in the air right before the air pressure drops and it starts to rain and you were already on edge OOF

but then it’s raining so you clutch your notebook to your chest and dash

usain bolt had nothing on you girly you were ZOOM ZOOM

broom broom- doyoung

unfortunately you don’t make it though because with you head down to keep the rain out of your eyes you run RIGHT into someone’s CHEST !!!!!!

hehe u know i’m a sucker for these god damn TROPES

your notebook goes flying and and the arms attached to the Chest That Caused Your Grief come up to catch you by the arms

“oh gOD sorry are you okay ??? i wasn’t looking and i was trying to keep my journal dr- MY JOURNALSDJDDD”

you fling yourself out of this boys arms and pick up your soaking wet journal sadly

:((((((( you had so many stories in there wtf

“oh shit i’m sorry do you uh want me to buy you another one ???”

“no that’s okay it wasn’t your fault :( and it’s just a journal i’m only sad because all my stories are gone :(((((“

you finally look up from your Ruined journal to see , the prettiest boy

you can’t tell for sure cause his hair is soaking wet but it’s a bright red that looks a bit faded and his skin is tanned and golden like HONEY OOF

he meets your eyes and awkwardly smiles and he looks so GUILTY AW

“no really it’s fine don’t feel bad!!”

“okay but i feel bad what can i do to make it up to you?”

“hMMM you could come help me think of wacky stories about people who walk past”

“well if you INSIST m’lady”

“aw, never mind”

“IM JUST KIDDING SJDJJD”

so in the pouring rain you both walk to cafe and find a little corner to people-watch in

on the way there he tells you his name is donghyuck but his friends call him hyuck

“dude that’s the sound goofy makes when he laughs your friends are terrible”

“oh my god i don’t even think they know what they’re saying HsjdjHEHHS”

after a couple minutes of bad goofy impressions you decide to call him duckie instead because ,,,, GARSH MICKEY 🤠🤠🤠

also because it’s cute

you didn’t hear this from me but he uwued so hard rip his street cred with the Boys

anyways right before you settle in you’re like hey uh did you have somewhere to be like weren’t you heading places

and he was like nah i like the rain it’s nice to just walk around feels GOOD

your eyes widen so big and he snorts because what’s so ridiculous about that

and you’re like uh UH NO NOPE NO SIR I DONT FUCK WITH DEMONS

your dramatic ass tries to get up and LEAVE but he grabs your wrist and is like noooo we haven’t even written any stories yet why do you hate rain so much ??

you explain how thunder is the work of the devil and that lightning could strike you down where you stand at any moment and storms are EVIL

he chuckles and side eyes you

“aW you big wimp you’re afraid of thunderstorms aren’t you”

“yES. like any sane person would be”

“you know a lot of people actually like storms”

“like i said, SANE people do not”

and then you change the subject right quick because your face is getting RED with embarrassment

you n donghyuck spend like 2 hours just sitting in the corner and writing little scenarios on napkins

“oh shit that girl over there with the french braids is TOTALLY gonna marry hipster beanie guy in two years. mark my words”

“idk y/n she lowkey has the hots for the barista”

“ ew you mean mark??”

“yeah. now THAT man is a work of art”

MARKHYUCK RISE

“god what is wrong with you maybe you should buy me another book”

“too late now we’re FRIENDS and i don’t owe you ANYTHING”

“being friends doesn’t work like that at all but, okay”

at the end of the day you’ve got a stack of napkins with scribbled notes on them

(one of them has donghyuck’s number on it skdkkfjd)

he leaves you with a bright smile and you’re in awe this boy is so golden and lovely

oof and when you were still in the cafe his hair had dried to the unnatural red color that he ? somehow made look good ugh not fAIR

and it was a lil curly and fluffy and looked very soft :(((((

as you walk home you drift along the sidewalk with a stupid smile on your face wow please get a little less obvious hunty

when you get home the sun is setting and the rain has cleared and you are so Happy that was the best day !!!

you weren’t even scared of the thunder because whenever the sky would fckin CRACK OPEN hyuck would subtly try to keep your attention and distract you with questions

the sky: AAAAAAAAAAA

duckie: oH Hey uhhh so hOW do you even come up these stories ?):$:$ theyre so good

such a sweet boy uwu

when you get home your mom eyes you suspiciously as you drift down the hall towards your room but doesn’t comment

she didn’t need to though because you immediately return and tell her everything !!!

she encourages you to befriend him at school and see where it goes from there ;))) or just TEXT HIM

so you do

both of those things !!!

you: hey!! it’s y/n btw

duckie: hey! u make it home alive without the sky cracking open and killing u

you: stOP MAKING FUN OF ME

you send him memes and he sends , even better ones back this boy is Husband Material

the next couple weeks you realize that hyuck is actually in like a lot of your classes

and he’s like yeah i don’t blame you for not noticing since your nose is always in one of those Damn Journals

can’t believe u smh

anywhom

you start actually interacting with people in class

and by people i mean donghyuck and any of his friends who happen to be there

you literally get thrown into their friendgroup like one day you know donghyuck and have vaguely heard of jeno since he’s on the soccer team

and then the next you’re a part of the group message and jaemin begs for your math homework during lunch ????

“jaemin just dO YOUR OWN HOMEWORK FOR ONCE ???”

“ugh but i don’t know how”

“hey you know what maybe if you didn’t sleep in class you WOULD”

“IM TIRED GOD DAMN IT”

this is usually when duckie interjects with

“hey now girls, you’re both smart <3”

“i know im smart but , jaemin , i don’t know about him 😔😔”

poor jaemin leave him alone :(

jisung is , extREMELY awkward around you because he’s a Baby Freshman and you’re a Female Senior hsjdjf it’s so cute

and chenle is the complete opposite he IMMEDIATELY latches onto you and is always like

“y/n !!!! wanna watch this video of me singing and playing the piano when i was thirteen on live national television !!!!”

“y/N !!!!!!! can you drive me n jisung to get ice cream plEASE !!! we won’t even play PSY this time”

“okay,,,,, pinky promise?”

his pinky hooks around yours at an incredible speed as he jumps up and down with excitement

“pinky promise !!!!!!!!!!”

hyuck overhears and insists upon coming with for , unknown reasons

renjun and jeno keep snickering to each other across the lunch table too uGH

sneaky bastards !

after school you wait in the parking lot for the Babies with hyuck who looks rather flushed considering his skin is pretty tan and it takes a lot for him to visibly blush ??

“hey duckie boy you good?”

“haha yEAH uh just wondering where the boys are hhhh”

“oh yeah ! they should’ve been here like 10 mins ago”

your phone buzzes in your pocket and you go to check it to see a text in the group message

lele: hey y/n~ me n jisung can’t come we totally forgot we joined a frisbee team and there’s practice today !!!

blueberry: yeah ! have fun w/ hyuckie tho

moominluvr96: sjdjd i’m so proud of them

jenomunomunomu: absolute legends have fun at ur frisbee practice my sons

you: 🅱️ro i wanted to go home and SLEEP

blueberry: sorry ! xoxo :*

duckie: chenle my son ? how could you 🅱️etray me this way???

you: ur dead to me

you: literally what’s a chenle ?? sounds like a poisonous fruit

lele: NO IM SORRY

but tbh you’re just being Silly you don’t mind just going with Sunshine Boy

hyuck has only gotten redder as the texting went on though what’s his deal 0.0

you agree to take his car !

actually you insist because you don’t wanna drive but, let’s say you agreed

you find out that hyuck exclusively listens to hipster bands and the occasional troye sivan song because we love a gay legend

actually his music taste is ALL OVER THE PLACE but we r still boppin ladies

you roll the windows down even tho it’s Chilly and let your hand float in the breeze until your fingers start getting numb and you pull your hand back in and roll up the window

okay maybe that was a Bad Idea your fingers almost hurt they’re so cold and you’re rubbing the feeling back into them when hyuck clears his throat

you look up at him and he tilts his chin toward the hand he stretched toward you

you’re confused bc like ? i don’t have anything to give u duckie

he sighs anxiously

“just. give me your hand. mine are warm because i didn’t try to be cool and stick my hand out the window like this is a teen coming of age movie”

“have you ever just been nice and not followed it up with a weirdly specific insult”

“nope. now gimme”

you cautiously placed your hand in his and felt heat bloom all over your cheeks and trail up to your ears and down your neck

he gulps and interlocks your fingers and tucks them in the pocket of his hoodie

you have to lean against the console in between you a little so that your arm isn’t strained but it’s,,,,, Warm and Nice

you’re quick to continue the conversation like normal but your voice sometimes goes in and out since he is subconsciously rubbing his thumb over the back of your hand or tapping his fingers against yours

when you arrive you awkwardly pull your hand from his grip to get out of the car and he cringes a lil :(

you decide to be bold for once in your life and run around the car to catch up with him and shove your other hand into his

“this one’s cold too”

he ducks his head and smiles but gives your hand a lil squeeze :3 uwu

eventually though you do have to let go and enjoy your ice cream

you just make small talk with him about the newspaper and whatever homework is due the next day when a man walks in wearing BRIGHT RED CLOWN SHOES

the weirdest part though is the fact that other than the clown shoes the man is dressed like a body builder and has the hulking mass of one

and also there is a PARROT ON HIS SHOULDER ???

you and hyuck whip to face each other and then look back at the man

without looking away you slide your notebook to the middle of the table and flip open to where you’ve bookmarked the next available page

needless to say you both have a field day making up storylines for this man

“hey hyuckie i missed this it’s been forever since it’s been just the two of us and my journal”

“me too, sunshine”

“heY now you’re the sunshine in this relationship”

both of you choke at your use of the term “relationship” but continue with the conversation JSKSK

“alright but then you have to be the rain”

“aw you know i don’t like the rain”

“yes i know that’s why YOU are sunshine”

“kay but you are so much more like sunshine than i, an Emo”

“how bout i be sunshine since you like sunshine and me, and you be rain since i like rain and you”

OOF ????????

you blush for the Millionth Time and nod shyly and duckie is about to turn purple YIKES

you leave the ice cream shop and climb back in the car and the whole atmosphere is very Tense

you sigh because you miss holding his hand and then turn up the song on the radio which just happens to be, Walkin On Sunshine

THE !!! IRONY !!!

you giggle into your hand and he snorts and you both break into laughter

you plug your phone into the aux

“alright time for some Real Tunes”

“i swear to GOD if you play Bad Boy one more time i’m gonna LOSE IT”

“fuck you red velvet are LEGENDS”

“the only reason you know who they are is because mark tells everyone with a pulse that one of them is from canada just like him”

“okay and ??? i can still appreciate that they produce iconic songs only”

“LISTEN I LOVE RED VELVET TOO BUT ENOUGH IS ENOUGH”

you playfully bicker the whole way back and when you get back to the school to pick up your car you realize you never even got to play your song

“for your information, i was in fact NOT going to play bad boy i was going to play the bop of the century, what is love by twice”

and then, with heavy sarcasm

“well gee why didn’t you just sAY SO”

“IM SICK OF YOUR GIRL GROUP SLANDER LEE DONGHYUCK”

then he giggles and grabs your hand to keep you from getting more than halfway out of the car

“okay okay you know i’m just messing with you”

“yes but leave my gorls out of it”

he releases your hand with fake disgust and wipes it on the passenger seat headrest

“ugh go home, gru”

“it’s a good meme and you can’t even deny it duckie boy”

you blow him a half serious half playful kiss as you bounce over to your car and climb in

you play bad boy and roll the windows down as you drive by his car just to spite him and he laughs good naturedly

it’s only when you get home that you’re like heyyyy nOW

WAS THAT A DATE ??????

you tell your mom about it and she’s like uHHH sounds like a DATE to me ???

but you’re Unsure so you don’t say anything to the others or hyuck just the usual goodnight texts and whatnot

although it could be argued ,, that goodnight texts are a little, relationship-y

it could also be argued , that you do have his contact name as , duckie☼♥

but those can be discussed another time

you continue to hang out with the boys although you refuse to allow them to sit with you at football games because they’re so DISTRACTING

jeno and jisung just fckin yell the whole time while you try to jot notes down to turn it into a story later for the paper

but you can’t concentrate or even figure out wtf is goin on because they’re scREAMING and jumping and messing you uP !

so you sent them elsewhere although,,, hyuck stayed with you

he always does “just in case you get cold or smth”

ur not fooling anyone hyuckie baby

and would you look at that time has FLOWN and it’s time for homecoming !!!!

you plan on going in a big group with hyuck and all The Boys and jaemin has even scored a date !!!

it was highkey through trickery but that’s okay

chenle and jisung are gonna wear matching shirts because they’re headass like that

you’ve already bought a dress and you haven’t ….. shown hyuckie……. just in case……… he asks you

since he…… hasn’t …… YET

renjun keeps assuring you that you don’t need to find a date and that everything is covered but ???? inch resting how duckie has done nOT ONE THING

alright the day of the dance you wake up feeling a little off but go through your normal saturday routine of eating a waffle and absentmindedly watching old gossip girl reruns

but later in the day you feel SHITTY

you’re flushed and your head hurts and it takes so much EFFORT just to get up and get a glass of water

you , comrade, are sick :-(

you text in the gm to let your boys know you can’t come

chenle thinks you’re faking until he calls and hears you sniffling and how rough your voice sounds

“hEY THOT I KNOW UR FAKING BC U DONT HAVE A DATE”

“chenle if it didn’t hurt to speak i would yell at u but my eyes are watering please just text me”

“oh,,,,sorry love u”

and then he hangs up real fast lmao

so you decide to just wallow in despair in your bed and rent overpriced movies on demand

there’s a half drank mug of tea that has long gone cold that contains the medicine you’re supposed to be taking but,, you can’t be bothered tbh lifting your hand is so hard

after a few movies and the sun setting there’s knock at the door ???

you barely hear it since you’re in your room with the door closed but /sigh/ you gotta go answer

you drag yourself out of bed and stumble to the front door and open it, immediately slumping against the frame

this whole time you have still not opened your eyes because light hurts a lil and you know your house well enough

in hindsight that was probably dumb considering you don’t know who’s at the door

you try to open your eyes but they only turn half lidded and droopy so you can just barely make out donghyuck looking Concerned on your front porch

“duckie? what are u doing here?”

“uhhh i uh came to take you to homecoming ??”

he then holds up some flowers and smiles awkwardly

“duckie. baby. sunshine. did u not read the texts i sent ? also it is VERY late to be asking me to homecoming. also, i am a little high on cold medication”

“srry princess, can i come in? you look like you need company and soup and possibly some Sarcastic Banter”

“sounds good duck”

“okay duckie was already incorrect please don’t shorten it to duck”

“you know i didn’t have to let you in”

“so what kind of soup do you want? :-)”

he busies himself attempting to make soup while you have melted into a chair at the dining table with one eye cracked open to watch him

he is very obviously Struggling so you wobble to your feet to stand behind him at the stove and maybe lean a little too much into his back to prop your chin up on his shoulder and reach a hand around him to turn the heat down on the stove

you’ve reached the point of I Don’t Give A Shit and have given up on trying not to be affectionate with him you’re too tired and sickly to restrain yourself and his heart is just steadily beating faster and faster

after your soup you drag him into your bedroom to force him to provide you warmth while watching another movie

but he digs his heels into the floor and tugs on your hand to turn you around

“since you’re missing homecoming….. wanna dance?”

“in my bedroom. while i’m dying. with no music.”

“i’ll take care of the music. cmon don’t be difficult”

“i’m not being difficult i’m just-

you’re cut off by him pressing a finger to your lips and going shhhhhh

you open your mouth to curse him out bc hOW DARE HE

but then he gently pulls you by the waist into his chest and does his best to tuck you under his chin

you’re too comfortable like this so you don’t bother admonishing him for earlier and just settle into his embrace

you loop your arms around his neck as he starts to sway you back and forth

after a couple seconds he starts humming, quietly at first and then louder

and then he starts singing and it’s so sO SWEET AND SOFT

you can feel each breath he takes under your hands and the vibrating of his vocal chords against your forehead and you just close your eyes and press closer to him

you’ve literally never been this content in your whole life binch

he is so warm and ever so often smooths a hand up and down your spine whenever you shiver a little or shift in his arms

when the song finishes you keep swaying with him a little while longer

you’re leaning against him so hard that like the majority of your weight is on him yikes

“babe are you asleep”

“mm”

“no?”

“mmm”

“pretty close though?”

“hm”

“alright”

he chuckles and presses a barely there kiss to the top of your head and sort of waddles the two of you over to the bed

you don’t even have to ask him to climb in with you that was The Plan, Stan

(that’s a saying and also i’m calling u a stan wow queen of puns)

as soon as he settles in you tuck yourself under his arm and throw an arm over him to play with the fingers of his other hand

you’ve got the breakfast club on and it’s Real Nap Hours

hyuck’s arm falls asleep pretty soon tho so instead you switch to laying on your sides facing each other with your face pressed into his neck and your arms draped over each other

right before you fade into unconciousness, he tilts his chin down and nudges his nose against yours to get your attention

your eyes flutter open and you look up at him while he smiles gently down at your sleepy expression aWE ???

“hey wanna be my date when you’re not on your death bed?”

“god, what a romantic. is that a shakespeare quote?”

“shut up and say yes”

“alright fine”

“with more enthusiasm!”

“YES!! GOD DAMN IT”

he shakes his head but then leans down to press a lingering kiss against your cheek before tucking you back against him and evening out his breathing

you fall asleep and dream of boys with beautiful voices who love to dance in the rain

a couple hours later you wake up to a forehead smooch and your Boy whispering bye angel

you sit up and whine and he’s like bby i have to go it’s like midnight n my momma wants me home :(((

you pout and he giggles and taps your lips with his index finger

“go back to sleep and i’ll text you something nice to wake up to yeah?”

you nod and grab his hand to kiss it before flopping back down and passing The Fuck Out

the next morning you wake up still feeling a bit shitty but smiling anyways bc you’ve scored the cutest boy in the universe uwu

he even kept his promise and left you a cute message to wake up to ;((((

duckie☼♥: good morning bbg i hope ur feeling better today and that the sun shines all day for u !!!

you: JEKDKDJ DUCKIE IM STILL SICK BUT TAKE ME ON A DATE RN

you: 💗💗💗💕💌💞💞��😤💖🤧😔💗😔🤧😔🌺💐🌺🌺🌸💐😔💛😔💛💐🤧💐💐💖💖

duckie☼♥: noooo ur gross

you: you ruined it :(((

duckie☼♥: i mean noooo u gotta get better

you: okay :)))

you finally get over your cold like 4 days later and insist you’re fine to be Taken Out And Treated Like A Princess

he tells you to dress warm except gloves bc he wants to hold youR HAND CAN YOU BELIEVE

you’re weirdly not nervous ? like you thought you would be but you’re just excited and very happy !!!! uwu

he picks you up about an hour after school and reveals that he’s gonna take you to all the cafes in town to people watch and write stories which is !!! your favorite activity !!!!!!

“is it lame??? oh god you think it’s lame i’m so sORRY”

“nO!!! no i love it you did good”

“are you sure?”

“yes duckie”

“okay good i mean i knew you’d like it”

“but you just-“

“hm?”

“,,,,, nevermind”

you both hike around town until it gets late and you’re tired and you end up on a bench in the local park with his head in your lap and your fingers in his hair

you lightly scratch his scalp and hum and he practically PURRS like a cat

(furry ????? it’s more likely than you think)

his eyes are closed and you trace your fingers over his features lightly until it tickles and he scrunches up his nose aw bABY !!!!!

then, without opening his eyes

“so when are you gonna man up and kiss me?”

“first of all, i will never man up i prefer being female thanks. sECOND WHY DO I GOTTA DO IT”

“i asked you on the date !!! you gotta do something!!!”

“i held your hand first!!”

“after i literally offered my hand to you”

“uGH fine come here”

“no i’m not gonna ‘come here’ you literally just made a disgusted noise at the thought of kissing me”

“it wasn’t at the thought of kissing you it was just at you”

“this isn’t helping at all”

you roll your eyes playfully and then yank him up by the collar of his shirt to press your forehead against his

“does this help?”

aND THEN YOU LAY ONE ON HIM ??????:$&:&;&;

QUEEN OF CONFIDENCE

he sighs against your lips and sits up a little more so he can reach you better, smoothing a hand up to cup the side of your jaw and neck

you pull away and his eyes are still closed

“hmmm,,, yeah”

you scoff and drop him back to half laying on your lap

“you’re such a dork”

“yeah but i’m your dork now so it’s embarrassing for both of us”

“aw i wouldn’t have it any other way <333”

“is it just me or was that sarcasm”

“just you <3333”

renjun, who has been rOOTING FOR YOU GUYS THIS ENTIRE TIME

screams when you call him that night lol

literally SCREECHES

chenle happens to be with him and screeches eVEN LOUDER

basically the whole group screams simultaneously they’ve been shipping it since day one

hyuck is a bit prideful so when you guys are out in public he’s not super affectionate but ,, when you’re not out

he’s wrapped around you like a koala and will never let go

you have to go pee? hold it

you’re dehydrated and dying? you can live off of his Love

your favorite activity to do together is BAKING because it never goes well no matter how hard you try

and although it usually ends in DISASTER it’s also a good time and afterwards duckie lets you curl up between his legs on the couch and nap uwu !

dating really didn’t change the dynamic between you two other than affection you still read each other to DUST on the regular  lmao

no one gets too harsh tho bc you love each other and whatnot

ugh love ruins all the FUN doesnt it :/

donghyuck makes it his business to know exactly when it will rain and makes sure to be with you when it does

at the first sight of clouds he is in your house with board games and movies and snuggles to distract you !!! what a sweetheart

on days when it’s really bad you just climb into bed and bury your face in his chest while he talks about whatever comes to mind and distracts you

he also takes to slumping down and falling asleep on your shoulder whenever you have movie nights together and it’s so CUTE

his little heart shaped lips and his cheeks always end up smushed and he just looks adorable wow rip you

he’s obsessed with your cheeks he loves to cup your face while he talks to you and press gentle kisses to them during Sleepy Time or when you part ways in the school hallways

if he’s excited he’ll bound up behind you and wrap his arms around you and kiss your cheek real hard and then start babbling about whatever’s got him so worked up

basically, hyuckie is a boy full of sunshine and passion and sarcasm and he’s the best boyfriend you could ever ask for :’-)

[hannahberrie]

Something That Finds You: Chapter 10

Fandom: Zootopia Pairing: Nick Wilde, Judy Hopps Rating: T WC: 3261 Summary: "Love isn't something you find. Love is something that finds you."

In a time of tension in the land of Zootopia, Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps are arranged to be married as a symbol of peace and unity. The only problem? They can't stand each other (the 8 year age gap doesn't help either). A story following Nick and Judy growing up together, through all the good and bad.

Chapter Selection: [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]-10-[11][12] [AO3]

Something had changed. Nick could sense it. Ever since their time at the waterfall, Judy was less hostile towards him, which was a relief. He’d never gotten that ink stain out of his pants, which was definitely difficult to explain to his mother, not to mention just annoying.

When her siblings asked him to share stories of his travels, he noticed that Judy, rather than throw him a dirty glare, would turn her ears in his direction, though her physical demeanor still feigned disinterest. When he cracked a joke under his breath during lessons, she was more likely to snort into her paws, instead of kicking him in the shins. This was probably the best development so far, because if there was one thing Judy could do well, it was kick. Hard.

He was happy that they were getting along better. The more time that passed, the more he started to see her not as a pipsqueak kit, but a fully-grown, confident young bunny. A bunny that was far more tolerable than he remembered, a bunny that he could actually sit down with and have a coherent conversation with. A bunny that he liked.

Not liked liked. No, no, no. The idea of marrying her, no matter how hard he willed himself to feel otherwise, was still unsavory. While an amiable relationship was beginning to bud between the two (at least, that’s what he hoped was happening), he still felt no romantic affections towards the bunny. All his life, he’d only found himself romantically attracted to vixens, and as far as he knew, that hadn’t changed yet. Which was fine. Their situation could be worse. Inky and kicky worse.

As Nick saw it, if they were going to be forced to marry, at least they could be friends. Hopefully.

He was stewing all of this over one afternoon, debating whether or not he should express any of this to her. The two were in the study, waiting for Miss Hufflethump to arrive for their lessons. Judy was seated beside him, fidgeting with the piece of parchment paper in front of her, attempting to fold it in several directions.  

Nick cocked an eyebrow as he eyed her. “Whatcha up to, Fluff?”

Judy glanced at him before smiling sheepishly. “I…uh…it’s nothing,” she answered quickly, smoothing out the parchment in front of her.

“Didn’t look like nothing.”

“Well, that’s what it was!” Judy claimed defensively, voice rising several octaves. “I’m just…bored! Yes! I’m bored from waiting for Miss Hufflethump to get here.”

Nick gave a long, heavy sigh as if he’d been arguing with Judy for two hours instead of two seconds. “You’re such a bad liar, Fluff. It’s adorable.”

“I am not!”

“You so are.”

“I’m not adorable! …Or a bad liar.”

“Just remind me to never commit any crimes with ya’, Carrots,” Nick said dryly, giving her a wry grin. “At your rate, the constables would be on us within minutes.”

For a moment, he saw a flash of some unknown emotion flicker across her face, and she looked away from him, ears slumping against her back. She was upset about something. But what? Why? Had he touched a nerve? He was just kidding around…

“So…uh…,” Nick continued, clearing his throat, “What were you doing with that paper? For real, this time.”

Judy glanced at him before reluctantly speaking. “I was trying to…mukkappercne.”

Nick frowned and leaned closer. “You’re gonna have to speak up, Fluff — my ears aren’t as big as yours.”

“I was trying to make a paper crane!” Judy repeated loudly, voice sounding torn between laughter and annoyance.

“Ah hah,” Nick smirked, leaning back in his chair. “So my skills do impress you.”

“No!” Judy insisted, voice rising again. He noticed that her nose twitched when she was lying, a useful bit of information he would have to store away for if he was ever to play cards with her.

“C’mere,” Nick motioned, beckoning her to lean closer, pay attention. He took the piece of parchment from her and walked her through the assembly of a crane, step-by-step. Once, mid-teach, he stopped to look up at her and caught sight of her wide, violet eyes, saw them move with every turn and press of his paws. She was completely focused, totally engrossed in learning every step.

It was cute.

“And there ya’ have it!” Nick finished, turning his attention back to his now finished paper crane. “One parchment bird, courtesy of Nick Wilde.”

Judy rolled her eyes but smiled. “Show-off.”

“You asked, Fluff!”

“I never asked you to show me!”

“Not verbally,” Nick admitted, “but your eyes!”

Judy blinked at him coyly, teasingly. “What about my eyes?”

Nick suddenly felt a wave of…something brush over him. His fur bristled and he felt his stomach flip. Nausea, probably, he reminded himself. That carrot omelet he’d had this morning was all kinds of weird. “Well, they give everything away. They’re your tell.”

“My tell?”

“A way for someone to tell when you’re lying,” He explained.

Judy snorted. “So I should just close my eyes every time I lie?”

“Yup.”

Judy burst out laughing, no doubt picturing how ridiculous that would look. “You’re so dumb!” She giggled, paws fiddling with the paper crane he’d made her.

Nick felt that weird sensation again, listening to her laugh. Stupid omelet. “Says the bunny.”

Judy nudged him just as Miss Hufflethump entered the room, causing both the bunny and fox to straighten in their seats. As she prepared her lesson materials at the front of the room, Nick’s mind returned to where it’d been earlier today, about marrying as friends. He wasn’t sure what she was feeling, but maybe this was something that they should discuss. Not that he was one to talk about his feelings, ever. But if they were going to spend the rest of their lives together…

“Hey, Fluff?” Nick muttered, causing her to turn to him.

“Yes?” She whispered back.

“Can we…uh…I wanted to ask you if—”

“Let’s begin!” Miss Hufflethump said loudly, cutting off the fox mid-sentence.

Judy gave him an apologetic look and turned her attention to the front of the room.

“We’ve spent the past months talking about social matters,” the elder bunny said, pushing her glasses up with a lace-gloved paw. “But now, I think it’s time we moved onto more interpersonal, intimate matters.”

Nick felt himself freeze. Wait a minute.

“Now, one of the most important components to running a successful household is to produce many heirs!” Miss Hufflethump began.

Nick heard Judy’s breath catch in her throat, felt her fidget in her seat.  

No. Nope. Nick wasn’t here right now. This wasn’t happening. Not with Judy seated literal INCHES away from him.

If Nick wasn’t blushing enough already, his cheeks nearly lit on fire once the elder bunny started drawing diagrams on the blackboard.

Yes. Diagrams.

As if that wasn’t enough, their instructor went on to describe exactly how the betrothed couple would go about following these diagrams, so that they could produce as many heirs as possible, all in far more graphic, scientific detail than Nick ever wanted to hear in his life.

“Now there’s never been a fox and bunny couple in recorded history, at least not that we know of,” Miss Hufflethump concluded, turning took look back at their slack-jawed faces, “So your coupling will be quite experimental!”

“Experimental?” Judy croaked, voice sounding hoarse.

“Yes, my dear! Since the odds aren’t necessarily in your favor, you two will have to try to procreate vigorously!”

Nick and Judy didn’t make eye contact for the rest of the day.

By far, late-summer was Judy’s favorite time of year for one, slightly predictable reason: it was carrot season. Nick could tease her all he wanted, but carrot season was exciting. The brown fields of Bunnyburrow, still faded from the summer heat, had begun to sprout little sprigs of green carrot tops. The blueberries patches were bright arrays of indigo and leafy greens, and the apple trees glistened with their ruby fruits in the warm summer sun.

To celebrate the upcoming plentiful Bunnyburrow harvest, the newly annual Carrot Days festival was to be held. It was the biggest thing to happen in Bunnyburrow since the Unity Proclamation (which wasn’t saying much, since those two events were the only big things to happen in Bunnyburrow). Mammals from all over the land of Zootopia would travel to Bunnyburrow for lively games, delicious foods, and jovial entertainment. Last year, Judy had met mammals from all walks of life, and from all parts of Zootopia. Some had even traveled all the way from Tundra Town and Sahara Square, just for the festival. It was almost as exciting as Christmas. Maybe even a little more so.

That was why when August rolled around, Judy completely devoted herself to planning for Carrot Days. She helped the artists design the banners, she organized the layout of the food stands, she made a schedule of all the entertainers’ performances, she did the calculations for how many blueberry pies would be needed for the pie-eating contest…

Needless to say, she was one busy bunny. If she wasn’t in lessons with Hufflethump and Nick, she was doing something for the festival. Anything, no matter how big or small. She wanted it all to be perfect.

“You’re overworking yourself, Jude,” her father lamented one evening over dinner. “Why don’t cha leave it to the help to do that kind of running around?”

“It is a little strange for a lady to do those kinds of things,” her mother agreed, “You should be planning what you’ll wear! The tailor is designing such lovely dresses for all your sisters…”

“That stuff is boring!” Judy huffed, poking at her carrots with a fork, “I like being active in the celebration! I want to actually make a difference!”

“Judith—”

“I happen to think Carro—Judy is doing a great job,” Nick said suddenly, causing her parents to look over at him in surprise. Throughout the whole dinner, he’d been rather quiet, observing the conversation with a passive indifference, choosing to let his mother chat up the rest of the Hopps family. But now that he was speaking, he had everyone’s undivided attention. “I mean, did you see the banners she designed? They’re amazing. We’re talking real high-quality banners here — the best I’ve ever seen, honestly.”

Some of Judy’s siblings snorted into their paws, trying to stifle their giggles. Even Lady Hopps couldn’t help but crack a smile at Nick’s wry quips. Judy’s father mumbled surly comments under his breath, but relented, evidently deciding it wasn’t worth an argument.

Judy beamed happily, thankful that she wasn’t going to receive yet another lecture on how she wasn’t the perfect lady-in-training. All thanks to…Nick?

The bunny took a tentative glance upwards and across the table, making eye contact with Nick for a single moment, and exchanging a smile for even less time than that. And in that single second of mutual solidarity, Judy couldn’t deny that it felt…nice.

Really nice.

After dinner, Judy retreated to the orchards. The sun was still on the cusp of setting, leaving the sky a bright orange and pink hue. She’d been hard at work picking blueberries earlier that day when dinner time had interrupted her. Now, she was free to finish without any interruptions. At least she was, until…

“Hiya, Carrots!”

Judy didn’t even have to look to know who had followed her. “What do you want, Nick?” She asked, not turning to face him. She was too busy counting how many baskets of blueberries she had filled.

“I don’t have to want something to talk to you, Judith,” Nick smirked, letting every last syllable of her full name fall off his tongue. “I just thought I might help you out with…what exactly is it that you’re doing?”

Judy turned to eye him over her shoulder. “Carrot Days is only 3 days away! These blueberries need to be delivered to the bakers in town. I was helping the staff pick some earlier, and now they just left them out here! They need to be loaded onto the carriages so they’re ready to be delivered tomorrow morning!”

Nick raised an eyebrow. “And this is your responsibility because…?”

“Because if I don’t help it won’t get done!” Judy insisted, pointing to the baskets of blueberries around her feet, so as to further emphasize her point. “This festival has to go perfectly!”

“Right…” Nick replied, sounding unconvinced. He walked over to the nearest bush and plucked a pawful of blueberries off, tossing them one by one into his mouth. ‘So what exactly is this Carrot Days thing?�� He asked, mouth full of fruit.

“It’s a festival!” Judy replied. She had to stop herself from chastising him for eating potential pie ingredients. “To celebrate Bunnyburrow’s harvests!”

“I don’t remember it.”

“That’s because it’s new, my family came up with the idea 3 years ago. Now it’s an annual tradition.”

“And your latest obsession.”

“I’m not obsessed!” Judy exclaimed, voice getting all high-pitched again. She hated when that happened. “I’m not,” she repeated, voice more controlled this time.

“Well, it’s all you’ve been talking about for the past couple days.”

“No!”

“Oh, you’re right, sorry. I meant to say weeks.”

Judy rolled her eyes. “I just want it to go well, alright? It’s such an amazing festival…and it’s one of the only ‘unladylike’ things my parents will let me do.”

“Ah hah! There it is!” Nick smiled, pointing a finger at her. “While most teenagers act out by sneaking rum or egging buildings, you rebel by carting buckets of blueberries around. It all makes sense now.”

Judy felt her cheeks grow hot with embarrassment. “Shut up!” She huffed, unable to stop herself from smiling. “You’re so dumb.”

The two exchanged a light laugh that quickly died down into an awkward silence. Judy found herself staring at her feet, wondering what to say next. This was certainly different, as in the past, every moment between them had been charged with bickering and resentment.

Thankfully, the awkwardness didn’t last long, as Nick chose to break the silence. “Actually, there is something specific I came out here to talk about,” he said slowly, not quite looking at her.

“Oh?” Judy questioned, “And what is that?”

Nick shuffled his feet in place for a moment. Judy could practically hear him turning over his words in his head, carefully picking out and arranging his sentences. “Listen, Fluff,” the fox said slowly, carefully. “I know you’re not thrilled about the whole being-forced-to-marry-me thing. I know I’m not. But we don’t have to make it harder on ourselves.”

Judy eyed him cautiously. “What are you suggesting?”

Nick paused again. Judy couldn’t help but notice that his already orange fur looked especially fiery in the glow of the sunset. “I wanna be friends.”

“Friends?”

“Yeah, ya’ know, that kind of relationship where people mutually like each other?” A smirk grew on his face as his voice settled into his usual confident, couldn’t-care-less tone. “I guess I can’t really expect you to understand what a friend is, considering you don’t— ”

“Shut up!” Judy leaned forward and gave him a light punch in the arm before he could finish his jab. “I have friends, dumb fox.”

“The point is,” Nick smiled, rubbing at his arm slightly, “Even though we’re not in love, I think we could still try to view this whole wedding title as just that: a title. It doesn’t mean we should try to force ourselves to feel things that we don’t.”

Judy mulled over his words, not quite sure how to feel. It was true that she didn’t have any romantic feelings towards Nick, at least, not that she thought. She’d always thought that she’d just have to force the feelings out of her, just like she was forced to do everything else asked of her. It never occurred to her that there was another option.

“So…you’re suggesting…what are you suggesting, exactly?” Judy frowned. Her head was starting to hurt.

“That we can be pleasant to each other! If we’re going to be stuck together for the rest of our lives, at least we can be stuck together as friends.”

Judy’s eyes widened.

“Not like that!” Nick insisted, raising his paws and flushing even redder. “This has nothing to do with…heirs, or anything like that. I don’t know what we’re going to do about that. But I just want us to be friends! If I can’t marry someone I love, at least I could marry someone that I can at least hang out with, and talk with. Someone to have fun with.”

Judy hesitated. The idea held up so many complications — what were they going to do about heirs? And would this mean they would see other people in secret? Judy didn’t think she wanted to do that. The idea of Nick doing that bugged her on a deeper level. And what about their parents? They would still expect her and Nick to be a perfectly in love couple. That love would find them and they’d live happily ever after. But if it never did, then what? Wouldn’t they find out? Would it even matter, at this point?

All the questions and worries made Judy’s head hurt, and yet, when she took a moment to take a deep breath, it wasn’t that complicated at all. Nick was simply extending an olive branch, trying to call a truce and make the best of a difficult situation.

And if the choice was marrying a friend or marrying someone she refused to have any feelings for, Judy definitely would choose the former.

“So whaddya say?” Nick asked, holding out his paw to her. “Friends?”

Judy nodded and smiled, grasping his paw and shaking it. “Friends.”

Nick gave her a smile, one of the few (but increasingly frequent), genuine smiles. Judy returned the affection, pulling away only when she felt her gut flip in her stomach, for some reason. “So, uh, can you help me carry these baskets to the carriages?” Judy asked, turning her focus back to the blueberries. “I don’t think they should be left out here all night.”

“Nah, I think you’ve got it pretty much covered,” Nick replied casually, slipping his paws into his pockets. “Besides, you’re so good at carrying things all on your own. I wouldn’t want to come between you and your natural, God-given talent, now would I?”

Judy gave him a look.

“Alright, alright, if you insist,” Nick sighed, bending down to pick up a basket. He winced under the weight, eyeing Judy incredulously as she lifted hers with ease. “Anything for my bunny wifey.”

“I’m not your wifey.”

“Future wifey.”

Judy flicked a blueberry at his head.

[canaryatlaw]

Alright well, today was pretty good. I know I was kind of brief last night since I wanted to get to bed, but the retreat was really nice. And I wasn't the youngest one there, there were two other girls around my age so I didn't feel weird about that. And there's a girl who graduated from one of the other law schools in the city in May and also does child law haha so I ended up talking to her for a while which was really nice. So today, we were told breakfast would be at 9, so I set my alarm for 8:45, and I wake up to an empty room, where there had been two other occupants during the night- two beds and an air mattress, with plenty of space. It was also like, frigid last night, and I didn't bring my sweater or anything with me so I wound up sleeping with my coat on, lol. Been a while since I've done that. Ah well. I got ready pretty quickly and went downstairs, not everyone was up yet and breakfast wasn't quite yet ready so we sat and talked for a while before getting breakfast. They had this blueberry French toast bake which I'm all about because that shit's like my favorite thing ever (I have an entire Pinterest board dedicate to it) and scrambled eggs with bacon and sausage, and fruit and such. So it was really good. Around 10:30 our "speaker" arrived, who was the family ministry (our official title, I guess it sounds better than kids) director at another church. She only spoke for like 45 minutes, and talked about caring for yourself while caring for others by focusing on God and taking care of your relational, physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. Afterwards they just wanted everyone to go have quiet time and just do whatever to spend time with God so I went back to the bedroom I slept in with my music (I've been perfecting an instrumental hymns station on pandora and we've made a lot of progress there) and just sat and journaled about just about everything, which seems kind of silly because I obviously write these long things every night, but I hadn't actually written in my physical journal since July, so I suppose I had a lot to catch up on. But I just talked about being exhausted with everything but still so in love with my work, and the issues I've been struggling with, especially with guys and finding the right one and trying to be so patient until that happens. I'd say it was pretty productive. I did that for over a solid hour, then just read from my bible till about 1:30 when we reconvened for lunch which was casual, it was like sandwiches but good quality stuff and they had a griddle out so you can like grill your sandwich which I did of course and it was pretty banging. I'm like, not a big sandwich person typically because I can be really picky about what I actually like on it (and I pretty much hate soft sandwich bread in any form) but when it's like good quality stuff it's like my favorite thing ever so it was highly enjoyable. After lunch we met up again and just kind of did a "deeper" check in as opposed to the one we did last night, just areas in your life where you feel like you're winning and those you feel like you're losing, and of course everyone got pretty deep with things but it was definitely very cathartic, that much you could tell. I just talked about how I'm at this weird place where I love so much of what's going on in my life but also struggling with being so incredibly burnt out, and that's not what I want for my life because I want this, I really do, but I have to figure out how to make it work for me on a physical and mental level so I'm not dragging the way I have been for the past month (though this week has been considerably better). And then I talked about not really finding a big group of friends in the city and how I'm alone a lot and while I can definitely appreciate it more than I once did, I definitely feel lonely for the kind of close companionship having best friends you see every day brings.8 felt like that was pretty good for me. After everyone finished we closed out in prayer and then we were done, so we packed up and headed out. I got a ride back with the same couple from yesterday who live in my neighborhood, along with a few other people who live further south so we dropped them off first then came up north and dropped me off. It was just a really nice weekend, I got to talk to so many nice people and I'm just really glad to have those relationships in my life that can hopefully grow into something more. During the car ride we were talking about food and I decided I wanted sushi for dinner, so I texted my roommate to see if she was around and she was, so shortly after I got back we walked down to a sushi place not far from us. It wasn't too crazy, Chicago in general was kind of nutty today because it's the unofficial St Patrick's day celebration (which is dumb because it's not till next Friday, it should be next Saturday) and people always go a little nuts, but thankfully there aren't all that many bars up by us so it was more contained. We had a very nice dinner, good sushi so it was highly enjoyable. We walked home after and decided to watch Moana because we had discussed doing so soon and I hadn't seen it yet, and I definitely loved that movie just as much as I expected to. Like, ah, it was so good in so many ways. I love Moana as a character, like, so much. She's amazing and she makes me so happy. I also loved how matriarchal it all was, and how nobody questioned that Moana would lead the village one day because she's the child of the chief, doesn't matter that she's a girl. That scene though where her mom sees her packing and realizes she's running off and just hugs her and let's her go I was like 😭😭😭 and then the climax was so beautifully handled, I loved it. So much female empowerment, and not a hint of romance which is amazing, especially for a Disney movie. So I definitely enjoyed that. It was still fairly early then so we decided to watch dr strange, which I never really had much of an interest in seeing for various reasons, but it was a marvel movie so I figured I should probably see it at some point for continuity purposes if he's going to show up in later movies. It was pretty good. Was it very strange to have Tilda Swinton as "the ancient one" when pretty much everyone around her beside Strange is a POC? Of for sure. But beyond that the story was pretty good, interesting villain and final resolution, as well as showing the way he developed his powers. I really liked Rachel McAdams character too, she was so overwhelmed when she was forced into these ridiculous situations haha but she handled it all like a champ. So that was good. When we finished with that I figured I should probably pack since I'm flying home tomorrow, so I did that and then got ready for bed and that's about it. The plan for tomorrow is to wake up at 8, be out the door by 8:45, be at the airport by 9:45 (probably won't take that long but I don't want to chance it with traffic) for my 10:45 flight. The sucky part is I have a long layover in Baltimore, and my plane to NY doesn't get in till 5:30, so I'll be hanging out there for a while. Ah well, could be worse. Excited to see my family of course, and I would like to get some sleep so I can enjoy seeing them for sure. So goodnight peeps. Hope you had an awesome Saturday.

[easiestwaytoloseweight]

Hydrating Foods for Warm Weather

It’s hot! Which means it’s easier than ever to get dehydrated. That can have consequences for your health and for your enjoyment of summer activities—exercising while dehydrated can result in dizziness and cramps, so it’s important to load up on hydrating foods. It can also effect your performance while you move: According to Human Kinetics, if you’re dehydrated as little as five percent, your workout’s “power output” can be reduced by 30 percent.

Staying hydrated can mean not just that your active summer activities are more fun, but also that your weight loss plan is more effective. One study published in the The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology &Metabolism found that when dieters drank two liters of water per day, they burned 400 extra calories each day—even if they didn’t change anything else. For men in the same study, those extra calories were specifically burned from belly fat.

You don’t have to actually drink a full two-liter to stay hydrated, though: You can get the water your body needs to function properly through hydrating foods. And, according to Science Daily, it can help you eat more while you lose: Scientists found that when people ate water-rich foods, they ate fewer calories without reducing the overall sizes of their meals.

Summer Weight Loss Motivation: Realistic Tips for Keeping Your Beach Body

Read More

Here are 11 hydrating foods for warm weather activities:

1. Strawberries

Water content: 90%

One 50-calorie cup of strawberries can help lower your cholesterol and reduce your risk for diseases including cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. They also raise your risk of having a totally delicious summer. Try blitzing them into this Strawberry Mint Smoothie >, mixing them into Strawberry Popsicles >, or using them to top a refreshing Summer Salad >

2. Pineapple

Water content: 86%

Pineapple’s sweetness is suprisingly low-calorie: One cup has just 82 calories. But those 82 deliver 100 percent of your daily Vitamin C, as well as bromelain, an enzyme that can help you digest your meals more easily. Enjoy fresh rings or chunks, or for a sweet, refreshing treat that’s like a time-traveling trip back to childhood, try this simple, two-ingredient Pineapple Whip recipe >

3. Cucumbers

Water content: 95%

Cucumbers are one of the lowest-calorie foods you can find—clocking in at just 8 calories per cup. But low-calorie does not mean they’re low on flavor: Cukes are the ultimate way to deliver a refreshing, hydrating flavor to your barbecue guests. Whether it’s mixed into this Zesty Cucumber and Dill Salad >, whipped into this Greek-inspired 5-ingredient Cucumber Dill Dip >, or as the surprising base for a cucumber cup appetizer, you’ll be keeping your guests—and yourself—hydrated, full and satisfied.

6 Summer Slim-Down Foods That Help You Lose Weight

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4. Skim Milk

Water content: 91%

When it’s skim, it’s almost all water. For non-dieting milk lovers, that can be a turnoff. But in the heat of summer, it makes skim a great, hydrating way to enjoy 9 grams of protein per cup when making a refreshing, cool-down smoothie— like this frothy, icy Lemon Cooler shake >. It’s summer perfection!

5. Zucchini

Water content: 94%

If you’re already a “zoodle” lover, this one’s a slam dunk. But for the uninitiated, here’s a crash course: By using a spiralizer, you can turn zucchini into “noodles” that freshen up vegetable dishes with a pasta-like eating experience that you’ll love. The great news for summer: Zoodles don’t have to be cooked! In a recipe like these Vegetarian Meatballs with Zucchini Noodles >, you can let the sauce warm up the raw zoodles to get the most hydration from the veggies with the least amount of labor—perfect for a quick summer dinner.

6. Oranges

Water content: 87%

There’s a reason these slices are on the sideline of every soccer game at the half: Oranges keep are a top pick for hydrating foods! But they also bring other nutrients along—like potassium, one of the electrolytes that’s lost when you sweat. So have your own slices on hand, or go for a more grown-up taste this summer: This 101-calorie Orange Carrot Ginger Smoothie > is a sweet, vitamin-rich, and refreshing glass that’s perfect for breakfast or for a late day snack on any hot day.

7. Celery

Water content: 95%

Here’s another potassium powerhouse: One cup of chopped celery has the same amount of the heart-healthy nutrient that you’d get from half a banana—but for just 14 tiny calories. But those little cals help beef up your favorite cool summer salads, from pasta dishes to chicken salad. Here’s a new favorite: Chop some celery to combine with another water-rich summer staple—watermelon—for this surprising, sweet and protein-packed Watermelon Chicken Salad > Sounds weird, tastes amazing!

7 Warm Weather Weight Loss Blunders to Avoid

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8. Tomatoes

Water content: 94%

Lycopene, a powerful antioxidant in tomatoes, may help lower your risk of stroke and certain cancers, according to Science Daily. And the redder your tomatoes are, the more lycopene they have—meaning summer is the healthiest time to eat ‘em. One surprising way to change up your tomato game: Add asparagus to the traditional Caprese Salad > for a fresh taste that feels luxurious—and adds a satisfying crunch to this staple summer side.

9. Edamame

Water content: 72%

This one’s surprising: With such a meaty texture, edamame doesn’t seem watery. But it’s got that hydration, and much more: like 18.46 grams of belly-filling, muscle-building protein per cup, and more potassium than you’ll get from two whole bananas. That’s good news in the heat, since eating more potassium can help reduce blood pressure risk, as well as your risk of stroke, according to the National Federation of Professional Trainers.

10. Carrots

Water content: 88%

Spending a few minutes turning a bag of raw carrots into pre-portioned, snack-ready containers or bags won’t just give you a low-calorie, high-fiber, water-rich source of food for when you get peckish. The act of cutting those carrots may also help you eat healthier overall: Those were the findings of one study, where more time spend on food prep was associated with healthier eating habits—and, as a bonus, with saving money on food. So you’ll be hydrated, feel full, and have fat where you want it—in your wallet.

11. Blueberries

Water content: 84%

What says summer like a cup of sweet, ripe blueberries (one of our favorite hydrating foods)? And they’re not just super good, but a superfood: Blueberries reduce the risk of heart attack in women by 33 percent, improve your memory, and can help widen your arteries so blood flows smoother. Have them fresh, or enjoy your blues in the smoothest way possible: As part of this super-simple, 5-ingredient homemade Blueberry Lemon Ice Cream Sundae >

*All water content percentages taken from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

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[mytherapistsays-blog]

One Week Challenge: 10 Step K-Beauty Skincare Routine

One Week Challenge: 10 Step K-Beauty Skincare Routine ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ @MyTherapistSays ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ https://mytherapistsays.ca/one-week-challenge-10-step-k-beauty-skincare-routine/

Skincare: it is so damn hard. It can also take up tons of time in your day! The Korean beauty industry swears by a ten-step skincare routine (which can take upwards of 30 minutes). I’m here to test it out, see the benefits and if it’s worth it to spend so much time, energy, effort, and cash on your skincare. Everyone’s skin is so different, the thing I love about this challenge is how the products are all customizable to you, you can focus on clarifying, brightening, moisturizing, or really anything that your skin needs. Skin can change based on hormones, eating habits, drinking habits, and more.  Basically, there are four different (very broad) skin types, normal, dry, oily, and combination. I fall under combination which means that my pores on my t-zone can be an issue, I have minor random breakouts, I get oily on my t-zone but can get rough dry patches in other places – basically, my skin is all over the place!  This routine is great because when my skin is oily I can focus on that, but when my skin is dry I can also focus on that!

My interest in Korean skincare sprouted from when I was searching the internet to find some cool sheet masks (I will write an article to review the 10 different masks I ordered once they arrive). I stumbled upon Soko Glam, a Korean skincare site which makes Korean skincare accessible to people around the world! Sephora does have some k-beauty brands – but definitely not the whole roster which is what makes Soko so amazing.

While stalking the website I stumbled upon something amazing, the 10-step Korean skincare routine. This got me super intrigued, I realized that I was missing MANY steps in my skincare and that I could be doing so much more for my skin! I did not know how much of a lengthy process this would be though. Almost immediately when I was late to my fave workout class (they didn’t let me in and I got sad/stressed) I ran to Sephora to pick up some all new products to incorporate in my new ten step routine. I had a rough day at work and needed some retail therapy, don’t judge me! I grabbed everything I was missing to complete this routine and am challenging myself to try out this routine for 7 days straight.  I will see how I feel (skin wise and otherwise) and I will let you know if this is something I’m going to stick with or not at the end, and if it’s worth it to try this challenge out for yourself!

I did my research, read this article from Soko Glam, spoke with a Sephora rep. at the store and told her about what I would be doing, and came to the conclusion that I needed a toner, essence, some new moisturizer, sheet masks (which I ordered on Soko), and I needed to figure out my cleansing situation. Now I will take you through my routine, and give you a little weekly progress report.

1. Makeup Remover/Oil Cleanser

There is a reason this has 120k loves on Sephora, the Green Clean Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm by Farmacy is super amazing. I am the type of girl who usually sticks with a makeup wipe from Neutrogena and MAYBE a cleanser or cleansing mask if I’m feeling it (usually not in the morning, and usually not when I’m too tired at night, so I would say about two nights a week – otherwise I just use the wipe – I know, I’m so bad). The cleansing situation is probably the biggest change to my routine but I am loving it. This cleansing balm is so nice and feels so luxurious on the skin but is also super powerful at scrubbing all my makeup away! I had waterproof mascara on and this did the trick almost instantly. It left my skin feeling refreshed and awesome, it smells great too.

2. Water Based Cleanser

Here I actually use a Korean skincare brand! I have been using Glow Recipe’s Blueberry Bounce Gentle Cleanser for a while now – and I am truly here for it. It normally sits in my shower waiting for me to wash my face in there – but now it’s getting used more often so it’s made its way to my vanity! Mazel Tov cleanser, I’m so proud of you.

3. Exfoliate

For exfoliating I’m gonna alternate between an exfoliating mask (Summer Fridays Overtime Mask) which I have been obsessed with for some time now, and these NuFace exfoliating and cleansing wipes. I think I will use the mask every other night, and the wipes every morning and on the nights when I don’t use the mask. The mask smells so good and really leaves skin super exfoliated but also super-nourished, smooth, and soft.  The wipes are so amazing because I love how when I use them I can actually see the leftover makeup that I’m picking from on my skin (that would have been left behind if I missed this step so thanks K-beauty routine). The wipes also have a really nice light exfoliation as they just have these tiny little bumps on one side of the wipe, it feels really nice on the skin.

4. Toner

One of the new products I’m incorporating is the Ren Ready Steady Glow AHA Tonic, I just got this at Sephora and have been loving it. It smells super fruity and refreshing, but I can tell it’s really getting into my skin with some chemical exfoliation and some PH balancing. I finished my Glossier Solution and moved on to this – unfortunately, this took the cake and beat out my love and devotion for all things Glossier.  I still love Glossier and I am incorporating one of their products in the line-up, but for toner, this stuff really gets the dirty shit out of your skin and leaves you with the perfect base for the rest of your skincare.  Even after my 3 cleansing steps, I find that there is still some makeup/dirt residue picked up by this toner.

5. Essence

I had just recently purchased the Tatcha essence and have become obsessed. The effect it had on my skin within – I kid you not – days is outstanding. I now cannot go without this in my skincare routine, it keeps my skin plump, smooth, and super hydrated but also I’ve noticed that I get less oily throughout the day when I use this! You don’t put it on with a cotton pad (i thought that was how you did it and I wasted a ton of money on the SKII essence by using it this way and it did nothing for me).

6. Treatment/Serum

The good thing about treatments and serums is that you can mix them, layer them, and use this step to really personalize your skincare routine to exactly what your skin needs that day. The ones that I’ll probably focus mostly on during this little k-beauty challenge are the Sunday Riley Good Genes, the Glow Recipe Pineapple C Brightening Serum, the Youth to the People Superberry Hydrate and Glow Oil, and the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Oat & Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil. I’ve been using all these before and find they really work and do exactly what they claim to do! This way I can mix and match and say if I want to clear up my skin but not dry it out I can mix Good Genes with the Ultra Repair Cannabis Oil.

7. Sheet Mask

So as I mentioned, I ordered a bunch of Korean sheet masks online, still waiting for those to come so in the meantime I have been using what I have stashed away at home. I have a few of the Farmacy Hydrating & Brightening masks, as well as the Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Jelly Sheet Mask, and the Saturday Skin Cotton Cloud Probiotic Power Mask. These all are pretty good for me, I love the jelly masks more than the cotton ones because I find they absorb into the skin more and leave my skin feeling bouncy and plump!

8. Eye Cream

So here we go Glossier, your time to shine. I picked up the Glossier bubble wrap (made my mom and sis walk back to the Glossier flagship in the pouring rain to get this after I forgot it because I’m annoying AF and I love Glossier) on a recent trip to New York and have ever since been obsessed. It’s bouncy and super hydrating so good job Glossier! This step is so soothing, and sometimes I’ll use a jade roller to de-puff my eyes even more.

9. Moisturizer

I have been loving the Protini moisturizer from Drunk Elephant recently, it is so fresh and dewy, super moisturizing, and I also find it evens my skin tone out a little bit as well. All around amazing. I also think it clears up some acne or at least makes acne less frequent on my face! When I reach this step in the routine I am so happy because I’m replenishing the moisture, but also it means that my routine is coming to an end!

10. SPF

This is the only thing in my routine that differs from morning to night, I don’t put any SPF on at night. When I use SPF in the morning I am obsessed with the Supergoop City Serum because it’s a sunscreen but also has some amazing nutrients for your skin in it as well. I always find sunscreen to feel weird on my face and pill up under makeup, but this one sinks in right away and is amazing! I haven’t gotten sunburnt since using this so I would give it a 10/10 rating.

  Now onto the routine, let’s see how this goes…

DAY #1

I was honestly really excited to start this little challenge out, I love skincare and was really excited to extend my routine. The one thing I realized on day one was exactly how long a ten-step skincare routine takes (and it’s pretty damn long). For most steps of the routine, I like to wait a few minutes in between to let the skincare really sink in, but once you add two minutes between each step you’re already at a twenty-minute routine! In between steps I’ll brush my teeth, brush and/or style my hair, and maybe watch a little bit of Game of Thrones.

After doing the routine both in the morning and at night I can honestly tell you that my skin has never felt better. I love how clean my skin feels, but it also is SO nourished because of all the time and products being lathered on. The time thing may take some getting used to, but as of right now it is so worth it.

DAY #3

Okay – so I started this whole routine out on the weekend, but now it’s the week, and I have work (I have to be at the office at 7:30 am some days).  I am NOT a morning person, so waking up an extra thirty minutes early just for skincare is really pushing it for me. I had to rush through my routine this morning and not take breaks between each step. The routine did not feel as nourishing mentally or physically but at least I got it done! My skin is radiant though, even my mom noticed! So that’s a plus.

I have to say though, taking thirty minutes of my night to do skincare is probably the most relaxing part of my day! Self-care is so important and I really feel like when I take the time to do this ten-step skincare routine it nourishes my ‘self’ and allows me to take a minute to reflect on my day! I LOVE the nighttime part, but the morning routine is tiring.

DAY #5

My skin has never been like this! I’ve always had decent skin, minimal breakouts, I get oily by the end of the day, sometimes have some dry spots in the winter, but otherwise, I’ve never been very upset with my skin. This routine though is adding things to my skin that I didn’t realize I was missing! I never noticed how textured my skin was on my forehead and chin until I realized that the texture was almost gone! My pores have never been so discreet, and the elasticity of my skin is so amazing! Makeup goes on like it never has before, but I’ve really been able to keep my makeup minimal because my skin is so radiant on its own!

I’ve gotten over my early morning grudge because the results are to die for! I’m also trying to incorporate more self-care into my routine if I’m going to be set out so much time for this skincare routine I may as well get some other benefits too! I have added in jade rolling consistently between step 6 and 7, I do deep breathing exercises while letting my good genes treatment dry on my face, and I’ve also incorporated some self talk into the routine and try to say 3 things I like about myself while cleansing, and then while my sheet mask is on in the morning I’ll say 3 things that I’m looking forward to for my day and at night I’ll say 3 things I’m grateful for from my day. I also use essential oil with my diffuser and keep this on in the bathroom while I complete my routine.

DAY #7

So today is my last day of the challenge, but I’ve decided that I am most definitely going to extend it. Once I got over the early morning hump I realized how important it is to take time when I wake up and before I go to bed for myself. Doing skincare is great because it gives you a break from your phone and lets you look in the mirror and focus on the good! I’ve found that my routine is not only amazing for my skin, but the results in my mental health, stress, and confidence are stellar as well. Even if you don’t have the time to do the full ten step routine, try to set out a morning and night routine for yourself, and include some self-care aspects into your skincare routine. Consistency is key, and your skin and mind will for sure see benefits!

[mytherapistsays-blog]

One Week Challenge: 10 Step K-Beauty Skincare Routine

One Week Challenge: 10 Step K-Beauty Skincare Routine ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ @MyTherapistSays ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ https://mytherapistsays.ca/one-week-challenge-10-step-k-beauty-skincare-routine/

Skincare: it is so damn hard. It can also take up tons of time in your day! The Korean beauty industry swears by a ten-step skincare routine (which can take upwards of 30 minutes). I’m here to test it out, see the benefits and if it’s worth it to spend so much time, energy, effort, and cash on your skincare. Everyone’s skin is so different, the thing I love about this challenge is how the products are all customizable to you, you can focus on clarifying, brightening, moisturizing, or really anything that your skin needs. Skin can change based on hormones, eating habits, drinking habits, and more.  Basically, there are four different (very broad) skin types, normal, dry, oily, and combination. I fall under combination which means that my pores on my t-zone can be an issue, I have minor random breakouts, I get oily on my t-zone but can get rough dry patches in other places – basically, my skin is all over the place!  This routine is great because when my skin is oily I can focus on that, but when my skin is dry I can also focus on that!

My interest in Korean skincare sprouted from when I was searching the internet to find some cool sheet masks (I will write an article to review the 10 different masks I ordered once they arrive). I stumbled upon Soko Glam, a Korean skincare site which makes Korean skincare accessible to people around the world! Sephora does have some k-beauty brands – but definitely not the whole roster which is what makes Soko so amazing.

While stalking the website I stumbled upon something amazing, the 10-step Korean skincare routine. This got me super intrigued, I realized that I was missing MANY steps in my skincare and that I could be doing so much more for my skin! I did not know how much of a lengthy process this would be though. Almost immediately when I was late to my fave workout class (they didn’t let me in and I got sad/stressed) I ran to Sephora to pick up some all new products to incorporate in my new ten step routine. I had a rough day at work and needed some retail therapy, don’t judge me! I grabbed everything I was missing to complete this routine and am challenging myself to try out this routine for 7 days straight.  I will see how I feel (skin wise and otherwise) and I will let you know if this is something I’m going to stick with or not at the end, and if it’s worth it to try this challenge out for yourself!

I did my research, read this article from Soko Glam, spoke with a Sephora rep. at the store and told her about what I would be doing, and came to the conclusion that I needed a toner, essence, some new moisturizer, sheet masks (which I ordered on Soko), and I needed to figure out my cleansing situation. Now I will take you through my routine, and give you a little weekly progress report.

1. Makeup Remover/Oil Cleanser

There is a reason this has 120k loves on Sephora, the Green Clean Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm by Farmacy is super amazing. I am the type of girl who usually sticks with a makeup wipe from Neutrogena and MAYBE a cleanser or cleansing mask if I’m feeling it (usually not in the morning, and usually not when I’m too tired at night, so I would say about two nights a week – otherwise I just use the wipe – I know, I’m so bad). The cleansing situation is probably the biggest change to my routine but I am loving it. This cleansing balm is so nice and feels so luxurious on the skin but is also super powerful at scrubbing all my makeup away! I had waterproof mascara on and this did the trick almost instantly. It left my skin feeling refreshed and awesome, it smells great too.

2. Water Based Cleanser

Here I actually use a Korean skincare brand! I have been using Glow Recipe’s Blueberry Bounce Gentle Cleanser for a while now – and I am truly here for it. It normally sits in my shower waiting for me to wash my face in there – but now it’s getting used more often so it’s made its way to my vanity! Mazel Tov cleanser, I’m so proud of you.

3. Exfoliate

For exfoliating I’m gonna alternate between an exfoliating mask (Summer Fridays Overtime Mask) which I have been obsessed with for some time now, and these NuFace exfoliating and cleansing wipes. I think I will use the mask every other night, and the wipes every morning and on the nights when I don’t use the mask. The mask smells so good and really leaves skin super exfoliated but also super-nourished, smooth, and soft.  The wipes are so amazing because I love how when I use them I can actually see the leftover makeup that I’m picking from on my skin (that would have been left behind if I missed this step so thanks K-beauty routine). The wipes also have a really nice light exfoliation as they just have these tiny little bumps on one side of the wipe, it feels really nice on the skin.

4. Toner

One of the new products I’m incorporating is the Ren Ready Steady Glow AHA Tonic, I just got this at Sephora and have been loving it. It smells super fruity and refreshing, but I can tell it’s really getting into my skin with some chemical exfoliation and some PH balancing. I finished my Glossier Solution and moved on to this – unfortunately, this took the cake and beat out my love and devotion for all things Glossier.  I still love Glossier and I am incorporating one of their products in the line-up, but for toner, this stuff really gets the dirty shit out of your skin and leaves you with the perfect base for the rest of your skincare.  Even after my 3 cleansing steps, I find that there is still some makeup/dirt residue picked up by this toner.

5. Essence

I had just recently purchased the Tatcha essence and have become obsessed. The effect it had on my skin within – I kid you not – days is outstanding. I now cannot go without this in my skincare routine, it keeps my skin plump, smooth, and super hydrated but also I’ve noticed that I get less oily throughout the day when I use this! You don’t put it on with a cotton pad (i thought that was how you did it and I wasted a ton of money on the SKII essence by using it this way and it did nothing for me).

6. Treatment/Serum

The good thing about treatments and serums is that you can mix them, layer them, and use this step to really personalize your skincare routine to exactly what your skin needs that day. The ones that I’ll probably focus mostly on during this little k-beauty challenge are the Sunday Riley Good Genes, the Glow Recipe Pineapple C Brightening Serum, the Youth to the People Superberry Hydrate and Glow Oil, and the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Oat & Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil. I’ve been using all these before and find they really work and do exactly what they claim to do! This way I can mix and match and say if I want to clear up my skin but not dry it out I can mix Good Genes with the Ultra Repair Cannabis Oil.

7. Sheet Mask

So as I mentioned, I ordered a bunch of Korean sheet masks online, still waiting for those to come so in the meantime I have been using what I have stashed away at home. I have a few of the Farmacy Hydrating & Brightening masks, as well as the Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Jelly Sheet Mask, and the Saturday Skin Cotton Cloud Probiotic Power Mask. These all are pretty good for me, I love the jelly masks more than the cotton ones because I find they absorb into the skin more and leave my skin feeling bouncy and plump!

8. Eye Cream

So here we go Glossier, your time to shine. I picked up the Glossier bubble wrap (made my mom and sis walk back to the Glossier flagship in the pouring rain to get this after I forgot it because I’m annoying AF and I love Glossier) on a recent trip to New York and have ever since been obsessed. It’s bouncy and super hydrating so good job Glossier! This step is so soothing, and sometimes I’ll use a jade roller to de-puff my eyes even more.

9. Moisturizer

I have been loving the Protini moisturizer from Drunk Elephant recently, it is so fresh and dewy, super moisturizing, and I also find it evens my skin tone out a little bit as well. All around amazing. I also think it clears up some acne or at least makes acne less frequent on my face! When I reach this step in the routine I am so happy because I’m replenishing the moisture, but also it means that my routine is coming to an end!

10. SPF

This is the only thing in my routine that differs from morning to night, I don’t put any SPF on at night. When I use SPF in the morning I am obsessed with the Supergoop City Serum because it’s a sunscreen but also has some amazing nutrients for your skin in it as well. I always find sunscreen to feel weird on my face and pill up under makeup, but this one sinks in right away and is amazing! I haven’t gotten sunburnt since using this so I would give it a 10/10 rating.

  Now onto the routine, let’s see how this goes…

DAY #1

I was honestly really excited to start this little challenge out, I love skincare and was really excited to extend my routine. The one thing I realized on day one was exactly how long a ten-step skincare routine takes (and it’s pretty damn long). For most steps of the routine, I like to wait a few minutes in between to let the skincare really sink in, but once you add two minutes between each step you’re already at a twenty-minute routine! In between steps I’ll brush my teeth, brush and/or style my hair, and maybe watch a little bit of Game of Thrones.

After doing the routine both in the morning and at night I can honestly tell you that my skin has never felt better. I love how clean my skin feels, but it also is SO nourished because of all the time and products being lathered on. The time thing may take some getting used to, but as of right now it is so worth it.

DAY #3

Okay – so I started this whole routine out on the weekend, but now it’s the week, and I have work (I have to be at the office at 7:30 am some days).  I am NOT a morning person, so waking up an extra thirty minutes early just for skincare is really pushing it for me. I had to rush through my routine this morning and not take breaks between each step. The routine did not feel as nourishing mentally or physically but at least I got it done! My skin is radiant though, even my mom noticed! So that’s a plus.

I have to say though, taking thirty minutes of my night to do skincare is probably the most relaxing part of my day! Self-care is so important and I really feel like when I take the time to do this ten-step skincare routine it nourishes my ‘self’ and allows me to take a minute to reflect on my day! I LOVE the nighttime part, but the morning routine is tiring.

DAY #5

My skin has never been like this! I’ve always had decent skin, minimal breakouts, I get oily by the end of the day, sometimes have some dry spots in the winter, but otherwise, I’ve never been very upset with my skin. This routine though is adding things to my skin that I didn’t realize I was missing! I never noticed how textured my skin was on my forehead and chin until I realized that the texture was almost gone! My pores have never been so discreet, and the elasticity of my skin is so amazing! Makeup goes on like it never has before, but I’ve really been able to keep my makeup minimal because my skin is so radiant on its own!

I’ve gotten over my early morning grudge because the results are to die for! I’m also trying to incorporate more self-care into my routine if I’m going to be set out so much time for this skincare routine I may as well get some other benefits too! I have added in jade rolling consistently between step 6 and 7, I do deep breathing exercises while letting my good genes treatment dry on my face, and I’ve also incorporated some self talk into the routine and try to say 3 things I like about myself while cleansing, and then while my sheet mask is on in the morning I’ll say 3 things that I’m looking forward to for my day and at night I’ll say 3 things I’m grateful for from my day. I also use essential oil with my diffuser and keep this on in the bathroom while I complete my routine.

DAY #7

So today is my last day of the challenge, but I’ve decided that I am most definitely going to extend it. Once I got over the early morning hump I realized how important it is to take time when I wake up and before I go to bed for myself. Doing skincare is great because it gives you a break from your phone and lets you look in the mirror and focus on the good! I’ve found that my routine is not only amazing for my skin, but the results in my mental health, stress, and confidence are stellar as well. Even if you don’t have the time to do the full ten step routine, try to set out a morning and night routine for yourself, and include some self-care aspects into your skincare routine. Consistency is key, and your skin and mind will for sure see benefits!

[canaryatlaw]

alright. so today was overall pretty good. I woke up to my alarm at 10:15 because I was scheduled to get a call from the DV clinic about potentially interning there for a while at 10:30. So I more or less just got myself to wake up until they called. It was fine, mostly what I knew already, going over what the responsibilities would be and how I could get to court and all that good stuff. I was going to ask if there was a possibility it would lead to a long term job, but I was never given the opportunity to ask questions lol which I’m sure was an accidental oversight on their part, but they did say that they hoped to have all their hiring done by the end of June, so that sounded somewhat promising. I told them I’d keep them updated about news on the New York job and how that may affect me going back to NY, but I could potentially work through the end of June. So that was good. After the call I tried to go back to sleep because I’m lazy and I like sleep, but it wasn’t happening, so I got up and made blueberry pancakes being that I was out of m&ms and other suitable chocolate substitutes. I tried to make the batter a little thicker than I had previously so it would be able to support the blueberries more and not just fall apart, and it worked pretty well and there weren’t any uncooked middle parts which is generally my fear with thicker batter so that I was pleased about. I had cut down on how much batter I actually made, so it only made about three small to medium sized pancakes but that was a solid breakfast. After eating I decided I should get a jump on going to the store since I had the phone interview later, so I got ready and grabbed my cart and walked down to the grocery store. Just stocking up on some essentials like eggs and milk and getting some random stuff (like more m&ms) I needed for one reason or another. Didn't take too long, got checked out and the cashier gave me 17 of the little monopoly game pieces, which I’m pretty sure was way too many for how much I actually bought, but I mean I wasn’t complaining lol. Idk if I’ve mentioned it before, but the grocery store in connection with a bunch of other grocery stores in different states is doing the huge monopoly give away game like the one they did at McDonald’s a million years ago if you remember that, you get game pieces based on how much you spend, and each little piece has 4 property pieces, and if you get all the property pieces for a certain section of the monopoly board you win a prize. So she gave me 17 of them (I counted) and they had 4 each in them, which means I now had 68 new game pieces lol. I got back from the store and started to work on putting my civil rights final info together (as in what to take into the open book final). I had tried to upload some outlines to the outline depot site I was talking about so I could download some, but the ones I had hadn’t been approved yet, so I figured I’d wait until tomorrow to see if they can get approved so I could get the outline. Otherwise I could pay $20 for it, which kind of seems like a lot, but in reality it’s in line with what Quimbee and such would charge for their outlines. Once I had established that, I went through my case briefs and did some editing, just so everything lined up all nice and pretty and deleted some extraneous information, and I managed to cut it down from 66 pages to 58, so that was good. I then added page numbers to the table of contents I had made for each section and case. Once I had all that done I printed both docs, which took a lot of printing obviously, the amount of trees I’ve killed in the name of open book exams is....plentiful, at this point. I pulled a binder out of my closet (where everyone keeps their binders, you know) along with the massive three hole punch I acquired somewhere along the way (love that thing) and set it all up in the binder. At 4 I got the phone call for the longer phone interview, which ended up lasting about 50 minutes. Lots of questions, most of them going along the lines of “can you give me an example of a time when blah blah blah” meaning I had to come up with a story and I am the worst at doing that, but I feel like i managed to come up with mostly true stories, and the more fabricated ones were at least based on fact, so I was more or less satisfied with that. They said the next step was they were going to select like 2 or 3 final candidates and have them interview with their full team, so we’ll see where it goes with that. not gonna lie, I have somewhat of a feeling of dread regarding the job, just because I’m worried that I would be bored out of my mind, but I mean, it’d be a job and it’d be here, which is good....I have mixed feelings, obviously. but we’ll have to see where that goes. Hopefully I’ll have an answer on the NY job before I hear back from them so I’ll at least have a better idea of where I stand with that. After the phone call I spent an absurdly long time putting all the monopoly pieces on the board, lol. The game has been going on for months now, so I have like 3 out of 4 pieces for a lot of the different prize spaces, but of course the thing is they make 3 of them fairly common and just make very few of the last one. But hey, it’s fun, so it’s all good. When I finished up with that I looked at remedies flashcards for about 5 minutes before deciding I wanted to bake cupcakes instead. I had the cake mix I bought last week, but I wasn’t exactly wanting to bake 24 cupcakes, so I decided to get clever divide the necessary ingredients to make a smaller portion. the recipe called for 3 eggs, and since you can’t really divide eggs as well as other ingredients, I figured I’d do 1/3 of the recipe, so 8 cupcakes. so I used my super handy kitchen scale to weigh the cake mix (it was 15.6 oz) and then measure out 1/3 of that (5.2 oz), then mix it with one egg, and a third of the amounts of oil and water. A few times previously I had tried some of the pinterest suggestions for making boxed cake mixes better, mainly like add an extra egg, swap the oil for melted butter and double it (no, really) and use milk instead of water, but in my experience the cake would come out of the oven looking really great and puffy, then literally right away it would just shrink into it self and not be fluffy at all, lol. it still tasted great, but felt kinda heavy, so I decided to not do that. I had to run out of my building and get my amazon package off the front porch, because I had just ordered a new cookie dough scoop since I managed to somehow break my old one, which wasn't actually working well at all anyway, so that wasn’t much of a loss. But I used the scoop to divide out the batter, which was fairly mess free and worked well. Box said 12-17 minutes for cupcakes, I checked after 12 and they were good to go, so I let them cool while I ate some dinner. I had grabbed a rotisserie chicken from the store earlier and had stowed it in the oven for a while so it stayed warm, then kind of ate some of it throughout the afternoon. By the time I sat down in front of the tv it was 7:20, at which point I realized Supergirl started 20 minutes ago and I’m very bad at this whole watching tv shows live thing. So I started the episode from the beginning. It was interesting, probably one of the better episodes lately, so that’s good. The Sam and Lena stuff is getting very interesting, and I know I said this last week but everything Lena is doing is so VERY Luthor, not even in an evil way, but like Lex would do very similar things on Smallville long before he turned evil and back when he was actually a good guy. It’s just very in tune with how their family handles things. I feel so bad for Sam. she’s in such a hard position of course, and I feel like one way or another this season is gonna end in heartbreak. The Supergirl and Imra stuff I was kinda meh on, mostly because I don’t fully agree with Kara’s no kill policy, like if you can avoid it sure but it’s not always going to be avoidable and I could definitely see where Imra was coming on this one. Mon-El was meh, but what else is new. But yeah, overall not bad. I went straight into watching The Resident afterwards, which churned out another excellent episode. ah, it was all just so good with them dealing with their colleague who was suddenly in a dire state, and how they worked so hard to find the actual best way to save him. I totally loved the subplot with Mina and the new doctor, I love Mina so fucking much haha she’s totally brilliant and she knows it and I LOVE HER SO MUCH. That plot was pure hilarity, I very much hope the doctor guy chooses to stick around. All of the stuff with Nic was getting pretty creepy, but we’ve known that was the direction they were heading in since they’re up to some super sketchy stuff. The whole grocery confrontation thing was.....weird, very weird, but I guess it served its purpose of being creepy. After that I tried to get my roommate’s apple tv to work so I could watch Westworld, but it was not cooperating, so I decided to frost the cupcakes instead. I had gotten an icing bag a while back I wanted to try using, but it was being uncooperative and not letting me actually get the icing to the tip of it and I eventually just gave up and iced one cupcake by hand and figured I’d get to the rest of them when I actually want to eat them. So I ate the cupcake and some frosting out of the can because that shit’s good. I didn't want to jump into a long GoT episode, so I watched more of A Series of Unfortunate Events just as a filler show even though it hasn’t been my favorite lately. I think it somewhat has to deal with me not liking Neil Patrick Harris in this role?? Like I’ve always liked him before this but in this show he just kinda grates on me, and not in the way that like a good villain was, he just feels kind of ridiculous to me, even in a show that contains a lot of ridiculousness, it’s just not working for me. I do love the kids of course, they’re brilliant and lovely and even though I know this is the entire premise of the show I feel myself growing increasing frustrated that they still don’t have a safe place to live, which again I KNOW is the point of the show, but like, it’s getting old for me. So we’ll see how much longer I end up sticking with the show. After an episode of that I started to get ready for bed and now I’m here. Tomorrow I have an “evaluation” appointment with a new PT guy at a new PT place (it’s the same company as my old one, and it’s not even very far apart, they’re literally referred to as the [neighborhood name] North and [neighborhood name] South clinics, so it’s not that big of a change really. I’m getting moved to this one because they apparently have a person trained in the type of PT the doctor wanted me to try, so I guess we’ll see what comes of this. I should be doing better with my home exercises, so maybe this will help motivate me with that. and yeah, other than that I’ll hopefully get a civil rights outline and prep the rest of my stuff for the final on Wednesday, should be good. Alright, that’s all for now. Goodnight peeps. Stay chill.