#lobster is the best medicine

[libertyreads]

Book Review #41 of 2023--

Lobster is the Best Medicine by Liz Climo. Rating: 5 stars.

Read from April 12th to 13th.

I’ll keep this one short since this is a collection of comics. I picked this one up yesterday while at the New York Public Library and since I started a book I’m not enjoying from NetGalley I decided to read a few pages. Well, it was supposed to be a few pages. I ended up reading over 100 pages in two sittings.

I love these comics. I love animals and I love humor that doesn’t take itself too seriously. But I think I mostly enjoyed it as a juxtaposition to the chunky book I got from NetGalley yesterday. It’s wholesome and sweet and exactly what I needed.

[wosoamazing]

Migraines

Summary: You start the day of slightly sick and during training your Mum gets a migraine so you leave early and some of your teammates take care of both of you.

Warning: Migraines, Minor sickness

Steph walked into training slightly late, you were perched on her hip, your head rested on her shoulder, checks a little rosier than usual, as you held onto Lobby your plush lobster.

“Oh Steph, hi” Lia said as she rounded the corner, “do you need help?” the English women, who was just behind the Swiss women, said as she took some of the bags off Steph.

“Oh, thank you, sorry it’s just that someone isn’t feeling the best I don’t think, and is very sooky and clingy, which made getting ready this morning almost impossible, and of course she has to get sick while Dean is away,” she paused for a moment “Oh God, why did I even come in, what if she gets everyone sick, I-”

“Steph,” Leah said as she put a hand on her arm “it’s okay, don’t panic, wasn’t Katie sick last week anyway?” Lia nodded “See so it’s Katie’s fault she’s sick anyway, so if anyone gets sick, its actually all on Katie”.

“Yeah, okay, what am I going to do with her? I didn’t even think about that I was just so focused on getting here” Your Mum panicked slightly.

“I’m not training today, I’ll take her, we can hang out.”

“Thank you, Leah, but are you sure, she isn’t going to give you much personal space and she will be in a mood”.

“I’m sure, I’m in need of some Y/N cuddles anyway”.

Steph turned her head to face you, “Hey chook,” you lifted you head up off her shoulder and look up at her, she brushed some hair out of your face before she continued, “I need to go train, but Leah is going to stay with you, okay? And I promise I’ll come visit whenever we get a break.” You nodded slightly before you were passed off to the tall blonde girl, “Love you,” you Mum said as she placed a kiss on your forehead.

“Ready to head out?” Lia asked Steph.

“Yeah, okay” she replied, and they headed out to the training pitch.

_____

The team was playing some fun skill-based games in training today, they were spilt into teams, your Mum was in a team with Beth, Lia and Caitlin. It was when they went over to grab drinks that Beth asked your Mum a question, “Steph, are you okay?”

“Yeah, it’s just that Dean has gone away, and Y/N is getting sick and-” she stumbles back slightly.

“Woah, Steph, I think you need to sit down,” Lia says as she gently pushes her friend towards the benches.

“No, I can’t, I need to go to check on Y/N and-” she is interrupted by a stabbing pain in her head, she moves her hand up towards her head, with her thumb on her temple and index finger on her forehead she sighed out.

“Shit, I think Katie got you sick,” Caitlin remarked.

“I’ll go get a medic,” Beth said as she walked off.

“Steph, I really do think you need to sit down. Please?” Lia said softly to her friend, gaining concern.

“Yeah okay,” she gave in as she slumped down in a seat, “I can’t be getting sick, I need to look after Y/N” she said before she moved her elbows to rest on her legs, leaning slightly forward, holding her head in her hands, Lia sat herself down next to her and started rubbing her back.

_____

“Hey, what’s going on?” Leah said as the two Women walked in, Lia’s arm was wrapped around Steph’s shoulder’s, the tears in Steph’s eyes indicated that this wasn’t just a visit, but something else.

“Steph just isn’t feeling too well, why are you guys in here?”

“She felt very very hot and kept whimpering in her sleep, so I brought her in here to see if they could do something, and to see if they had children’s medicine which they did, she felt better after that, but is still very tired so we decided to stay here so she could sleep”.

“’m sorry Leah,” your Mum said as she slightly collapsed onto the bed, resting her head back and closing her eyes, you woke up instantly at the sound of your Mum’s voice which made Leah smirked.

“Mama, hug,” you said while making grabby hands in her direction.

“Your Mama’s not feeling well, what if you just stay here with me?”

“No, wan Mama hug” you pouted.

“Leah, its fine just give her here” Leah got up at your Mum’s words and ever so cautiously placed you on her chest, your Mum wrapped her arms around you and a flashed weak smile at the two Women.

As you snuggled into the comfort of your Mum you said, “I love you Mama,”

“I love you too chook,” your Mama gave you a slight squeeze, Leah and Lia frowned at each other when your Mum didn't give you a kiss, she always gave you a kiss if she said I love you, just to really show she did love you, so the fact she didn’t give you one but kept her eyes closed as her head rested back against the bed wasn’t a good sign.

“Hey Steph, where are your keys? We might go and get all your stuff packed up and the car ready and take you both home.” Lia asked your Mum.

“There in my training bag, I think”.

“Okay,” Lia said as she started to stand up “No, don’t go, stay, please”.

“Like mother like daughter I see, it’s okay, you stay, I’ll go get all our stuff and get the car ready, I’ll then come back for little miss, and you can help Steph out.”

_____

It’s now later in the day and Katie and Caitlin have come over to visit, they brought some things for you and your Mum, as they visited your apartment on the way over, they also brought dinner with them. You were sitting in your portable highchair at the table, the girls sitting around you, when you saw a familiar figure appearing.

“Mama,” you call out. “Hey chook” she replies before sitting down in the chair closest to her, resting her head on her arms on the table.

“Feeling any better? I think chook is.” Leah says.

“Worse, that’s good”.

“I’ll get you some more Panadol,” Lia said as she started to stand up.

“Don’t bother Lia, it didn’t help”.

“Bath, Bath” you chime, having now finished your dinner, bath time was quite possibly your favourite part of the day.

“I’ll take her, Wally, you want to come too. I have no clue where anything is” Katie says as she picks you up out of your highchair, Lia nods and starts to walk off, Katie followed her.

_____

“Hey, what’s wrong? Like what actually hurts.” Caitlin asked as she sat herself down on a chair next to Steph and placed a hand on her back.

“My head really hurts, and every time I move everything spins,”

“Is it another migraine?”

“Wait you get migraines, since when Steph? You know you don’t have to hide these things” Leah’s voice was laced with concern; she was uneasy with the fact her friend and teammate hadn’t felt like she could share this.

“Only recently, she’s only ever had 3 and they have all been at Matildas camps, but is it?” Caitlin filled in Leah for Steph, questioning her again.

“I think it might be, but I don’t feel sick,”

“Do you have your meds?”

“No, they’re at home”.

“Are they just strong pain meds,” Caitlin nods “Do you want some of mine? I mean they will be slightly different but like,” Leah offers.

“I don’t know” your Mum’s voice breaks, and her shoulders start shaking, an indication she is crying.

“Hey, it’s okay, maybe we should give them a go,” Caitlin says as she rubs her back trying to comfort her.

“Could I? If that’s okay” “Yeah, sure I’ll just go grab you two and some water.”

“Come on, lets get you to the couch you’ll be more comfortable there,” your Mum nods her head in response and Caitlin helps her get settled on the couch. Shortly after Leah comes back in, handing two pills and a bottle of water to your Mum.

“Thank you Le,” “No problem, anything else I can do for you?”

“No, not currently, I don’t think so. But thank you for looking after both Y/N and I today”.

_____

“She’s okay, she’s just down here, see” Katie says trying to calm you down, you were having fun in your bath until you realised your Mum wasn’t there, you immediately burst into tears at the realisation and kept asking to see her.

“Mama,” you cry out, voice still shaking from your cries, your Mum bolts her body up as an automatic response.

“Fuck,” she sighs out, the sudden movement caused the pain in her head to increase tenfold and sent a wave of nausea through her.

“It’s okay, you moved too fast, just lie back down,” Caitlin says as she helps your Mum lie back down.

“Cait,” “Are you going to be sick? I’ve got a bag here, so if you are its okay.” Caitlin was very good as this by now considering all 3 migraines your Mum had experienced were when she was sharing a room with Caitlin at camp. At camp you benefited from her migraines as you got to have a sleepover with Harper in her Mum’s room.

“No, I think, I’m going to be okay now.”

“Mama,” you say softly as you sniffle.

“I’m okay bubba, I’ve just got a bit of headache, that’s making me feel bad.” Your Mum softly informs you.

“Oh,”

“But do you want a hug chook?” You nod eagerly, “Okay come here then,” Katie puts you down and you toddle over to your Mum, Caitlin then helps you up onto the couch and you climb onto your Mum’s chest, snuggling in as she wraps you in a hug. “I love you chook” she says, before kissing you on the top of your head.

[losingmymindrn]

District Four's Market

𓆟 𓆜 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟𓆜

꒰ 🪸 ꒱ ࣪𓂂 ׅ Main shops:

Fish Market stalls: buys fish from the fishermen. Their stock is often common sea fish including blackfin tuna, bluefin tuna, redfish, red grouper, salmon, and king Marckerel. The capital had alternated most fish species to be able to live by District four, which is why there is many varieties of fish. Stalls often near the pier

Seashell sellers: they collect and sell seashells from the beach. All of their shells have to be full, non broken, and pretty. They sometimes have have dried out seastars, washed up urchins, and sand dollars. They have small buildings near the peir, sometimes more inland, but not often.

Ship repairs, wood: they repair old wooden pirate like ships before they embark on their journey out sea. They are paid by the government, but not much as wooden pirate ships aren't, in the captial's words, good enough in comparison to the metal ones. Little do they know, the most successful fishers have had more luck on wooden ships than metal. They are on the edges of docks and peirs, close to ships.

Ship repairs, metal: like the wooden boat repairs, they repair the metal fishing boats. They are given more money by the government, but their ships aren't the best repaired, which is why sailors use the wooden ships more often. Again, they are near the peir and docks.

Net stalls: they hand weave all types of nets. To keep them dry, they set up stalls more inland. The higher quality nets are sold in upper class areas.

Hooks and baits shops: nice, small buildings that sell hand crafted hooks and fish baits. Most hooks and baits shops don't have high quality products, but if you live in the upper class areas you will find better hooks, and sometimes rarer baits. They are all over district four.

boat shops: there is only 3 of these buildings, as the boats take a very long time to make. They are on pairs, so you can take your boat out the moment you get them.

Deep sea creature buildings: these make money. They buy lobsters, red crabs, oysters, squid and octopus. These are typically very expensive, so residents of district four have to be "wealthy" to be able to buy some. These shops are in high class areas.

miscellaneous items: these are most likely necklaces, messages in bottles, pieces of coral that wasn't wanted by seashell sellers, pendants, ships in bottles, books, maps of the sea, candles, or fables for children. Found everywhere.

Different types of food is found everywhere

꒰ 🪸 ꒱ ࣪𓂂 ׅ Black market, Skull and Bones territory:

Exotic fish: Saliors who fish up any exotic or weird creatures, sell them to these buyers, who in turn sell them to any brave person. In the deeper parts of the Black Market.

"bewitched" items: a monkey's paw, a large shark tooth, messages from pirates years ago, all things that may be considered cursed is found here. there is only one of these stalls, so if you want a cursed item you better get it fast.

prostitutes: the women, or men, desperate for money may become prostitutes. Buildings holding them are found at the middle of the Skull and Bones territory.

Bones: many types of bones are sold in the Skull and bone territory. There are shark jaws, fish skeletons, "mermaid tails", and rarely human bones. Stalls found in the back.

tonics: these are commonly made medicines that are needed. Found in the front of the black market.

Tattoo shops: Tattoos are huge in District Four. To get a tattoo, you must have a story to tell, and someone to back it up. They can tell if your lying. Found everywhere, only opens in night and early morning hours.

꒰ 🪸 ꒱ ࣪𓂂 ׅ Bars:

The Trench: District Four has many bars, but this is the most popular. This is a bar and diner with a stage for music or magic shows to be held. They have a variety of great tasting drinks and food. Saliors spend most of their free time here, sometimes they even bring their familes. Found close to the sea, free to enter.

Mermaid Cove: a less popular yet nice bar. This is for people 15 and up, as it's mainly drinking and gambling for pearls and coins. Found in the middle class area.

Davy Jone's locker: the most popular bar in the Skull and Bones territory. They sell drinks that are very questionable to drink. Some food, but not much. Found in the middle of the Skull and Bones territory

The Black Pearl: Has hard drinks that make you believe nothing is real. It has a dark, wet, and cold atmosphere. A popular bar in the Skull and Bones territory. It is found near the beach closest to the territory

I hope you like this^^

[askjingrandet]

Jin's Wisdom: Alcohol

Hey there everyone! For my first bit of wisdom the topic we'll be covering is alcohol. It's something I know I fair bit about and it's not a heavy subject so thought it would be great as a starter so let's get into it.

You don't have to pay a lot for alcohol to be good. Try a few different types to see you may find a surprising new favorite.

Always cook or bake with an alcohol that you like, I know Yves will agree with me on this one! The alcohol gets burned off when cooking/baking but the taste remains. If you use an alcohol you don't like the food isn't going to hide it and you'll have just wasted a bunch of ingredients, time and money.

When pairing alcohol and sweets generally speaking you want the alcohol to balance with the sweets, in wines case you want it to be sweeter than the treat. If you're drinking beer, spirits or a fuller bodied wine they go best with things like dark chocolate and caramel. Lighter bodied wines go good with milk or white chocolate and sour gummies. Really chocolate almost universally matches any alcohol, at least in mine and my admins opinion.

If we're talking proteins well red wine and beer go great with beef but so does whiskey. If your eating chicken other than white wines or Riesling you can go with pale ales or surprisingly enough Gin. Fish gets a bit more complicated, in general white wine is better than red because of the tannins. If you're having something like crab or lobster rum complements those bold flavors great. Vodka has no flavor so it won't compete with the subtleties of grilled fish. Gin goes great with smokes fish, it's floral notes pair really well with the char and earthiness. Then whiskey is for things like a good salmon or trout, brings some depth to them.

Alcohol tastes better when you enjoy it with friends, or a beautiful woman.

Drink slower, it'll help you recognize when you're having too much.

Alcohol won't solve our problems no matter how much we wish it would. It can cause some though so....

Always make sure to keep yourself hydrated when drinking it's really important and helps with hangovers.

Never drink, especially the hard stuff, on an empty stomach.

Don't mix drinking with riding a horse, driving a carriage or with taking medicines an apothecary gives you. All of those things can be super dangerous for not just you but others.

Don't get into drinking contests, especially with Luke or Silvio. I mean have you seen those two drink?

My last bit of wisdom, stop picking on people who don't drink or try to force them to drink or even worse try to sneak alcohol into their non alcoholic drinks. It's not cool, they hate it and it can even be dangerous depending on why they aren't drinking. And no, you're not entitled to an explanation of why just take their No and move on from it.

I hope you all enjoyed my first tidbits of wisdom.

Admin here: PSA time, if you or anyone you know has a problem with alcohol and needs support look for your local Al Anon program or check online for other resources in your area.

[prize-pig-collection]

The year is 1978. In the US, a gallon of gas costs about 65 cents. Star Wars is just a single movie that came out last year. Garfield has just gone into national syndication. The B-52s record ���Rock Lobster”.

Also in 1978, 45 years ago, Jon Brower Minnoch weighed in at 1,400 pounds. All these decades later, and that’s still the record for the fattest person ever (as far as we know).

There’s been sooo much innovation has there been in technology to enable laziness; in medicine to enable survival in larger, more overburdened bodies; and most importantly, in the junk food and fast food industries to create food that’s more delicious and fattening than ever. And still 1,400 lbs is the best we can do?!

Unacceptable! Someone please take on the challenge of obliterating this record once and for all 😤

[smudgingpumpkins]

13.09.2023

Hericium americanum

-Commonly known as Bear's Head or Bear's Tooth-

Where: Northeastern US & Canada

Grows in deciduous/hardwood forests from living and decaying trees. Typically from oak and birchwood.

When: August-November

My friends and I found this little guy in September at Molly's Falls State Park, located in Cabot and Marshfield, Vermont.

There are many ways to consume this edible mushroom, but since we had been camping for weeks, due to our lack of resources we simply just intensely fried them in olive oil with salt and pepper seasoning. Nonetheless, it was super delicious!

----------

Appearance:

Bear's Head are relatively large mushrooms that grow 15-30 cm in diameter (6-11 inches) in compact clusters. It looks like thick, tufty, and smooth icicles or teeth that branch downwards. Bear's Head mushrooms are initially white in color when young and become more yellow as they age.

This mushroom releases spores through its "teeth," rather than gills or pores.

Taste:

The Bear's Tooth mushroom is known for having a tender, mild seafood-like taste, most akin to a slight crab or lobster flavor. It is best to pick these mushrooms while they are young and white because it becomes more bitter as the mushroom ages. When cooked, Bear's Tooth becomes brown in color.

This mushroom contains fiber, protein, antioxidants, and vitamin D!

You should ALWAYS cook wild mushrooms for the safest outcome, even if they are known to be edible. Bear's Head works well with sautéing, frying, and even baking.

I have heard that these mushrooms work really well as crab or lobster substitutes. Try them in crab cakes, seafood tacos, and soups! Its fishy, meaty flavor pairs well with butter, garlic, shallots, and lemon.

Medicinal Uses:

It is believed (by tribes in the northern parts of North America) that Bear's Head mushrooms, as well as other Hericium, can be utilized to treat bleeding wounds in their dried or powdered form, due to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

There has been some research that shows that certain properties of Hericium can stimulate the synthesis of the NGF protein, which aids with improving memory and mood, and prevents brain cells from dying. This means that it can help prevent or combat Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases.

In Japan, clinical tests have shown that Hericium's antibacterial properties helped with the treatment of gastrointestinal issues such as stomach ulcers, chronic gastritis, Crohn's Disease, and esophageal cancer.

Of course, these mushrooms do not substitute medical attention and prescriptions. Further research is needed, and these studies only show that Hericium helps with treating symptoms--it is not a cure.

----------

** Bear's Head/Tooth is commonly confused to be synonymous with the Lion's Mane mushroom. However, these mushrooms are not the same species but are very closely related in the genus Hericium.

Bear's Head has longer branching fruiting bodies than the Lion's Mane. It looks more like melting candlewax whereas Lion's Mane looks more like a pom pom. The Coral Tooth Mushroom is also closely related, but as in the name, it has much shorter branches that look very much like corals.

Here is a good chart by the website Real Mushrooms:

[rickybowensfever]

Sick on Belly's Birthday

NEW FIC ALERT (The crowd goes wild)

“What a coincidence, you’re sick today” Belly scoffed as Conrad walked into the kitchen in a black robe with rosy cheeks holding a digital thermometer in his hand.

Conrad looked at her giving a side eye, “I can’t just plan to have” he looked down at the thermometer in his hands, “an 102-degree fever” he barked, squinting at the thermometer in disbelief.

Laurel stood by the kitchen island, preparing breakfast. She stopped stirring the pancake batter in a mixing bowl and looked up at him. She frowned then pointed at him, “No way, mister. Back to bed. I’ll have someone bring up some medicine and fluids” then gestured her pointer finger toward the front of the house where the steps to the bedroom were.

Conrad groaned. “But Laurel, I have to help my mom for dinner. She’s making a lobster dinner and needs me to shuck the corn and ---”

Laurel sighed, slumping her shoulders. “Honey, Steven and Jeremiah are more than capable of helping out. You go rest” she commanded.

Conrad sighed in defeat and nodded, obeying Laurel’s orders. He took some medicine from the cabinet and turned, walking out of the kitchen and back to bed. 

Conrad knew being sick on Belly’s birthday sounded suspicious given their fight the night before. When she came in from her date, he was in the kitchen taking a pain reliever for the killer headache he was at war with which unfortunately turned into a fever throughout the night. The headache came on when they left Laurel’s book signing and got worse when they got to the drive-in. He stuck it out until the throbbing became constant. 

When Conrad got sick, he was usually quiet, stubborn, and irritable. He tried his best to hide it from everyone so as to not bother them and bring attention to himself. After ending the night with Cam, Belly walked into the kitchen smiling as she thought about  how great the night was. Those thoughts quickly dissipated when she saw Conrad standing by the kitchen island drinking a glass of water. The mere sight of him made her furious. Her blood boiled as the embarrassing moment replayed in her head like a movie. 

After Laurel’s book signing, the boys decided to go to the drive-in to embarrass Belly on her date with Cam. Her first date. She was mortified when they pulled in next to them.

She and Conrad started to argue when he made a sly remark about it. The two exchanged some cruel insults that either could take back now.

“It all makes sense,” Belly said under her breath.  Conrad’s irritability should’ve been her first sign that something was off. However, she still held a little belief that he was trying to avoid her at all costs, even if it was her birthday. Of course, if he was *really* ill, that  didn’t excuse his  choice of words stabbing her in the heart last night.  His irritability was all too familiar. She should’ve put the pieces together. 

“Bells, relax. I can vouch for him. He really wasn’t feeling great after we drove home from the drive-in. He almost fainted in my car” Jeremiah said, recounting the events of the night before. 

The sheer  mention caused Belly to shoot him daggers with her eyes, furrowing her brow. Jeremiah put his hands up in defense and muttered a “sorry”. 

“Maybe it’s his guilty conscience then,” Belly said, scoffing at Jeremiah. He shrugged his shoulders, not wanting to debate his brother’s health. 

FLASHBACK - The Night Before (Int. Jere’s car) 

As they made their way back to the house, Conrad leaned his head on the window, sitting in the backseat. The cold window hitting his face felt nice against his pounding head. 

Steven turned to face his friend and noticed he was pale as a ghost. "You okay? You look like you're gonna pass out" the rowdy boy shouted from the passenger seat making Conrad groan. Steven laughed loudly over the music playing from the car’s radio. Jeremiah chuckled at Steven. “Don’t worry, we’ll be home soon” he announced, turning into their neighborhood. Conrad groaned, “Can you turn that down?” he said, pointing to the radio. 

“Sure thing” his younger brother said, turning down the dial. Jeremiah never knew when he could take Steven seriously as he was always joking around. So once he  stopped at a stop sign, he looked into the rearview mirror and to see exactly what Steven was talking about. 

His older brother lay his head against the window holding the temples of his head, his complexion pale. It was hard to see through the darkness, the only light they had to rely on was from the street lights. Conrad’s face illuminated from the street light that shined on the car. Jere  looked down at his cup holders and saw a plastic water bottle half empty. 

He looked down Jeremiah pouted his lip in suspicion and acted quickly. “Yo, pass this back” he commanded Steven. 

The boy complied, turning toward the back of the car and tapped Conrad on his knee. Conrad looked up in confusion and grabbed the water from Steven’s hand. He nodded a thank you and began to chug the last of the water. 

Once Jeremiah saw his brother was hydrating, he continued driving. 

“Where’s Connie?” Susannah immediately asked as she stepped into the kitchen noticing her oldest son was the only one missing from the pack.

Laurel sighed, standing by the stove as she flipped the last birthday pancake. “I sent him back to bed about twenty minutes ago. He’s running a fever of one hundred and two. Poor guy, he looked awful. It must be the flu” she explained, remembering his rosy cheeks and hoarse voice.

Susannah stood quietly before answering, scanning the room. She knew something was up last night when Conrad went to bed early and was quieter than usual after they all came home from Laurel’s book event. He had been acting differently since April, but this was different. 

Susannah put a hand on her hip, “That bad? I need him to help me make dinner” she said in a disappointed tone.

Laurel rolled her eyes, turning off the stove and grabbing the plate of pancakes to serve. “Jere and Steven will help you,” she barked, putting her hand on each of their shoulders. 

“Let the boy rest, Beck” she began, remembering his blood shot eyes and rosy cheeks from moments ago. “We’d hate for him to get anyone else sick, right?” Laurel added. 

“Yeah! We’ll help, Mom” Jeremiah said, smiling a big toothy grin at her from his seat at the breakfast bar where he finished signing Belly’s card. Susannah returned the smile. “Like I told Belly, he wasn’t feeling great in the car on the way home last night” he mentioned, adding to Conrad’s credibility. 

“Yeah! He almost passed out in the backseat!” Steven added. [Everyone groaned]

Susannah pouted her lip and sighed, “I’m sorry. You’re right, I thought he was acting a little strange last night. Let’s hope it’s just a 24-hour bug. We can’t have everyone getting sick around here, especially before The Ball” she said as she turned toward Belly with a smile. “Belly! Happy Sweet 16, love!” and started talking about the festivities in store for the day.

Conrad didn’t expect to wake up to his younger brother barging into his room. After barely sleeping the night before, when he got back to his room that morning, he melted into his bed and dozed off. Despite the feverish chills that felt like they were never ending, he was relieved to finally get some rest. Until he was rudely awakened by the sound of his bedroom door flinging wide open.

Conrad jolted out of bed and awoke with anxiety. 

“Sorry!” Jere whispered. Now he was quiet.

“What’s up?” Conrad croaked, looking his younger brother directly in the eyes. Conrad’s complexion was pale and flushed, his cheeks were pink, his blue eyes glassy, and the bags under his eyes were dark.

Jeremiah was in his swimsuit, holding a tray of sick supplies.  “Mom and Laurel sent me to check on you. Man, you look rough” he said, examining his brother’s complexion. The younger boy placed the tray of supplies on his brother’s bed — a bottle of Cold & Flu medicine, a reusable water bottle filled to the brim with cold water, a box of tissues, some honey-medicated cough drops, and a cold compress. 

Conrad rolled his eyes, lying back down and pulling the covers on top of him, covering his head, “I think I have the flu” he muttered. 

“Yeah, you’re pretty sick,” Jeremiah added. He frowned as he saw his brother in distress, shivering under the covers. He took the cold compress and leaned over his brother’s body trying to find his forehead under the comforter. Jeremiah grabbed the comforter and attempted to pull them down.

Of course, Conrad fought him. “Dude, c’mon. I’m trying to help you. You’re running a high fever. This will really help” Jeremiah cried, trying to be as patient as he could.

“Fine,” he mumbled. Conrad slightly pulled the covers out from under his head allowing Jeremiah to place the compress onto his brother’s sweltering hot forehead. The heat radiated off of him like a portable heater. 

Jeremiah frowned. He felt bad for his older brother that he was this ill and worse, missing out on the fun outside. 

“Thank you” Conrad whispered, his teeth chattering.

“Do you need anything else?” Jeremiah asked, smiling softly as he tried to comfort his brother.

“Sleep,” Conrad said and began to yawn. He pulled the covers over top of himself once again.

Before he left, Jeremiah explained, “Sounds good. Rest up! We’ll be in the pool. Call or text me if you need anything,” he said. “I’m leaving everything here if you need it. Hydrate!” he gestured to everything he left on the nightstand. 

“Love you, man. Feel better” were his parting words as he silently closed the door.

##

Finally, Jeremiah met everyone in the backyard at the pool. 

Laurel and Susannah sat lounging on chairs wearing their bathing suits, watching the kids laughing and splashing around in the water. 

He waved at everyone swimming in the pool as he walked over to his mother and Laurel. 

“How is he?” Laurel immediately asked. 

Standing in front of them, he shrugged. “Oof. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him that sick” he grimaced, remembering his brother’s feverish condition from minutes ago.

Laurel frowned. “Poor guy. He’ll feel better when the fever breaks,” she said, hoping putting a positive sentiment out into the universe would come true.

Jeremiah ran over to the pool to join Belly, Steven, and Taylor. He ran and held his knees as he hit the water in a cannonball, splashing everyone and making them scream. He and Steven laughed at the girl's misery as a splash fest broke out. 

Although they weren’t on good terms, Belly could feel Conrad’s absence. On one hand, she was happy he wasn’t here to dampen the mood on her sixteenth birthday but the other half of her felt sad. Turning sixteen is a special moment, one she envisioned spending with him. She looked up at the house to the window where his bedroom was as if any second he would open the window and see her. 

Alas as the sun went down, she realized that fantasy was dead. 

### 

That night, Susannah and Laurel suggested they all play board games and watch rom-com flicks on Netflix. As Belly defeated Jeremiah in Battleship as Clueless played on the TV, suddenly they heard faint footsteps. Everyone turned to see who it was. 

Conrad stood in the kitchen waiting for the toaster to go off. 

“Connie,” Laurel said softly, “What’re you doing out of bed?” she asked, getting up from the couch and walking toward the kitchen. 

Conrad ran his hand through his hair and looked at Laurel, his eyes glassy. “I took some Tamiflu and it said to eat with it. Plus, I just needed to get out of bed” he said, looking back at the toaster where the waffle he placed was mere seconds away from popping up.  

Laurel pouted her lip. She wasn’t thrilled about him getting out of bed since she didn’t want this spreading to the rest of the house. Albeit, it was inevitable as he had been contagious a couple days prior. Laurel pressed her cold palm on his forehead; still warm to the touch. “Have you checked your temp at all? You don’t feel as hot as before, " she mentioned.  

Conrad nodded. He hadn’t even thought about checking on his fever, despite realizing the chills had temporarily gone away. He had been in and out of sleep all day, only waking up to blow his nose or drink water. 

The waffle was finally ready. Laurel stepped in the way, grabbing a plate from the cabinet. “I’m sorry honey, but I don’t want anyone else to catch this. Please go get back in bed and I’ll bring this up, okay?” she said, feeling bad but knowing her decision had good intentions. 

Conrad groaned but he was too achy and tired to put up a fight. So he nodded and did as she said and walked himself back to bed. 

Four Days Later

A few days later, Conrad was starting to feel like himself again. His fever had broken that morning and he was in good spirits. But that could just be the medication doing its trick. 

He walked into the kitchen where Belly sat eating a caesar salad and scrolling on her phone watching TikTok and giggling to herself. Conrad opened the refrigerator to reheat some leftover chicken noodle soup. He turned and looked at the girl then turned toward the microwave, placing the bowl in, closing the microwave door and setting a 1 minute timer. 

Belly avoided eye contact. She was still annoyed with him from their argument after the drive-in ambush. But that didn’t stop her from looking up at him when his back was turned. 

Conrad turned away from the microwave and looked at Belly. Her head down looking at her phone. That wasn’t good for her neck, he thought. 

“Hey, happy birthday. I was so out of it that day, I realized I never said it” the boy said in a low voice.  

Belly looked up at him and gave a thin-lipped smile then looked back at her phone, scrolling to a TikTok of a dog jumping in a pool. She let out a loud laugh, tapping her phone to like the video. 

Her mother had told her earlier that Conrad was feeling better, so she shouldn’t be surprised if she finally saw him after days of being cooped up in bed. She hated to admit that she…missed him even if she was still furious at him. She hated seeing him ill. 

Conrad looked back at the timer on the microwave. It had about 30 seconds left. He looked around the kitchen, noticing Jeremiah cleaning the pool out the window. 

Conrad ran a hand through his hair as the awkward silence lingered. Finally, the microwave dinged and he took the bowl of soup out of the microwave. He opened a drawer to get a spoon and walked over to a seat at the kitchen island away from Belly. 

Since his fever broke and he had been taking medicine routinely, he was no longer contagious but he still didn’t want to risk anything. He blew on the soup as steam radiated from it and waited for it to cool down, then took a couple bites.  

“That’s it?” Belly finally said, getting angry now. Conrad looked at her, his eyebrow furrowed and puzzled look in his eyes. 

“Huh?” he replied, coughing, catching them in his elbow,  releasing the phlegm from his chest. 

She walked over to him and touched his cool forehead once he stopped coughing and  sat up. Conrad raised his eyebrows, 

“What are you doing?” he barked. 

“Checking to see if you’re delirious! Seriously, not even an apology? Jere apologized! And you can’t?” she shouted, stuffing her phone in the pocket of her sweat shorts. 

Conrad shook his head and sniffled. He was feeling better but he was still congested and his throat was sore. He touched his temples as his head ached from the motion. 

Even though he started to feel a lot better, Laurel demanded he take it easy in order for his body to fully fight off the virus which meant he had to cancel his sailing lessons with Cleveland for the next week and no surfing. The only surfing he would be doing is channel surfing through various streaming platforms and/or just scrolling on his phone watching IG Reels from his favorite surfers. 

“Belly. C’mon. We can talk” he said, getting up from the chair. 

Suddenly, he felt hot and his vision got blurry. He looked down and gripped the counter, trying to balance himself. He stood in place looking down at the ground as shadows started to move around his vision. He immediately closed his eyes, trying to stop the sensation. 

“Woah” he muttered and sat back down, taking a sip of water from his reusable water bottle. 

Belly turned and frowned as she saw the boy struggle.

“Um, are you okay?” she asked, immediately her tone filled with concern. 

Belly ran over to him.

Conrad released a train of hacking coughs, catching them in his elbow and took another long sip of water when the coughing fit came to a halt. 

“Yeah, I just got a little dizzy,” he said, putting his cold water bottle up to his forehead to dissipate the hotness that overcame him. 

Belly ran over to the sink, turned on the cold water and wet a rag. 

He groaned. “Ugh, I don’t feel good,” he moaned, mumbling to himself. 

“I thought you were feeling better” she mocked, a hand on her hip, smirking at him. 

Conrad looked up at her realizing she heard him complaining. “I thought I was” he barked back, “Guess not” he swallowed and winced, the pain panged at his throat. 

He groaned as the water barely helped. “I’m feel really hot ” he mentioned just as Belly laid a cold rag on the back of his neck. He sighed in relief. 

“This will help. You’re probably dehydrated” she mentioned, speaking the medical language from doctors that come across her TikTok For You Page every so often. 

Conrad looked up at her, his eyes still glassy and he drank more water. He set his water down and looked at the soup still steaming. Suddenly, he didn’t have an appetite. It came on all at once, he was fatigued, his body ached, and he felt miserable. 

Belly frowned looking at him. The flu took at least a week or two to recover from and he was only on day four. It was inevitable that he would crash and burn.  

“I think the medicine’s wearing off” he muttered, yawning. 

“Oh, you poor baby. Let’s get you over to the couch” she suggested running a hand through his matted hair. Conrad nodded and followed her, holding his water bottle. 

Belly grabbed a blanket as he slowly began to lie down. She laid the blanket over top of him and sat down beside him. 

“I thought you were mad,” he said, sniffling. 

Belly scoffed. “Conrad, I’m still mad. I’m pissed at you, actually. But I’m not going to make you suffer through the flu. I think that’s punishment enough” she said laughing to herself. 

Conrad smiled. “I’m sorry. I deserve it. I was being an asshole. I shouldn’t have said any of those things  to you. I didn’t mean them, honest. ” he said in a low voice. 

Belly smiled at his sentiments, “Why don’t we talk when you’re feeling better?” she said, patting him on the leg. Conrad yawned and nodded, agreeing to her statement. 

“I feel like shit” he said, pulling the blanket up further to his collarbone and coughing into his shoulder.

“I know. The flu really sucks. I’m sorry” she said, frowning again. 

“Why don’t you try and get some sleep. It’s quiet” she suggested. The house was empty for the most part. The boys were working at the club while Susannah and Laurel were at the beach. Conrad nodded at her statement and closed his heavy eyes. 

Belly  smiled. She hated being mad at him but she could give him a break just this once. But once he was feeling better, she wouldn’t let his crabby attitude slide.  

[asknarashikari]

Break times over, now we leave Earth and head to Chikyu, where the King-Ohgers were given some bug-themed Cybertronians. The assigned ones are based on the Shugods with some extras.

The King-Ohgers' assigned Cybertronians:

Gira: Shrapnel the electrical sadist stag beetle with a verbal tic, the nigh-invulnerable and heavily armed Tripledacus comprised of DJ the cheerful and carefree cicada, Gimlet the young performer lobster, and Motorarm the cheerful and strong rhinoceros beetle, and Drill Nuts the inventor boll weevil.

Yanma: Tonbot the zany goofball dragonfly, Antagony the ruthless and loyal ant, and Retrax the desert demolition expert and coward at heart pill bug.

Himeno: Mantis the irritable loner praying mantis, BW Sandstorm the mysterious and lying tan scorpion, and Powerhug the kind and strong pill bug.

Rita: Skywasp the cruel and petty black and purple wasp, Kickback the smooth-talking and backstabbing grasshopper, and Bigmos the pacifistic mosquito.

Kaguragi: Buzz Saw the feared and respected yellow jacket bee, and Bombshell the master of the mind-warping cerebro-shells and reckless rhinoceros beetle.

Jeramie: Crystal Widow the somber and hopeless technorganic spider, Blackwidow the insane and traitorous spider and sister to her kinder sister on Earth, Blackarachnia, and Scissor Boy the careful and considerate earwig,

Racles: BW Inferno the fanatically loyal and arsonist fire ant with no regard for his life, Scarem the cold and calculating European stag beetle, and the powerful Tripredacus comprised of Ram Horn the stubborn and strong Japanese rhinoceros beetle, Sea Clamp the sadistic and stoic lobster and Cicadacon the old, cruel and clever cicada.

The 7 King-Ohgers are meeting with each other but this is interrupted by some of their assigned Cybertronians arguing on who is the best of the 7 King-Ohgers.

Shrapnel: I'm telling you, Gira is the best, (best). He's red and humble, (humble).

Tonbot: No, it's Yanma. Guy's blue and quite smart compared to the others.

Mantis: Your both wrong, it's Himeno. She's yellow, great with medicine and quite generous.

Skywasp: You're all wrong, it's Rita. They're purple and ruthless but have a soft spot for the one known as Moffun.

Buzz Saw: All you are wrong, it's Kaguragi. He's a black ranger and a gentle giant but is master of deception unlike those other goobers.

Crystal Widow: Please, it's obviously Jeramie. He's a white ranger, has a way words that I like and is a pacifist that just wants Bugnarack to coexist with mankind.

BW Inferno: No, all you wrong, best one is queen Racles. He silver, have good redemption and is best unlike the others.

The 7 continue to argue but before it gets physical, the King-Ohgers stop them and decide to settle who is right by making an event out of it. After setting up the arena and inviting all of Chikyuu to witness this event along with the commentators being Kickback and Bombshell for extra flare, they call for the fighters.

Bombshell: In the red corner and representing Gira, it's the sadistic and twisted stag beetle himself, Shrapnel!

Shrapnel: Prepare to taste the thunder, (thunder)!

Kickback: In the blue corner and representing Yanma, it's the easily excited and fast dragonfly, Tonbot!

Tonbot: Fear the swiftness of a dragonfly!

Bombshell: In the yellow corner and representing Himeno, it's easily irritated praying mantis, Mantis!

Mantis: You wouldn't like when I'm angry.

Kickback: In the purple corner and representing Rita, he's petty, he's a purple wasp, it's Skywasp!

Skywasp: You're not ready for my tricks.

Bombshell: In the black corner and representing Kaguragi, he's the mysterious and feared yellow jacket, it's Buzz Saw!

Buzz Saw: Sting like a bee.

Kickback: In white corner and representing Jeramie, she's somber but don't mess with this spider, it's Crystal Widow!

Crystal Widow: Just because I'm hopeless, doesn't mean I can't kick your ass.

Kickback and Bombshell in unison: In the silver corner and representing Racles, he's loyal and likes fire, it's everybody's favorite fire ant, Inferno!

BW Inferno: I fight for my queen, no matter what.

The fight begins and they all start to trade blows and it seems like it's an even between all seven. When the dust finally settles only one stands above the rest.

Kari-chan, out of all the seven, who do you think is the last one standing and the winner, and what are the King-Ohgers reaction to seeing which representative of theirs one while the others lost?

As the Americans say, I plead the fifth... except to say whatever the outcome is it will just cause more chaos

(Honestly though I just cannot say who would win lol)

[ravenous-magician]

Marcille had many sleepless nights while exploring various dungeons, usually due to fear or it being too cold, but thankfully she had developed a spell that could ease those feelings and induce sleep. This spell has worked just fine, as it instantly knocked her out and made sure she would stay out without waking up due to these factors, but this is the first time she had restlessness due to a stomach ache.

The party had vanguished a lobster type monster just in time for dinner, which led Senshi to decide on a lobster alfredo for their meal using some cockatrice eggs they had in reserve. Marcille was ecstatic at this. Sure, she still hated the idea of eating monsters, but this creature they had defeated looks almost exactly like a lobster! Y'know, besides it being the size of laios and the extra face feelers. And besides, she had grown up with pasta dishes and was ready to help out with the cooking! Marcille had never made pasta from scratch before, but before she knew it she was making plenty of dough from the basilisk eggs. Too much, in fact, as the size of the eggs plus the size of the lobster left them with Senshi's pot to be completely filled with the pasta, even after the party had taken their dent out of it.

After such a heavy meal, Laios had wrapped up all the left overs into seperate, meal sized portions using medicinal leaves he had found early. The party then said their goodnights before turning in, with the chosen person to take first shift of guard duty being... Marcille? She rarely ever offers to take any guard shift, much less the first of the night, and yet something was shifting inside of her alongside the alfredo. This had been one of the best meals she had ever had period. The rich lobster meat, the creamy sauce, the noodles that gave a bit of chew, it was all so perfect that when eating it she had to stop herself from practically inhaling it all down, and left her wanting for more.

She had to do this in the night. Marcille is a classy lady who never over indulges, is the appearance she would like to maintain. That, and if she showed how much this meal had a hold over her it would just make Laios and Senshi more embolded to try and feed her more awful monsters, which made her stomach churn just thinking about it. After making sure everyone was asleep, she had taken one of the wrapped meals and started to dig in again, this time caring a little less for appearance as she quite literally inhaled some of it down, not even caring to chew. Despite being left overs, each serving was still huge, with the wrapped meal that Marcille took being just a bit smaller than her head. None of this mattered of course, as the mage just enjoyed her second wind.

Marcille had slowed down a bit after her initial feasting, as her current meal was still having to contest with her dinner. Her taut stomach was rounding out from all the food, giving her a little pot belly that was fairly noticeable due to her robe being fairly fitting. The deep grumbles of her overworked stomach had become fairly audible, a hand on her gut letting you feel it all churn and get mulched down. The mage had stopped to let out a few burps here and there, not wanting to wake anybody up while she continues her feast. Once she had gotten to the point where the wrapped pasta was only slightly bigger than her fist, Marcille heard shifting coming from Chilchucks sleeping bag.

"Crap! I spent too much time eating!!" Marcille couldn't just be caught like this, the embarressment would kill her! So, without hesistation, or really any forethought, she had used both hands to stuff the remaining leaf wrapped pasta into her mouth and down her throat.

"Hey Marcille, it's my shift now. Get some rest."

Chilchuck saw Marcilles backside from where he was, only seeing her left hand in front of her as her right came up in a thumbs up, all while not looking at him. The reason Marcille didn't turn at all from her knealing position was due to the fact that she could hardly move. Her face was scrunched in pain as the fist sized rock slowly moved down her throat while her hand was preemptively calming her gut, until evenetually...

guluuuoarrn....

The package had been delivered, her stomach visibly increasing in size as the wrapped meal joins the sludge already being worked on. Her stomach groaning as an airy belch comes out of Marcilles mouth.

"Uh, yeah, good night then. And if you throw up, please do it away from the camp this tike okay?" Chilchuck, who had been non the wiser as to what just happened, turned his back and began carving wood into nothing while sitting at the fire. This left Marcille to be able to carefully move her sleeping bag farther away than it was originally, and get into bed as her stomach sloshed and moaned. This all leading into Marcilles restless night, drool coming out of her mouth as she rubbed her taut stomach, realizing that the edible wrapping Laios found was only digestable after being cooked. It's unfortunate that she knew very little gastronomy magic, as that was more of Falins deal. All Marcille could do now was try her best to sleep and digest it all before morning. As well as try and push down this strange feeling she felt in the pit of her gut, that seemed to crave more.

[survey--s]

469.

What is the best part of your life?  I feel like I’m in it, to be honest. I’m married, healthy, happy, child-free, earning a decent income and have no real stresses to worry about.

Do you care about gun laws? Not really, in the sense that I live in the UK and we have gun restrictions in place already. Knife crime is a MUCH bigger thing here and you can’t really legislate against that as much, for obvious reasons.

Would you ever consider getting a facial piercing? I’ve had my nose pierced for about a decade but I’m not really interested in any others.

Do you listen to '80s metal? Sure, I listen to songs from loads of different genres and decades.

Do you like acoustic or electric guitar better? Acoustic, though it does depend on how it’s being played.

What was the last major city you visited? Manchester.

Have you taken a painkiller today? Nope.

Have you ever had a pumpkin latte and if so, did you like it? I have - they’re decent enough but I wouldn’t go out of my way to get one - it’s just something I order if they happen to be available at the time.

Are you currently in a relationship? If so, do you think it will last? Yes, and yes - I wouldn’t have married him if I didn’t think that.

Have you ever been camping in the wilderness? No. Part of me quite likes the idea of sleeping under the stars and having a campfire, but I suspect the reality is somewhat different lol.

Did your parents go to college? If so, what did they study? Yeah - my dad studied medicine and my mum studied nursing, though she originally wanting to be an archaeologist.

Name the strangest game you’ve ever played (video game or real game): I don’t know - nothing specific is coming to mind.

Would you pay if your dog needed an operation? Yeah, of course I would. That’s what insurance and credit cards are for lol.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve seen in a grocery store? Live lobsters in a tank for sale.

Have you ever met any bands/band members before? Yeah, a few people.

What states have you been to in the past year? Zero.

Have you ever fostered an animal? No - I’d struggle to give them back lol.

Who did you last talk to in Facebook chat? My mum.

What do you think of guys wearing colored skinny jeans? People can where whatever they want.

Would you ever get blonde highlights? Sure, I got highlights a lot as a teenager.

Will you go to your high school reunion? Fuck no.

What animal have you always wanted as a pet but couldn’t have? Sugar gliders.

Have you ever been in a hospital and not felt safe? No, thankfully not.

What’s the highest fever you’ve ever had? I have no idea, I haven’t taken my temperature since I was about eight.

One thing you promised yourself you’d never do and then did? Quit my job without another one lined up. I’ve done that twice now lol.

Have you ever had to call 911? Yeah, twice for a client who was an alcoholic and in withdrawal.

Do you get along with your significant other’s friends? He doesn’t really have any friends, but the ones I know are nice enough.

Are you one of those people who will not use a public washroom? No, I use one pretty much everyday when I’m working.

What is something that you do often with your family? Go for walks.

Do you enjoy the sound of crickets at night and birds in the morning? Yeah, as long as they’re not keeping me awake or waking me up lol.

Do you need a haircut? I do.

What is the most expensive gift you have ever given someone? Uh, no idea - nothing much as I’m broke lol.

Have you ever taken pictures in a photo booth? Yeah, when I was younger.

Do you feel bad when you kill bugs? Not really.

Do you like animal print things? No.

Do you have any pets that you had since you were born? No, we never had pets growing up.

Are all your pets micro chipped? The dog is and so is Purrlock as he was a rescue, but the others aren’t.

Would you ever cope in a jail? I mean, I’d do my best.

Have you ever seen an alligator in person? Yeah, at the zoo.

Are you a liberal? I’m more liberal than conservative.

Were you fearless or a coward in the face of the child hunter in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang? I don’t even remember seeing that film. I must have done but it really doesn’t stick in my memory at all.

Did you ever hit anything while learning to drive? Yeah, but nothing major - just the curb a few times and maybe a rock?

Have you or a pet ever gotten a tapeworm? No, thankfully not.

Do you know any furries? Yeah - well, we’re acquaintances rather than anything else.

Do you snore? Steal the covers? Roll around in your sleep? I am guilty of all three of those things lol.

Is the lion the best character in The Wizard of Oz? I liked the Tin Man.

Would you immediately look for someone right after you broke up with your bf/gf? I mean, I wouldn’t do it intentionally, but I met Mike very quickly after I ended things with Chris and it worked out well lol.

Have you ever studied any new age or occult religions such as Wicca? No.

Do you want someone aggressive or passive in bed? More aggressive than passive.

Are you someone who actually likes to babysit children? No, not really. I’d rather dog-sit.

Do you find any of your friends’ parents creepy or really mean? No.

Who did you last have over your house, and why were they there? Uhh, I have no idea - we pretty much never have people over lol.

Recently, who in your house has gotten on your nerves the most? I only live with Mike and he annoyed me last night by keeping me up until 2am with his ridiculous snoring.

Ever kissed a friend’s crush? No.

If something was wrong who is the first girl you would go to? My mum.

What do you dislike about your smile? I just feel like it looks really awkward.

Have you ever kissed in the snow? Yeah.

Have you ever liked a football player? Yeah, one of my ex’s was really into football.

Has the last person you kissed taken their shirt off in front of you? Yeah.

Are you good at hiding your feelings? It depends on the situation.

When was your first kiss? I was eleven and a half.

What’s your most popular post? None of them, but I don’t post on here to be popular.

Is anyone in your family over six feet tall? My maternal granddad was about 6′4″ or something, apparently.

Has anyone lost their virginity to you? Yes.

What improvement would be the most beneficial to your life right now? An unlimited supply of money would be amazing thanks.

Have you ever merged finances with a significant other? Nope. We’re married and still have separate finances and bank accounts.

What’s the least amount you’ve weighed since reaching your full height? I have absolutely no idea.

What were your high school’s team colors? Dark blue, pale blue and white.

Who were your best friends in high school? Linnet, Agnes, Kirsty, Fiona and Becca.

Have you ever been to Chicago? No, I’ve never been to the US.

Are you close with your cousins? Nope.

Are you close to any aunts or uncles? No. That’s what happens when you’re raised on the opposite side of the world to all your family lol.

What was your favorite thing to do at sleepovers when you were younger? Gossip, watch movies, tell ghost stories, have midnight feasts, dance, play games - the usual stuff, really.

Does your town have a big fountain in it? No.

What’s your favorite rock band? The Beatles.

Who’s your favorite country singer? Dolly Parton.

Has your hair color changed since you were a toddler? No.

[libertyreads]

I looked it up and, apparently, the only new 5 star reads I’ve had this year are: Lobster is the Best Medicine by Liz Climo and Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. I’m so fucking stingy with 5 stars because to me a 5 star represents a favorite of all time. Before that, my last 5 star read was The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch on July 13th, 2021.

[narrators-journal]

Slides monster verse keioji to you for you to do whatever with

This might be hot GARBAGE, but writing is so much easier for me while I’m sick, and I wanted to get SOMETHING out to get that joy I get from scratching something off of the to-do list lol.

If you’re worried I won’t get to ur ask, don’t worry! I will! I’m just kinda sick these past few days to the point that I can’t really move from bed. I’m taking medicine now, tho. So hopefully I’ll get through this soon…

CW: gore, horror, I try my best to be scary lol. Stalking is lightly implied, but considering this is for my honeybee, I didn’t really bother with stretching it out longer with excrutiating detail on that. So! U can read it however u want, just be warned of gore and self indulgent monsterverse shit!

February was never Keiko Yamada’s favorite time of year. With winter’s transition into spring came the start of her yearly heat, which had been embarrassing as a teenager, but now that she owned a bakery, the month had gained another reason for her ire.

Valentines day.

Whether it was the drama of a customer wanting some elaborate surprise cake to confront her cheating girlfriend with, or picky people who whined about her prices or selection of sweets for the day, Valentines day was a headache for the baker.

So, some part of her was thankful when the sun began to cast the street around her into beautiful orange and pink hues and the werecat could close her shop for the day. The valentines rush behind her, and the long walk home ahead of her.

A walk home made on a path that wound and doubled back slightly to be as confusing as possible to deter her stalker. Long, quiet, dark, and lonely. With little beyond the brunette’s breaths and heartbeat, Ba-dump Ba-dump Ba-dump To accompany her. Not even the bark of a dog, or person out for a stroll to break that isolation. At least, hopeful isolation.

Brring brring

The sudden scream of the brunette’s cell phone in the evening hour nearly brought the werecat out of her skin. Her ears and tail out and bristled for a heartbeat. Yet, when it registered what the abrupt noise was, she let out a relieved breath and answered, “H-hello?” She said, her voice uneven as her heartbeat slowed, “Hi, kitkat, I was just calling to make sure you were on your way home.” Katsuya Suou, the woman’s sweet boyfriend hummed, his voice a salve to Keiko’s jumpy nerves. “Yeah, I’m on my way home,” she assured, “Well, do you want me to start on dinner?” He offered, and she smiled a bit as she walked down an alleyway, “Sure! What do you plan to make?” “Oh, that’ll be a surprise, you’ll have to get home to find out.” Katsuya chuckled, which made her laugh as well as she talked with him for a bit longer before he ended the call to go cook.

With the comfort fresh upon her nerves, she continued home with far more confidence. And, as the werecat’s home came into view, the chance of being followed was forgotten. Instead, all of her thoughts were on what meal Katsuya had for her. Spaghetti? That’s always a romantic meal. Maybe some other type of pasta? I do like seafood, so maybe he made something like lobster. She mused as she unlocked her door and strolled into the home to find it...dark.

”Katsuya?” She called into the dark home while she took her shoes off to put on some slippers. But, the brunette police officer didn’t give her a response. So, she slowly made her way through her home to check the kitchen. Which, was oddly empty despite Katsuya’s claim of cooking. Regardless of that, though, the room sat ominously dark. The only occupants the thick shadows of the night time hour. Though, when she did go over to the stove, she did find a pot of noodles on the stove, and something left to cook in the oven. Which, made the werecat grimace. “Katsu? Are you here? Why didn’t you turn off the oven?” She called again, only to get another bout of silence as a response.

So, the werecat turned off the abandoned dinner and began a search of the first floor of her home. Her calico-colored ears swivelled and alert for anysign that something bad had happened under the cover of darkness. I mean, I can’t even say for sure if I have a stalker, so I can’t jump to assumptions. She mused to herself while she used the silver moonlight that trickled into the living room through the sheer curtains, And...if I DO, and they broke in, surely a cop would be the best prepared for the confrontation?

Despite her trust in her boyfriend, something still had her tail out and fur on end as she made her way up the stairs to the second floor. Which, sat just as silent and eerie as the first floor. The only sound to greet the brown-haired werecat a strong stench of copper in the air.

Copper.

Copper wasn’t a good smell. “Katsuya?!” She called with far more panic in that single word. Her feet felt as if they were glued to the floor, and her fur felt like it may pop off from her tail with how on end it was. However, the thunderous pace of her heart didn’t stop the morbid curiosity that loosened the adhesive on the bottom of her slippers. So, she began a tentative trudge forward. Her feline ears pinned back, though her senses continued to hunt for any sound. I should just run.The more rational voice in Keiko’s head said, This is stupid as fuck, call the cops! Don’t go poking around like some horror movie girl!

Yet, she continued to follow the thick smell of blood in the air to her bedroom door. Where the only light in the house peeked out from the small space beneath the door and the doorknob was cold against her too-hot skin as she turned it. Her heartbeat still thundering in her hears as she pushed the door open to find…

Keiko shrieked like the wounded animal she was. Her emerald eyes wide at the horrible sight of Katsuya splayed out across her bed, his entrails the only thing left to hold the halves of his body together at the feet of an emaciated figure.

With skin as black as a lump of coal, large wings colored with crimson water, the monster that stood over the mangled corpse of Katsuya Suou further shook the werecat. With the appearance of the mad experiment of a scientist that tried to fuse a human torso to the hind legs of a bird, and an uncanny, pale mask that wore a permanent smile, it was like a sick joke upon the human visage.

Run! God, run already! Keiko screamed at herself, but instead of her body responding to the order, her legs crumpled beneath her weight. Her emerald eyes wanted to look away from the horrible sight, but she couldn’t find it in her to do so. So, instead, she watched as the thin human-bird nightmare hybrid crawled off of the bed to approach the werecat with something clutched within one of their boney, corpse-like hands. And, Keiko silently sat on the blood-soaked floor to watch the beast hold out the ‘gift’.

A human heart.

The monster, possibly her stalker, stood before her, just human enough to be off-putting to look up at, and offered a bloody human heart. If it was a movie and not her life, the werecat would’ve probably appreciated the sick twist on the day’s usual gift.

But it wasn’t a movie...

[readitreviewit]

Are you tired of trying to lose weight with strict diets and exercise plans that just never seem to stick? Well, Dr. William Li has some exciting news for you. In his latest book, Eat to Beat Your Diet, Dr. Li explains the science behind how eating the right foods can not only help you lose weight but also improve your overall health. Dr. Li is a physician scientist who believes that food is medicine. In his previous best-selling book, Eat to Beat Disease, he explored how certain foods can activate your body's natural defense systems to fight off diseases like cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular issues. And now, in his newest book, he's taking that concept one step further by showing readers that the right foods can actually help you lose weight too. The book is split into two parts. In the first part, Dr. Li dives into the science behind weight loss and how certain foods can help you shed those extra pounds. He challenges traditional weight loss methods and debunks some common myths, like the idea that all fat is bad for you. Instead, he shows how having a healthy amount of body fat is actually essential for weight loss. In the second part of the book, Dr. Li provides a four-week meal plan, easy food swaps and shopping tips, and over a month's worth of delicious and healthy recipes. The best part? The foods he suggests aren't just bland, boring diet foods. In fact, they're some of the most delicious foods out there, like avocado, dark chocolate, mussels, and lobster. But what really sets this book apart from other weight loss plans is Dr. Li's approach to weight loss. He believes that small, gradual changes are the key to successfully losing weight and keeping it off for good. Instead of extreme diets or workouts, he suggests making small changes to your diet and lifestyle that you can stick to in the long term. This could include things like adding more veggies to your plate, swapping out sugary drinks for water, or taking regular breaks throughout the day to move your body. Overall, Eat to Beat Your Diet is a refreshing take on weight loss that provides a much-needed break from fad diets and extreme exercise plans. Dr. Li's approach is practical, realistic, and backed by science. And with mouthwatering recipes and a meal plan to follow, it's never been easier (or tastier) to lose weight and improve your health. So, what are you waiting for? It's time to start eating to beat your diet! "Experience the captivating story of [BOOK TITLE] today! Don't miss out on this incredible adventure - buy your copy now or start your FREE 30-day trial of Audible and listen on-the-go. Don't wait, dive into the world of [AUTHOR NAME] and discover a world beyond your imagination!" Price: [price_with_discount] (as of [price_update_date] - Details)

[icarusthelunarguard]

This Week’s Horrible-Scopes

It’s time for this week’s Horrible-Scopes! So for those of you that know your Astrological Signs, cool! If not, just pick one, roll a D12, or just make it up as you go along. It really doesn’t matter.

Aries 

You waited YEARS for Disney to get off its rump and make a follow-up to TRON, and you got it in 2010 with TRON Legacy, right? Well, no. You completely missed over 2003’s TRON Two-Point-Oh; a first-person shooter taking you onto The Grid to eliminate a virus. It got good reviews, too! So fire up your Steam account and buy it this week… for under $10! 

Taurus 

You need to relax and look at things from a different perspective this week. You’re not a clutz or have butterfingers; you’re testing for gravity and, well look at that.. You found some! You’re not inept, you’re a research scientist! This week buy a broom with a butler.

Gemini  

Getting things second-hand never appealed to you before, but you have nothing against getting second-hand social news, do you? That’s called gossip and you should be ashamed of yourself! If your friends really wanted you to know about their private issues they would have already told you. Stop looking at their feet trying to figure which one has six toes.

Cancer Moon-Child 

Let’s go over this one more time: The lower the ISO, the smaller an F-Stop and/or a longer exposure you need, and maybe needing additional light from a flash. Trying to photograph the Moon isn’t that hard for everyone else because they use a tripod. This week stop trying to do things that don’t work.

Leo 

SURPRISE! This week is your celestial re-birth! Splurge on a small ice cream cake and your favorite dinner. If it’s Lobster Ravioli… first off, Good Taste! And second, it doesn’t matter if it’s frozen - you’ll enjoy it better once you’ve boiled it a while. Just not TOO long otherwise you’ll have lobster-flavoured paste.  

Virgo 

Your idea of making an All Adult Theme Park centered around free sexuality has already been done in cartoon form. Look up “Mizuryuu Kei Land” (MEE-zur-you key Land) - there’s a comic and an anime, but the point still stands. You need more originality in your diet. This week… Eat some Funny Gummis and listen to the Yellow Submarine album.  

Libra 

Hey, Libra? Want To Play A Game? This week Jigsaw has his attention set on you, and you know what that means, right? Exactly! This week visit the Army-Navy Surplus Store and get yourself a Claymore Mine. Just remember - it has words printed on it that say, “The Face Towards Enemy” for a reason! 

Scorpio 

It’s officially summer and you need to get into swimwear shape. And look at that, you did it! You’re already in the perfect shape for the beach or the pool. Don’t let anyone make fun of you for how your body looks. There’s a way to make that happen; buy and wear a classic 1900’s swimming wardrobe and no-one will comment on your body at all! Just… don’t go into water over your chest.

Sagittarius 

Drinking alone is your best bet this week. Don’t go out to a bar or with friends; just stop by a liquor store and stock up on what you want. It’ll be cheaper all the way around. The booze is cheaper, the commute home is cheaper, and there’s no court or impound fees at the end of the night. This week stock up on headache medicine.

Capricorn 

Stop being Mister Nice Guy this week. It’s not helping you get things done. …and since the collective told me to keep your ‘Scope to Two Sentences, that’s all you get. Simple and to the point. … … … You’re welcome!

Aquarius 

It’s time for “Christmas In July” sales! Get out your winter parka, insulated boots, and sub-zero-rated mittens and head out to the mall. It’s possible, if only slightly so, some manager will take pity on you and offer some serious discounts. Take advantage of their generosity but don’t ask to use the dressing room. It’ll take you half-an-hour to get out of that snow suit.

Pisces  

You are never alone, no matter what you think. There are people who are watching over you, wanting you to keep moving just that little bit more each time you stop. So this week keep looking over your shoulder for that assassin. He’s closer than you think!

And THOSE are your Horrible-Scopes for this week! Remember if you liked what you got, we’re obviously not working hard enough at these. BUT! If you want a better or nastier one for your own sign or someone else’s, all you need to do to bribe me is just Let Me Know! These will be posted online at the end of each week via Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook and Discord.

[lowtaxsa]

State Og Biweekly Report - 4.5.2023

This week: RoboGranny's "Aerial Funeral Extravaganza," Operation Glass-Out, Cryptids, VRPGs, Laptops for the Lobsters.

State Og is proud to announce its latest not-for-profit public service, absolutely free of charge. We're all familiar with the inconvenience of accidentally shattering a window and having to wait around for a glass repair specialist. But what about when you need to break a window in a hurry? Introducing "Glass-Out," our new, completely free service designed to shatter windows at lightning speed. Just call us at 1-800-STATEOG, and we'll send one of our "experts" to smash your window using our state-of-the-art window-breaking apparatus. Write down our number, 1-800-STATEOG, because you never know when you'll need a speedy exit.

OG

In partnership with RoboGranny, infomercial sensation and inventor extraordinaire, State Og presents the "Aerial Funeral Extravaganza." Tired of traditional funerals and seeking a more exhilarating way to send off your dearly departed? Look no further! RoboGranny's kit includes an eco-friendly rocket, biodegradable parachute, and a GPS tracker. Simply strap your deceased loved one into the rocket, program the desired location, and launch them skyward. The parachute ensures a gentle descent, and the GPS tracker helps you locate the body for a truly unforgettable memorial. "Death is just the beginning of the adventure!" exclaims RoboGranny.

OG

State Og's Cryptid Capture Division has been hard at work tracking down legendary creatures. Our latest venture, "Operation Bigfoot Bonanza," aims to prove the existence of the elusive Sasquatch. To ensure success, we've equipped our team with cutting-edge gear, including infrared goggles, sonic lures, and the revolutionary "Sasquatch Sniffer 3000." Stay tuned for updates on our thrilling cryptozoological escapades!

OG

In response to the lack of groundbreaking virtual reality roleplaying games, State Og, in collaboration with PixelPioneers, is set to launch an innovative new game: "The Epoch of the Enigma of the Parable of the Cryptic Dwarf Who Dwells in Eternal Anguish." Known as "EEP-4" for short, this game immerses players in a virtual world where they guide a tipsy dwarf through the "Absurd Forest." Here are just a few highlights from this groundbreaking game:

Over 300 never-before-seen colors, including "dark white" and "discolored beige."

Fully interactive environment! You can nap on a moss-covered rock, shake hands with a squirrel, or even high-five a fire-breathing dragon!

Quirky characters with unforgettable personalities, like "Cranky the Rude Raccoon" and "Gerald the Curiously Obsessed Mailman."

Look for "EEP-4" on store shelves later this year, and prepare to be blown away by the next evolution in VRPGs!

OG

Get ready for State Og's PRANK OF THE WEEK! We're launching 1-800-MATCH-ME, a free matchmaking service for lovelorn individuals. But here's the twist: when the unsuspecting caller arrives for their date at the predetermined location (the alley behind the Taco Shack on Elm Street), they'll be greeted by a troupe of mimes acting out a dramatic break-up scene! Laughter is the best medicine, so get ready for a healthy dose of hilarity! We'll keep you posted on the outcomes of this uproarious stunt.

OG

Rallying for a cause! Employees at the State Og offices in Vermont are taking a stand against the rise of gluten-free diets, which they claim are an affront to the sanctity of bread. Starting June 1, some State Og workers plan to "leave work early, consume copious amounts of gluten-filled treats, and binge-watch classic sitcoms until one of us passes out from a food coma." While we're not sure how this will further your cause, we support your right to protest (and eat bread)!

OG

Finally, State Og is excited to announce our new partnership with the International Lobster Foundation. In our ongoing efforts to provide assistance to all creatures, we are introducing the "Laptops for the Lobsters" campaign. State Og engineers have developed a custom aquatic laptop, allowing lobsters to access the internet, learn new skills, and even write their memoirs. By providing these intelligent crustaceans with the tools they need to thrive, we're taking a small step toward a brighter future for all life on Earth.

[just-dontfall]

I started playing Clangen recently and this one cat stuck out in particular to me so here’s her entire life story, sorry for any spelling errors I didn’t check it 😅 TLDR at bottom.

Furledfur was a warrior of Ashenclan until his best(and only) friend Frostspeckle was chosen to become the leader of “New FlyClan.” At the time Furled was going through a tough time, questioning his gender identity. He decided that joining this new clan would be the perfect time to reinvent himself and asked that Frostspeckle, now froststar, introduce him as a she-cat. 

It took some time for everyone to become settled in their new territory. Once they had, Froststar officially named Furledfur as Deputy. Furled took the position graciously but soon learned that she may not be well suited to the position. Suspicious by nature, it was hard  for her to trust the many new rogues and Kitty pets that Froststar allowed to join the clan. On top of this a warrior named Bubblecreek, who she had known from AshenClan, developed a crush and began following her persistently. The she-cat’s playful, happy go lucky attitude only managed to annoy Furled. It wasn’t until she was injured by a Twoleg object and Bubblecreek stayed with her in the medicine den did she realise just how much this cat cared for her.

From that day Furledfur felt she could no longer directly dismiss Bubble’s affection and began avoiding contact with her as a whole. While on a particularly long solo border patrol, Furled happened to run into a Kitty pet. She introduced herself as Lobster and told Furled that she lived in a sort of clan as well. The two struck up a conversation that lead to them “spending the evening together.” In the moment Furledfur told herself that she was just de-stressing but afterward it seemed to only stress her out more. She now spent all her time trying not to think about the fact she broke the warrior code.

About two moons later, she ran into Lobster again, who was waiting in the same spot, this time with three little kits curled beside her. She told Furled that they were her kits and that she didn’t want to raise them. Feeling horribly guilty, Furledfur took the kits back to the clan and told no one about their origin. The kits were not old enough to be weaned and she knew that she needed someone to help her look after the little ones, so Furledfur turned to Bubblecreek. She asked her to be mates and if she would adopt her kittens. Furled felt guilty at first for being mates with a cat she didn’t really love, but as the two spent more and more time together, she began to feel a real connection grow. 

For a while everything was going well. The kits grew up to be fine warriors and Furled and Bubble’s relationship was going well. That is, until Ferrettail and Mumbleseed, a pair of kits brought from Doveclan with the original founding cats, were found dead by the Twolegplace border. Suddenly Furled was thrown back to that night with Lobster. Every word she had passed off as banter in retrospect seemed suspicious. There was no proof that Lobster had anything to do with their deaths, but she just couldn’t get the thought out of her head. Furled was now growing distant from her clan. Doing her duties then running off to patrol the borders by herself. Froststar and Bubblecreek tried to talk to her but she wouldn’t listen to a word. This behaviour went on until Bubble found that she was pregnant. Thankfully it seemed kits were exactly what Furledfur needed to distract her and bring her closer to Bubblecreek.

Again things were good for a while, their two kits, Frostspark and Coniferleaf grew up and Furledfur hardly thought about Lobster, that is, until the day she walked right into camp. She introduced herself and said that she would like to join the clan. Froststar accepted and changed her name to Drakecloud. This sent Furledfur into a panic. She tried her hardest to keep cool so as to not alert her clan that she knew this cat but now she was more on the edge than ever before. In the following weeks Furled kept an eye on Drakecloud. One night while Furled was guarding the camp, Drake came up to her and whispered in her ear, “What would your clanmates think if they knew your kits mother was a murderer.” Insinuating that she killed Ferrettail and Mumbleseed and that she wasn’t afraid to tell the clan about her and Furled’s past. Furled was terrified. Of what the clan would think of her, what they would think of her kits, and what Drake might use this information to make her do. She doubted that Drakecloud had actually killed anyone, at least not alone, but she was Sure that she had something to do with it and there was no telling what her intentions were now. 

In her final days, despite Bubblecreek being pregnant again, Furledfur kept her distance from everyone. She repeatedly considered retiring from deputy or just telling Froststar the whole story herself, or even running away, but her fear kept her grounded. This fear did lead to her downfall however as one seemingly uneventful day her patrol ran into a group of DoveClan cats, hunting very close to the border. Before she knew it, Furledfur had started a fight. A fight that got herself, a DoveClan warrior and a fellow clan mate Batblink killed.

Furledfur died with many regrets. That she had died for such a stupid reason, that she got other cats killed along with her, that she spent so little time with the cats she loved, that she had ever slept with Lobster in the first place and most of all that she left Bubblecreek alone and heartbroken with two new kits.

Eventually Furledfur and Bubblecreek reunited in starclan and got the chance to live out the life they never truly got.

TLDR: Furledfur joins a newly formed clan as deputy and has a fling with a Kitty pet resulting in kits. She becomes increasingly stressed, has a rocky romantic relationship with Bubblecreek, has some more kits, the Kitty pet joins the clan and she dies in a border skirmish.