#i don't LIKE immunology i don't KNOW enough about it but i do know enough biology to know that NO ONE ON THIS SITE

[mixelation]

are y'all going to make me start actively following covid research to combat the wild bullshit y'all keep putting on my dash

[sirfrogsworth]

I was trying to do a little research on the view that the USSR, Cuba, and Venezuela are actually examples of state capitalism rather than valid attempts at socialism or communism.

Or that over time as corruption got worse they evolved into state capitalism.

Like, did the Russian oligarchy just magically appear when the Soviet Union fell? Or maybe there was an elite class of capitalists amassing wealth and ruling things the entire time.

But I honestly feel I don't have enough knowledge and understanding to form a strong opinion. I just don't have the energy to read every writing of Karl Marx and analyze all the details. I can handle a few YouTube videos that heavily compress the important bits.

So when I tried to understand this state capitalism thing and seek out a consensus among people who seem to know their shit, I found myself reading online debates on the topic. And in every debate I felt like both sides seemed correct.

So that was unhelpful.

I'm used to American-style debates where one side says "the jab" and "face diaper" and the other says "immunologically speaking..." It's so easy to figure out which side has the proper expertise when the blithering idiots stick out like a sore thumb.

Then I made the mistake of looking for opinions on Reddit in the socialism and communism subreddits. No one there seems to agree on *anything.* They constantly bicker about every detail of any discussion and they all think they are the smartest person in the room. The pretentious behavior is just off the charts. The next time someone accuses me of acting like a know-it-all I am going to send them there. They'll be like, "Eh, you're not so bad actually."

It's really difficult to use their expertise to form an opinion since it seems like there is no consensus on any topic. Maybe I just found particularly divisive posts. I dunno.

But I saw one person say "If you're a Trotskyist then your opinion is automatically discarded."

I guess that was a sick burn. I really couldn't tell.

But now I know not to trust a Trotsky. I think.

[kirby-the-gorb]

reply roundup!

I've done basically nothing but lay down and be exhausted since kirb2k over 2 months ago, but I did at least get the kirbox orders fulfilled. I have an immunology appointment in another 2 1/2 months and maybe they might do something to help me feel better. (it's a bad time. I know it seems to be most of what I talk about, but it is kind of all-consuming. even this roundup wore me out.)

also there are sometimes comments that make me smile but I don't have anything to add to them so I just read them and smile and don't put them in the roundups, but I promise I do see them all, like the many yeehaws (and yes haws and heehaws) for [cowboy kirb] <3

on [the last roundup] @hive-heart said: Hope things get better, kirby guy 💕 thanks for the reply :) also yeah! Sitting by the window during a storm is quite nice

they haven't lol, but thank you!

on [kirb2k] @ceylonsilvergirl said: HAPPY Y2K EVERYBODY!! I am joke, but it did give me serious “turn of the century’’ vibes. oof… that sentence hit me like I drank out of the wrong grail

that was intentional, that's also why we started with the macarena in the 1990s :>

on [errands] @crypptiid said: ME! MY ROLLATOR IS BLUE AND EVERUTHING @sunflowerinthemidst said: oh look it's me only my walker is hot pink 1😅😂

nice! I should really repaint mine if I'm ever feeling well enough lol

on [the last roundup] @gudetamalover said: :O!!! I’ve been noticed! My surgery went very well btw, thank you! [details removed for privacy.] I love your art so much btw, it brings me and my mom so much joy! I love this little pink dude, he’s got a permanent place in my heart ❤️ 

man that sounds rough, good thing it got ironed out quickly! and I'm glad it brings you both joy <3

on [errands] @pilcherthegreat said: oooo might add this one to my Kirby brigade tattoo 👀

oh hell yeah that sounds so cool! (for anyone else wondering, tattoos on your own body count as personal use and are totally fine by me!)

on [screaming] @persimmonlions said: i always forget how much i do not like the chaotic cacophony of a crowd until i am in a mall, like ‘oh yeah i DO get overstimulated no wonder i constantly skipped classes when i was 10’. anyway i got back home at 3 and proceeded to sleep for 6 hours

ugh omg yeah especially when you actually reblogged this 2 months ago and there were still holiday crowds and all the extra decor and stuff, the mall can be So Much.

on [macarena] @unconventionalvoidaxolotls said: holy heck, go kirby go! oh yeah this is a great first post. beautiful

ehehehe it's an honor :3

on [plushies] @the-void-is-a-disappointment said: finally getting around to reblogging this but thank you bunches for the commission!he looks so comfy and cozy i love it, he deserves this

he does! he does deserve to be so cozy and cute! (and thank you again for the support!)

on [bloodstream] @lord-chiopet said: Kirby in my blood could fix me

well he certainly wouldn't make me worse lol (fun fact: you kind of already have a bunch of kirb-likes in your blood! macrophages are a type of white blood cell that engulf and isolate or destroy foreign matter like splinters, viruses, and even tattoo ink! they're basically eating anything that tries to get into your blood that's not supposed to be there -u- )

on [fire] @jupiterlandings said: kirby I am hurrying to you with blankets and a tent and a warm meal, we may be in the wilderness kirby but we can still look at the stars even when the night is cold. and even if we can’t see them they’re still there and they’ll send the sun to look after us tomorrow. it’ll be ok kirby we’ll be ok

waah this is just such a sweet thought ;n; thank you for sharing it.

on [frown] @shapeshifterwithafez said: get well soon OP :c <3 this kirby nevertheless brings joy to my dashboard thank you!

I will not but thank you! I'm glad he brings joy regardless :)

on [worm] @thecosmickitty said: Hey fam just wanna say i love your art. Thank you for sharing (:

aww thanks!

on [mcas] @untoldsoup said: Im sorry about the health issues 😞 hope you get the treatment your looking for

I appreciate it <3 it's still gonna take a while one way or the other, but hopefully eventually someone will do something.

on [float (up)] @ceylonsilvergirl [added] a ufo to abduct him, then on [rainbow] they [added] an alien kirb to greet him, and on [freckles] they [added] the view out the ufo window :) this little saga was very cute and did cheer me up a bit, thank you <3

on [float (down)] @angst-and-fajitas said: Ah he's floatin away

the kirb's not made for helium balloons! (a reference to [this vine], and good news this upload is actually from the person that made it!)

on [sacrifice] @joekingv1 said: *sits next to baby and waits to see what happens*

I really wanna draw a short comic for this but it seems like I'm not gonna feel up to it anytime soon -n-

on [stars] @gidkog said: *GASP* at world’s ass…

oh no you're right :x that was not on purpose lol

on [earring] @roboticutie said: yay!!!! he's here again today :D thank you!!!

your enthusiasm is sweet! he will be here every day! :)

on [sora] @ducksandlemonsandbigoldfish said: Kiev Kernel Kirby I hate autocorrect

this made me laugh lol

on [sora] @canvascoloredin said: congratulations! I've played all the kingdom hearts games (except Melody of Memories, Sorry Kairi), and started when I was around six but haven't had the time to buy a console I can play 3 on. Have fun for me!

I haven't played melody of memories yet either, the rhythm for all the rhythm minigames was always so janky that I'm kind of worried about how it might play tbh. but I am having lots of fun, I'm sure it's enough for both of us!

on [tattoos] @theraphos said: high five kirby i just recently resolved to finally get myself a tattoo this year also

nice! I hope it goes well :)

@turpial-thoughts asked: hi

hello!

on [worry] @graycoin said: I hope the wait is worth it.

yeah me too :s (thanks. and for all your other sympathetic comments whenever I complain about it as well <3 )

on [float (side)] @joekingv1 said: *asks baby what they think about when they go floating*

probably very little I imagine. even less than usual lol

on [bread] @joekingv1 said: *asks baby what they got while secretly hiding some extra treats for baby, Bear and Cake*

this one is just very cute, I had to read it aloud to my partner when I saw it.

on [sea] @graycoin said: This gets across the vibe very well. I get why you'd feel that way, I think. It's understandable. I'm glad people are trying. You deserve it.

thanks. I've always had a hard time conveying like, internal stuff for some reason, so it's nice when it seems to make sense to someone else.

on [sea] @ceylonsilvergirl said: Kirbo is in the storm, tossed by the waves, threatened by lightning at any moment in the dark. not even the stars to shine through the clouds. but he’s still floating, and that has to count for something

surely it must count for something TnT <3

[tiktaalic]

I hope these questions don't annoy you, but whats it like working in a lab?

I'm considering the same career path cause I really like my lab classes so far

Not annoying! from what ive seen there are 3 or so types of labs, which are labs in the hospital, which are obviously a faster pace (did half of my preceptorship in one), reference labs, which get a fairly high volume since they're doing testing everybody's sending out for (did other half of my preceptorship in one), and privately owned labs which pick up samples from clinics urgent cares nursing homes etc (both of my jobs have been with private labs).

I like it! It's very routine. I have my set of tasks i do when i clock in and my set of tasks i do at the end of the night and in between I'm just sticking samples on the machines and releasing results. and there is imo enough variation to it to keep it interesting - troubleshooting failed qc, or double checking criticals, or having to do manual difs. if you're liking undergrad lab work I'm assuming you're doing stuff like pcr and gels and micro plates? which is a lot of what molecular departments do in a lab besides micro which is micro. I currently work in the core portion of a lab, which is hematology, coagulation, urinalysis, and chemistry. You really only break out the microscope for urinalysis and hem. we have a micro department that handles all the cultures, and a molecular department that does molecular testing. lots of labs have small micro factions and do lots of micro send out instead. the last lab i worked at did that. the hospital i did my preceptorship at would do plating, but then send all the plates out to be read and send out all the blood culture tubes to be cultured elsewhere. the lab I'm currently at does most cultures in house.

re: education to work in a lab you have to be ASCP certified. After I got my biology degree, I enrolled in texas tech's CLS certification program, which was 3 semesters of classes (preceptorships were the majority of the coursework the last semester). I didn't mind doing it because I was a fresh graduate and I didn't want to Career Hunt or go to grad school. so 3 sems to get a guaranteed job sounded great to me. Since I had my bio degree, I had most of the baseline credits out of the way. chem biochem ochem cell bio genetics etc etc. And the 3 sems I did were lab specific courses like blood banking, clinical chemistry, molecular methods, immunology, phlebotomy, lab management, clinical micro and hematology. there are tons of post bachelor's cls programs, and tons of them are delivered online so that you can chip away at it part time while working.

A nice thing about it is that you can get work literally anywhere. I moved to a town with a population of 90k. Applied for 3 jobs as a brand new graduate. and got 3 offer letters. the payscale's pretty variable, depending on where you are, but it is nice to know that i'm certified in like. 47 states and could get some sort of job in any of them no problem. i think once you've been certified a year you can get cali state certification, which is the route a lot of people go since cali is on the high end of the pay scale. it'll depend on what the lab you're at is like, obviously, but it is pretty difficult to get day shift positions since what a lot of places do is open internal applications for any night/evening shift people who want to move up. I work an evening shift of 2pm to 11pm and i really like it. A very common complaint i see is that there's no like... career ladder. if you're a bench tech. you're a bench tech. which sometimes gets parlayed into section leader, or section manager, but that's a years of experience thing.

My plan is to work in the same place for a couple of years so I feel more experienced, and then to take a few travel contracts which are shorter term higher pay. again, they're available pretty much anywhere, but sometimes the tradeoff is lower compensation or a worse shift or being in the middle of nowhere america. but i think it'll be fun to get paid to bop around the country for awhile. I like my job and I like that it's very secure, but I do plan to go back to school for Something Else at some point and probably shift careers. My review: good thing to do in your twenties! good thing to have under your belt in general. very dependable.

if you have other questions in general or about anything I said you can 100% msg me! Ik I had a lot of trouble finding info when I was looking into this as an undergrad

[picnokinesis]

What LGBTQ topics are you not confident enough to write about? Or that you have no interest to write about?

Hmmmmmmmmm I mean, nothing really comes to mind? I think my interest hinges more on the characters than anything else, and thus my interpretation of the characters influences the kind of queer topics I tap into. I tend to skew towards asexual/aromantic themes as a rule simply because I'm aroace, sex-repulsed, and very tired of everything being about romance sksksk - but that doesn't mean I don't like writing about romance! I've definitely done that, and enjoyed it. Again, it kind of comes back to the characters - for example, I have very limited interest in writing the thirteenth doctor as a lesbian, simply because my read on her as being aro/acespec and genderqueer/agender is so important and personal to me - but that doesn't mean I don't have any interest in writing about lesbian characters. Case in point - at least two of the characters in the screenplay I'm writing at the moment are lesbians (there may be a third but she's not telling me if she's bi or gay, and tbh that's valid of her). I guess, regarding confidence, I would feel less confident writing about queer topics outside my own personal experience, simply because it's outside my personal experience - but that's a fixable issue, right? See: I didn't feel confident writing about transfemme characters, but then I wrote a human au fic where the doctor was transfemme, did a lot of reading around about it, and now I feel confident enough to have one of the lead characters in the aforementioned screenplay be a trans woman! And like, obviously I can infer a lot from my own trans experiences, so maybe that's a bad example - but you get me. I see it similar to writing about, say, a profession I don't know about. I approached writing thirteen as a trans woman in a similar way to how I approached her being a virologist skksksks and I knew NOTHING about virology and immunology. Now I know a lot!

I think the only topic I can think of that I wouldn't want to dip into really is stuff to do with queer sex, but that's because I cannot write about anything sexual. There's actually a story idea I had focusing on aspec characters, with a lead character who was fraysexual, and another who was demi - and I would love to write that but the plot is like, inherently built around sexual attraction and stuff like that SKKSKS and alas!! I would have a terrible time. It's actually a problem I have with finding asexual media in general - because so often asexuality is talked about in the context of sexuality (obviously), but then it means you get shows that are focused on allosexual characters and their allosexuality, with the ace character there in contrast - a good example of this would be s2 of Sex Education, I think? I've not watched it for obvious reasons SKSKSK but like I think that show sounds amazing and wonderful and I'm so glad it exists, AND that it includes ace rep!! But I can't watch it SKSKSKSKS RIP ME. Which is why I enjoyed Koisenu Futari SO SO MUCH because it was focused completely on asexuality and aromanticism (as well as like, showing experiences and emotions I'd felt in a show that I'd literally NEVER SEEN BEFORE and it was like, a gut punch. And also it was hilarious. Truly an aromantic comedy). ANYWAY. Hope that answers your question!

[cesium-sheep]

well they're not stupid, I'll give them that.

just finished another appt with the pcp, I'm clearly even more run down than I was and having more trouble controlling my emotions and keeping my train of thought. (I was also having trouble hearing but that was probably a technical issue.) they asked again if I wanted a referral for therapy or anything and I said I don't have the energy to train another therapist and they were like "well you don't have to see one of the interns :(" so I had to explain that a bit. and I did tell them directly that they always approach these suggestions very well, it's never "maybe you just need therapy" and always "I know this is a really hard situation and I want you to have all the resources you need". I want to encourage that behavior, even if it's still useless for me due to really weird specific circumstances.

they also asked what we should do if this immunologist is also a bust, like should we look at treating the pots instead? so I had to be like, no, that won't actually help, we've been treating the pots this whole time and it's very secondary. (also I'm pretty sure I've already trialed basically everything there is for pots.) and I know I'm not being very patient with them anymore because I physically can't be patient with anyone anymore but they thanked me for hearing out their anxieties anyway. and they were right to be pragmatic about it, to have a next step lined up if this one also goes nowhere. it's just that unfortunately the next step is "keep slamming myself against the doors until someone takes pity". they also said the only meds left on the list of mcas treatments that I'm not already on are the ones they're too scared to prescribe, which at least they admit it.

they're approaching this very practically even though they're in over their head. and I do appreciate that. but also shit fuckin sucks dude. at the very end they were like "hey we're just gonna have to be optimistic!" and it's like. yeah, sure. you be optimistic for the both of us, alright? cuz I can't anymore. I genuinely can't anymore. I've been bested. I didn't say any of that though.

god I can't fucking imagine trying to deal with a fucking therapist right now, having to hold their babyshit little hand through concepts like "sometimes hopelessness is a pragmatic, reasoned, and situational decision rather than a cognitive distortion" and "grounding myself in my rotting fucking body is only going to make things worse" and "actually no there is legitimately nothing I can do about this". with their big stupid doe eyes like "this wasn't in my little workbook???" or "wow sounds crazy lmao couldn't be me".

and now I just lay on the floor until may, barring disaster. (my next pcp appt won't be until after the immunology appt because there's no point.) or well I guess I do have an mri in a couple weeks. yeehaw. I guess there might be an appointment about that if the results are drastic enough. honestly it feels like a fucking waste of time but I should do it anyway, because severe immune dysfunction can cause brain damage and it's better to keep an eye on it.

[chemblrish]

hi i dont think you'll read this and answer cause i didnt saw any answers on asks but i really want to ask something to you, also sorry here is may be mistakes english is not my first language, and for very long ask lol

my dream is to be a chemist, when i was a child i was really surprised and excited when i discovered that my dad was working in lab with oil, he is a chemist too. I thought as a joke that i want to follow his steps and be a chemist too. But i grew up, so this is not joke anymore. I hope my father will proud of me :D i love chemistry SO MUCH

What i wanted to ask,

1. i have really bad phobia of planets, galaxy, etc. astrophobia in short. Was you learning about astronomy in lessons? Is there any photos of planets?

2. Who are you studying? Just curious :]

3. Do you need to know biology and physics good?, i am not lover of these sciences, i can be tho

4. Is it hard? Want to connect profession with pharmaceutica(idk how to spell), i heard pharma is hardcore

Hi there! No worries, I answer everything that shows up in my inbox + English isn't my first language either :)

It's great that your dad is a chemist, it seems you're going to get lots of support, so that's definitely something to cherish and appreciate! I'm sure he'll be proud of you. Whenever somebody pops up in my notifications saying they want to study chemistry too, I get very happy, and I'm not even a mom, so I can only imagine how excited scientist parents get when their children want to pursue science too haha.

I didn't study any astronomy at all! I did have to pass a physics course but there was zero astronomy there, save for a picture of Earth during a lecture on gravity.

I'm afraid I don't understand this one, sorry! :(

Biology - no, given that you pick "pure" chemistry. I think it's a common misconception that biology and chemistry are very similar but that's not entirely true. Biologists do need to know some chemistry, chemists don't necessarily need biology. You say you're interested in pharmacy though, so something like medicinal chemistry or biochemistry might be a better choice for you. In that case - yes, there will be quite a lot of biology. I study "just" chemistry, so I can't tell you much about these other majors, but my uni offers a medchem program and I know they have to take courses like general biology, human physiology, microbiology, immunology, molecular biology, cell chemistry, and many more. Physics - well, there is some physics in chemistry (in a way, chemistry is a branch of physics... I think a lot of the time chemistry is just wet physics). Chemists are mostly interested in thermodynamics, some quantum physics and modern physics in general, but some aspects of the other branches pop up here and there occasionally too. Besides, speaking from experience, physics should be learnt in layers: classical mechanics, thermodynamics, electromagnetism, then modern physics. Otherwise, it can get hard to understand everything properly. Don't be intimidated though. I think if you're determined and disciplined enough, you'll be fine. I had very little knowledge in physics before uni, but I worked very hard throughout the semester and got pretty decent grades + I definitely saw a lot of progress in my understanding of the field, so that's totally doable.

"Hard" is highly subjective haha. Personally, I think it all comes down to discipline, commitment, and the right priorities; but here where I live chemistry is famously one of those majors that knock out over half of all the students within the first semester, and I'm really not sure how that happens lol. So far, chemistry has been reasonably hard for me, but with consistency and enthusiasm it has not been overwhelming or extremely difficult to get through. Medchem / pharma are a different story, or so I think. I can't really compare though, because I've never been involved in this sort of thing + honestly... I don't like biology, so I wouldn't be objective anyway ahaha. Any pharmacy students on board? Would you like to share your experience?

[dreaminmetaphors]

Yo Mama So Republican

Oh yeah? Oh yeah? Well yo mama so dumb she wants to fence in all the gay people —so that they’ll stop reproducing! Yo mama so dumb she thinks the Great Wall of China is between us and Mexico. Yo mama So Stupid that after 40yrs of warnings about climate change, when the weather goes wonky, she's like, “Well, maybe it's The Jews? And their space lasers!” Yo mama is so ignorant she thinks talking about racism is “the real racism.”

Yo mama so ugly she does pretzel twists and contortions to avoid saying: “Black Lives Matter.” Yo mama so slutty she doesn't believe in using protection. She let every single variant of covid-19 inside her. Yo mama so lazy she tells everyone the Bible is the literal word of God. Still hasn't read it. Man, when yo mama sits around the house, she sits—in front of the computer thinking she knows more about immunology than people with advanced medical degrees. Yo mama so gullible, you can turn her against anything just by adding an adjective to it: Culture? Cancel culture. Using correct names? Political correctness. She hates them now. Yo mama so gullible she hopes we replace social security with separate, market-vulnerable accounts. You know: anti-social insecurity. Oh, you wanna say something? Nah, yo mama says money is speech, so you and yo mama too broke to talk back. Yo mama so gullible, she still calls herself an evangelical Christian while taking a selfie in front of a golden image of Barabbas, whom she voted for. Yo mama so gullible, she watches Fox News—and thinks it’s news! Or I don't know, maybe it's just because she's so old... Yo mama so ancient, she thinks family values means bludgeoning a gay man to death with rocks, then going to bed alone while her husband impregnates a twelve-year-old. Yeah, she's so conservative, she takes a firm anti-slavery stance, expects us all to be impressed, ...but she's still on the fence about Jim Crow. Yo mama so conservative she gets triggered by the word trigger. ...and still wants more guns out there. Dead kids? Meh, who'd be triggered by that? Yo mama so conservative she hates participation trophies like they tell her to on Fox, —which IS a participation trophy for voicing uninformed opinions “It's okay, Sean. You didn't study the material or learn anything, but you still had something to say. Who's my clever little proud boy?” Yo mama so Republican, she hates Obamacare. So terrible. Not like the Affordable Care Act that saved her waste of a life. (Thanks, Obama.) Yo mama so Republican, any time she has to do something she doesn't want to, it's tyranny. And any time we don't do what she wants, that's also tyranny. If freedom isn't everyone doing what she tells us, then she doesn't know what it is. Yeah, she doesn't know what it is.

See, it all fits together. The lazy ignorance. Intentional gullibility. The ugliness. Yo mama so stupid, she thinks she's brilliant because she doesn't even know enough— about anything—to know how much she still doesn't know, you know? And that's how we got here. Mamas. Some people's mamas so stupid and ugly and mean, it's obvious she taught them everything they don't know.

[imagines-by-a-typical-fangirl]

Good Girl, Bad Boy (Pt. 08 of 15)

Pairing: Billy Hargrove X Reader

Word count: 1.5 K

Summary: You're the extreme opposite of Billy Hargrove. The good girl, with perfect grades, the child every mother wants to have. And you don't want to have nothing to do with his kind. Ignoring Billy – and his constant, lingering stare – became an habit. But after you're put together for a special school program, you'll have no choice but to get along with him. And soon enough you'll find out that Billy is so much more than just Hawkins' bad boy.

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{Stranger Things Masterlist}

{Dacre Montgomery Masterlist}

×

Hearts Wide Open

Silently, you let Billy pull you inside. You can't help but give a quick look around as he closes the door. “Are you busy?” You ask, gesturing at the TV.

“I was going to work out but...” He walks over there and turns it off. “I–” Someone knocks, cutting him off. “Who's this?”

“Delivery for Susan Hargrove.” A male voice says, and Billy rolls his eyes.

“Give me a sec.” He mutters before heading to the door.

Nodding, you pace around the living room. There's a bench press in the middle of it, and the bellbar seems very heavy. Walking further inside, you give a glance at the door. Billy seems to be arguing with the guy, so you decide to explore, walking through a small hall. On the first door, you hear some music, so it's probably Max's room. You go for the next door, slowly opening it.

It doesn't take much time until you notice it's Billy's room. He doesn't seem like he's done arguing, so you walk in. The bed is messed up, and there are movie posters on the wall. Walking around, you notice a couple of pictures on the inside of his wardrobe door, which was left open. In one of them, a blonde woman is looking away, a hand keeping her hair away from her face. In the other, the same woman with a kid next to her, both smiling. It's Billy's mother, that's clear.

“Sneaky,” Billy says, startling you a little.

Stepping away from the wardrobe, you clear your throat. “Sorry, Mmm... She's beautiful.” You mutter, gesturing at the pictures. “And you seemed very happy.”

“I was.”

“Yeah...” Taking a deep breath, you cross your arms. “B, I...”

“I'm sorry, (Y/N).”

Shrugging your shoulders, you walk over to the bed, sitting on the edge, eyes locked on your hands. “Why did you... Why did you disappear like that?” You didn't plan on getting all sentimental, but it's just flowing out. “We were fine... Normal and then... You just left.”

“Stacy pushed you because of me. People are... People are starting to notice we're around each other a lot and they'll start calling you a slut. And... I already screwed up my life, I can't screw up yours.” Billy sits next to you, so you pull a leg up, folding it under you and turning your body towards him.

“First of all, I need to know if what you said at the mall still stands. Or else I'll sound like an idiot.” Keeping your voice low, you try not to sound too nervous.

“Every single word. That's why I decided to step away.”

Nodding, mostly to yourself, you sigh. “I... I was trying, you know? Trying to see if we would work out somehow.” You didn't want to admit it, but here you are. And if you don't speak your heart now, you never will. “We're extreme opposites but I do enjoy spending time with you. And the friendship we're creating is good so when you left, when you disappeared, skipped school... It upset me.” Looking down, you see his hand on the mattress. Shyly, and very slowly, you take it, your fingers caressing his. “If you're tired of me, of... Waiting to see how things play out, it's alright. But please, go back to school. Keep studying because I'll help you no matter what. Just... Just don't do this.”

Billy takes a deep breath before taking your hand in his and moving closer. “I disappeared because you're the only person whose life I can't ruin. I can't be the reason why you get hurt, or called mean names, or–”

“I don't care about what people think or say, Billy. I only care about what's real. What's happening here and...” Shrugging your shoulders, you pull his hand up with yours, just to make your point clear. “It's freaking good so far. At least to me.”

“A girl like you should stay away from guys like me.”

“I know.” Nodding, you bite your lip. “My mother and I spoke about it. About you. So did Nancy, and Steve... They warned me not to fall for your games.”

“There are no games, not with you.” The honesty hits you a different way, and you can't help but smile.

You're aware of what people say, and you know the things Billy did. But you can see the difference now. Billy never tried anything. No flirting, no cheesy pick-up lines, not calling you to a ‘more quiet place’. Nothing. He's being... A completely different person. He treats you nicely, a freaking gentleman, something you never expected of him. Mostly not after the way he approached you last year, all charming and wicked smiles. This is different. This is real.

“Billy... I called before coming and your sister answered the phone.” You start, wondering if you should really ask what you're about to ask. But still, you need to. You need to know if you can allow certain feelings to emerge. “She said something about a keychain and... She said that... That she thinks you're in love with me.” The last part is barely a whisper, and you wonder if he even heard you.

Billy doesn't answer, he just stands up, walking away.

“B, I'm–”

“It fell from your bag last year.” He says, and you turn around on the bed, finding him next to the nightstand, a metal daisy flower in his hand. “I was going to give it back but it was broken so... I don't know. I wanted to just throw it away but I ended up keeping it.”

“Why, B?”

“Because it reminded me of you.” Stretching out his arm, he passes it over to you. You remember it now, taking the cold metal in your hands. “I thought it was everything I would ever have. A broken keychain and those moments that I got to look at you from afar.”

After a while, you give it back to him. It takes a few seconds before he takes it, sighing. “I always noticed you staring. I just never knew why.”

“I may be.”

Furrowing your eyebrows, you tilt your head to the side a little. “I don't get it.”

“I may be in love with you.” His voice is heavy, and you can see in his eyes that he feels vulnerable. Billy Hargrove admitting he's in love with a girl? This might be hard for him.

“I like you, B. So... Don't decide things for me.” Getting up from the bed, you walk over where he stands. “I don't care about mean names, or stupid girls pushing me. I can deal with that. And you can't ruin my life, I'm the only one who can do that.” Taking his hand, you look up into his eyes. “And I don't think you ruined yours. You can still fix things. You are fixing things.”

“With your help.”

“With my help.” You agree with a smile. “So what do you say? Can we please go back to normal, you and I?”

Billy's lips break into a smile, and he nods. “Is that what you want? To be seen with the bad boy? You, princess of Hawkins.”

“That's Nancy's nickname.” Stepping backward, you smirk at him.

“Oh, yeah. Yours is ‘pretty girl’.” He quickly ends the distance between you two, towering over you.

“Stacy wouldn't agree.”

“Stacy is jealous.” Billy lightly touches your cheek, so softly you barely feel his fingers, like a ghost. “I'll say it a million times over, you're the prettiest girl I've ever seen.”

“Am I?” You shyly ask, eyes focused on his. Billy was never this close, and it makes your stomach burn.

“You are.” Suddenly, he steps away, walking around you, straight to the door. “Your tits are fine by the way.” He says from the hall, when he's already out.

Your whole face burns, and you storm after him. “First of all, don't use that word.” You yell, walking fast to the living room. Billy is by the bench press, ready to lift the bellbar. “Second, drop that. We're going to study until you pass out.”

“What?”

“I'm not asking.” Raising an eyebrow, you put both hands on your hips. “C'mon, Hargrove.”

It takes a while until he drops the bar, eyes rolling before he follows you.

The drive to your place is on separate cars. You'd stay at his house, but you were quick to get that his father is a problem, so it's just easier to do it at your place.

When you get there, you make a show opening the front door, gesturing for him to get inside.

“Mom, I got Billy back!” You shout.

“Good to know you're better from that cold, Billy.” She says from upstairs.

“A cold?”

“Yeah. It was that or tell Mrs. Martinez you were skipping class.” Shrugging your shoulders, you go to the dining room, settling down in your usual place. “So we're ok now? Friends again?”

“Friends again.” He agrees, searching for your hand under the table and grabbing it, thumb caressing the back of your hand. “As long as you want me around.”

Smiling, you nod. “As long as I want you around.” You snap back with a sassy tone. “Now, immunology.”

“Immunology it is.”

×

@multific @clockworkballerina @tina1938 @graciehams @moatsnow @all-the-stars-on-your-skin @captain039 @rebelemilu @theodore-likes-frogs @prettyinpunk85 @taisab02 @pascal-rascal424 @aleksanderblack

[fanfeline]

You really like frogs don't you! You seem obsessed!! But i can understand

I do love frogs! ever since I was little and would study them

now I do less studying, as my focus is on human immunology, but I still read papers and look at the global frog population. they are environmental indicators, after all, and with the current trends in climate I am concerned for them.

they’re an incredibly important part of their ecosystems as well, and there’s currently a pandemic of chytrid fungus that’s killing alarming numbers of frogs. unfortunately I don’t know enough about frog biochemistry to help :(

anyways I love frogs, they’re lil bouncy angels with pretty eyes and they make cute noises, support your local frog population, don’t release pet frogs into the wild and don’t actually kiss your frog

there was a bunch of cases in children of a rare ?fungal disease and the CDC investigated and found out they had contracted it by kissing frogs

anyways

ribbit

:)

[butjustwhatif]

I posted 3,267 times in 2021

9 posts created (0%)

3258 posts reblogged (100%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 362.0 posts.

I added 13 tags in 2021

#long post - 3 posts

#poe's law - 2 posts

#this is the best - 1 posts

#i hope this is what's going on with me at work - 1 posts

#see your problem is it's plastic - 1 posts

#the one my parents have is entirely metal coated in rubber - 1 posts

#my uncle once tried to prove it was useless by bashing it against a rock - 1 posts

#and sprained his wrist instead - 1 posts

#it's heavier than the cannonball my dad somehow acquired to bust out the car window in case of an emergency - 1 posts

#i've seen people try to control discords like forums - 1 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#i'll stop wearing my mask in public when the numbers at the hospital i work at are under control enough that i stop getting covid surge pay

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

Me writing a history paper : Fuck, I don't know, stuff happened? *barely scrapes by the minimum word count *

Me writing a paper for Immunology: Well, time to trim this puppy down by about 1,000 words.

1 notes • Posted 2021-02-21 21:13:24 GMT

#4

So, I was offered the position at the lab I really wanted but I sold out. 😔 The lab I was doing a clinical rotation for heard about their offer through the grapevine and said they’d give me $2/hr more base pay and $3/hr differential for nights and weekends which will be just about the only shifts available to me as a new hire so an extra $5/hr plus paying for my bachelors if I want it. I thought a pay difference wouldn’t be that big a deal but when I was told I'd make more at a corporate lab I thought maybe like 50 cents an hour, not $800 a month straight out of a 2 year degree. 😂

2 notes • Posted 2021-02-06 01:01:00 GMT

#3

How often is too often to call back someplace that went through the trouble of tracking you down specifically through your school/program advisor for a job offer? How about when the person you need to get in contact with is an elderly gentleman with memory problems whose voicemail message is ‘How can I help you... uhh leave a message... uhh... lab director”

I really want this job, it pays less than the other labs in the area but said elderly gentleman is the sweetest lab director I’ve ever met, he’s the only one I’ve seen come out of his office and work the bench when his techs get overwhelmed, he’s worked all over the world and has so much amazing experience, the lab not only does patient testing but also testing for research, it’s a non profit, and I just really want this specific lab.

2 notes • Posted 2021-01-18 19:24:58 GMT

#2

I'm supposed to be teaching a mini class for phlebotomy but not even one of the 6 students showed up so I'm considering pushing the draw station chairs together and taking a paid nap since I'm supposed to stay till 5 any way lol

4 notes • Posted 2021-02-26 21:21:14 GMT

#1

Dont quite know what to do with myself. Divorce is final, best friend of a decade has a flight moving out of the country today, and my entire family is 9 half the country away. I'm on my own for the first time in my life. 😔

5 notes • Posted 2021-01-20 11:54:01 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

[bigfootsgf]

also I have to do my 45 minute research proposal presentation next week (followed by the whole faculty & all my peers ripping me a new one to improve my experimental design for another 45 minutes) and so far in my grad sküle studies I have been coasting bc what I am researching encompasses a bunch of scattered subfields (glycobiology, microbiology, immunology, plants/agriculture, bioinformatics/genomics, biochemistry, orgo, all combined 2gether for an ultimate biotechnology purpose) and nobody is confident enough in their background knowledge of all of these things to question anything I say, so they're just like "she sounds like she knows what she's talking about & I don't know enough to refute her!" and I just run around UNCHALLENGED but I think next week during my proposal this is going to change and I am not ready? at this point, I am so accustomed to not defending my shit bc nobody knows enough about what I'm doing to question it but next week I'm going to DIE in front of dozens of people, maybe? like today my supervisor was like "take all this stuff out of your proposal document bc we are still going to do it but I feel like they will REALLY pick you apart if you include it now & neither of us have the background at this point to defend against that kind of criticism" because this is a completely new direction for her research too and she knows as much (& sometimes she admits much less) than I know about the whole shindig bc she sequenced a genome last year and found all this cool stuff (my project) but was researching a hormone before for her entire 20 year career, so every time we get stuck she's just like "let's COLLABORATE with people who know about this!" but I am left with a really general & approximate knowledge of all the 5 subfields I am supposed to know a lot about. like I love my research and I love genetic engineering but I sometimes lay in bed at night and think "what if I just studied one thing like a typical grad student is supposed to & didn't run around trying to make my life as difficult as possible?"