#also they reccomended it for health reasons so

[study-core-101]

Popular Study Methods I dont like

(By Jay)

A list of study techniques that dont work for me at all. But study methods can work amazing for one person and then just complicate studying more for another. If they work for you, awesome, i'm happy about that. These are my personal experience with them, a lot of people wont relate and thats fine, people are different. But if you relate why these common/popular methods dont work for me, know you arent the only one and that there are more options. People might tell you "this method is amazing, you should do this" and there for you is shit.

Memorazing

Avoid this. When you memorize you dont learn. You cannot conect concepts because you dont understand. One thing is memorazing formulas, which is nessesary, but memorazing everything doesnt work. Understandment is way better. Yes, we need to remember and storage the information in our memory, but memorazing is different. Knowing the theory ord by word is shit if you cannot explain it in different words, conect it wit other concepts or put in practise.

Flashcards

Yep, studyblr favourite study method. Bear with me.

For me, it is a really passive way. When i make the Q&As of the flashcards, i remember the answers. I dont think. I associate the words. And then, when the test has the questions phrased different, my mind goes blank. It seem liked i learned because i remember but i wasnt actually learning.

Now you are probably thinking "use it for vocabulary". That doesnt help me either. Maybe it helps for knowing the meaning in a reading, but writing? I cant remember the spelling. For learning to spell a word i need to write it down. Use it in a sentence. Reading it over and over doesnt do anything.

All-nighters

Oh god, there is nothing worse than an all-nighter. One all-nighter will ruin your sleep schedule for weeks and tired=learn less. Plus, too much all-nighters lead to burn out.

With better time management, all-nighters wouldnt probably exist, or at least, be reduced by a lot

Also, as someone with chronic migraines, an all-nighter'd only give me a week straight with only terrible pain and i prefer failing a subject than that (i'd had to learn the hard way that lesson. always prioritaze your health)

Pomodoro

It's a little bit hypocrital of me to put it here, as I usually reccomend it to others. But personally? It just de-motivaties and stresses me. (disclaimer: it is a good technique, thats why i recomend it even if it doesnt work for me).

I'll explain why. The only way i can do a lot of productive stuff together (or just a long assignment) is to "get in the mood" or have like a "streak". I usually have to power through the first 5-10 minutes of studying and then i get super motivated and do a lot until my brain asks for a break. When the timer rings, it breaks it and i have to repeat the rutine again. It wouldnt be so bad if it wasnt that i work 3 or 4 times faster when i motivated than when i am powering through.

Also, having the self-impose deadline of a pomodoro (i know it isnt technically a deadline, but for some unknown reason, my brain processes it as one) makes me nervous and gives me anxiety. Just knowing the timer is going to go off anytime un-focus me. It's unnesesary stress.

[mayuris-basement-dweller]

Song Reccomendation:

First off, author's note.

Quite aware of official Kurotsuchi music tastes, had someone shove it in my face a while ago. This is just a headcanon, alright? Let's not fight over it. It is quite a self indulgent ficlet.

Also, it was induced by my late-night migraine. Any grammatical mistakes, chalk it up to my poor man's English and even poorer health. Ok? Ok.

We going by the premise Mayuri heard "Winter/Four Seasons" somehwere and so will you, my reader. There you go. Thank you for reading!

Play me like a Violin - Kurotsuchi Mayuri/Kenpachi Zaraki, Kenmayu, Zayuri

Cw: Violence

"What happens when Mayuri is disturbed by a whole lot of sound and fury."

He wasn't the biggest musical enthusiast, as the science man that he was. His life's soundtrack was the silence of his lab, the whirring of machines, frantic typing, the slicing of blades through flesh...

But, for some reason, he woke up with a certain song on the back of his mind that day.

And throughout the day, he could swear he felt it in his bones.

Maybe it wasn't the song at all.

Maybe it was just that day... He was still shaken.

"Ugh... Will this headache never stop?!"

Mayuri Kurotsuchi hated anything that interrupted his efficiency. Headaches being one of the worst offenders. And with all the work he had to do, too!

That would be one long day,indeed...

And his mind went right back to the song he was thinking about. By some human composer named Vivaldi. Antonio Vivaldi. And it was called "Four Seasons" but... Mostly "Winter".

Massaging his temples slightly, he was on his way to the 12th Division, and the song was still there. Why was he thinking about it so much?

Because it made his blood stir.

It made it boil. Not in a bad way like...

"Like that... Barbarian, does."

And it's happening again. Again his thoughts drift to Zaraki. This was unnerving, disturbing, something he didn't need at all. He had to fix that.

Somehow, he had to.

Or else, it would keep happening. It could keep happening.

Vivaldi's Winter. And those strings. Those strings cut like swords. Fast. Inclement. Like a terrible and fleeting memory.

Like his memories of the night before.

Down to the lab he went. His thoughts a mess and his heart pounding.

He just wanted his peace and silence back. But his thoughts had a lot of sound to them, his body was still singing tunes...

And he hated it. Every single bit of it.

He opens the door. Nemu greets him. Akon greets him. But he needed silence. Silence and distance from everyone.

He goes and locks himself in his personal lab.

"Ah, strings..."

He closes his eyes and breathes. No one could know. No one should know.

But then it all rushes back to him and he groans, mad at everything but especially at himself.

Why did he enjoy that so much?!

Why Zaraki throwing him around with so much violence, ripping his clothes off, pining him against a wall the past night... Made him feel alive like he didn't feel in ages?

Why was he shaking, thinking about that now?

Why. Why. Why!

He could feel his throat drying up.

Like the rhythm of that song, he could remember every moment vividly. It was just another fight that suddenly took a turn. That wasn't supposed to happen. That shouldn't have happened!

It went against every one of his logical thoughts. It didn't make any sense. That bastard had no right, he had no...

But the kisses and caresses and the hushed sounds...

Like Winter's strings. Fast. Desperate. Harsh.

And Zaraki's voice:

"Aha. Suddenly I am not such a nuisance anymore, huh, Kurotsuchi?"

Mayuri sits down and hits his desk in blind anger:

"Yes! Yes, you are a nuisance and I hate you and I want you gone!"

While he buried his face in his hands, he could still feel it all. Every fleeting moment, every touch, like if it was happening then and there... In his lab.

Crescendo and Decrescendo.

Too long and too fast. He couldn't focus his thoughts. All he could remember was Kenpachi. His voice, his taunts, his scent, his body...

"Don't even... Try to struggle. No one will hear you. Today, you lost."

Zaraki smirks somehwere in his memories:

"And you are all mine."

And then sounds. Sounds and more sounds.

And silence.

And hushed goodbyes. And promises of hatred everlasting. At least from Mayuri's part, because Zaraki...

"Yeah, yeah. See you next week. Bound to lose to me again, anyway. Just make sure you... ahem..."Get mad at me" somehwere more secret. You don't want people hearing you, right?"

The nerve!

His anger was such he could break someone in half, right then. Anyone that dared getting near him would die a gruesome death! Anyone that breaks the sanctity of his silence...

- Master Mayuri?

Urgh. Nemu.

He massages his temples again. Anger boiling.

- Come on in.

Nemu opens the door:

- Excuse me.

Mayuri looks at her. And he blurts it out, probably led by those strings that kept killing him with their blinding speeds:

- Ah, Nemu... How can something be beautiful and terrifying at the same time?

He dramatically raises his hands:

- How can something make one feel regret... But also seek more of it? What kind of punishment is this?

Nemu looks at him in silence. Mayuri smirks to himself:

- Yes, I lost. Indeed, I lost. Nemu?

- Sir?

- Bring me tea. And...

She looks at him. Green eyes a mystery, so cold and so deep.

Like Winter:

- Nothing. Just make sure no one interrupts me today.

- Yes.

Nemu leaves.

Mayuri sighs. And starts humming.

[boozois]

Uh, hi! This is the same Anon from a previous ask. I'm sorry if this is too much to ask rn if you're busy but I was wondering if I can request to do a husky borzoi? No specific colours or anything. Just...a husky borzoi. I'd like to see your take on one as a reference to how to do one if that's okay with you >///<

this is a really cool idea! there are actually a few pictures of "borzuskis" online

cute, right?

here's a few differences between borzois and huskies:

huskies are 20-23 inches in height at the shoulder, and can weigh between 30-50 pounds. borzois are 28 inches in height at the shoulder and can weigh between 75-106 pounds.

huskies originate from a breed bred by the Chukchi in Siberia. the Chukotka Sled Dog was bred for the ability to go very long distances pulling sleds in harsh winter conditions. they were also bred to assist in hunting large marine mammals, and for companionship. huskies and Chukotka sled dogs aren't the exact same, but share close DNA. both have saved people's lives!

borzoi were bred for hunting fox, boar, hare, and wolves. they were created by breeding saluki and european sighthounds with longer haired breeds. they were also considered aristocratic symbols, because they were handed down from generation to generation of Russian nobles. they could only be given as a gift from the Tsar.

here are a few similarities:

both borzois and huskies originate from russia!

the borzoi and the chukotka sled dog have both had moments in history where they were almost extinct.

huskies and borzois are both intelligent and stubborn dogs. they prefer independence and borzoi in particular are not easy to train with food.

they both needs lots of enrichment, especially physical exercise, or they might get feisty and eat your couch!

they both like to talk a lot, and can be dramatic.

so.. what happens if you combine these two russian badasses?

this is my interpretation of the borzuski, complete with every color variant i could think of. they are all based off of husky coat colors. the design is meant to be in between the two breeds based on build and coats.

i think borzuskis would stand 22-26 inches at the withers and probably weigh between 50-90 pounds. their personality would be intelligent and playful, but also stubborn. it'd be hard to motivate them to do something if they didnt want to. they could be destructive if handled improperly, because of how strong they'd be. the average top speed a husky can reach is 30 mph, borzois 36 mph. they would need a lot of space and high walls, huskies need a 6 foot fence and some borzoi reach close to 6 feet. it would also be able to hunt very well. both dogs have a lot of prey drive. obedience training from an early age would help with their drive.

borzuskis would probably be really good companions for adventurous and high energy people. they'd talk a lot, and you'd have to give them multiple hours daily of exercise. it would be best to have them in some kind of classes for agilty, or daily hikes in cold climates. they'd need weekly to daily grooming, because of their thick and wavy coat.

what about the health issues? borzoi are extra prone to dental issues, bone diseases, and thyroid problems. huskies are prone to eye diseases, thyroid problems, and dysplasia. for this reason, i wouldnt reccomend breeding these dogs unless you are 100% sure the parents are not carrying harmful genes. always look for a verified ethical breeder. there could be even more of a reason not to mix these specific breeds that im unaware of. after all, theres not a lot of info on this mix! im doing a lot of guesswork on this, based on my research.

here you have it! feel free to make any changes to the design, nothing's set in stone. if you'd like another angle or variant of it, message me and i'll draw it for you. i would have more here but i've reached the 10 photo limit.

[nitw]

What are those two that you consider" gay anime for gay men about gay men"?

ok it's actually 4 if you count movies. idk if you asked this for like, reccomendation reasons or not? but just in case i'll try to give a quick summary

IN MY HUMBLE BUT CORRECT OPINION yuri on ice was always good and gay some of you guys are just weak. i don't know what to say about yoi without spoiling most of the story BUT LIKE. it's got actual sports drama and insight from a professional competitive view. it's got a depressed, insecure mc whose mental health is deteriorating BECAUSE Sports Are Hell and it's presented in a very realistic way. the main duo are both in their mid-20s which is neat, and their dynamic is SO FASCINATING no matter how you interpret it. so far the only show i've watched i'd label as "gay subtext" but in yknow, a legitimate and satisfying way instead of a cheap way. the development of the main duo's relationship is just as relevant to the story as the competitive skating part

GIVEN!!!!! ough. given......there's even less i can say about this one without spoling literally everything. THIS ONE IS /A GAY ROMANTIC DRAMA/ that's just the genre. but what really makes it special to me is how seriously it takes itself. since it's also a story about a band rising to fame, the "drama" aspect comes from both the romance And from the typical friend-group infighting that every band story has lol. it also deals with some surprisingly heavy topics like suicide, trauma, child abuse AND HOMOPHOBIA, and it handles everything in SUCH a mature way. if you can swallow the heavier themes then it's a really sweet and empowering story. ALSO it gets bonus points for only having the first 2 protags out of 4 be teenagers, the other 2 are grown college students.

I'M JUST GONNA LIST BOTH MOVIES RQ: "doukyuusei/classmates" and "umibe no étranger/the stranger by the shore". they're both kind of an acquired taste and they're more fluffy and wholesome than the shows i listed above, but i enjoyed them :]

[shiningclown69]

Specialists' Hobbies

After many months, finally finished this.

Didnt write about Nex, Roy and Thoren bc I got lazy, but maybe I'll write for them eventually

And yes, ik i wrote like 7 hobbies for brandon and struggled to write 3 for the rest, it be like that im sorry im a clown 😭🤡

Sky:

He was kinda busy as a child, being trained to be a future king didn't really allow him to develop hobbies naturally. However, because his parents wanted him to be an all-rounder perfect child, they exposed him to many different activities, whether he liked them or not. He has probably tried everything from music to coding to every sport and had the best teachers to help him out.

He's a jack at all trades, but I think what he genuinely enjoys most is doing sports. He particularly loves riding on his skateboard (the one they have w/o wheels) and doing tricks. As a kid, he would often get roughed up doing that and get scolded by his parents because they thought it wasn't a very prestigious sport. That's weirdly his way of rebelling till now.

He is also surprisingly good at playing the piano and other classical instruments. He isn't as well versed in things like electric guitar, but he is interested to learn, epsecially with friends. He would love to start a small band and play with the rest of the specialists.

Not sure if this counts as a hobby, but he really values the time he has with his friends. He enjoys going out with them and just chilling or getting a drink. He's usually the one to initiate outings, followed by Brandon

He doesn't have many specific hobbies, but he's happy to do most things as long as he's hanging out with his friends.

Brandon:

Brandon has many similar hobbies as Sky, and probably introduced him to many of them. Many of the hobbies Sky likes are because of Brandon (because having a friend to do said hobbies with you is vastly more fun than than a teacher who grades you on your performance)

Brandon has many hobbies. His primary hobby is exercising in general. He enjoys sports, particularly rock climbing, hiking, swimming and surfing. He also likes to go for jogs/runs with the other guys or sometimes with Stella. He is good at most sports, but its mainly due to his general athleticism rather than constant practice or strategy.

He is more gym-oriented than the rest of the guys. He goes nearly daily and lifts dumbells in his bedroom. He mostly goes to the gym bc he wants to maintain his appearance and often looks at himself in the mirror of the gym or in his room. He also eats more healthy, takes care of his hair and skin for the same reason.

However, he is still genuinely interested in health and nutrition related things, beyond appearance reasons. Things like making progress or hittting a new record in weightlifting makes him feel fulfilled.

He doesn't often advise people on how they should exercise or eat (bc its their own body), but if they want to look for somebody for advice, Brandon is probably the right person. He is always happy to help, and seeing his friends hit their goals brings him joy.

Another thing he enjoys is fashion. It initially comes as a by-product of him caring about his appearance, but he finds himself interested in it's creation and design. Stella helps cultivate that interest. Brandon is literally the most stylish and trendy guy in their gang, so if the guys want fashion and styling advice they will go to him.

Another unexpected thing he likes is engineering, particularly the mechanic part. He enjoys tinkering with the engine of his windrider and fixing stuff. He's not as proficient in the math and theory stuff as Timmy though.

He's also one of the only guys here who can cook decently, taught by his parents since young (and also bc of his nutrition interest). He also likes trying out his friends' food reccomendations and going cafe hopping.

Riven:

Riven doesn't have a ton of money (single family home), so he realised a lot of his hobbies when he was younger from playing with other kids, like borrowing their consoles/going for sleepovers/playing with them ourdoors. The internet along with people he finds cool are also huge inspirations.

An obvious hobby for him is music. He's more musically inclined than the other guys, but he particularly loves rock (unironically instilled in him during his emo phase lol). The instrument he is most proficient in is the electric guitar, but he can also play the drums pretty well.

He is willing to try out other instruments and sometimes joins music related clubs so that he can try out instruments he wants to learn.

He is also likes composing songs and brainstorming ideas for it. He usually has a rhythm or beat stuck in his mind for a while, so that part doesn't take him that long to do. But he is bad at coming up with meaningful lyrics, so those tend to screw him up. He sometimes begrudgingly goes to Helia or Nabu for help with that.

He sings occassionally but tends to hum rather than full-on sing, especially if people are around. However, he is confident enough to perform on the stage if push comes to shove or if he practiced a ton. His voice is not as polished as Musa's because he never had many avenues to sing/doesn't practice it a ton, but it has good potential. Definitely one of the best at singing in the specialists and kills it at karaoke.

Another prominent hobby of his is sports. He likes most sports, ranging from soccer to snowboarding to boxing. However, what he enjoys most about sports is competition and the fact he can pitt his skills against others. Thus, he is the most aggressively competitive of the bunch. Combined with his physique and athletism, he's honestly kinda a monster to play against. He's also the one that gets physically hurt the most from said sports, so he has semi-frequent trips to the nurse's office.

In the same vein of competitiveness, he also enjoys playing games. Naturally, he leans towards PvP fighter games and Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) games.

He also secretly enjoys rhythm based games (both arcade and online), though he would never let people know bc he thinks its embarassing. That is until one of the specialists challenges him to a DDR battle, and then he wipes the floor. He also likes Guitar Hero, obviously.

He also gets VERY worked up playing party games, which the specialists find hilarious (but sometimes insufferable). He's such a sore loser at literally everything.

Timmy:

Obviously, the tech guy likes tech. Ingrained in him as a child, Timmy enjoys solving technical problems and tinkering with machines. Brandon sometimes watches him do his thing so he can learn. Timmy's family tree has a long lineage of prestigious scientists and inventors, so he naturally has similar interests. He also enjoys coding and is fascinated by math and science in general.

Another thing he enjoys is games. Unlike Riven, he prefers games that allow him to flex his strategic skill. This of course includes stuff like chess, but nobody wants to play those with him except Tecna or Digit, mainly bc they know they'll lose to Timmy.

Luckily, Timmy is also kinda a board game nerd and owns a large collection of other tabletop games, which the rest are willing to entertain. Even if it's less traditional strategy related, he does enjoy playing them and analysing the rest of the group's play-styles

Unexpectedly, he has also taken an liking to story-based games like RPGs or Third-person games. He would be lying if he said he didn't cry more than once over fictional characters. He also enjoys playing MMORPGs, and is actually really good at it. The only one who is better at him in the gang is Tecna obviously, she totally goes on virtual dates with him in-game.

Helia

Weird art kid. Spent 99% of his early childhood days sitting in a corner and quietly drawing anime characters and ocs. He later diversified and dabbled more into realistic portrait and scenery drawings, because he wanted to get into art school.

He does mostly traditional pencil drawings, because he enjoys the tactile experience and organic feel of traditional drawings. However, he has a tablet to draw digitally in his room as well (from art school), he just doesn't use it as often. His family can fund his expensive art supplies anyway.

Surprisingly, he is a bigger reader than Timmy is. His childhood involved reading a lot of thick, fictional books he still enjoys to this day (he re-reads them semi-frequently out of nostalgia). This love of reading subsequently helped him get more into literature and poetry.

He'd rather not get his hands dirty doing sports, so he'd rather not dabble in those lest he get hurt. He wants to keep fit, but he isn't interested in going to the gym either (he doesn't like the noises and people there), so he often works out at home instead. He doesn't particularly enjoy exercising, he does so more out of practicality.

He likes walking around in nature parks and museums, but is also content with sitting with his friends in a cafe and chatting. He sometimes goes hiking or trekking with Brandon purely because he wants drawing inspiration (He'd rather go with Flora, but Brandon is ok I guess.) He prefers quieter places where he can get his own privacy, so he dislikes noisy bars or arcades.

Nabu:

He shares a lot of the same hobbies as Helia. Like A LOT.

He loves reading. He re-reads less, but prefers to read new books. He loves the excitement of opening a new book, and he's totally the type to binge read a novel and then fall asleep in his library on the floor.

He also indulges a lot in music (and has the money to go to concerts frequently), poetry, plays and movies. The genre of arts/music he likes tends to be slightly different from Helia, as he grew up with of art that had a distinct Andros flavour(does that make sense?). His taste is closer to Aisha's (but Aisha has more interest in pop/dance songs than him because of Musa's influence)

I imagine he's also actually quite a big nerd? Unlike Helia who is more reserved, he LOVES rattling off about a recent great book he read, or an artsy film he saw, or a meaningful lyric he heard from his favourite band's song. The other guys/winx enjoy seeing him being happy and talking about his interests, but suggest him to write a blog instead (because he has a tendency to repeat things in his excitement). He does, and he finds a niche audience who enjoys his writing. He also realises he likes writing through this lol.

Idk where to put this, but I feel like Nabu would unexpectedly like cafe hopping (like Brandon)? Or just trying new food in general. These two give each other recommendations all the time. Though, you'll probably have better luck with Brandon if you have a tighter budget bc Nabu has a tendency to accidentally recommend expensive restaurants. He's apologetic if you tell him though.

Similar to Sky, he dabbles in many hobbies because he enjoys trying things. Though, unlike Sky, Nabu realises he doesn't have an affinity for physical sports. His likes and dislikes are also quite clearly established from childhood, but he just likes trying out stuff for the sake of trying something new.

[intersex-support]

Hey! I had a couple questions regarding seeking diagnosis. I have had really weird symptoms my whole life and I am wondering if this would be enough that a doctor might take me seriously if I was seeking diagnosis?

I am mainly looking at Turner's syndrome, but I don't know how to bring this up to a doctor. I started puberty at 8 and have had a variety of health issues. I am diagnosed with NVLD, ADHD, and in the middle of autism testing. I have an astigmatism, a lot of moles, horrible keloid problems, scoliosis, and more. I have been struggling with autoimmune issues as well. The only reason I want to seek diagnosis is it might answer a lot of questions as to why my body has so many random issues. How would I approach a doctor about this? Thanks!

Hi anon.

That makes sense that you'd be looking for some explanations and looking at possible diagnoses that might explain the variety of health issues you've experienced. Definitely would reccomend continuing to look for answers outside of intersex variations as well, since those are traits that could be associated with other conditions beyond the intersex umbrella.

Turner's is probably less likely if you went through puberty at 8, as many people with Turner's do not go through puberty without hormone replacement therapy. Although mosaic turner's could be a possibility, it might not be as likely.

It might also be worth looking into trisomy x-it has some of the same comorbidities as Turner's, but people with trisomy x usually go through puberty at an average time. If you're tall, this would also be more of a sign of Trisomy x over Turner's.

It can be hard to navigate these conversations with doctors, especially when a lot of them are not informed about intersex people or have a lot or prejudiced ideas. For me, it's helped when I have done research beforehand, really know what the symptoms and necessary tests for these diagnoses are, and write down a plan of what testing I want done to prepare to advocate for myself. I've noticed it has gone better for me at the doctors when I go in and say something like "Oh one of my friends just got diagnosed with this and I noticed I had a lot of the same symptoms as them, could we look into this?"

I've noticed some doctors get sort of defensive if I just come in and say that I think I know what's going on, so I usually try to make it seem like I just heard about this and want to know if they can look into it. I also usually share about how my symptoms are impacting my quality of life and try to explain why I want answers and options for potential treatment. I also like to bring another person in with me who can help me advocate and try to get the testing or referrals I need.

It will probably be most successful if you can get a referral to a endocrinologist, as they will likely be more informed and able to help get you the testing you need. Hopefully, your doctor will take your seriously, and work with you to discover a possible diagnosis.

Please feel free to reach back out with any other questions, and wishing you the best of luck!

[hi-i-am-a-sock]

Hi there!

Today I'm gonna share some tips for language learning!

So, we all know that understanding spoken language is a very important skill. Hovewer, developing this skill may be quite difficult. Here are some tips that helped me and might help you:

• watching subtitled videos/videos with script. This is a really good method to memorize pronunciation rules and to get used to them. On the other hand, you shouldn't abuse it, otherwise you'll end up not being able to understand the audio without them. A nice tip for beginners.

• for trying to develop actual speech understanding skill you should constantly exercise, starting with the most easy-to-understand audios and gradually going to real-life conversations/TV-shows/others. I reccomend to change the learning material (moving to a more difficult type of audio) when you can easily understand 90-100% of the grammar and 80-90% of the vocabulary, especially if you understand how to write the word and can search its meaning without problem.

• I'd really reccomend starting with Peppa Pig. It has easy but varied real-life conversations, different voices to get used to, not so difficult grammar and is translated in lots of languages. Of course, if you learn an endangered/not popular/dead language, there can be ploblems with finding something, but if there are Peppa Pig/other cartoons for little children episodes available, go for it.

• after Peppa Pig some toddlers/pre-teens cartoons are fine. Especially if there aren't many fantasy elements (these can create difficulty with vocabulary). I'll probably make a list with a couple of them later. Tell me if you're interested :)

• if there are easy-to-understand videos made by native speakers specially for foreigners, they're really cool too. People there usually talk slowly, put subtitles (just remember not to use them too often) and explain lots of things about culture/history/common mistakes. These may be really useful not only for improving your language skills, but also for learning new stuff!

• gamers are also great, especially if they play translated games. Not only can you learn vocabulary and some informal expressions, but you also have fun! Another advantage is that gamers usually have good microphones and the audio quality is really great. Sometimes they start to ramble a bit, so you probably will learn something not related to games, too. I'd reccomend watching Sims let's plays because there are lots of slice-of-life situations. Damn, you can even learn about architecture and furniture!

• if you're not really into video games, you can try storytime videos. Drawings really help to understand the context and people there usually have good microphones, too.

• if you already have an advanced level, trying niche videos is fun. Not only will you learn new things from different spheres, but also tones of vocabulary! Relationships, computers, art, mechanic, fantasy, science — you can learn whatever you want!

• songs are great for different reasons. First, you get used to unusual word order, learn new words and grammar. Second, songs usually get stuck in your head, so it's easy to remember things. Third, it's more difficult to catch the words if they're sung, so it's nice practice. Fourth, music makes you feel better. Don't forget about your mental (and not only) health when learning!

Well, that's all for today! If I remember something I forgot to mention, I'll add it or write another post. If you also have tips, feel free to write yours!

Have a nice day and good like with language learning!

[neverendingparable]

(THERE IS A LONG PERIOD OF TIME IN WHICH I SCRIBBLE AWAY AT THE SURVEY WITH A HORRIBLY BASTARDIZED BIRO THAT KEEPS SPRINGING APART EVERY THREE SECONDS. BUT EVENTUALLY I SUCCEED AND HAND ULMAR THE PAPER BACK)

THE STANLEY PARABLE: ULTRA DELUXE SATISFACTION SURVEY

Question 1: Did you enjoy The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe? Y/N

well really i think it should be written 'did you enjoy the stanley parable: ultra deluxe, y/n?' but

ohhhhhhhh you meant yes/no. um. yes!!!

Question 2: What was your favorite ending? Please provide a short description why.

the skip button ending x) bc it reminds me of a dear dear friend sniff sniff sniff... oh sk(THE PAPER IS SOAKED WITH TEARS TO THE POINT THE REST OF THE WRITING IS UNREADABLE DESPITE THE FACT AT NO POINT IN THE ANSWERING PROCESS DID I APPEAR TO BE CRYING)

Question 3: What was your most played ending? If it is different than your favorite one, please explain why.

ooooooooo um. comedy timing ending. i play it a lot so i can master the art of comedic timing to a higher degree. and also simply because for some reason i find it spooky

enjoyment wise it probably IS my favourite but i feel this loyalty to the skip button because (ANOTHER SPLATTER OF TEARS) oh for fucks sake let's go on

Question 4: How likely are you to recommend the game to other players? 1 - Not likely, 10 - Extremely likely

ERMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM 1. not because its a bad game simply because i'm a sad, sad little man with not a lot of friends and even if i did have friends i don't often go around reccomending games to them

well, you did say 'players' and not 'friends', i guess. i don't necessarily have to be chummy with these hypothetical people. erm. players of what, that's the question.. players of the stanley parable (2013)? 10. well, no, uh, 3. because i would presume they'd already heard about the game. so it would be redundant to reccomend it then, wouldn't it? what about players of golf? um. actually, 7. because if i was talking with someone who played golf then i must REALLY be friends with them and so maybe id be more likely to reccomend this. but what's the context of the reccomendation? is this an online post? have i bumped into them at a party? are we- oh lawks ive run out of space

Question 5: What is your feedback to the developers, writers or narrators of this game? (Please note that intense negative feedback might have serious mental and physical consequences on those involved)

IMPLEMENT ANOTHER SKIP BUTTO- heheh no i jest i jest. sorry. i mean um.

TOBY. uh. T O B Y. i am going to tell a joke in which i reccomend feedback that has caused serious mental and physical consequences on those involved in the past, before cutting myself off (at which time you will laugh). i will then tell the developer, writers, or narrators to 'kill yourselves' (a phrase designed once more to imply serious mental and physical consequences) before cutting myself off again (where you will then laugh). um. T O B Y.

IMPLEMENT ANOTHER SKIP BUTTO- heheh no i jest i jest. just kidding. um. KILL YOURSEL- er, no. OKAY I'M NOW DONEY WITH THE FUNNY. please just fill out this eleven page survey for me. question one: did you like that joke? y/n

question two: will you m- aw shit im out of room again

Question 6: Have you ever worked in the Office? If so, do you find the experience of The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe realistic? If not, does The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe provide you with a positive image of the work environment in an office?

i have never worked in an office. um. ive never actually worked anywhere fun fact. but let's see. psychological experimentation, complete lack of regard for health and safety, mind control, sick-ass lounge- yeah it seems pretty positive to me!!

Question 7: Do you find Stanley relatable?

yes i too have a british voice in my head constantly providing me with annoying commentary. except he's called cas. haha. sorry that was a joke.

what i mean to say is ummmmmm TOBY. T O B- oh forget it. next question!

Question 8: Did you try to destroy the Bucket? Would you have preferred the game without the Bucket? How easy was it for you to attempt to destroy the Bucket? Do you love the Bucket?

I WOULD NEVER TRY TO DESTROY THE BUCKET... that is my FRIEND my LIFELONG COMPANION.... i have DREAMED ABOUT HER. don't try to make me think about a game without the bucket. that's like thinking about a world without sunshine or the bright happy laughter of children. shudders. what a horrible idea. abysmal, really. hey, is your name just straight up 'ulmar'?

Ulmar takes the survey with a beaming smile, reads over it once and then tucks it away, presumably to drop it off somewhere the developers or a Narrator could read through it.

He doesn't comment on the answers provided.

[hitsuyou-fukaketsu]

hi shav can you tell me about some of your favorite villainess mangas with villainesses that go HO HO HO and do the hand pose and i will try to see if i can read them for free on the internet

HI AURELIA!!!!! OF COURSE I WILL (and even put the site where you can read them! <3)

I present to you my absolute favourite and the reason why i made that post: I favor the villainess!!

JUST LOOK LOOK AT HER LOVE OF MY LIFE <33333 CLAIREEE<3333 SHE HAS DE HOHOHO POSE SHE HAS THE BLOND HAIR AND SHE HAS THE RINGLETS

SO CUTE<3333 This one is about a reincarnated heroine that just loves the villainess and they are so cute and <3333 aaahhh!!!!! I love them so much their dynamic is everything!!! 'I loooovee you!!!' 'and I utterly hate you!!!' 'sure!! Hehehe'

Claire is very aware that her personality puts people off so she's very confused on what Rei sees on her. Little does she know that Rei is a tsundere expert!! I love them so much gfs for real

This one was a reccomendation from duckie my beloved!! THIS IS SUCH A GOOD MANGA!! RLY MADE ME INSANE. Endo and Kobayashi are two highschoolers that do live commentaries as a hobby! And one day, one character from the game they like, start to hear their commentary as if they were the gods from that game. It's a rly cute funny and VERYVERYVERY SHOUJOO. Similar to Claire, Lise is a tsundere! But she's more sweet and gets flustered more easily, she is more of a misunderstood villainess + self steem issues again, also she's super pretty

Some others that I recently read but are not really the hohoho villainess:

This one is a reincarnated villainess that is obsessed with farming exp, she became the strongest in the game so that they cant defeat her at the end, she is more of a kuudere with strange tastes and very passive personality but it was still a nice read <3 i love girls with black silky hair!

THIS ONE IS SOOOO PROMISING!!! THE PLOT IS EVERYTHING!!!!!! Reincarnated villainess again but at a very young age!! Very previous from the game's plot. She normally has nightmares about the kind of person she should be (totally evil, the villainess was Evil, cold and manipulative) so she, year by year surrounds herself of people that love her but that could take her life easily if given the chance. Its a rly heartwarming manga with a cool plot, every 5-6 chapters there's a little timeskip of the kids <33

Sadly it's on hiatus rn because of the artist's health :((

Also i know you said manga but you should check out the villainess anime of this season! 'I'm the villainess so I'm taming the final boss' It's a banger, one of my favourites for sure! It also has a manga but the manga only covers like the first 4-5 episodes of the anime

The anime is so good tho!! But the artstyle of the manga is pretty good too!

[eroticcannibal]

yeah, i think the main issue is people just don't realise gc2b runs SMALL. my ribcage measurement is 28", in most things i am an extra small, but i wear a medium in gc2b and would actually probably order a large these days just to have a little more shoulder space.

which reminds me - they include shoulder measurements for a reason, and specifically say to size UP or go with the largest size for your measurements if you're between sizes or have one size for your chest and a different for your shoulders.

i also feel like a lot of people assume it's the chest measurement that's important, when really, the shoulder one is too. i couldn't even get both shoulders into an extra small pre-T, and that's the size i'd wear going solely by my chest. years later my chest measurement is the same, but my shoulders are a lot broader, so while i can fit into a small, it causes my arms to go numb. (so i don't wear them, obviously.)

also honestly all of my binders from them have had stitching break eventually, usually around the bottom of the binding panel. i think it's just the nature of sewing an inelastic panel to elastic fabric. happened faster with the smalls, and since i got them shortly before i went on T i think you may be on to something with the whole "seams popping from trying to wear something too small" idea, since my shoulders did get broader quickly.

^^^ all very correct

Honestly even with the sizing running small they really do seem a lot more accomadating of body shape than fucking underworks (which I've seen ppl reccomending instead). Like me and the child have similar health complaints that can be set off by compression and poorly fitting clothing (and both curvy as hell which just means almost everything sets off symptoms) and the GC2B binder was able to compress to a reasonable degree and only trigger incredibly mild symptoms that only really reached uncomfortable after quite a few hours. Like yes not everyone is going to have our health issues but imo given the problems we have we are a good test of "is this binder alright".

I will admit I almost did order a too small binder for the child cus going by the size chart it is a large. And im like nah. This is an eleven year old child! Fat adults wear these binders it can't be a LARGE. but I went against my instincts and ordered a large and well. Can you believe it. It fits. The child is a large. So I can easily see how people would end up with poorly fitting binders if they don't trust the chart or pull the tape a bit too tight or think nah it will be fine lets go one smaller for some extra compression.

And yeah regarding stitching and such. Like aside from the fact a lot of people wear them a LOT. Ime some kinds of clothes and some kinds of fabrics are just gonna wear faster. Compression stuff especially! I used to wear a lot of compression gear cus sensory issues and it does just wear. The compression adds strain to the seams. The force of your body pushing out wears the elastic. Washing and drying wears the elastic. Like sure ok I expect they will have made at least one defective one that fell apart too soon but like. U gotta adjust ur expectations with binders. They are going to fail at some point and quite possibly sooner than expected.

(And also I barely wore my underworks one cus fibro and the hemming was already going)

[pokemon-researcher-corvid]

Notes on Diet and corrections to the Pokédex entry of Alolan Raichu

As you may know, I am the proud owner of Nikola, an Alolan Raichu who has been working with me since I did a research project in the Alola region a few years ago! I wanted to discuss my findings here, and hopefully by doing so, allow other trainers who have caught or are considering catching their own Alolan Raichus.

So, the Pokédex describes the main reason for Alolan Raichu’s different appearance from it’s Kantonian variant as being the result of it’s diet, and this is a true statement! However, the Dex then goes on to claim that it’s because Alolan Raichu eat pancakes and malasadas. For the love of Arceus, please don’t feed your Alolan Raichu a diet of pancakes and malasadas. Let me explain:

The average Alolan Raichu weighs between 40-50 lbs, and needs to consume ~15% of that body weight in fruits, vegetables, grains, nectar, seeds, and other plant matter. Now, similar to Pokémon like Cutiefly and Oricorio (other inhabitants of the Alolan Islands), much of this diet is high in sugar. Fruit, plant nectar, and other sources of energy for these Pokémon are exceptionally sweet. For example, a single Mago berry has over 24 grams of sugar! (That’s the total amount that humans are supposed to consume in a single day). And a Pomeg berry has more than that! Alolan Raichu- and many other Alolan Pokémon for that matter- are consuming very high sugar diets.

In spite of this, though, it is not a good decision to feed your Alolan Pokémon the processed sugary foods available to humans! This assumption was written into the Pokédex after original researchers took samples from Alolan Pokémon and determined that they all had very high levels of sugar in their digestive tracts and elevated blood sugar. Alolan Raichu have scent glands in their cheeks, said to smell like pastries (which I can confirm. My house always smells like someone is baking something!). The researchers assumed that the scent was connected to the elevated levels of sugar, and determined that the Raichu must have been consuming cooked and processed pastries from human settlements.

Pancakes, Malasadas, and most other forms of processed pastries meant for human consumption will cause digestive issues if given to Alolan Raichu. Not to mention that while yes, Alolan Pokémon in general have high-sugar diets, the fruits, nectars, seeds, and grains they eat also provide a plethora of vitamins and nutrients essential for their health and development! Processed foods tend to have lower nutritional value than fresh produce.

I reccomend the following diet for your Alolan Raichu instead of pastries:

• Nanab, Razz, Pomeg, Mago, Pecha and Aspear berries,

•Apricorns of any color, either juiced or whole. Whole apricorns allow Raichu to gnaw and bite at the shells to keep their teeth healthy

•Poké beans, soaked in water to be softer, or whole and unsoaked again for gnawing

•Big Mushrooms, Big Roots, and other similar forage

•Electric seeds

• Power herb, Revival Herb, White herb, and various mints or other leafy vegetables

Thank you! Take good care of your Pokémon, and don’t be afraid to supplement their diets with vitamins as well! Also, don’t be afraid to branch out- these are just my recommendations but you can visit your local Pokémon Center to learn about other local foods that could be a healthy addition to your feeding routine!

[limetimo]

I watched The Other Woman the other day and now my brain is making me sad with a modern AU James cheating on Regulus and Regulus finds out and blames himself a lot because James is James and adhkj. And Regulus realises his whole life is devoured by James, his friends are James' friends and he works at James' dad's company and he's raising Harry and Neville even tho he's always been afraid to have children and the only person he can talk to about all this is his husband's lover. he's afraid to tell Sirius because sirius picked james over him once already and regulus wouldn't be anle to bear it happening again

Lily is a cut-throat lawyer and when she finds out her boyfriend of two months is married she drops him like a hot potato because she's not a homewrecker. Regulus is already pretty wrecked tho and Lily recognises that he's in a difficult situation and offers the listening ear and a comforting shoulder

"Was he your first?" Lily asked. He shook his head. "I used to date my friend Barty at high school." Lily hid a vince in her wine. She couldn't imagine marrying a second boyfriend any more than she could imagine marrying the first. And high school was - so long ago! "It wasn't very good. He was… hurting me." The faint smile on his lips was the most heartbreaking thing. "But at least from him I saw it coming."

anyways regulus recconects with barty (who's still in jail because of the involvement with murdering of neville's parents, it's a whole thing) and evan (who's dying of cancer for some reason wtf brain? But he's also totally up to taking regulus live in if he decides to leave james and that's sweet of them)

neville notices papa is very sad all the time now and makes him a picture at school to cheer him up and that's what convinces Regulus he HAS to address the issue with James. He can't let it affect the children

As like in the movie Lily invites James to her office and she's there as an emotional support friend for Regulus as he lays out the options they came up with: marriage counseling, divorce, some variation of polyamory. Regulus is pretty much too sad and tired to care about himself he just wants what's best for the boys.

Idk why james cheated in the first place but unlike the dick in the movie he doesn't try to lie about it. He knows he fucked up and he's willing to do everything he can to fix that. They do the marriage counseling and on the counselor's reccomendation they both take separate therapy too. They consult a child physiatrist on how to best handle the situation regarding the boys, and have some very difficult conversations with them.

they find out harry is the baby Lily got from a drunk one night stand and gave up for adoption because she didn't want to be a mother and couldn't find the father

sirius finds out/is told and is super upset on Regulus' behalf probably punches james too and there's a lot of crying on everyone's part

regulus takes more time for himself to feel like his own person again. The first friend he'd made in years was his husband secret lover how pathetic is that? So he starts going out more like he joins craft classes n stuff to meet new people, his mental health gets loads better (he's been a right mess because all the old insecurities and trauma from his childhood reared their ugly heads)

idk if it ends with all three of them going separate romantic wasy or if it ends up with jegulus jily regulily or jegulily, and I think it should stay open ended

[pigeonfancier]

Minor health grouching:

Pancreases are useless little beasts, and this whole pre-diabetic/increasingly diabetic/what-the-fuck-ever shit on top of the pancreatitis bullshit is so obnoxious to deal with.

Balance out my diet so that I’m having less pain - okay, well, now you’re dropping weight like fucking crazy, and you don’t actually have weight to lose.

Balance it out to regain weight - okay, now you’re in pain again, because your body still can’t process this very well.

Switch it back to high sugar - cool, you’re keeping on weight, and you’re not in pain, but now you’re having blood sugar crashes, and also, this sets off the raynauds, for some reason, so enjoy people continuously going “hey, did you know your fingernails are blue?”. Also, like, the pain aspect, but what the fuck ever on that, lol.

I don’t think the raynauds is at all linked in with blood sugar - links between it and diabetes or blood sugar are very tenuous, and I don’t think I buy it. It’s more likely that I bundle up more in the first two cases and generally am constantly drinking/eating/wearing something warm, because heat packs are 90% of the reason I’m functional to do shit.

So I’m probably just not noticing it in the first two, and it’s less prominent when I’ve always got my hands on tea or a heat pack. But: >:[[[

Currently just riding out #2 on the list, and moderately fucking frothing over feeling unproductive as a result? But that’s what tylenol is for! I’ve started taking multivitamins again per reccomendation, so maybe that’ll help reduce some of the organ lashing out, but who knows.

I’m just slightly more aggro about it than usual, because the nonstop SUPER HIGH HEAT/SUPER LOW TEMP DROP AND ENDLESS RAIN is also fucking up my ankle royally, so it’s like.. do you want to be in pain sitting down? Pancreas has me covered! do you want to be in pain while walking? ankle has you covered, and also, fuck you if you try to rotate it at all!

But on the plus side: at least the plants are staying fucking watered, haha, and the fact I’m holding still a lot more is forcing my heart rate to stay in the 90′s, so at least it’s not an entire drag. Productivity! But in a different way, sort of, if it fucking must.

[soullesscoyote]

OMG I love Wolfquest??? what was your hyperfixation like fhjajdjjf

MY GOD!!!!!!!! OKAY SO I was around 12 when I found wolfquest, and I LOVED animals and was entering my little zoology hyperfixation. But like a lot of 12 year olds I had newly discovered the world of rpgs and mmorpgs in exact. I played fly like a bird and lif, even the animal planet predator vs prey games that made my dads laptop lag opening anything and everything. But wolfquest I found searching for MMOrpgs where you could play as an animal, i think shortly after feralheart, and cerealsoup. Wolfquest BLEW MY SOCKS OFF you could customize your wolf! Live out the life cycle and raise puppies!!!! And so when i went to my dads house I played it for HOURS. Back then the AI was so bad if you carried one pup into the water all of the others would follow and drown themselves and all the mate ai knew to do was pick them up and bring them closer to you. On top of that you needed your pups at full health for any chance of them surviving and there was no shallow path or easy spot to leap over to get them across. I had to be strategic of killing an elk by the lake, but not too close and then feeding them once by one and then dragging each one across but keep them far enough away they couldnt follow and my mate couldnt carry them over in time for them to walk into the river while i was trying to get just one across. Back then too a lot of the stuff I discovered was trial and error. I got an albino pup through playing enough. Same for the secret den. The river was the ONE thing that made me lose a lot of pups. AND THEN THERE WAS THE FARM. I found early on on the map and thought it was just there for fun, so i jumped over it and got transported there. I killed a calf because it was closest to the edge and I thought it wouldnt drain my health to kill. For the longest time i thought the farmer was like a game myth until one time I actively waited. The reason I didnt know the farmer was a thing though, was because I never had the volume on when I started playing. I also played multiplayer and went by the name "Rockfur" bc I loved warriorcats. I often played in slough creek because i liked to jump into the dens but I also played amethyst mountian for hunting specifically. I would make up my own characters and stories with it too just playing and imagining other characters. When I was around 13 and saw it was being shut down and not further worked on i was DEVASTATED. only to see the instagram page reccomended to me in 2017 and see it was being worked on again. I have the anniversary edition but havent done a full playthrough with all the new features added, on part bc of work, but Im really looking forward to the chance to do so! Basically my hyperfixation was through imagining my own story playing out while playing, making ocs with it, and memorizing little details like how the bear and cougar animations of them running away were 2D assets. It still holds a very special place in my heart

[bowel-glitch-blog]

Faygo: Vanilla Creme Soda (Review)

note: Myles didn't get around to buying this flavour last week, so he'll be editing this tomorrow to include his opinions!

Another note: because no EzyMart location I know of seems to have this flavor in stock, it seems that you won't be getting my side of this review until further notice.

(our ratings & experiences)

Flavour Accuracy

Myles: ?/20 Roni: 20/20 Average Rating: ?/20

Oh yeah. This is creaming soda. Tastes like the correct amount of sugar that's meant to be in a creaming soda drink, and is also pretty dang accurate to any other creaming soda drink. You'd think that it would, but it didn't change flavour as I drank it, either!

Health Concern

Myles: ?/20 Roni: 10/20 Average Rating: ?/20

Now that I know how bad it can get, 132% isn't too bad. It's still awful, and way too much for a drink, but it could be much worse (looking at you, Grape...) Only reason it ranks lower than Cotton Candy is because I'm more aware of how sweet it is, somehow.

Color Appeal

Myles: ?/20 Roni: 20/20 Average Rating: ?/20

This liquid is clear. In my books for drinkability, nothing can top this colour, or rather, lack of colour. Puts confidence in me that at least I won't get a lethal dosage of chemical food dye in my system. Perfect score.

Overall Enjoyment

Myles: ?/20 Roni: 19/20 Average Rating: ?/20

Honestly, this might be my favourite drink thus far. No struggle to finish the bottle and I felt satisfied after I had the last bit of it. Sugar content was in the back of my mind, but only very vaguely. No regrets, would reccomend.

Re-drinkability

Myles: ?/20 Roni: 17/20 Average Rating: ?/20

This drink is great. I would definitely get it again. I'm not sure if I'm biased or something, but I really enjoy this flavour! Minus 3 points (because it's Faygo...) but otherwise it's very very re-drinkable.

Summary

Myles’ Rating: ?/100 Roni’s Rating: 86/100 Average Rating: ?/100

Grade: TBD

[amethiosspouse]

Yeah we Explorer fans get crusts shdhfnsns

Ngl I mostly read Shovelbug for my fics,, I highly reccomend his stuff !!

Also like- so many people like tall dudes. Onyx is the tallest Explorer!! What's not to like abt him??? (Apart from the fact that he's a major red flag and probably can break you in half. I'll take those odds.)

Don't feel sorry abt spaming my DMs,, Idm it at all shsjsj,, I'll actually be able to reply on time,

Also that is true, Zir does look like the type to drink protien powder and does 10 push-ups before calling it a day,,

Also that meme is so accurate.

Ngl for me Zir just gives off the vibes that he'd live off of (or just like) protien powder and creatine (I think he reminds me of my brother to an extent, so that might be another reason),

I have a screenshot where my friend says smthng like "He (Onyx) looks like the type to gym, feel sad, and lay down on a bench" somewhere in my camera roll, but I can't find it-

OMG YEAH !! I think I remember someone recommending Shovelbug to me on my side blog (ever since that day, my life has changed) and i think i was scrolling through one of their fics when I came across one of yours (i think it was the amethio hcs one) .

Tbh, I feel like if you were somehow to get w Onyx, he wouldnt be much of a red flag. Just...expect a few fights every so often here and there. STOP I JUST HAD AN IDEA. It's linked w Onyx training and stuff but like I just have this feeling that if you were to have some rival, Onyx would like slap their face onto a punching bag and beat the shit out of it 😭😭😭He gives off "If my bae's got opps, they're my opps too" sort of man.

STOP OK ANOTHER WEIRD SCENARIO TIME: Ok, in my home country, we mix milo (yes the powder) and rice as a snack (PLEASE DONT JUDGE HELP) and i can just see Zir doing the same thing. Like he mixes protein powder in with rice or steak or even his salad cuz its "eating healthy". Conia and Amethio just look at him weirdly but he doesnt care.

STOP BAHAHAHAH

NO CUZ IMAGINE ONYX MID BENCH PRESS JUST BEING HIT W A MIDLIFE CRISIS AND THEN THE WEIGHT JUST FALLS ON HIM.

Sango finds him laying down on the bench half an hour later cuz she was looking for him to open up a pickle jar or smth, and even through her screams, HE DOESNT HEAR HER.

Speaking of Onyx, I have this little theory for him:

He seems to be walking with an arched back and I feel like thats part of his character in a way. Like you said, he's the tallest Explorers member and his build is quite strong so I think that he suffered a similar fate to Grusha. (being injured from sport and being put into hospital for some time) But unlike Grusha, he never got the mental and physical therapy so instead, he turned to other means of getting better and thats how he joined the Explorers. One of Hambers grunts or Hamber (or even Gibeon himself) promised Onyx that he would regain his strength overtime if he helped them. Another thing that you said was that he seems like the type of guy to have a dislike for protein powder and stuff like that and it gave me another theory, the reason why he doesnt like it is because he ended up using some form of drug thats similar to try and get himself back to his original health.

I COULD BE READING TOO MUCH INTO THIS BUT ITS JUST INTERESTING