#i think that experience has inspired me to want to be a medical professional

[uncanny-tranny]

I've been thinking about compiling a list of flags that I have experienced in therapy and the broader mental health field, and my list of that would be...

Red Flags:

Prioritizes the cessation of behaviours over the mental wellbeing of the person

Doesn't listen to patient feedback or relies solely on their expertise and how a patient "should" respond

Talks about other patients in a derogatory manner - even if the patient is not named nor identifying information about them is revealed

(Specific to minors) Will listen to the legal guardians over the minor, even about subject manner said minor can speak about. The professional placates to the wishes of the parent, even if placation is detrimental to the minor.

Leaves patient uneducated about treatment plan or diagnoses, or waves away explanation to the patient.

Abandons treatment without ensuring patient will be adequately taken care of

These are red flags I have observed or experienced as a patient. Broadly speaking, many indications that an expert is a bad fit is lack of communication and/or lack of listening or compassion toward the patient.

Green flags:

Fully listens to patient, validates concerns, emotions, or fears

Educates patient about any diagnoses when applicable, answers questions honestly and compassionately

Relates to patient in a professional way, doesn't force patient to divulge if they are not able or willing to at the time

Prioritizes harm reduction in tandem with addressing the underlying cause of problematic behaviour

Makes a personalized plan for the patient and regards highly what the patient assesses their needs and/or goals are

Again, I must stress that this advice is not coming from a professional. However, I have had over a decades' worth of experience with a variety of mental health professionals, each with their own red and green flags. Some of these red flags have been detrimental to my mental health and have set me back in terms of healing, which is why I stress the importance of patient advocacy and for patients to trust their institution about new mental health providers.

[lackadaisycats]

I love everything of your work, every page is a piece of art, textures, lights, perspective, characters and the script, with perfect balance of hilarious and engaging lore.... It keeps me inspired everyday and gives me the energies to continue my projects. I can't describe the extreme joy your works gives me and I couldn't be more grateful, because it keeps me dreaming and helped me to understand what I want to do in the near future. Thank you so so much \(^ヮ^)/.

I have one question : Do you have any advices for making comics and put them in the world? For some time I had the urge to share my works, but idk what to do :/.

That's exceedingly kind. I'm touched to hear you've enjoyed my work, and if it helped you to understand what creative things you want to do, well, that makes my heart glad. Thanks for sharing that.

Very wordy response to the making and sharing comics question below....

-----------------------

Making comics is a Whole Big Thing as topics go. It's a little difficult to provide salient advice on something so broad. So much of it depends on what you're specifically trying to achieve, and what your preferences are as an individual. Here are a few bulletpoints, though:

-- Make the comic about things you love unabashedly so that it's fun and engaging to work on. It will still be difficult - it's always difficult - but you're more likely to keep doing the work it if you're in love with it.

-- Don't put off starting until you're 'good enough'. Good Enough is a fantasy place, and Perfect is a big lie. You'll never find either and pursuing them easily turns into eternal procrastination. Get started while the fire is burning, because getting good at something happens while you're actually doing the thing, and less so while you're thinking about maybe doing it. Try to be at peace with the idea that your work will be flawed. All art is. That's what makes it interesting.

-- Try to work with your strengths, not against them. Comic making is already immensely challenging. I'd suggest not making it extra impossible by demanding an entire personality change of yourself in order to do it. For example, if you tend to have intense but short-lived interest in things, don't torture yourself by embarking on a project that is going to take years-long, single-minded devotion. Do an anthology of shorter stories instead of a sprawling epic. Do one-off joke comics, or thoughtful vignettes. Or even break up something longer into short bursts of contained chapters.

-- Don't hurt yourself. Eat right, sleep, get a comfortable chair that's good for your back, get out of that chair and move around at intervals. If something starts aching, stop and rest. If it's aching chronically, see a medical professional. Career ending injuries and health troubles for artists are insidious - they creep up all quiet and mundane while you're busy patting yourself on the back for pulling another all-nighter.

-------------------------

About sharing online - also a tricky topic! The internet has changed a lot since I began Lackadaisy. The advice I could give derived from my personal experiences in publishing and audience building is a relic of a bygone era at this point…but here are some more bulletpoints (er, paragraphs) that I think are generally pertinent:

-- If publishing publicly sounds daunting and a bit scary, dip your toes in the water before plunging in. Do a publishing test run. If there's a Discord community you're comfortable with or a social media platform you use where you can post for mutuals only, maybe try that first. Or just share directly with a handful of people and ask them for feedback. When I'm unsure about something I'm preparing to post, I usually run it by some creator friends of mine because I trust them to be honest with me. Even if they have some criticisms, it's often reassuring that I can proceed to show it to others without dying inside.

-- Places with a big, built in audience can be great for getting eyeballs on your work, but it’s a mixed bag. Webtoon is the obvious example right now. Just be wary of anyone showing a little too much interest, or coming at you with paperwork to sign. Don't rush into putting your name on something that 1) commits you to unreasonable amounts of output for barely livable wages 2) relinquishes your ownership of your IP, or grants anyone any license to your work without clearly defined boundaries (like a limited term and agreement-ending conditions) -- Contract agreements warrant lots of consideration. Involve a lawyer of your own if you can. At the very least, have friends or family read over anything you might sign. And if it sounds too good to be true, it is. Scams are unfortunately abundant, so do your research/due diligence on whoever you're in discussions with.

-- Make yourself easy to find. Use social media to your advantage. Don't feel like you have to be in every single place, though. Some platforms might not be a good fit for your work, and some might be too much of a hassle or a mental drain to do battle with. -- Scrape out your own space online if you're able - a personal web page, a little WordPress/ComicPress site, or even just a link hub so that people can relocate your work if they lose track. The point is to avoid putting your eggs all in single basket that you have no control over. You never know when the social network growth you've been nurturing for the past several years will just succumb to a billionaire rampaging around like a sociopathic kaiju in the midst of the world's most public midlife crisis.

-- Don't worry about being an immediate sensation. Seeing people respond to your work is a wonderful and immensely gratifying feeling at times, but be patient if all hear are crickets chirping for a while. Longform storytelling in particular takes time to catch its momentum, and readers take time to get invested. Meteoric rises and virality do happen now and then, but honestly, slow and steady audience buildup is probably the more sustainable and less psychologically bewildering way to experience the fun of sharing your stuff with the world.

-- Consistently put your identifier (name/watermark, URL, copyright info, or all of these things) on everything you post online.

---------------------- I hope something here is useful, and if you decide to start making and publishing comics, I hope you find much success and happiness in it!

[aro-comics]

Growth (Part 1)

Growth, 1/3 – And … oh my gosh. I can’t believe it took THIS LONG to finish this comic ;A; I feel like I say this every time, but y’all – I STARTED PANELLING THIS ALMOST A WHOLE YEAR AGO. Really. It’s been sitting on my plate for too long, and I’m so glad I can finally share it!

Where do I even begin with my thoughts? For starters, I wanted to say the examples chosen in slide 8 are mainly from larger pieces of media, because they have greater influence on our *general social consciousness*. I don’t necessarily recommend or approve of the source material! I also have more thoughts on these characters, and about amatonormativity in relation to character growth in general, but for the sake of keeping this caption short(er) I will do so on my stories and pin them to my profile for future reference 😂

AUTHOR'S NOTE: For the sake of accessibility (and my own health) I will be making a transcript of the stories in its simplest form, posted here.

If you have any examples you can think of too, please let me know either in the comments or via DM 🐸🐸

I wish I was joking about the events which inspired this comic, but this LITERALLY happened to me, and this wasn’t the only time I experienced some form of amatonormativity or direct arophobia growing up. You may not think things like this are a problem, but this idea of romantic relationships as a crucial part of emotional growth has real world implications. Aros get told that their orientation IS the root of all their problems, or IS THE PROBLEM ITSELF, a lot. And not only is this wrong (and queerphobic), it also causes people to overlook the real issues that we may be struggling with. This can prevent us from getting help we NEED, not to mention the fact that orientation isn’t something that needs to be fixed.

In my personal experience … I don’t want to get into the specifics of the situation described here (Because it genuinely was one of the worst times of my life, and I don’t like thinking about it) – but basically, the help I needed was definitely NOT to get a romantic partner. A lot of my behaviours were very clearly ones that indicated I should have been hospitalized, or at least sent to a highly trained medical professional for intervention. But I never received any care, even though my parents were to some degree aware of what the issue was … and it somewhat appalls me that this family friend would take one look at me and somehow decide the issue was anything less than a serious, medical situation.

I want to emphasize I know none of them did it on purpose, and to be fair, it wasn’t entirely clear what the specific issue was (to the family friend at least). But it does hurt to have so clearly shown signs of crisis, to have done a near 180 in personality and behaviour, and to have it brushed off or implied that this is caused by something fundamental to your orientation. It makes me feel so inherently wrong, and if I’m going to be even more brutally honest I think the amatonormative way I was raised is a big part of the reason why I still struggle with my self esteem as an aro today. Even now, I still get told that maybe my remaining problems and personal struggles will go away if I was willing to give dating a try.

It just makes me so tired.

But, the more I reflect on my orientation and am able to connect with aros and the community as a whole, it has been helping. I don’t think it will go away any time soon, but at least when the feeling (that my orientation is something that’s fundamentally wrong with me) comes up I can tell myself that it just isn’t true. That I know that being aro isn’t a curse, isn’t a flaw, isn’t something that should haunt me for the rest of my life, that it’s something natural and beautiful and that I adore about my community. And I should extend that same care to myself, too. It has been getting easier.

As always, I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences on this topic. Do you feel that others perception of your maturity and growth as a human being is influenced by amatonormativity?

Image Descriptions

Title Card: Cover Image. This Comic series is titled “Growth”. Celia, an east asian girl with wavy chin length hair, is illustrated wearing a cream crop top and yellow pants sitting amongst leaves and yellow flowers on a rocky surface. A watering can sits in the background.

Slide 1: Celia is seen standing from the side, with her arms crossed. She frowns. “When I was going through one of the worst times of my life, a family friend went out of his way to tell my parents that he noticed how unconfident I seemed.”

Slide 2: Scene turns to a memory, depicted as a sketch. The family friend is shown talking to Celia’s parents. “He told them not to worry though, because there was an easy solution. I just needed to find the right person, and start dating them.”

Slide 3: A speech bubble from the family friend illustrates this analogy. On the left is a flower pot with no plant, and a sad face above it. On the right is a blooming flower with hearts around it.

Celia’s note: I wish I was making this up. Blossom was LITERALLY the analogy used here

Slide 4: Back to Celia, who is speaking to the reader now: “It really, really hurt. I knew the reason why I wasn’t the best version of myself wasn’t because I hadn’t found love.”

Slide 5: She stares down at a yellow flower as she continues, “But unfortunately, I think thoughts, and unwarranted comments like these, stem from a deeper amatonormative view of the subject of growth”

Slide 6: “Countless stories which show the hero’s growth as pinned to their romantic arc.” Illustrated beneath is a stereotypical hero kneeling on the ground in front of his love interest. He holds a yellow flower as he says “I couldn’t have become the person I am today without you, your love showed me what’s worth trying for”.

Slide 7: “And on the more toxic side of things, those without romantic love or those who reject it end up as decrepit, cold, emotionally stunted, or sad.”

A few characters from popular, influential, or otherwise notable television shows are depicted here: Cruella de Vil from 101 Dalmations, Queen Chrysalis from My Little Pony (Generation 4), Dr. Berkowitz from One Day at a Time, Alan Harper from Two and a Half Men, and Rajesh Koothrappali from The Big Bang Theory. A note indicates to the reader to check the description.

As a disclaimer: The inclusion of these characters do not indicate the author’s recommendation or approval of the original source material – they are only meant to serve as examples of the point to be made.

Slide 8: Scene switches to Celia now watering a collection of ferns, mugworts, and other leafy plants in a greenhouse. She says “As an aro person, it’s tiring to hear the more toxic side of this narrative again and again. It feels like we’re being told we won’t grow, like others can.”

[mostlymaudlin]

An Attempted Explanation of Andrew’s “Manic Pills”

One of the things that bothers me about AFTG is Andrew’s medicine. The way most of the characters talk about court-mandated psychiatry and sobriety and mania is a questionable and often harmful representation of what it’s like to experience mania/hypomania — which like, it’s fiction, that’s fine, but it’s also something that I take a lil personally. So I’ve decided to try to legitimize the whole thing for myself, just because I can!

Necessary to note: I’m not a medical professional, a lawyer, etc. I’m usually a pretty good fact-checker, but I could definitely be wrong abt stuff, and I’d love for you to tell me if I am. I ran a lot of this by the lovely @the-greater-grief, who does have a medical background and also inspired me with this analysis they did on Andrew’s mental health. They were really helpful in explaining a lot of the more technical drug information, so they’re largely responsible for most of the theory that makes sense lol. But, they are also not responsible for me saying things that are wrong, lol! Alsooooo, I’ve been in the fandom for less than a year so it’s possible I’m saying stuff people have said before. Idc. I’m having fun reinventing the wheel lmfao. Okay, onwards!

The post has two parts: 

Lovingly dismantling a lot of the bullshit Neil tells us in the books

Setting up a more realistic version of Andrew’s mental health situation

Apologies in advance, this got long-winded. Let’s do this! 

Dismissing Neil’s framing

AFTG is told from Neil’s perspective, so we as readers are limited to the things he knows and understands. We know that Neil is often unreliable, and as perceptive as he can be, he makes a lot of questionable assumptions that he internalizes as fact. 

This is what he tells us, rather crudely: 

Andrew tried to kill some guys, because he might be a psychopath/sociopath.

Rather than being sent to prison, he was court-mandated to take drugs that make him “manic”/less likely to kill other people. 

The manic pills make him crazy and also make him sick, to the point where the characters refer to him as “sober” when he is unmedicated.

The withdrawal is severe enough that his psych wants him to be hospitalized to come off them. 

We learn all this about Andrew’s treatment from three sources: Information Neil read before he even joined the Foxes, Nicky’s exposition dumps, and Andrew’s actual behavior. The bullshit mostly comes from the first two items on this list, because Andrew never cares to explain much of his situation to Neil. And we can actually brush all of it off pretty easily. 

Neil builds most of his perception of Andrew’s treatment on top of information from articles he read about Kevin’s transfer to Palmetto State. These articles were unkind — the Exy world was upset that Kevin was leaving the Ravens, and Andrew was painted in a cruel and probably inaccurate way. Neil mentions an article headlined “The Prince & the Pauper”... I personally would not take anything from that article seriously.

Some of this bullshit is corroborated by Nicky, a 20-something year old jock majoring in marketing. When Andrew was sentenced, we can guess that Nicky (still basically a teenager himself) was very scared that his cousin, who he is responsible for, was going to get sent to prison. Based on the way he talks about mental health in general, I wouldn’t consider him to be an expert on the nitty-gritty of psychiatry. He just saw the outcome of the trial, which was not prison, yay! and instead involved some kind of pills that made Andrew way more social. Also, as much as I think Nicky tries, he doesn’t really get Andrew — he thought Andrew was straight, and then he thought he was hate-fucking Neil. He’s not a reliable source when it comes to judging how Andrew’s brain works/how he is affected by his treatment. 

This leaves Andrew’s behavior, because he never talks about his mental health except to say that he’s “crazy” and that he is not a sociopath. When he’s on the medicine, his behavior includes an elevated mood, a short attention span, and trouble curbing his impulses. When he doesn’t take his medicine on time, he experiences withdrawal (nausea, fatigue, etc), and feeling ill seems to curb some of his mood elevation enough to let him think with more clarity. When he’s off it, he is able to shut down his emotional reactions to things, though he still exhibits flashes of the rage, depression, and zingy one-liners from his behavior in the first two books.

Also, the only people who actually seem to understand Andrew’s mental health treatment are Andrew himself, Bee, and probably Wymack. Aaron might also have a better handle on it all because he’s pre-med, and also he understands Andrew enough to clock that he is gaga for Neil lol. 

Okay. Bullshit? Gone. 

A proposed alternate story

Once upon a time, some homophobes started beating up Andrew’s cousin and the only legal guardian that didn’t treat him like utter shit, so he went feral on them. 

He gets arrested, and somewhere along the line the courts determine that his violence stems from mental illness. Rather than being sentenced to prison, he gets some kind of probation that mandates he engage in mental health treatment. The psychiatrist he sees at the time determines that he has depression — which, like, they’ve definitely seen his self-harm scars, so this is a fair assumption — and he is prescribed an antidepressant. 

Now’s a good time to mention that no one would ever intentionally prescribe something to induce mania in a patient. Mania is a supremely dangerous state. People get hospitalized to get out of a manic episode. Whenever I even inch toward it, my therapist and psych are like, “CALL ME!!!!” It also would do nothing to curb violence — the opposite, actually, if the manic person often has a hard time holding themselves back from hurting themselves and others. If you look at Andrew’s behavior in the first two books, I don’t think it would even qualify as full-blown mania. He sleeps, he fulfills his responsibilities, he doesn’t seem to have any delusions of grandeur. His symptoms align better with hypomania, which is less severe and accounts for the things we noted before (mood elevation, short attention span, irritability, impulsiveness). I also think a lot of the stuff Andrew does that is attributed to his medicine is probably just Andrew being Andrew — because as Aaron once said, “it wasn’t the drugs that made him crazy.” (I wrote more about this once in an Andrew character study I did.)

So, the antidepressants would’ve been prescribed to treat the depression, which hypothetically could’ve made Andrew so hopeless and full of rage that he was constantly on the verge of flipping his shit on people. There are plenty of antidepressants that will make you sick/be less effective if you fuck with your dosing schedule, and all the alcohol he drinks probably doesn’t help either. Still, the medicine would just treat depression. HOWEVER! If Andrew actually has bipolar disorder (:D!!!), then some antidepressants do have a risk of inducing mania/hypomania!  

It should’ve been obvious that Andrew’s antidepressant was not working as intended. But I doubt Nicky, Andrew, and Aaron had great health insurance before they enrolled at Palmetto, so Andrew’s court-mandated mental health provider was probably like, “cool, not trying to kill people anymore, we’re good.” A good provider like Bee would clock that Andrew had been misdiagnosed, and she’d want to adjust his medicine. But this leads to the final part of the theory — actually suggested by the brilliant Grimm — which also could explain how Andrew came to trust Bee.

If Bee diagnosed Andrew with bipolar, she would want to switch him over to lithium, which is the most common bipolar medicine. I’ve never actually been on lithium, and while I’ve heard it can be really effective, it definitely has a bad reputation — some people say it makes them feel like a “zombie.” Fatigue/dizziness/drowsiness are known potential side effects, especially when you’re adjusting to changed doses — and anyone who’s ever been on a psych med knows that it takes a while to get the dose right. I’m guessing (justified) control freak Andrew Minyard would not be down to risk feeling like a zombie.

(Sidenote: people with bipolar II also get put on lamotrigine, which specifically manages low moods, but from what I can tell it wouldn’t have been common in the mid-2000s. it was only approved for bipolar treatment in 2003.)

Maybe Bee made him a deal: He can stay on the antidepressant, which is not working but is also not the most dangerous thing, as long as he fully commits to their talk therapy sessions so that he can learn how to cope with his symptoms. This is similar to the deal Wymack struck with Andrew. He tends to trust the small handful of people who have given him agency. 

Alright, that’s the theory! Andrew has bipolar disorder. He’s not on the right meds. The courts are not doing silly illegal things (well, not in this case anyway), and the jocks of PSU are the real stereotypes here.

Because at the end of the day, this is a tale as old as time: People with mental illness are easily made out to be the villain.

[idyllic-affections]

migraine comfort ft. kaveh & baizhu

summary. how do kaveh and baizhu comfort a friend with migraines?

trigger & content warnings. depictions of headaches, migraines, and general imagery of being in pain, as well as descriptions of medication and brief mentions of pills.

tropes, pairings, fic length, & other notes. fluff, comfort. kaveh & reader, baizhu & reader. 0.5k words. no pronouns for reader.

author's thoughts. i have a headache like at least once every other day and every now and then i am cursed with a skull-splitting migraine that makes me irrationally angry because i'm sensitive to absolutely everything and am in pain. it is not a fun experience! so i wrote this with my two beloveds.... also slightly inspired by june's kaveh x disabled/chronically ill reader fic <3 also another filler post! my requests have been considerably long recently. there's nothing wrong with that! i adore long requests! it just means they'll take a bit longer to come out because you guys give me really good, detailed material to work with 💕

kaveh, who frantically does what he can to ease your pain and baizhu, who's much more calm and articulate in his treatment of your pain.

kaveh genuinely, wholeheartedly hates seeing you in pain. it makes him feel so unbelievably helpless, knowing that he can only really do so much to make you more comfortable, but he's not really thinking much about himself in the moments that you're feeling bad. he may be feeling a little helpless, but he can't imagine how you must feel. frustrated, he'd guess, considering how your head seems to hurt more often than not. he can only imagine how irritating it must be. he's immediately got all the curtains shut tight and all the lights dimmed if you happen to be sensitive to the brightness and he WILL make it so that there is as little loud noise as possible if you're sensitive to that. absolutely no-one is allowed to be loud in your general vicinity when you're feeling unwell. he will gladly tell just about anyone off in your defense. if you find yourself completely incapacitated by your pain, he will get your meds for you. also your meals; he would be glad to prepare them for you. anything you need. water? he's on it, just stay there. also maybe this is just me, but i seriously sometimes just want a hug when my head hurts. kaveh would totally give you all the hugs you want. i just know that being in his arms would be so warm and comforting.

baizhu also hates seeing you in such pain, but he does understand on a more personal level than kaveh. he knows what it's like; he himself is more often in pain than not, so he has the capacity to be not just sympathetic but also empathetic to your situation. he'll hand-craft medication specifically for you and your needs based on your individual symptoms, taking into account any allergies you might have and also considering if you would prefer liquid, pills, or another form of meds entirely <3 he does his best to accommodate for your personal preferences. everything he does for you is very gentle and careful. also if you're irritable, he gets it. you're in pain. you have every right to be angry, to be quite honest. like kaveh, he'll totally do whatever he can to minimize uncomfortable sensory input. it's too bright? don't worry, he'll close the blinds and curtains for you. someone's being a little too loud and it's making your head hurt more? no, no, stay put. he'll handle it. overall i think he's very doting, but in a more professional way than kaveh is! he dotes on you and you can just tell that he's a doctor because of the way he so skillfully monitors your symptoms. he uses his expertise to make it so that you experience as little pain and discomfort as possible. he'll also give you general advice on how to manage migraines in the future, especially for a situation where he happens to be unavailable for any reason—sometimes he might be unable to help because of his own bodily condition. nonetheless, he does what he can.

overall, both kaveh and baizhu are very lovely and doting and will do everything they can to help you out <3

please consider reblogging, it helps me out quite a lot!

[alyhorse6]

I’ll See You Sunday

AN: I promise I’m working on any requests I have rn, but this hit me and I needed to get it down. This fic was 100% inspired by the fanart above by @lightsintheskye 🫡

AU Context/synopsis: Annette and William are both renowned medical professionals. Annette is a cardiothoracic surgeon, William is a cancer researcher, Wesker is still the captain of S.T.A.R.S. (except he's loyal and doesn't have ill intentions), and Y/n is a S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team Member. Y/n and Wesker are particularly close. One night Annette & William have a highly honored banquet/award ceremony to attend and need someone to look over little Sherry for the evening. Surely Uncle Albert would be willing to help them out…

Warnings: These characters are nothing like their in-game personalities, but it’s my AU and I do what I want, intense fluff🤧

————————————————————————

It was around 3:30 in the afternoon when Wesker received a text from his stepbrother William asking him if he would be available to watch his niece. He didn’t open the message at first, instead, he panicked and texted one of his closest friends for help.

•*•*•*•

Are you available tonight?: Wesker

Y/n: Yeah… why?

I have an emergency: Wesker

Y/n: What happened?

William asked me to babysit Sherry, but I have no clue what to do with a kid: Wesker

Y/n: Albert Wesker. Are you kidding me.

What??: Wesker

Y/n: You said an emergency!

This is an emergency!: Wesker

Y/n: Whatever. What do you need me for?

I need you to come help me :): Wesker

Y/n: Aye aye, Captain🫡

Don’t mock me😑: Wesker

•*•*•*•

After speaking with Y/n, Wesker agreed to do it. William instructed him to arrive no later than 5:30, giving Wesker only 20 minutes to fly across town from the Police Station to the Birkins’ penthouse. In all honesty, Wesker dreaded this whole experience. It had nothing to do with Sherry, she was an angel, but something told him that it would be a long night.

He made it to the complex at 5:25 pm, relieved that he hadn't encountered any traffic police on his route. To meet his deadline, he drove at 35 miles per hour, which was 10 miles above the speed limit, through the bustling and chaotic streets of Raccoon City. In a hurry, Wesker dashed through the opulent lobby and made a beeline for the elevators, frantically hitting the up button. As soon as the elevator chimed, he strode in, elated to find it empty. He punched the button for the top floor, relaxed his body, and leaned against the back wall. Gradually, the elevator began its smooth ascent to the desired floor. The elevator came to a stop with a low hum, and the number "35" glowed brightly in the top right corner on a small screen. Wesker stepped out of the elevator and found himself in the entry room of the penthouse.

•*•*•*•

When do you think you'll be here?: Wesker

Y/n: I should be at the complex in ten

I'll see you when you get here: Wesker

•*•*•*•

Wesker waltzed up to the elaborate double doors that led into the home. He breathed in and held it as he knocked firmly, desperate to just get in and get his step-brother and his wife out and on their way to their banquet.

William greeted Albert with a warm smile as he answered the door, "Hey there, Albert! It's great to see you again!"

Wesker forced a smile, deeply unappreciative of the use of his first name, “Hey Will.”

Will leaned in to whisper, “Annette has been freaking out over this whole thing. I don't know if she’s more worried about leaving Sherry for this long or the event in general. This will be the longest we've left Sherry since she was born, but it’s been four months, it's gotta happen sometime.”

“I've got this Will, don’t worry. Plus I'll have help.” Wesker smirked

William narrowed his eyes, “Help? Who've you wrangled into helping you this time?”

“This time?? You say it like I never do anything on my own.” Wesker griped

“Just tell me who it is.” William huffed

Wesker rolled his eyes, “I asked Y/n to help me out.”

“Y/n? Is that the chic from S.T.A.R.S. that you’ve got a crush on?” William snickered

Wesker responded, but not without his jaw dropping slightly, “I do not have a crush on her! Crushes are for kids, which I am not.”

“Yeah yeah, whatever you wanna tell yourself,” William smirked

William eventually moved aside and allowed Wesker to enter. As they walked through the front doors, they found themselves in the luxurious living room that could have easily been featured in an exclusive millionaire's catalog. Wesker’s basic apartment looked like a shack compared to this singular room. He'd been here hundreds of times, and yet it never failed to slap him across the face every time he saw it. The room was filled with pretty potted plants, glorious gold detailing, and a coat of the finest beige paint on every wall.

William and Wesker stood around for a few minutes until Annette appeared from the hallway, holding little Sherry in her arms, looking like a munchkin.

“Here she is” Annette greeted with an open-mouthed smile.

Wesker reached a hand out to Sherry, “Hey there! It’s me, Uncle Albert.” The only time Wesker willingly used his first name was with Sherry. She was a weakness.

Sherry cooed a bit and then smiled when she saw her Uncle. Wesker grinned at the little person being so happy to see him. Annette passed the baby to him, and he cradled her softly, swaying back and forth.

“You two better get out of here, your banquet starts at 6:15.” Wesker shooed

William checked his watch and sighed, “I suppose you're right.”

Annette waved Wesker and Sherry goodbye and walked out to the elevator. William quickly turned back around to get one more little jab, “Good luck with your crush Weskie!” He smirked and ran off to join his wife.

Wesker huffed and looked to Sherry, “Don't listen to your silly goose of a father, I do not have a crush.”

Wesker walked toward the living room and sat down before feeling a buzz from his pocket.

•*•*•*•

Y/n: I'm in the lobby coming towards the elevator, make sure I can get in😘

Don’t you worry your pretty head: Wesker

Y/n: Awe you think I’m pretty?🥺

Definitely not.: Wesker

Y/n: And here I was thinking I’d get a date😪

•*•*•*•

About 10 minutes passed before a few soft knocks passed through the door. Wesker got up and opened it greeting Y/n with a kind smile, always unable to help but to smile with her around. Y/n smiled back and waved gently to the man, before giving a little wave and a grin to the adorable baby in his arms.

“Hello there Sherry! I’m Y/n, your Uncle’s friend!” She spoke softly

The infant giggled and smiled at the young woman in front of her. Y/n looked up to Wesker, “Has she ever laughed?? I don’t wanna steal that from her parents!”

“She has don’t worry. She was an early giggler.” Wesker soothed with a small smile. His favorite woman as caring as ever.

The two walked into the penthouse and sat down on the sofa side by side. Wesker would be a lying man if he failed to admit that being with Y/n in this type of setting made his face feel warmer, it was such a rare occasion for him to see Y/n outside of work or a work group. He wanted more of this.

The two sat and talked for a while, Sherry occasionally making sounds from Wesker’s arms, before eventually slowly starting to cry.

“Oh sweetie what’s the matter?!” Y/n fretted

Wesker handed her over to the woman. She didn’t smell, she didn’t seem sleepy, must be hungry. “Hey Wesk, could you heat up a bottle for her?” Y/n asked doe-eyed with worry

“Got it!” Already making his way to the fridge

Y/n followed behind him to the kitchen, delicately bouncing the little one on her hip. Both of the girls watched as Wesker tapped his finger on the counter waiting for the bottle warmer to ding. By now Sherry’s cries had died down some, but she still sniffled and shook in infant distress. Finally, the ding sounded through the room and Wesker removed the bottle, then tested the temperature on his hand. It passed the test so he handed it off to Y/n. She walked back over to the sofa and laid Sherry back in her arms, tipping the nub of the bottle to the baby’s mouth. Wesker joined the two and watched as Sherry started eating. Once she seemed content both Wesker and Y/n relaxed back into the cushions. Y/n faintly grinned at Sherry, while behind her Wesker happily grinned at the sight of her and his niece. Sherry stared brightly at Y/n’s face and grasped at her top, satisfied with her bottle.

Some time passed before Sherry finished. Afterward, Y/n burped her and then passed her back over to her Uncle. Wesker let her lay in his arms while the pair talked for a bit. At some point along the way Sherry got a little squirmy in his arms, so Y/n came up with an idea.

Y/n smirked mischievously at Wesker before asking, “Do they have something to play music on?”

“Yeah- why?” He eyed the young woman

“Can you turn on some Disney songs?”

Y/n asked, batting her eyelashes

Wesker handed Sherry back over to Y/n and got up to silently do as he was asked. He couldn’t bring himself to say no to any request Y/n asked of him. The music started, ‘Un Poco Loco’ from the movie Coco playing throughout the room. Y/n stood from her seat and started to bounce and slowly spin around the room while Sherry giggled. Wesker leaned on the counter and watched the two, giggling softly when Sherry slightly kicked her sock-clad feet. Y/n laughed while they danced to the music.

‘A Whole New World’ from Aladdin came on and Y/n looked over to Wesker, “Come dance with us.” A sweet smile on her face

Wesker couldn’t argue. He walked over to the pair and they swayed back and forth. Sherry stared up into her Uncle’s eyes and smiled. He smiled back at her and held her small hand as they swayed. Y/n admired Wesker as he watched his little niece. She couldn’t deny the crush that had formed on her Captain over the years working with him. He was always so kind to her, listening to her every word when they conversed, making her coffee throughout the day, and always greeting her with a smile. She couldn’t help but fall for the handsome young man when he was just so kind to her.

The song has long since changed, but the swaying continued. Over time Sherry grew sleepy, her blinking becoming slow and heavy. The two decided it was time to call it a night for the little one, carrying her to her nursery. Y/n changed Sherry’s diaper and clothes before swaddling her slowly. Wesker watched every step from over Y/n’s shoulder. It might’ve sounded weird to other people, but Wesker wanted something like this with Y/n. He wanted to spend each evening like this. He’d known the young woman for around 5 years now, and although he’d never admitted his feelings or made any moves on her, he liked her a lot. Maybe all the jokes about him crushing were true. He knew he felt differently about her, he just didn’t want to call it a crush and allow it to seem like some childish flit of life. He wanted so desperately to invite Y/n out to dinner, or the movies, or maybe even to stargaze on the outskirts of the city, but he got nervous anytime he thought about it.

Y/n slowly lowered Sherry into her crib, brushing some stray hairs out of her face once she relaxed into the mattress. She stepped out of the way and allowed Wesker to give her a small kiss on her forehead before they left the room. The two walked down the hall back out to the living room, opting to sit out on the roof to enjoy the warm evening air. They sat next to each other in the cushioned chairs and talked. They talked about work, their personal lives, anything. Eventually, it started to get a bit too windy to sit outside anymore, so they went back into the living room. They watched whatever random movie was on, but eventually, Y/n got sleepy too, her head slowly slipping down onto Wesker’s shoulder. He noticed as soon as it happened, looking down and smiling at the tired woman next to him.

They stayed like that for a good while. Peaceful, Sherry sleeping soundly in her room. Somewhere around 12:30, the hushed sound of the front door being unlocked could be heard. Annette and William quietly walked in, not wanting to wake their daughter. Annette immediately went to check on her baby girl, while William just silently smirked at his stepbrother. Wesker waved him off, and he left the two to join his wife in the nursery. Wesker sighed lowly, dreading the thought of waking Y/n up and this moment with her ending. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head softly, before quietly calling her name to wake her. The woman stirred lightly, slowly opening her eyes and looking around.

She came back to the present when she spotted Weaker and smiled gently, “Hi”

“Hi” he whispered back with a small grin

Y/n sat up slowly, stretching her arms and yawning along the way. She looked back over to Wesker, dreading the idea of getting up.

“I'll walk you to your car,” he murmured

Y/n hummed lowly, “Yes, please.”

The two stood from the sofa and walked out to the elevator. The ride down to the lobby was slow. Wesker chewed on the inside of his cheek, debating on whether he should ask Y/n out to dinner. The elevator dinged, signaling their arrival to the lobby. They walked over to the garage elevator and descended to their cars. Wesker walked Y/n to her car, he could tell she was still kind of sleepy.

“Do want me to just give you a ride home? You're sleepy and I want you to be safe,” he offered

Y/n looked over at him and blushed, “I'll be okay, thank you though.”

“Well… could I at least maybe take you to dinner? Just you and me,” he mumbled sheepishly

A smile spread on Y/n’s face as her blush grew, “I'd like that a lot”

Wesker smiled giddily, “Sunday… pick you up at 5:30?”

“It's a date!” Y/n cheered, turning to face the man next to her as they reached her car door

“It’s a date” Wesker mirrored

The two smiled at each other for a minute. Y/n speaking up first, “I suppose I better go home and get to bed…”

“You get your rest Y/n, sleep well.” Wesker agreed

Y/n smiled up at him, “You sleep too Wesk. I need you rested for our date”

Wesker grinned back at the young woman in front of him, “Bye my dear, I’ll see you Sunday.”

“Bye Wesk, I’ll see you Sunday.”

————————————————————————

AN: Should I continue this AU? And if so, if any of you guys have any name suggestions for the AU either comment them or send them in my ask box. Bye Angels!🤍

[lantur]

Thank you so much to @roseofbattles for the tag!

Ten good things in 2023,

Love. I felt so loved by my husband, my cat, my friends, and my in-laws. This was a year that I badly needed the love, the support, the encouragement, and the comfort they bought me, and they surrounded me with it. I felt so much compassion from my manager at work and the other two ladies in my department. I got so much compassion, care, and empathy from people who read and replied to my posts on tumblr, who sent me messages. Never doubt that your kindness to your friends and family, to your coworkers, to the people on your tumblr dashboard, makes a difference. Your kindness makes life worth living and it saves lives.

Writing. I wrote a novel! I am so proud of myself for starting and finishing this in 2023, and getting through painstaking rounds of edits. Writing and publishing a novel has been a lifelong dream, and I'm so happy I will be able to see that come true within the next several weeks.

Travel. Getting to experience Greece, Washington state, and Peru was healing in so many ways. I'm grateful for getting the opportunity to experience that and see such beautiful things.

Cooking. Cooking is one of my most beloved hobbies, and I got to try so many delicious recipes this year. It feels great to make restaurant-quality food at home. Shout out to recipetineats and Swasthi's Recipes for being the MVPs for helping make all these delicious meals happen!

Discovering new music. It is SO rare for me to listen to new music. Until fall of 2023, I listened to the same artists I have since high school and college. Friends were the gateway to helping me find inspiring new music - Logic, Joyner Lucas, and BTS, and BTS opened the door to me getting into kpop. BTS, Blackpink, (G)-IDLE, Hyuna, Mamamoo, Le Sserafim, Stray Kids, and Monsta X have fueled great workouts, alongside Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, and Megan Thee Stallion.

Fitness. I got back into weightlifting in late summer/early fall of 2023. It has helped me become stronger, feel more confident, and most importantly, run without pain! My endurance, strength, and cardiovascular fitness is so much better than it was this time last year.

Growth. I became more resilient in my professional and personal life, and I hope to reap the benefits of that resilience for years to come.

Medications. After years of trial and error, and inadequate symptom control, I finally got on the correct dose of antidepressants. The benefits have been tremendous.

Routines. My routines brought me great comfort in 2023. Tea in the mornings, walking Westin in the yard on summer mornings, morning workouts, Saturday or Sunday trips to the garden store and planting on summer afternoons, cooking dinner while listening to an audiobook, watching a show with Derek after dinner.

New hobbies. In the last 2 months of 2023, I got into learning Spanish and scrapbooking. I love both. My ~35 minutes of Spanish daily is a highlight of my day, and I had SO much fun spending hours scrapbooking over my winter break. I'm so happy that I am finally making progress on my scrapbooking project, which I started over a year and a half ago.

I would like to tag @wind-on-the-panes, @broomchickabroom, @northshoretragedyeagle, @disgruntledturtle, @lady-harrowhark, @taylor-renee, @candlemouse, and @chewytriforce, as well as anyone else who wants to do this. It was a fun and interesting challenge to think about what I appreciated most about 2023!

[genderqueerdykes]

this is a question I've had for a while and was wondering if you or your followers knew anything about it. I tried to go on birth control to alleviate some of the painfully heavy periods I was having (despite having severe PCOS) and it basically worked in reverse? instead of my periods stopping they basically became perpetual until I was able to get a doctor to make them stop. it happened twice, both with a combination pill and a progestin only implant (because I can't safely take estrogen as I learned the first time).

I know you're not a medical professional but you have such a wide range of experience with weird hormonal stuff, so I was curious if you'd ever even hears of anything similar to my situation. I've never found any writings on it online despite many hours of google searching, all that ever comes up is spotting on bc. if nothing else maybe I'm a cool case study?

you do great work. thanks so much for existing <3 you are a huge inspiration to me and my system!!

i am so sorry you had this experience- we didn't have a reaction like that, but we definitely were more uncomfortable, in pain, and dysphoric while on birth control. i have heard for some folks that it works in reverse and makes their periods worse- your body might just be going into overdrive and thinking that it's constantly ovulating because of how much estrogen it's being fed.

i have heard of this happening to other folks and while i can't give genuine medical advice, this is something that happens and it's honestly best if you just stop the medication and try to find another solution. spotting isn't the same as a full blown period especially a heavy one so i get the confusion. i don't know what terms to use but i've heard of it happening

either way i'm glad you're not taking those medications anymore, and i hope you're able to find a solution that works better. some folks do better on IUDs and for some of us the only thing that stops it is testosterone HRT, but not everyone wants that, so it's understandable.

thank you so much, that really means a lot!! we hope this helped some, and of course, if anyone else has feedback for this anon please let us know, we'll be happy to publish that as well. take care, stay safe, i hope y'all are able to get to a healthier place in life

[wouldntyou-liketoknow]

Characters and Headcanons and References, Oh My!

Lately I’ve been toying with the idea of Mark and Matt portraying similar characters (technically, Matt started it with WarfPat and DarkPat, lol). There’s Engineer!Mark and Mack, obviously, but then there’s HeeHoo and The Hermit, Wilford and MadPat, Darkiplier and AntiMatter (in my opinion, at least).

I really want to get back to writing soon, but I’m still having trouble with my motivation. I still don’t want my creative energy to go to waste, so I’ve thought up a few MatPat-inspired characters to act as alternatives for some of Mark’s characters. I hope you enjoy!

(Update: one awesome @insane4fandoms has taken the time to draw each of these guys! The drawings question will be linked by their names. Please go show the artist some love!!!)

Caliban (Art Page)

The alternative to Murdock/Murderplier

He’s a cannibal, as well as one of Murdock’s many body-disposal resources.

I think it’d be cool for the two of them to work for some kind of mafia that specializes in assassinations. (Psst! I’ve decided to actually try this idea on for size, and, of course, Caliban is very much involved! You can find all this information about him here. To learn more about the developing mob he and Murdock work for, go here. Thanks, and I hope you enjoy what I’m working towards!)

He’s involved in some areas of Black Market. He sells the bones and blood of his meals, as well as organs that aren’t fit for consumption (eyeballs and intestines, for example. Way too many acidic chemicals and bacteria to deal with).

Cannibal puns 24/7. He’s more subtle about it than The Hermit, but still. (“I’ve been told I have great taste in people. . .” “If anyone’s a humanitarian, it’s me!” “I am what I eat, after all.” “I’d love to have you for dinner~” etc.)

He has an ENORMOUS collection of butcher knives and medical blades. His favorite of them all is a damascus steel cleaver.

There’s a silver tooth cap in the place of his left upper canine. He lost said canine when one of his victims surprised him by grabbing his tenderizing hammer and hitting him in the mouth with it as they tried to escape. (This also left a small scar on his upper lip.) He recovered, but let’s just say he made that victim’s death extra painful. . .

He has a pet hare named Snare (reference to Matt’s childhood bunny, Sunny). Since hares are more intelligent than you’d think, Snare has been taught several tricks; mainly, how to follow certain targets, bite them, and then let Caliban swab his little teeth for blood in order to track said targets via DNA database. Don’t ask. . .

Caliban spoils Snare by feeding him the fingers of his victims as treats (reference to Monty Python’s Killer Rabbit).

He’s adjusted to having Murdock as a meal ticket, but he still has plenty of experience killing on his own.

Sometimes he’ll join in on the sadistic games Murdock likes to play with his victims. Murdock usually isn’t too thrilled with having to share the spotlight, but he also can’t deny how Caliban makes the taunting and threatening even more fun. 

Their relationship is both casual and professional. Some sarcastic jabs here, an exchange of morbid jokes there. But make no mistake, when Murdock and Caliban are working together, they are a terrifying force to be reckoned with.

Ozzie (Art Page)

The alternative to Yancy

He’s been convicted of tax evasion as well as several instances of kidnapping game developers and holding them for ransom. (His reasons for doing so? No one is quite sure. He gives a different explanation every time someone asks him. He swears these explanations are all connected, but that’s up for debate.)

Unlike Yancy’s case, Ozzie’s parents were abusive towards him, but he didn’t kill them. Instead, he ran away from home at an early age; sooner or later, he started engaging in theft in order to survive.

He was sent to Happy Trails Penitentiary because he managed to escape literally every other prison the authorities tried to keep him at.

He definitely has a plan to escape Happy Trails at some point in time, but it’s somewhat nicer than other prisons. Plus he’s met some interesting people there, so he’ll stick around for a little while.

He speaks with some kind of New Yorker accent. It’s just as over-exaggerated as Yancy’s Jersey accent, if not more so.

Sometimes Yancy will ask Ozzie for help with his musical projects. Whether Yancy is stumped on rhyme-schemes, indecisive about which lyrics to use, or just wants feedback on a new song, Ozzie is always happy to give advice. He loves theater.

Patty/DancePat (Art Page)

The alternative to Porniplier

His stage name is Pat A. Cake. He’s gotten used to being called “Patty” for short (I like to think Porniplier’s pseudonym is Delux, due to all the costumes he uses).

He works at the same club as Delux. I’m going to call this club Areola 51 because I can.

He supports himself through exotic dance. He mainly does pole dancing (ahem), but he’s no stranger to cage dancing or chair dancing.

He also does some stripping since it pays so well, but that’s his limit. He genuinely enjoys dancing, but he’s a bit shyer about the more sexual stuff.

He’s almost always wearing heels, and he takes great pride in being able to perform in them (whereas Delux can barely even walk with heels on).

His go-to outfit for performing is a white corset with black lace-up leggings, a purple velvet choker, and a pair of wedge-heeled boots. (Yes, this is based off of that cutout image Matt uses in his videos, and no, you can’t do anything about it.)

He and Delux definitely have a rivalry, but it’s a friendly one.

They tease one another pretty often, but they’ve both been there for each other in more serious times. For instance, when Delux’s latest client was less than polite, or when Patty’s audience was too handsy for his liking.

Penn (Art Page)

The alternative to Illinois

His full name is, you guessed it, Pennsylvania James (I like to think that Illinois’ surname is Jenkins). He finds that his nickname is much easier to go by. (And, quite frankly, he’s gotten sick of people asking if he has a sibling named Transylvania. Illinois was one of those people.)

Where Illinois is a treasure-hunter, Penn is more of a paleontologist.

He’s helped to discover at least three new species of dinosaur.  

Illinois spent his first few archaeological digs working with Penn. Illinois may love exploring ancient temples and the like, but that’s only for the fun of it. He believes that cultural artifacts should just be discovered and then left alone. He and Penn agree that collecting fossils for museums is much less immoral.

He has definitely yanked Illinois out of a boulder’s path once or twice.

He doesn’t understand why Illinois insists on carrying a whip with him.

He’s a bit more subtle in his flirting than Illinois is. But only a bit.

LeviathanPat (Art Page)

The alternative to EldritchPlier

Just like his counterpart, he’s a cosmic horror. He feeds off of human souls, but human thoughts and extreme human emotions can also satisfy him for a time.

He’s bound by the same supernatural rules as EldritchPlier–the primary one being that he can’t enter a place without explicitly being welcomed in.

Where EldritchPlier typically goes for doors, LeviathanPat will lurk outside of windows. He does this because it gives him an opportunity to watch his victims. That way, he can more easily gauge their reactions and plan his next move more carefully.

When he talks to his targets, he’ll try to make them sympathize with him rather than just flat-out bribe them. He’ll usually try his luck when the weather is bad in order to sell the act. (“þlêå§ê lê† mê ¢ðmê ïñ§ïÐê! ̆’§ §ð ¢-¢ðlР𵆠hêrê; Ì ¢åñ’† £êêl m¥ håñЧ åñ¥mðrê!”)

That being said, if his target shows hesitation or gets onto him quickly, he’ll definitely lose patience and go on the defensive. He’ll try to make them feel guilty for refusing to help someone who’s supposedly sick and/or injured.

He chooses his targets in advance, then waits for an opportunity to get them alone near the window. Then he’ll tap on the glass to get their attention. He typically only hunts at night, since darkness makes humans more susceptible to fear/paranoia/disturbance.  

He’s able to shapeshift, but he doesn’t like looking completely human. When talking to his targets, he’ll appear as a vague, semi-fluid silhouette with only his glowing eyes truly visible.

If his target gets on his nerves, his shape will begin changing more sporadically as he grows more and more frustrated. His eyes will also shift in the way of turning bloodshot, changing colors, maybe even bulging or melting in their sockets.

Since it’s kind of impossible for a room to be built without a door and at least one window, EldritchPlier and LeviathanPat often end up going for the same target. When that happens, they’ll argue over said target for an ungodly amount of time.

Anyone else have ideas for more characters like this? I’d love to brainstorm!

[mickmundy]

for the ship ask thing 14, 26, 35 for bushmed please <3

OMFG WHEEEE HIIIII MY FRIEND ^___^ ABSOLUTELY!!!

14. Anything they both dread?

casually? losing matches, their stats in combat falling, pets getting sick, etc… things that would hinder their professional performances or bad, albeit fixable things happening to the things they love (their pets and each other)… pretty standard stuff!! on a deeper level? i think sniper is afraid of inadequacy, letting down his loved ones… and medic’s greatest fear (imo), “if he has one” (it would be easy to say he doesn’t but i like exploring a Very Human side of ludwig so!) is being… not in control, specifically not being able to sieze control again after having lost it. he’s not afraid of losing it if he’s confident he can get it back, but being powerless to stop things (like… say… death… for example… ;))… that’s something that greatly unsettles him!

26. How do their friends feel about their relationship? Their families?

tbh i think the mercs will always support each other no matter what tbh! i don’t see why any of them would Disapprove. if medic and sniper are happy then they’re happy for them! :) i think heavy and spy are their biggest supporters, though. they’re proud of their best friends for finally getting over themselves and choosing to be happy together!!! as for parents, well, medic’s are long gone and personally, my fic takes place after the comics, so that means sniper’s parents are dead too :( that doesn’t mean i don’t think about medic meeting them though!! hehe… i could write a whole post on my musings about that but i think the Basic Idea of sniper fretting over taking medic to meet his parents and medic being cool as a cucumber.. HEHEHEHE….. i think medic would know sniper’s really stressed so he’d be on his best behavior… part of being a total wildcard! plus, as much as he loves making sniper flustered, he wouldn’t truly put sniper on the spot, especially not with his parents involved.

35. Do they bring out the best in each other, or the worst? Do they have a fatal flaw?

hmm i think they bring out good things in each other that they previously never really thought they were capable of… feeling…? so they Do inspire growth from each other… but i also think it’s important to know that they don’t magically solve each other’s (or their own) problems when they get together!! i think part of what makes bushmed interesting (or in my interpretation, at least) is that they’re both inherently flawed people who are just… doing their best to understand each other because they’re in love and want to be together.., ykwim..,, part of what makes both medic and sniper interesting as characters to me is that they’re both capable of…. just about anything! but i like to think that they don’t always have all the answers (contrary to what they both think of themselves… LOL) and, like any life worth living, experience ups and downs, and more importantly, experience them together! :) i think sniper’s flaw is his pride and medic’s is stubbornness, though!! but i also think they care enough about each other to be able to talk things out if things go bad. :-)

[souryogurt64]

(Sorry if you are tired of talking about this) did Brendon even actually do anything wrong or did everyone just decide he was annoying. I genuinely can’t find any evidence of the accusations sticking but everyone still hates him

please no one argue with me im too old

ok the brendon drama, from my understanding, seemed to boil down to several things. keeping it brief here

brendon treated dallon in a really uncool way. when dallons career started taking off, that showed in backlash to brendon. several idkhow songs seem inspired by dallons experience in panic. i think brendon deserved this, tbh

zack hall, brendon uries bodyguard, was extremely cruel to fans for fun and brendon routinely joined in. its not cool to treat your fans badly on purpose for fun. there are many examples, such as confiscating medication from fans (against the rules and solely for the power trip). but the most egregious IMO was when he tweeted a crowd photo and mocked a girls weight, and brendon retweeted it. its just not cool to alienate your own biggest fans and does not bode well for your short term future, at least

in fairness, dallon and his wife have done a few immature/strange things too, such as (probably) faking being hacked/stalked to complain about brendon online. but brendon and zack were definitely way more in the wrong. zack hall also sexually harassed dallon's wife, which was extremely, unbelievably uncool.

there is also this coo-coo bananas girl known as the panic stalker. this is another topic entirely, but many suspect her to be behind this next part.

someone posted several blatantly fake rape allegations against brendon on social media. these were very blatant-- all of them had the same formula (new twitter account, pastel solid PFP, lowercase first name name, first name+string of numbers for handle). these were blatantly untrue-- some (?) of them also happened to "confirm" ryden. many people suspect the stalker was behind this. i dont think they stuck because they were pretty blatantly all the same person and formulaic.

IIRC, someone was also catfishing minors as brendon -- many people thought this was the panic stalker. this was not brendon, this was a catfish, but amidst the drama many people ran with it. many people thought the catfish mightve been the panic stalker.

one of brendons exes wrote him an open letter in like 2006. it has aged very poorly since and i dont really want to talk about something that controversial with so much backstory out of context but its a factor.

several videos of brendon making offensive jokes or stating very uneducated opinions on livestreams surfaced. some of these videos were over a decade old, but some as recent as within the last year or two. personally, i have heard stories of pete and gabe making worse jokes, but granted said shit was not racist and pete also had the brain cells to understand not to make those jokes onstage in front of thousands of teenage girls and their parents. many other bandom guys also hold opinions tumblrinas would widely consider infinitely cancellable, but have the brain cells to keep those opinions offstage and off social media or not talk about things they dont understand. brendon possesses only rocks in his brain.

brendons album was also bad. thats a factor.

brendon has also burned bridges with just about everybody and has done so in a very aggressive fashion. while it might seem like someone is being cancelled because of things they did wrong, oftentimes, its because of that AND the fact that theyve made more professional enemies than friends.

anyway, brendon did announce via twitch he was going to fire zack hall. he has not shown his face in public since. that was a year and a half ago. i felt the twitch stream was a bit forced and awkward, but it handled things better and a lot more maturely than a lot of bands accused of worse are doing. swmrs, for example, did not do anything actionable and began feeling for a comeback on social media after only 6 months, and all time low are currently suing the shit out of some girls.

[annoyingsandwichbasement]

Hello, everyone! I'm Karylle May Dangatan Andam, 16 years old and I'm originally from Sta.Maria, Sto.Niño, Cagayan. I am a Grade 11 student currently living and studying at St.Paul University Philippines (St.Paul Home). I graduated last year at Lubo National High School. My passion revolves around playing badminton, playing volleyball, playing guitar, playing ukulele, reading, dancing, sketching and Of course I love eating. I also like taking photos and videos because I want to keep all the memories that I had coz capturing the moments of today that will wow your hearts tomorrow.

I am the eldest among the four siblings. Being the eldest child in the family puts you in a unique position. Eldest child is often expected to take on the most responsibilities. You are always expected to set the perfect example for every kid in the family. As an eldest and a student,I am striving hard in my studies to finish my studies with flying colors and find a decent job so I can help my parents and make them proud.

Where do I see myself 10 years from now? Was my learning in SPUP vital to where I'm leading to?

• Ten(10) years from now I see myself as a strong independent, healthy, successful in career, and the most important of all, a happy woman. Strong independence means having the confidence and believing in my abilities, but asking the guidance of the Almighty. Healthy means physically and mentally good condition.

Being successful in my career, means helping and curing people who are in need through my expertise..Lastly, a happy woman, being contented in what I would achiev and build a home which I can call mine.

Saint Paul University is one of the leading and competitive universities with great performances in the region. They provide a good quality of education through harmonious integration of faith, knowledge and culture. It is a learning experience with passion. And with these, yes, these are vital because it has been proven in the recent years that most of the graduates of this school passed and are now working in their field of expertise.

Was STEM the best choice after all?

• STEM has a big role in today’s generation . STEM education prepares the world for the future. It prepares professionals who can transform society with innovation and sustainable solutions. STEM gives us better critical thinking, prepares us to work in an environment full of high technology innovation, apply knowledge in new projects, and enable us to analyze and define problems with improving solutions. As a learner/ student, it motivates and inspires young people like me to generate new technologies and ideas, and prepares me to improve my career prospects which leads me to the right decision.

What course will you take in college and why?

• The course I will take will be Medical Technology, because this course is a good preparation for medicine. Since I was young, I dreamed of becoming a doctor one day. Being a doctor is a respected profession. Doctors are in high demand anywhere and everywhere. I have a passion for saving others' lives. I don’t want any poor to lose their lives due to lack of money and help them as much as I can. Just as anyone else would, I deeply desire to make my parents proud.

[celinetsengg]

Week 5 Reflection: "5-Year Odyssey"

Where do I see myself in 10 years? 

Personally, this is a difficult question because I genuinely have no idea what I want to do with my professional career. I hope in ten years, I am at a job that I genuinely am passionate about. Currently, I think I am on the pre-med track, so I guess in 10 years I’ll be some sort of doctor?? I don’t think that I have to enjoy every single second of it, but if I can find purpose in what I am doing and feel fulfilled then the ups and downs should be worth it. I don’t necessarily want to be stuck in a rut of working in a 9-5 at a small cubicle, and I wish to be able to make a tangible difference to communities that especially need it. I think hearing and/or being exposed to all sorts of people is what creates fulfillment in my life, as I love learning about other people and their life stories. Furthermore, I hope I can surround myself with colleagues that I admire and that inspire me to continue my aspirations, as I often find the greatest motivation through my community. I also hope to be financially stable from my career, and on the way to become financially stable enough to support both myself and a family. 

Tangentially, I guess I could also end up pursuing a path not exactly in medical school, but somewhere along the lines of biotechnology. After taking a biotech class, the intricacies of pharmaceutical companies are quite interesting to me. Perhaps I would combine this with some sort of business aspect, as my parents have always encouraged me to take business classes and pursue that industry if I really wanted to. This path is a lot more open-ended, and is really up to me to figure out where/what I wish to do, which is why I feel that I stray away from this for the fear of the unknown. I definitely would be able to have more of a work-life balance in this case, though.

If I had unlimited resources and time, I definitely would choose to become an artist, or at least go to art school. In another life, I would go to art school, perhaps in New York City, and be a burnt out art student and just live in the studio all day. Back in  high school when I was applying to colleges, I was so sure I did not want to apply to art schools, or even apply to the Brown x RISD dual degree program, but now sometimes I imagine what it would be like to be able to take art classes at college (since UCLA’s are not open to non-majors). I truly miss sitting in the studio for hours at a time, putting my music on aux and simply painting based on my intuition. Now, I feel stunted and that I have been ignoring my passion for the arts. Art school has always been so intriguing to me, as I feel like you truly are tested to your creative limits but also are forced to produce so much artwork. For me, having that structure is what helps me stay motivated, and the variety of art classes, from printmaking to oil painting to figure drawing, would be so cool to experience as a full time art student. I also think being surrounded with all sorts of creatives would be so fulfilling in so many ways as well, as I feel that you really learn a different side of people from their artwork. In this alternate universe, I wouldn’t have to memorize the structures of the cells or the patterns of oscillations in bodily processes, and I could explore NYC at night with my art school friends. To be honest, I don’t know if I could ever survive that lifestyle, constantly cranking out artworks and spending so much time on these all-consuming pieces, but it seems like a unique challenge that I unfortunately will never get to experience. 

I think in all of these paths, I find a balance between my inward happiness and also outward fulfillment from the things I am doing. I truly value finding a balance in everything I do, and so regardless of what my future holds for me, I hope I can continue to balance my family, social life, career, and personal time. I know for a fact that in either of the two first paths, I care deeply about my financial stability, which is something my parents have always raised me to do. This is why I would never be able to go to art school, or become an artist, but I hope in the future when I have more stability in my life, I am able to pick up this hobby again and find fulfillment in that.

[yasminealameddine]

Weekly Essay #3:

In 10 years, I hope to have become an optometrist, having my own practice and working with patients. I hope to inspire other future optometrists/pre-optometry students and act as a mentor for then as my optometrist has been for me. Alongside my professional growth, I envision starting my journey towards raising a family, cherishing the joys and challenges that come with it. I hope to settle down in Southern California so that I can be close to my family. I also aspire to have travelled internationally to Italy and Greece, as those two spots are currently at the top of my travel list. I would also like to have gone to New York at least one time because I have never been.

On a slightly different path, I see myself as a nurse working in the Los Angeles area where i grew up — possibly at the Ronald Reagan Hospital where I currently volunteer. While not directly related to optometry, nursing would allow me to care for others in a different capacity, serving the community and gaining valuable medical experience. I think I would want to start as an ER nurse for its high paced environment or in pediatrics because I enjoy working with children. I have enjoyed the time I have spent seeing the nurses at the hospital work and believe I can contribute meaningfully to that environment.

However, if I had unlimited resources and time, I would pursue a completely different life path as a high school English teacher. I have always been passionate about literature and education, and teaching would allow me to inspire young children, fostering a love for learning and literature in others. I have looked up to my teachers from elementary, middle, and high school and believe that teaching is such a rewarding job. I am still friends with a handful of my teachers and even have gone to Disneyland with my 6th grade teacher a few times! Additionally, reading as a past time is one of my favorite hobbies so being able to teach about books, their deeper meanings, and hear what students have to share seems like such a rewarding experience and way to devote my life.

Each of these paths offers unique opportunities and challenges. As an optometrist, I would focus on providing specialized care for eye health and attend school for a longer time. As a nurse, I would work in a fast-paced environment, caring for patients' overall well-being with lots of patient-to-provider interactions. And as a teacher, I would nurture young minds, shaping the future generation, which is such a rewarding profession as well. Each path fulfills different aspects of my interests and values, showcasing the diverse possibilities life has to offer. Whenever life takes me, I believe everything happens for a reason and try to always remember that in all aspects of my life.

[anthonypaulh]

CONVENTIONAL CONVENTION - ITP SUPPORT ASSOCIATION LONDON 2024 - May 11th -

Since the turmoil that Covid -19 inflicted on us, we have all had to do many things differently. It is clear that life has changed and we have all come to do things in new ways. Adapt, evolve, survive seems to cover it.

We have, here at he ITP Support Association, not been immune (no pun intended) to the challenges and demands for change that the pandemic has brought. So we have been running regular online local support groups via the ZOOM facility, to combat some of the difficulties that the pandemic threw our way. And we continue to do so with great success.

In addition to the local support groups we were also obliged to hold three annual conventions online too. So the 2020, 2021 & 2022 conventions were switched to an online basis to ensure that we kept safe, secure & away from the ravages of Covid. 

The 2020, 2021 and 2022 online conventions were hugely successful and were attended by record numbers of people online from all across the globe. But even so, there is nothing quite like a face to face event and last year we returned to our usual annual CONVENTIONAL CONVENTION and we will do so again this year on May 11th at 

Cavendish Conference Centre, Cavendish Venues, 22 Duchess Mews, London W1G 9DT.

Just 5 minutes from Oxford Circus Tube Station

In my experience of attending the face to face annual conventions in the past , I can only say that they are tremendously informative, inspiring and helpful. There is just no substitute for being in the moment with other people who are going through the same trials and tribulations.

I have been living with ITP for over 17 years and I can still remember attending my first annual convention. It felt so reassuring to be able to talk to other people who had been through some of the things that I had encountered. It made me feel more confident about living better with my purple problem.

The Conventions have also introduced me to fellow ITP patients from across the globe who I am in regular contact with to this day. We are all fighting our own individual battles with this enigmatic condition wherever we are from BUT we are stronger together by sharing knowledge, information and supporting each other.

The convention always brings together some of the leading medical professionals in ITP but, I think just as importantly it also provides a platform for us ITP patients to talk to each other, swap our experiences and encourage each other. No man is an island and all that !

It is wonderful to know that we will be able to have a Conventional Convention again this year but we also appreciate that some of our members and followers prefer a non face to face way of keeping in touch. For that reason we are continuing our programme of online local support groups via Zoom and also why we are available on many social media platforms.

Of course we also have our quarterly magazine The Platelet as another way of communicating between us ITP folk. 

Our aim at the ITP Support Association is to be available wherever people want to connect with us. As ever it is different things for different people and we try to cover as many bases as we can.

We can be found on the following social media platforms -

LinkedIn, TWITTER, Facebook, Instagram, You Tube,  HealthUnlocked which can all be accessed via the main ITP Support Association website - 

https://itpsupport.org.uk 

Our local support groups online are listed at the following link -

The next round of these groups will be announced soon

https://itpsupport.org.uk/itp-group-meetings-new-dates-added-meeting-schedule/  

Tickets for the 2024 Annual Convention are available via the following link - (There are a few left but don’t leave it too late to book your place).

https://itpsupport.org.uk/itp-support-association-annual-patient-convention-2024/ 

Wherever and whenever you wish to connect with us, we hopefully have a platform for everyone.

#ITPAware #ITPAwareness #ITPSupportAssociation #ITPAustralia 

[adamgant]

148: Berberine and herbs for wellbeing with Dr. Bill Rawls

148: Berberine and herbs for wellbeing with Dr. Bill Rawls https://ift.tt/RcmaVY7 Hi friends! I have a new podcast interview live today, and I’m so thrilled to welcome Dr. Bill Rawls to the show. I recently started reading his newest book, and I love his commitment to a balanced, healthy lifestyle, and how he shares natural healing methods with others. Here’s a bit about what we talk about: – His experience with Lyme and how he healed – Berberine. Why is it so hyped up, and what are some of the benefits? – Herbs for wellbeing – Adaptogens and how they help with stress and so.much.more.   148: Berberine and herbs for wellbeing with Dr. Bill Rawls Here’s more about Dr. Rawls: For over 30 years, Dr. Bill Rawls has dedicated his life to medicine. When a health crisis in his early forties abruptly changed his quality of life, he came face to face with the limitations of modern medicine and began to explore the vast possibilities of alternative treatments. Restoring his health through holistic and herbal therapies inspired him to share his revelations on the importance of cellular wellness. Today, he works to bring life and vitality to others as he helps them establish their own paths to wellness through modern herbology. Dr. Rawls has two grown children and lives on the North Carolina coast with his wife and golden retriever. Dr. Rawls serves as Medical Director for Vital Plan, an herbal supplement and wellness company he co-founded with his daughter, Braden. You can use the code HealthyLife20 to get 20% off at Vital Plan. Connect with Dr. Rawls on his Instagram, on his website, and check out The Cellular Wellness Solution here. More resources from this episode: I love love love the meals from Sakara Life! Use this link and the code XOGINAH for 20% off their meal delivery and clean boutique items. This is something I do once a month as a lil treat to myself and the meals are always showstoppers. If any of my fellow health professional friends are looking for another way to help their clients, I highly recommend IHP. You can also use this information to heal yourself and then go one to heal others, which I think is a beautiful mission. You can absolutely join if you don’t currently work in the health or fitness industry; many IHPs don’t begin on this path. They’re friends who are passionate to learn more about health and wellness, and want to share this information with those they love. You can do this as a passion, or start an entirely new career. You can use my referral link here and the code FITNESSISTA for up to $250 off the Integrative Health Practitioner program. I highly recommend it! You can check out my review IHP Level 1 here and my review of Level 2 here. I’m still obsessed with my sauna blanket. This is one of my favorite ways to relax and sweat it out. I find that it energizes me, helps with aches and pains, I sleep better on the days I use this, and it makes my skin glow. Link to check it out here. You can also use my discount FITNESSISTA15 for the PEMF Go Mat, which I use every day, and the red light face mask, which is a staple in my weekly skincare routine. Get 20% off Organifi with the code FITNESSISTA. I drink the green juice, red juice, gold, and Harmony! (Each day I might have something different, or have two different things. Everything I’ve tried is amazing.) Thank you so much for listening and for all of your support with the podcast! Please be sure to subscribe, and leave a rating or review if you enjoyed this episode. If you leave a rating, head to this page and you’ll get a little “thank you” gift from me to you.  The post 148: Berberine and herbs for wellbeing with Dr. Bill Rawls appeared first on The Fitnessista. via The Fitnessista https://ift.tt/ywKPJZV January 04, 2024 at 06:52AM