#one more day. you spend the weekend at your dads too!! hooray!!!

[ventcode]

im sad

but not about anything in particular

just. feeling it i guess

[lindsaywesker]

Good morning! I hope you slept well and feel rested? Currently sitting in my study, attired only in my blue towelling robe, enjoying my first cuppa of the day. Welcome to the working week although, for those of you working in the NHS, welcome to just another day.

Wow! That was another breathless weekend!

Many thanks to everyone that listened to the radio show live and to everyone that will listen to the show on MixCloud. The Letter N (Part Four) this Saturday at 1.00 p.m.

The weekend got off to a slow start as my son, having picked up The Mighty Josiah, struggled to get home. There was a fender-bender on the M1 that brought both carriageways to a standstill for more than an hour. There are TOO many cars on our roads and TOO many bad drivers!

On Saturday morning, I set off for Summer Soulstice and arrived at High Barnet tube station early. So, I thought, instead of waiting for the ‘Soul Bus’, I’d walk to the event. What I forgot was that I was in the bloody countryside and, as I got closer to the field, there was no pavement! I enjoyed a bracing walk, though, even at 11.00, it was bloody hot! The back of my T-shirt was soaked!

I’ve never been before but I’m so glad Jon Jules organised for me to do my radio show from Summer Soulstice. What a fantastic event! Naturally, we were helped by some marvellous weather; as noon passed, it just seemed to get hotter! There were FAR too many beautiful people there! I tried to grab selfies with as many people as possible and there were one or two popping their Lindsay selfie cherry! At one point, this devilish woman gave me a glass of rum punch. I know you’re not meant to drink alcohol live on air, but it smelt so nice, plus it was cold and wet! I needed something to lubricate my throat. I was drinking on an empty stomach so, when I played ‘Hip Hop Hooray’, my brain was literally going, “Hey! Ho! Hey! Ho!” I don’t know what the show sounded like but it was fun to do! In the middle of my show, these two gorgeous women arrived, told me they were part of an act called Soul Fusion Seven and that they were performing later. After my show, I caught their set, and it’s a very impressive set of seventies soul, disco and jazz-funk covers. I wanted to try something different for lunch (and to soak up the alcohol), so I opted for jollof rice and moi moi, which was very filling! I could feel the ‘itis’ coming on, so I kept moving. One of the best things about this event is that it’s a family-orientated soul music event, with lots of activities for the kids. You don’t know how tempted I was to jump on the bouncy castle! As well as the main stage and the Mi-Soul V.I.P. bar, there were two tents full of cool DJs. Really, something for everyone! Tons of the Mi-Soul boys were there because they’ve always played Summer Soulstice, so I hope we can continue to do live broadcasts from our little house.

I was on my train home when I got a phone call from Gordon wondering where I was. My beautiful friend Vivienne McKone had just finished her set and was looking for me! Vivienne: we will catch up soon!

I got home after 8.00 p.m. and, after a day in the sun, I could barely move. Thank God, my son had ordered pizza! I had just enough strength to post my photos!

The bedroom was too hot so, just after 4.00 a.m. I came downstairs to my favourite armchair. Josiah woke me up around 7.00, looking for his breakfast and, after toasting two waffles for him, I went back to sleep. I actually slept through until 10.00. I never do that.

On Sunday evening, we attended the birthday party of the amazingly talented, versatile and lovable Edward Adoo. Always nice to see Ed and his mum. In fact, no party is complete without Ed’s mum! Also, lovely to see my friend Joanna Abeyie, who always looks so glamourous. Ed’s dad played a blistering live set with his trio, which is a classy way to spend your Sunday afternoon.

Definitely need a day off! That ain’t happening! Seven hours of teaching today; wish me luck!

Have a marvellous and momentous Monday. I love you all.

[lunarliza]

JJ Maybank Must Die | Chapter 1: Popsicles

fuckboy!JJ x Reader 

series masterlist

JJ Maybank is the island’s most infamous fuckboy- not that you ever cared. But when a group of tourist girls come to your surf shop crying to you about him, you agree to help them plot revenge. Sabotage is all fun and games, until you find that the playboy you were sworn to ruin happens to be falling head over heels for you.

Yes, this is based on John Tucker Must Die lol

note: so this is my second JJ fic! I’m so excited for ya’ll to read it. it’ll be more light-hearted and shorter than DLS :) 

“Come on... come on! This one right here let’s go!” you yelped. The crowd behind you was practically chattering on their fingernails. 

The seven year old boy in the water paddled as hard as his lanky arms could take him towards the daunting wave. 

“Now Gavin now! Stand up!” you shrieked as the boy hurriedly went through your instructed steps, tucking his knee, and thrusting upwards as the wave got close. Then, before he even realized, he glided rigidly along the wave as the board carried him across the water. 

“Hooray! Awesome job Gavin!” The flock cheered and rushed to pat the boy on the back, his dad lifting him up in his arms. 

The child scuttled towards you and threw his arms around your neck. You chuckled delightedly. “Alright everyone! That’s it for our surf lesson today. Be sure to check out the gift shop on your way out!” 

You waved bye to the guests as they made way to return their boards to the hut, some handing you rolled up cash, with thankful smiles. 

Once the coast was clear, you jogged back to the hut only to find Sophia, your best friend and lazy co-worker, lounging with her legs stretched on the checkout counter of the tiny surf shack. She hung a lollipop in her mouth while her eyes glued to her phone screen. 

“You know, when you asked me to find you a job, I actually thought you meant one where you actually work.” 

Sophia popped out the sucker and threw you a glare. “I did work! See!” she pointed her hand at the sign hanging beside the door that read ‘OBX Surf and Sports’, “I put that sign up this morning.” 

“It’s crooked.” 

“Bleh, bleh, bleh,” she mocked, “Nothing I ever do is good enough.” You chuckled and shook your head at her. 

You peered out the giant window at the front of the store, surveying the empty beach. This was going to be the rest of your summer. At sixteen years old, you were one of the Outer Banks’ surfing all-stars and spent your days working as an instructor for the second year in a row. 

Customers loved you and your ability to work with all ages rendering you the title of ‘Top Instructor’ at the shack- which didn’t mean much seeing as 90% of the employees were amateur teenagers. 

Nevertheless, you were determined to keep that title, as whoever brought in the most satisfied customers by the end of the summer wins a $5,000 scholarship. And you needed that money bad in order to attend your dream school: UVA. 

Along the beach, you caught a glimpse of your competition, Cody, and instinctly groaned. 

On any other occasion, you really didn’t care about what people did with their lives, but something about your arrogant, sleazy, five-foot-seven co-worker grinded your gears. 

He was always man-splaining to you and the other girls at the shack or kissing ass to your boss. And you knew well he was after the scholarship too- your scholarship. 

“Look at him,” you sneered to Sophia as she joined you at the window to death-glare the boy. He was prepping his group on the sand for their session and looked absolutely despicable in his shorts that were inches away from exposing his little one. Emphasis on the little. 

“Ugh, he’s making them do jumping jacks again,” Sophia pointed out, crinkling her nose, “God that poor old lady. Can he be any more extra?” 

“I need to look away, I think I might vomit if he ever flashed me.” 

Your best friend snickered at your hatred as you waxed down your board for your next lesson. “Did the group of girls check in yet?” you asked. 

“Yeah, they’re sitting and waiting at Eye Sickles,” she informed, referring to the popsicle food-truck next door. “I can’t believe they really signed up for the month-long surfing program. I didn’t know people actually paid for that.” 

“You’d be surprised. These tourists will buy into anything, trust me,” you said before heading out the door. 

You walked up to three tourist girls lounging on the fold-out tables and chairs at the food-truck. They were mindlessly typing away on their phones, looking as bored as ever. 

“Alright, do I have Annalise, Maia, and Arabella?” you announced with your work-smile on. They peered up from their phones and nodded with blank faces.

“Awesome,” you continued, trying to maintain your enthusiasm, “I’m y/n, I’ll be your instructor! I see you guys signed up for the month-long pro-boarding program which is great. Have you guys ever surfed before?” 

“Nope,” a blonde girl replied, “Our parents found this online and said it’d be good for us to learn while we’re here. We’re from Richmond, Virginia.” 

“Oh cool!” you jeered, the fake zeal was oozing at that point. “Well, I’m happy to be spending the summer with you guys. I’m going to have you guys grab a board and we’ll head down to the sand to go over the basic motions.” 

The trio followed you into the hut and picked out a board from the beginners section. You noticed the blonde one giggling with Sophia at the stand for a bit before joining you on the sand. She had a leader-like quality to her while the two other remained quiet but friendly. 

“Alright so, just for formalities, who’s who? That way I can identify you better,” you asked as the girls situated their boards along the shore.  

Not shockingly, the blonde extended her hand to you first. “I’m Annalise,” she greeted a little sullenly. You shrugged off her attitude, attributing it to her being a bougie tourist. 

“I’m Maia,” a tall, jet-black haired girl said next. She had a very athletic body and came off as the quietest one of the group. 

“And I’m Arabella,” the last one chimed in. Her hair was a fiery orange and she had piercings run along her ears and nose. 

“Alright cool! So now, we’ll start off with the movements you’ll go through once you hit the water. You want to start off flat on your stomach and paddle towards the waves. Make sure you have full control of your board at all times,” you began as the girls copied your demonstration on their own boards. 

You heard sniffles come from the group, but ignored it to continue your spiel. You could hardly read any of their expressions through their giant, bug-eyed sunglasses. 

Just as you were about to explain the importance of balance- you favorite part of the lesson- you saw the blonde sit up on her board in irritation and start sobbing through her glasses. 

“Annalise come on, it’s not worth it,” the tall one, Maia, reasoned as the Annalise shook her head furiously. 

“I can’t do this right now,” she cried before bolting back towards the shack. 

You watched her in utter confusion. “Was it something I said?” you asked the remaining two. 

The orange one shook her head and gave you a sincere look through her glasses. “No, she’s just really upset about this guy,” she turned to her friend, “Come on, let’s go check on her.” 

At that point, you had no choice but to follow the group towards their distressed friend. This was definitely coming out of their session time. 

The three of you plowed up the sand to find the girl, Annalise, sprawled on Sophia’s shoulder at the tables as she cooed her like a baby. You wanted to cringe. 

“It’s okay, it’s okay. He’s a piece of shit anyways! Trust me, he did the same to me too,” your best friend comforted and petted the stranger’s yellow hair. 

“What’s going on?” you questioned at the scene. Sophia glanced up at you with a pleading look. 

“It’s JJ.” 

Oh brother. This dude again. JJ Maybank was the Outer Bank’s most infamous fuck boy. Him and his friends threw parties all the time at the Boneyard- ones you have yet to attend- and he effortlessly earned his reputation by sleeping with any girl he could get his grubby hands on. 

By this point, he’s broken half the hearts on the island with girls moaning and groaning about him left and right- Sophia included. You remembered her wailing the day he ghosted her after they did the nasty. It wasn’t a pretty day... or week for the matter. 

You didn’t understand what the big deal was with the guy. You’d gone to school with him since the first grade and he’d always been that guy that rolls in the mud during playtime in elementary school. And he still was that guy to this day.

You heard all the cringey lines he’d pull on girls at school that would get them swooning and you swore he was running a voodoo business because no one in their right mind could fall for that. 

But everyone did. Except for you. 

“What? Did he ghost you too?” you gestured towards the wrecked weeping girl.

She nodded and blew her boogers into the tissues Sophia brought out. 

“I-I, well, we met him at a party this weekend and he took me to this little hideout on the beach. He told me that he never met anyone like me before and said all this other shit. Then we had sex there, which I never do in public, and he said he couldn’t wait to see me again. And he never called me after!” 

Though you thought her public display was a little too... public, you did feel sorry for her. The guy was a tool, and these tourist girls, especially, didn’t know any better. 

“Don’t worry,” Sophia assured, resting a hand atop hers, “he did it to me and everyone at school. We all fell for the trap.” 

Maia and Arabella joined the sitting girls in a piled group hug as the ones in the center sputtered in tears together. You couldn’t bear to watch, but for Sophia, you awkwardly joined in anyways. 

The rest of the surfing session consisted of the girls pulling up their own chairs and  bad-mouthing JJ, along with all other men, as everyone licked their popsicles. 

You sucked on your mango one, not minding the little break as it was the easiest $150 you ever made. The girls weren’t as hoity-toity as you first thought. They apologized for wasting your time and promised to leave five-star reviews about you. Even better. 

As evening rolled in, you found yourself laughing and joking around with your new-found friends. They told you wild stories of their private school shenanigans back in Richmond while you and Sophia filled them in on life at the OBX. 

“This day was incredible,” Annalise beamed, dazed after her fourth popsicle. “Can’t believe we all bonded like this over a guy,” she chuckled, “I just... gah, I wish we could get him back somehow. Make him feel how we feel!” 

“You should,” you agreed, “Why don’t one of you guys go to the parties and try to seduce him and then leave him hanging? The trick with men is to withhold sex from them and they’ll be helpless.” 

Everyone’s face lit up in excitement at your idea. “No, totally! We could definitely do that!” Sophia exclaimed with wide eyes. “So who will it be? Who’s our hamster?” 

“Not me,” Maia objected almost instantly, “I have a boyfriend back home so no seducing will be done on my part.” 

“Arabella then,” Annalise suggested, nudging the girl beside her. 

“Alright...” she agreed, fiddling with the string of her bathing suit, “I guess I could take one for the team.” 

“There we go!” you cheered, “You just march straight into that party, grind on him a bit to leave him hanging, then proceed to embarrass the shit out of him! Problem solved!” 

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

note: do not worry! more drama to come 

chapter 2

[tardytothepardy]

In an unexpected turn of events, I have avoided the nefarious Talk Like a Pirate Day.

I actually get to play it tomorrow. How heinous. (in general i don’t like things that end up relabeling everything in the game and spend the rest of the time deciphering it. it’s just annoying for my sad sad brain.)

Today Dorothy finished her aspiration. Hooray. It is seven days until Kris’s birthday, which given how many days I can get through, around two occasionally three, I’ll hopefully has his birthday done by the end of the week. Hurrah. Then I can obsessively think about how nice it’ll be to have teens in the household. 

Or maybe it’s gonna be a whole new hell. Let’s find out together. 

I had Sans randomly go to Willow Springs to the Spencer-Kim-Lewis house to chat with Olivia. I tried to have him chat with her parents, and that’s when I found out that Vivian and Dennis died. I mean, it had to happen. I suppose that’s one reason why Olivia was moping around a little while ago. Huh. 

At any rate, I discovered something baffling about their house. Well, one thing. There are many odd choices that were made with that house, but I’m specifically talking about how high the toilet paper is in the bathrooms. 

You can’t reach that high if you’re on the toilet. Why is it so high. You can see Sans sitting there, and if he can manage to get some with his tiny short child arms, he’s probably gonna end up pulling down a huge chunk along with whatever he needed. It’s just weird. 

An out of the ordinary thing that Dorothy did today was skip school. It was 100% because I got a random number generator that determines what the kids are gonna do in school, and for her, it chose for her to go home early. And I mean, I didn’t choose that. Math did. Or computers. Or both. Idk. 

But what did she do with all that new free time? Not much, really. I mean, like I said above, she completed her aspiration, but I suppose she chatted a little bit with Kris? One of their socials were low, and so I had them talk.

I realized that despite the fact that they’re in the same house the majority of the time, the siblings barely interact. The game lists all of them as friends, but barely. I think if they all spent a little more time actively not talking to each other, it’d drop down to acquaintance. But it’s just like that sometimes, y’know? Just casually not talking to the people in your house even if they’re the only people you see on a regular basis? No? Just me? Okay. 

She also took some time to chat with her dad, which if I may remind you, is Patchy the Scarecrow. I think that would be nice. I mean, he’s always available, within the times of around 1pm and 5pm. Just in the garden. Can’t miss it, but you can avoid it. And that seems to be what Dorothy (and the rest of the kids) do, because they honestly have no business back there. It’s not like they can do anything in the garden anyway. which is dumb. but anyway. 

Tiffany got promoted again today, and actually managed to max out the painting skill, so if I do have her go on to pursue the Painter Extraordinaire aspiration, she’s just gonna fly through it. Except maybe at the parts where you have to make masterpieces. Can’t really control that, but so far she’s made 2. Maybe 3. One of them was a picture of a sad pug, which truly was a sight to behold. Y’know when you’re sad, and all you can draw is a picture of a sad pug? Me too. Gets me all the time. 

Grim made a little time for themself (again, I’m making that a thing until someone tells me it’s not okay) by upgrading the oven and disappointing themself time and again with their flower arrangements. It’s not their fault. They’re just... not good at it yet. They’ll get there. Hang on, reaper of souls. Maybe one day. Eventually they’re gonna have all the fucking time of the world to spend making a bunch of arrangements, so really you just gotta look at the bigger picture.

They also found a squeaky toy that they gave to none other than WD Gaster the cat (I mean they couldn’t give it to anyone else), and I think Gaster likes it. Probably in that way where someone gives you something and you use it for maybe a few weeks and then never look at it again, because he has a lot of squeaky toys. He is a prowler, so that’s why most likely. He’s bringing them home as a collection, not really as a toy. A squeaky toy connoisseur. 

That’s kinda it for now. Tomorrow will be a struggle: it’s a weekend. Maybe there’s gonna be more volunteering. Probably. I just can’t handle everyone crawling all over the house. It’s way bigger than it originally was, but it’s still too small for all these Sims. 

[firebirdsdaughter]

Eeeeeeeeeee!…

… Ahem.

Fire is back at it again w/ Ryusoulger raws bc she really liked this episode, and is really excited for the next one.

In no order:

Aw. I think Touwa is a little lonely. ^^ Life when your older brother is literally terrified of other people, but just pretends he’s angry all the time.

Kou is so happy. XD Banba doesn’t care, but Touwa clearly likes being obnoxious. ^^

It was clever of him to bring something to keep them from walking away. XD

Touwa’s like, ‘you give us the map,’ but Kou is like ‘no, wait, I stole this!’

This was actually really refreshing. ^^ When was the last time Touwa had someone to act like a kid w/? These two are absolutely going to be the little sibling problem children. XD

Banba is so very done already. Welcome to your new life, honey. <3

I love Kou being fascinated by Touwa’s leaf-cutting abilities right up until Touwa claims he won. XD

MY BOYS GET TO TRANSFORM AND ROLLCALL!!! TT_TT

Still gonna cry my little eyes out when all five of them finally do the ‘blades of justice’ speech. ^^

The problem children are at it again. XD

Oh, Melto’s breaking out the ‘sensible one’ voice, too.

I need new emoticons.

Tankjoh knocks Kou and Touwa into a fountain and Banba is just… There suddenly. ^^ Like, ‘hello, did you just hit my brother?’ Also, cool reveal shot w/ that water splash.

I… I think there’s a pun going on here.

Banba totally just held his own there, against Tankjoh. XD Like, he might not have made any headway, but he did manage to essentially tie w/ the guy who’s been taking everyone out in one hit. Though I’m not sure how much longer he would have lasted had Tankjoh hung around.

That was a more muted version on the big brother voice than we heard in the preview.

Aw, Touwa feels bad. It’s okay, sweetie. Literally, though, his brother is the only person he’s ever apologised to. Admittedly, it’s only been, like, two eps.

If what created this Minusaur is meant to be foreshadowing/hinting at the general thing I’d like to think it’s hinting at, good on you, Ryusoulger (I mean, I love you anyway, you’re really helping me get through the week, but, also, hell YES).

Touwa’s also watching Banba when Kou asks about killing the kid. DX I definitely think Touwa is not quite as desensitised as Banba has gotten to be.

Notably, Banba says nothing, nor does anything. I don’t know if he’d already figured out who the Minusaur’s real host was, but I highly doubt they’d have him be willing to kill a kid… Esp if I’m reading what I think the implications are right about his and Touwa’s family. I’m thinking even more that he almost exclusively raised his brother, I don’t see him being willing to actually harm a child w/out remembering that.

Kou produces the map, and immediately gets chastised by his mom and dad friends for stealing. XD

Melto is absolutely the mom friend and Asuna dad friend.

Baba retreats against the wall rather than join the huddle. XD One day, sweetie. Being part of the team means being part of the team hugs meetings.

Oh my god… It goes by so fast, and when I first watched I was watching the four in the foreground… When Melto say something––I think it’s about splitting into teams?––Banba’s head snaps around and he looks shocked/freaked out for a moment… Like, you can hardly see it over the map, Kou’s shoulder, and Touwa’s arm… Might try to get a screen shot and put it at the bottom of this post.

He promptly retaliates by ignoring Asuna. XD

It’s okay, Asuna, it’s not you, he hates almost everyone. Also he’s probably trying to get this over w/ bc he’s worried about his brother.

He totally only agreed to these teams to foist the problem children on Melto for awhile, though. XD

Melto spends this entire scene finding out why, too. ^^

But he intercedes as mom friend just in time when things start getting growly again. :D

New face!

Banba being the one to connect the Minusaur’s behaviour to an adult/older person playing w/ a child… Is he thinking of him raising his brother, or back when their parents had time for them? (I’ll explain that a little later)

‘Children, I won’t kill. Neglectful parents are fair game, I have issues. >:K’ Oh, Banba. DX Obviously this outlook wouldn’t go away after one episode, but I do think what spawned the Minusaur here is meant to reflect something about his and Touwa’s past…

Okay. Touwa’s reaction when Banba explains (quite nice of him to include the trio in that call, too ^^) that the Minusaur could have been born from the father’s guilt at being too busy to play w/ his son. That really looks like it’s hitting a chord. I mean, he’s transformed, but there’s a dramatic silence, the camera spins around him, and there’s a ‘shing’ sound like something important is occurring. So I’m thinking that maybe that Banba ended up essentially raising his brother bc of that same reason––their parents were too busy, or something like it, to be w/ their children at all. Maybe they didn’t used to be like that, and where around for Banba’s childhood, but something changed by the time Touwa was born and they weren’t there for him, leading to his brother stepping in. And then, presumably, they died at some point. Bc something screwed these boys up, and I really wanna know what, Toei!

Kou just runs away w/ Melto and Asuna. XD

THEY WERE STUCK! BUT NOW THEY ARE FREE! HOORAY! TT_TT

And what does an angry cat do the moment you let it out of its cage? XD SCRATCH.

Mister ‘give advice like I wasn’t ready to kill you two minutes ago, no hard feelings’ Banba. ^^

Also, speaking of that line… Not only is it clearly set up for Banba’s motivations next ep, it convinces me even more that something happened to their parent(s)… ‘Nothing is more important than family’ is a stock Sentai theme, but here we’ve got it coming from mister well-intentioned extremist anti-hero man. Really wanna know what happened to these boys… Hopefully we’ll get more info next ep?

Vaguely disappointed that Banba named MirNeedle. XD He almost smiled, though. ^^ Also made a really cute face when he heard Touwa and TigerLance approaching, too. <3

Actually, that look make sit seem like he’s really (secretly?) glad that Touwa stopped him…

I sit corrected. This is where the ‘didn’t think you’d stop me’ line is from… Eh, maybe it’s his catchphrase. XD

But now I’m also like, is there going to be a sort of ‘YJ¡Batman and Robin’ angle to them? I still currently hc that Banba secretly carries a lot of guilt for the things he’s willing to do for the mission, so it would be interesting to see a plotline about him being invested in Touwa not turning out like him.

And maybe if one or both of their parents were awful… Could be he considers it too late for him to not end up as some level of as bad, but he wants to try and protect Touwa from that? Maybe he didn’t think he could before, but he’s wondering if he can use these three to do that? I dunno, I’m just stream of consciousness-ing.

His eyebrow game was on point this episode, too…

Alternatively, maybe their parent(s) merely died before/not long after Touwa was born, so he never got to meet them, and that was why he took it so hard? Hmm…

I dunno, Touwa, I’m not sure you want them rubbing off on you. These four are absolute dumbs. I love them, but they have no sensible judgement abilities.

Preview?: I am SO EXCITED. Was not expecting the ‘Touwa gets hurt and Banba breaks down’ ep so soon. ^^ Makes sense, though. It’s definitely going to show the trio he’s not as stoic as he’s been acting––not to mention how much he loves his brother. Hoping we also get some more solid info on their past, too. Apparently he and Kou kind of start to bond, so it looks like we’ll be beginning the beginning of the adoption process. XD Gods, I hate having to wait another week… Well, at least there’s stuff going on next weekend, so I can get through the day faster. ^^

Virtual truffles for anyone who read all that. No, not the mushroom, though you’re welcome to those if you prefer them. XD

All in all, I liked this episode, I’m curious as to whether it really does reflect/foreshadow/hint at something about the brothers’ past (I hope it does), and I am very excited for the next ep. Also, there’s the possibility of getting more scans and stuff, not to mention the announcement for the newest Ultraman! Hopefully, I can keep myself busy. ^^

Also, those moments I mentioned:

See? He goes from largely disinterested and looking away…

… To being almost alarmed.

Well, it’s hard to express w/ caps, but… I dunno. Looks alarmed for Banba, I guess. His eyebrows go up for a moment, trust me. DX Also, smiling about his brother:

I really think he’s happy Touwa stopped him. ^^ (I made a valiant effort to try and include the eyebrow thing he did, but failed).

Also, even if it was about something serious, and I think there was some serious meaning behind it, there was also a cute, teasing ‘big brother’ sort of edge that was really adorable. XD

Hardy handshake for anyone who counts how many emoticons I used in the course of this post.

[em-takes-med]

5 Lessons I learned in the First Year of Med

It is now the final weeks of my first year in medical school (eek). It’s interesting to see how much I have grown in the last year and how different the Em of today is compared with the Em of 2016. Here are some things I have learned over my first year of medicine: 

1. Medical school is a full time job (if not more) 

You will have to study many hours a day to stay on top of work. At the peak of study hours I go to class for 3-5 hours a day, then study around 4-5 hours on top of that. I try to have one day a week that I don’t study heavily, to try and avoid burnout. This is usually on a Thursday, which is the same day as I have clinical work in the morning. You must treat your study as a job, because medical school is very grueling. The more prepared you are, the less pressure you will feel when crunch time arrives around exams. 

Unfortunately, the fact that you have to constantly study also means that it is difficult to work a part time job. A couple of people in my cohort do have jobs but I know that some also have issues with finding time to study adequate amounts. Personally, I’m pretty sure those people are superhuman to be able to work many days a week and still get through their university workloads (plus some of them have children!). If you were to work a part time job (which I did in my undergraduate), time management is absolutely essential in order to stay on top of your work load. Working on the holidays when you get home is also a good way to save up some money to help you out during the school year. 

2. Keep in touch with your family and friends and value the time you get to spend with them

It is easy to feel isolated when you move away from home from the first time (this goes for all degrees, not just medicine!) so maintaining the relationships with your family and friends at home is a good way to feel connected. My mum and dad are 100% supportive of me and talking to them on almost a daily basis is so awesome. They keep me up to date on what my siblings are up to, what they are up to and what my family is up to, which makes me feel still very much a part of my family, even though I am a long way away. Similarly, I often talk to my grandparents on the phone, which makes me very happy. Keeping in touch with old friends is also very calming. Med school can be a bubble, so it’s good to have friends and people to talk to outside it. 

3. Look after your mental and physical wellbeing

Mental health is so incredibly important, as is physical health. Keep hobbies outside of medicine, do things you enjoy and SLEEP. Sleep is so incredibly important for mental and physical health. The body repairs and replenishes during sleep, as well as giving you a much needed break from the mental toll that medicine can take. Eating well, drinking water and exercising regularly is also very important for mental and physical health. 

Cherish the relationships and hobbies that bring you joy. I like to spend time with my boyfriend watching movies, as well as hanging out with my girlfriends on the weekends (and sometimes weekdays). Animals also make me so, so happy! Spending time with furry friends (at college we have a golden retriever and a goat!) is a great way to relieve stress <3. 

If you are really struggling (or if you need some extra support), it is imperative that you talk to a professional. These people can be counsellors, psychologists or online/on the phone help lines. Please know that you have those supports in place if you need extra help. Most unis are now very focussed on mental health and will give you the academic support too (special considerations etc). 

4. Your friends at the start of the year, might not be your friends at the end of the year

This one is pretty self explanatory. People’s priorities change as time goes on and you may find yourself drifting from the people who were your friends earlier in the year. This is completely normal, as you will find your people and stick with them <3

5. Small victories

You passed a quiz? Celebrate! You finished a module? Hooray! You got out of bed? Hell yeah! 

Small victories are important to keep perspective of how much you deserve to be at university. Even if you fail, you are still smart and capable and will learn from what happened. Celebrate those small victories! You deserve to!

If any of you have any questions about medical school or university in general, let me know! <3 

[dirtdiggersanddinosaurs]

#PressTrip This weekend marks 3 weeks since we experienced the delights of Timber Festival and 3 weeks until we fully immerse ourselves in our next Wild Rumpus adventure at Just So. But before you start to hate me too much, I’ll crack on and tell you all about how we got on at Timber.

For those of you who read my preview (if you didn’t, catch up here) you’ll know that Timber Festival was our eagerly anticipated start to the Summer and this year’s festival season. We were looking for a chilled out vibe, with lots to keep the kids happy and generally we wanted to spend some quality time together continuing on from our holiday.

So how did it measure up?

Well if you’re expecting a run down of the acts and experiences I’d listed in my preview as our must sees, then you’re going to be slightly disappointed…why? Because when we got there, the site was so beautiful, calm and spread out that we kept getting distracted and stumbling across other things by accident. We were then completely absorbed and forgot all about what we were meant to have been doing.So basically we decided not to be ruled by the programme, and instead discover, explore and enjoy the festival on our own terms. Yes, we did miss a few things that we wanted to see but this way we found we took in things that we wouldn’t have necessarily chosen on paper. Plus, it gives us a few things to add to our Timber 2020 bucket list.

Practicalities for Parents.

Timber Festival takes place in Fearnedock near Ashby in the National Forest and runs over a three day weekend. The festival encourages families to immerse themselves into the heart of the forest while exploring their relationship with trees and nature.

The site is relatively well spaced out and there is a fair bit of walking involved for those with little legs but luckily we had a wagon, well I say lucky but I’m not entirely convinced that Ben considered himself lucky when he was pulling two sleepy children and our gear (we took chairs and a large picnic blanket) back up the hill when we left!

There were plenty of water points throughout the site so take a reusable water bottle with you and stay hydrated, especially if the sun is shining. There was also a cashpoint near to the entrance although some of the vendors took card payments.If you feel slightly nervous of taking a baby to a festival set in a forest then fear not, we were your happy little guinea pigs and took Eli (8 months) with us.

Imagine my glee when I discovered A BABY CHANGING TENT. This was a tepee style arrangement that was laid out with changing mats and also a selection of biodegradable nappies and wipes too should you find yourself running low. So no trekking back to the campsite each time to change a nappy, or trying to balance a baby on your knee while you do the honours! Not necessarily high up on everyone’s priorities when choosing a festival but it certainly made my day a whole lot easier. Mama’s you’re with me on this, right?

Our Foray into the Forest.

After trading in our tickets for wristbands we headed into the site intending to meander down to Field Notes to chill out for a bit and get our bearings before exploring. This however didn’t happen as Stanley spotted a familiar mini gypsy caravan in As The Crow Flies and we had no choice but follow a very excited 5 year old into the woodland clearing.

Ian Douglas Campfire Stories

In a totally non-stalkerish way [honestly] we tend to follow Ian Douglas around a bit, over the last few years we’ve caught up with him at ‘A Day at the Lake’ which was held at Rudyard Lake and annually at Etruria canals Festival. So it was a complete no brainer that we would listen to his stories at Timber as my boys (and me) absolutely love him.

Any campfire would be a pretty sad and lonely place without the incredible Ian Douglas, the storyteller to end all storytellers. Storytelling inspired by British folk tales and world myths.

So we settled in around the fire, and allowed ourselves to get taken into a magical world of adventure. Be warned: audience participation is not only actively encouraged it’s almost compulsory, and adds to the theatre. Stories need sound effects and we became waves crashing up against the rocks.

Hammer & Chisel

Could this have been any more perfect for my boys?

Wild play rules at our unique woodland playground. Under the supervision of our forest play experts, create your own world or add to ours using pallets, ladders and ropes and help us put together a myriad of walkways, dens and secret spaces. Pick up your tool of choice and get ready to build a Timberland.

Well, unsurprisingly they wholeheartedly threw themselves into this. I actually think Ben enjoyed it just as much as the boys did, there’s something about men and tools…they are instantly drawn to them.

After waiting, and waiting and a bit more waiting I gave up and left them to it and happily headed back to the campfire for another story this time to be enjoyed without a child wriggling around on my knee – bliss!

Professor Pumpernickel’s Mind-bending Science Show.

Eventually the boys downed tools and joined me at the campfire just in time for Professor Pumpernickel’s science show. I know what you’re thinking..sounds a bit boring right, this is a festival not a classroom! Well if you’re expecting a tweed wearing professor with half moon glasses you’re going to be in for quite a shock when I introduce you to Professor Pumpernickel.

Professor Pumpernickel travels the country with his laboratory of lunacy. His mission:- to enthuse all ages and abilities about science in hope of seeding some of our future inventors, explorers, life savers and superheroes.

If you like fire, explosions, loads of mess and mind-bending magic, you’ll love Pumpernickel. We certainly did. From his crazy blue hair, to his mad scientist accent there was nothing at all boring about Prof Pumpy.

James was enthralled and took it upon himself to move seats to get closer to the action so he could try to catch the bright orange smoke rings that the Prof shot out of his homemade ‘cannon’. Stanley found the whole show hilarious, giggling his way through.We weren’t out of the woods yet, quite literally! Our next adventure was just around the corner.

TwistingSpace Giant Marble Run

Seeing is believing with this one, the giant marble run was suspended between the trees and was skillfully made from culled rhododendron. It was a beautiful thing to behold, an work of art in itself.

It was also a lot of fun too as the boys raced their marbles down the twisting tracks.

Aside from the main run, there was also a section with pieces that you could build yourself. Coming from a household full of wooden Brio train track, my boys loved creating their own mini marble run and we spent quite a bit of time here.Naturally, we did do a fair bit of hanging around watching the boys play but there was such a relaxed feel and the setting was stunning. It was lovely to just stand and breathe in the forest.

Next stop was the bar (hooray!!) and compared to other events the prices were reasonable and we hardly had to queue as there were bars situated in every general ‘area’ of the site. Once you’ve paid for your (reusable plastic) glass, it’s yours to keep which makes for a nice keepsake of the festival too.Finally, we made our way down the hill into Field notes and set up ‘base’ we sat and enjoyed the sun soaking up the atmosphere. The boys ran around the field and played on the hay bales with some other children. I just love how children make friends so easily.

One of the other boys told Stanley about a giant game of Guess Who, and as he and James came running over to tell us all about it we knew that our time relaxing was about to come to an abrupt halt! So, wagons roll we were off to Halcyon Days!

Beginner’s Luck

This was actually a huge amount of fun, we laughed A LOT!

Dreamt up and brought to life by the Wild Rumpus artistic team, expect to become a human meeple in a giant game of Ludo, crush your opponent in our enormous, ridiculous game of Guess Who and wrestle our gigantic Tiddlywinks into submission!

Watching two Dad’s bellow questions from either end of the Guess Who board…it was huge, they really did have to shout, bless them!..to be greeted with a huge chorus of YES or NO from all the kids who then charged around knocking the characters down was just hilarious and a bit bonkers!

It was fab, and everybody was in such high spirits too, they didn’t even mind too much when James got carried away and started randomly knocking the characters down between turns. It was fun and it was inclusive of all age groups. What a brilliant idea!

We also managed to catch Sweep of Swallows as they passed through. These giant yet graceful swallow puppets toured the site throughout the day.

Next was a much needed comfort break. Now, we all know festival toilets are the stuff of nightmares legend so this wasn’t something I was particularly looking forward to. Timber is a eco friendly festival so the toilets weren’t your standard portaloo’s. Outside each block was a container of straw with a handy sign that read ‘one scoop per poop’. I’m pleased to report that we are no longer compost toilet virgins…and it was nowhere near as bad as I was expecting! Phew!

Back over to Field Notes and we were set to experience my absolute highlight of the Festival…

Otto & The Mutapa Calling

Wow, these certainly made us get our groove on! Even now as I’m typing this 3 weeks later, I’m smiling at the memory.

Otto & The Mutapa Calling were full of energy and we just couldn’t help but dance along. They put on a great show with fab music and showed everyone how to get their bodies moving and shaking along.

James just loved this group and as some of the musicians turned dancers were dancing side to side in front of the stage James tried to copy them. It was so cute, he loves dancing and was very much enjoying himself.

We weren’t the only ones dancing though Otto & The Mutapa Calling in their brightly coloured shirts and headbands seemed to get the whole of Field Notes up onto their feet!

For the next couple of hours we just relaxed in the last of the sunshine, the boys played bubbles with their new friends and we enjoyed an ice-cream from one of the many vendors situated in The Common.

We also had fun rolling down the big hill from the Hollow Way lookout, yes I had a go too but thankfully there’s no photos of that!

Simon Watt’s Frogs & Friends

Frogs might be brilliant but, sadly, they are dying out. In a comedic lecture Simon Watt explores why frogs are better than people!

I found myself alone (Ben and the boys had gone for a stroll) as I gave Eli his bedtime bottle and cuddled him to sleep, sitting listening to Simon’s performance. It was both educational and funny, and I found myself chuckling along with the rest of the audience. It was something completely different and I was glad I got to experience it even if it was slightly unintentionally.

Once the gang came back we headed over to The Canopy via the Eyrie Stage. Esya was performing and we stopped to listen for a while. The stage is in such a beautiful setting that it really is something special. The lighting makes it almost look magical, Stanley described it as an elf house.

Once in The Canopy we settled in and awaited our final performance for the day. We knew it would be popular and got there a little while before it was due to start to grab a good spot.

The Baron in the Trees, Lost in Translation Circus

The Baron in the Trees is a playful, romantic fable set in the 18th century. In this surreal tale the 12 year old son of the Baron climbs a tree in protest at being forced to eat snails, vowing that his feet will never touch the ground again!

To be honest all that was lost on us, ironic given the name of the circus performing the show! HOWEVER, we thoroughly enjoyed the performance regardless. Stanley was completely spell bound watching the amazing acrobatics taking place in the tree tops above him.

We also witnessed high flying stunts, a human tower balancing act and plenty of juggling. There was also a tree top trapeze swing which Stanley said was amazing. After giving the circus a huge round of applause, the sky had started to darken so we decided to call it a day (reluctantly).

On route out of the site we were once again (too easily) distracted by giant bubble blowing in Halcyon Days and stopped to watch a while.

Our Final Say

As a final farewell we climbed up to Hollow Way Lookout for a second time to watch the sun set on what had been a truly memorable day.

Timber is such a treat, a completely chilled out festival suitable for everyone. It’s family friendly but also offers something for those wanting to learn about nature and conservation, enjoy some awesome live music, or simply relax and while away the weekend in a beautiful setting.I personally felt there was a real sense of community among the Timber parents, children made new friends, items of clothing and snacks were shared and at one point we had a little boy climb into our buggy for a nap while Eli was enjoying rolling around on our picnic blanket. I was also asked a couple of times whether I would like a drink fetching because I was trapped under a sleeping baby! Our only regret is that we just attended for one day, but I think you’ll agree we crammed a lot in. We have already put the date in the diary for next year, and we want to do the full weekend next time.

Book Your Tickets for Timber 2020

Tickets for Timber Festival 2020 are now on sale at timberfestival.org.uk. The award-winning festival (Best Festival in the UK 2018) returns to the beautiful 70 acre woodland of Fearnedock in the National Forest from 3-5 July 2020. A limited number of Early Bird tickets are now available to buy online, with a 25% discount on all tickets for residents of the National Forest.

Disclaimer: We attended Timber Festival as a press trip. Tickets were gifted in return for blog coverage, a review of the event and promotion across my social media channels.

All images are my own unless otherwise credited.

Five Go into the Woods: Timber Festival Review 2019 #PressTrip This weekend marks 3 weeks since we experienced the delights of Timber Festival and 3 weeks until we fully immerse ourselves in our next…

[superdeanlover]

How to Sope In 3 Dates or Less

Authors: Superdeanlover, Impalasfortreanchcoats

Chapter: 1/4

Summary: When Hoseok met Yoonji and lost all common sense... or actually, all sense of self preservation.

Or, how to ensnare the sun, the epic quest of a young heroine.

It all depends on your perspective.

Ships: Namjin, Sope/Yoonseok

Category: High School AU, Courtship, First Dates

Ao3 Link: here

“Jin can I ask you a question?”

Jin looked up from his physics book to see Hoseok lodged upside down on their couch. His legs were flung carelessly and his shirt had slipped down showing a little bit of his tanned belly.

“Sure,” Jin smiled at his roommate.

“When am I going to find love? When is someone going to write songs about my beauty, charm and wit,” Hoseok pointed at a frame holding the latest poem Jin’s girlfriend had written for him.  

 “I can put that away if you want,” Jin set his pen down and got ready to talk Hoseok back from the edge. Hoseok had been in a mood lately which meant he didn’t have his usual sunny demeanor.  

 “No don’t hide your love,” Hoseok sat upright on the couch clutching a hand to his chest dramatically. “You don’t have to stop your perfect romance with the woman of your dreams, because I am a loser that can’t find love.”

 “So things with Hera didn’t work out?”

 “Define work out,” Hoseok melted off of the couch onto the floor and absently pushed at his English notebook.

 “Ahmi and I are going to the movies on Friday. We’re going to watch Deadpool. Why don’t you come along?”

 “Thanks man. But as much as I support you guys in your love, I’d rather not spend the whole time awkwardly watching you guys play kissy face.”

 “First,” Jin put on the best indignant face he could muster, “I would like to say we don’t play kissy face, but I don’t like to lie.” Hoseok laughed as Jin hoped he would, “and second, why don’t I ask Ahmi to bring a friend along it will be a group date. You down?”

Hoseok set his English notebook down and considered the offer. Had his life really come to group blind dates? Yes, his brain answered instantly. Yes, it had. But in reality, what did he have to lose? It wasn’t like you could find love if you didn’t look for it, right?

 “Alright, I am down.”

 “Great,” Jin picked up his phone and sent his girlfriend a quick message.

 Jin:

My love

 Monie:

Yes?... You gorgeous piece of man. Miss me already? ;)

 Jin:

How was your day? And of course, I miss you.

 Monie:

It was great. I got to have lunch with this hottie who is totally obsessed with me. He’s so obsessed he cooked me lunch AND…. I got the highest score in the exam I took last week! HOORAY for me! Who is your DADDY?

 Jin:

Our children are going to be beautiful and smart!!! CONGRATS!!! And you were worried! See I told you, you would do amazing. You should listen to me, but you don’t. (Also my dad is Mr. Kim why?)

 Monie:

Thanks and yes I should listen to you. (Remind me, I said that next time I freak out)

 Jin:

I took a screen shot of this already. Hey so you know our movie date on Friday?

 Monie:

Yes…. Don’t you dare cancel OR CHANGE THE MOVIE! If I have to watch another RomCom, I am going to be upset.

 Jin:

RomCom’s are life. They will make a movie about our love one day. Besides I WANT to see Deadpool. So Hoseok has been a little down lately and I was thinking he could come along.

 Monie:

Ahhh so things didn’t work out with Hera?

 Jin:

He said “define work out” when I asked him about it.

 Monie:

Ouch. Hoseok is great though. I wonder what happened.

 Jin:

I have no details. I just know he was inverted and lodged on our couch. I was just thinking he could come along… maybe… if it was ok… if you don’t mind.

 Monie:

Yes of course he can come along. I love him. He’s great.

 Jin:

Great. Actually…. I was thinking…. Have I told you I love you by the way? You looked really pretty today with that new hair clip.  

 Monie:

?.... ok?

 Jin:

Maybe you could invite a friend for him…

 Monie:

Dude are you serious?

 Jin:

He’s sad! It’s like the sun has been eclipsed. ECLIPSED I TELL YOU

 Monie:

Dude…. You’re lucky I love you, you know that?

 Jin:

Is that a yes?

 Monie:

Have I ever said no to you?

Jin:

Yes, I distinctly remember one time in specific you said no.

 Monie:

I AM IN ADVANCED PLACEMENT BIOLOGY AND WHAT YOU SUGGESTED WAS NOT HYGENIC. I DON’T CARE WHERE YOU SAW IT.

 Jin:

Hahahahahahaha. I wasn’t even thinking about that 😉

 Monie:

Sure you sexual deviant, my answer is still no in case you’re trying to get the topic back on the table… but ANYWAY who did you have in mind? Yerin is seeing someone. Mina just broke up with N (again) and Yura is going out with Jonghyung, totally cute by the way. I have gossip on this later.

 Jin:

Hmmmmmmm there’s Y

 Monie:

Yeah, I don’t love you that much.

 Jin:

Yoonji is nice.

 Monie:

Define nice…

 Jin:

I think she’ll like him.

 Monie:

Define like…

 Jin:

Nice: possessing, marked by, or demanding great or excessive precision and delicacy. Like (1) to be suitable or agreeable to. (2) To feel attraction towards or take pleasure in; to feel towards.

 Monie:

How can you be so beautiful and such a dumbass?

 Jin:

Divine intervention: obviously. How could you not believe in intelligent design after seeing me?

 Monie:

I’ll email the Pope. But alright, I’ll make this work somehow. I am going to need 30 bucks.

 Jin:

I believe in you!!

 Jin:

Wait what?

 Monie:

There is only one way to get Y go do anything..

 Jin:

Of course (epic eye roll). Who would have known that all it would take to get Y out of bed in the morning was 7 dancing men.

 Monie:

Oh shush or I’ll tell her what you said.

 Monie:

AND they sing and are super talented.

 Jin:

I am kidding. I am kidding. I’ll send you the money right now. Also love you.

 Monie:

Love you too. Wish me luck! Fighting.

 **

“No.”

 Ahmi stood stock still, her mouth still opened and her unasked question stuck in her throat. She closed her mouth and gave her friend a perturbed stare, “Dude, I didn’t even as you anything yet.”

 Yoonji just squinted up at her from where she lay, splayed out, starfish style in the grassy shade of the tree. They were both out behind the school, a good ways away from where the other students were having lunch. Ahmi decided to forgo food so she could focus on the mission at hand, while Yoonji probably snuck her lunch in during class and already had her fill to maximize her napping schedule.

 Ahmi sighed, unceremoniously plopped herself down besides Yoonji, and said, “So, yeah, I do actually have a tiny favor.”

 At some point between Ahmi’s two sentences, Yoonji had closed her eyes.

 She didn’t deem it worth opening them again to respond, “Whatever it is, the answer is still no.”

 “Come on, Yoonji, you haven’t even heard what it is!”

 “Alright, tell me this, then.”

 Ahmi perked up, “Yeah?”

 “Does it have anything to do with that hare-brained boyfriend of yours?”

 Ahmi glanced to the side and pouted a bit, “Maybe?”

 “Then the answer is no.”

 “Oh, are you serious,” Ahmi finally exploded, kicking her legs out in anger, “it’s not like I ask you favors all the time!”

 “I give you glorious, unsolicited advice at all the time. You can consider those favors.”

 “Yeah? Like what?”

 “Who was it that told you not to feed your boyfriend your shit baking for his birthday?”

 “You dumped my cake in the trash and threw a match on it.”

 “And Jin was perfectly happy with the store bought cake, and you were not down one boyfriend. I saved his life, you know. You’re welcome.”

 Before Ahmi could come up with a decent response, Yoonji continued, “And who was it that helped you not look ridiculous on your first date?”

 “I though the red dress was sexy.”

 “It was, but you looked stupid in it. It was like watching baby’s first, very awkward strip tease. You needed to be yourself, and weren’t you more comfortable in the longer skirt?”

 “Ok, you got a point there. Whatever happened to that dress, though?”

 “I took it.”

 “Oh, my god, Yoonji.”

 “It wasn’t your size, anyway. Waste not, want not.”

 “Ugh! Damn it, Yoonji.”

 Ahmi gripped her hair in frustration. Jin owed her so much for this, so, so much. She took a deep breath to calm herself, before going at this from another angle.

 “Okay, you know what, let’s negotiate this. Listen, you come through for me this time, and we can work out some kind of… payment,” she said and quickly added, “within reason!”

 Silence stretched between them for a moment, before Yoonji finally opened one eye to look at Ahmi. “I am listening.”

 “Alright, so Jin and I are going to the movies this Friday, right? And he has this friend who’s a really great guy, but he’s going through some rough times right now, so we wanted to cheer him up and bring him along, but who wants to third wheel us, you know? And since you’re not doing anything anyway, I was thinking –“

 “Jin is making me lunch for a week, weekends included, 50 dollars flat rate, but if the guy is extra annoying, I want an extra fee for pain and suffering.”

 “A week? That’s insane! Lunch for three days, extra fee is negotiable.”

 “One week and 50 bucks. Take it or leave it.”

 “But Jin has to make our lunch, too! And he’s busy enough as it is!”

 “Well, he’s not too busy not to go poking his nose into other people’s business, otherwise we wouldn’t have this problem, would we? That’s my final offer.”

 Ahmi heaved a sigh, but she had an extra card up her sleeve just for dealing with Yoonji, “How about this? One week, no weekends, because what the fuck, and a bomb.”

 Yoonji was just about to tell Ahmi to go shove her offer ‘where the sun don’t shine’ when she computed what was said. She opened both her eyes to stare at Ahmi, “Bitch, you better not be playing with me.”

 “Your very own ARMY bomb.”

 “Version 2.”

 “Of course. WIFI connection for concerts, color adaptable… vibration.”

 “I want it before Friday.”

 “You can have it tomorrow if you say yes.”

 “And I still get the lunches.”

 “Fine,”

 “Okay.”

 “Is that a yes?”

 “Yes, don’t gloat, you just look dumb.”

 “Hell, yeah!” Ahmi cheered and bounced where she sat, before pausing and giving Yoonji a long look, “Just so you know, it only vibrates when you turn it on and off.”

 “It just depends on how fast I can turn it on and off, then.”

 “You’re joking, right?”

 “Maybe.”

 **

“So tell me about my date,” Hoseok did his best not to fidget even as he shifted his weight from one foot to another.

 “Well her name is Yoonji, and she’s Ahmi’s friend of course. They have music and art together.”

 “Oh so she’s artsy?”

 “Hmmmmm… yes definitely. Ahmi and her met in detention last year.”

 “What? Miss Top 1% got into trouble?”

Jin punched Hoseok on the shoulder lightly. “Yes, last year she kept on getting uniform violations remember? Yoonji spotted Ahmi’s BTS patch and they became friends.”

 “Wait a minute… my date is ARMY?”

 Jin arched an eyebrow. “You swear like it’s that bad,” Jin checked his watch. The love of his life was running late.

 “Jin… Look we’re great friends and Ahmi is perfect for you, but you’re wiped. She drags you to all the fan meetings, concerts, and anything else BTS related. In your relationship there are three people: you, Ahmi and BTS. How is that not considered that bad?” Hoseok ended the sentence with air quotes.

 “She really likes BTS. It’s something we can do together, and I like it when she’s happy,” Jin said simply.

 “So it’s not weird that she has a bias in the group and spends all the time she’s away from you and part of the time with you thinking about another guy…. No, no, a set of guys, seven to be exact,” Hoseok squinted up at Jin.

 “Oh Hoseok,” Jin wrapped an arm around his friend’s shoulder. “I am worldwide handsome. I don’t worry about such petty things.” Jin let go of Hoseok and scanned the lobby again, “also that’s why I go with her,” he added with a wink.

 “Ok,” Hoseok lifted his hands in defeat. “If you say it’s not that bad I’ll believe you. Shit it’s not like I would know anyway.”

 “They’re here,” Jin nodded towards Ahmi and the girl still in her school uniform trailing behind.

 “Hey guys sorry we’re late. We missed the bus,” Ahmi smiled at Hoseok then turned her attention to Jin.

 Hoseok saw what passed between them and it made his heart ache. They loved each other so much. Ahmi’s eyes turned from bright to radiant by just looking into Jin’s face while Jin’s cool and unscathed demeanor melted at the sight of her. Hoseok looked away feeling like an intruder in the intimate moment they shared when he noticed her.  

 He noticed her first because she too was an intruder in the love their friends shared, and second because she was lovely. She was a pretty thing, he thought, and assumed many guys at their school thought the same thing when they looked at her. Her hair was dark, rich and smooth. Her skin was clear and unmarred by the ache marks that he struggled with occasionally. He wondered if she also obsessively applied creams, serums, and treatments as his sister and mother did. She was tiny next to Ahmi with her trim uniform jacket and unbound shoulder length hair. Her big eyes scanned the lobby of the movie theater completely uninterested as if everything was beneath her genuine consideration. Hoseok knew the moment she noticed him because her posture changed. She squared her shoulders, and squinted at him a deliberate move that amused him.  

 “This is my friend Yoonji. She’s a second year,” Ahmi stood next to Jin creating a circle. “This is Hoseok Jin’s friend.”

 “Nice to meet you,” Hoseok bowed slightly and smiled enjoying the cross between a scowl and smirk that played along the edge of her lips. When Yoonji didn’t answer, Ahmi coughed and elbowed her friend.

 “Nice to meet you,” Yoonji bowed and then attempted what might be called a smile. Hoseok’s first reaction was vague irritation at the sight of her lips set in a thin line. Still, it was a pretty set of lips if you looked at them. When the moved towards the concession stand Ahmi and Jin already making epic nacho and snack plans, Hoseok had to adjust his stride to keep up with his date. For such a small girl, she had a long and purposeful stride.

 “Do you want to get some snacks,” Hoseok asked as Yoonji strode pasts him and ordered. She smiled at the cashier and flipped her short crop of hair over her shoulder. It gave him a little jerk in the belly to watch how her hair cupped the side of her face. Stupid, he thought as he moved to stand next to her still with the image of her exposed neck in his mind.

 “I’ll have some nachos, a large coke, and some gummy worms please,” that’s when Hoseok saw it. A petal pink flush of color stained her cheeks and she turned the smile of delight from nachos, large coke and gummy worms on him. Hoseok would challenge any man to put of a defense against such unfiltered joy. Distracted he simply handed over his card to the cashier without ordering.

 “No, I am good,” she said pulling her own card from a BTS wallet.

 “No really its fine, I got it.” Hoseok pushed his card forward almost landing right in front of the cashier’s face. Yoonji made a quick sound of annoyance.

 “Don’t look at him,” she said to the girl in a commanding voice,” look at me and TAKE MY CARD.” The cashier quickly complied unable to do anything else and threw Hoseok an apologetic smile.

 Yoonji got her receipt stuffed it into her wallet and moved to the side to wait for her food with a smile on her face like nothing had happened.

 “I’ll have a hot dog, small popcorn, and a coke,” Hoseok told the casher as she turned to take his order. “I could have paid for you,” Hoseok said as he stood next to Yoonji to wait for his order.

 “Nah, I am good,” she said simply.

 “No really, it’s not a big deal,” Hoseok tried again.

 “Yes, it is,” Yoonji responded without turning to look at him. “If you pay for me then social convention dictates that I have to act a certain way blah blah. If you were trying to be nice then thanks, but I am good. If you had something else in mind with the gesture,” now she turned her gaze on him. “Try anything and I’ll kick your ass so thoroughly not even Ahmi will be able to put you back together.”

 When Hoseok, tried to help Yoongji carry her tray, she planted herself in a stance that signaled a fight. “I am just trying to help,” Hoseok held both hands up.

 She relaxed a bit but she still squinted her eyes at him. “Do you want ketchup for the hot dog?” She asked in a quick change of mood.

 “Sure.”

 “Ok I’ll go get some ketchup and napkins be right back,” she tossed her head, and sent her halo of hair flying. Hoseok followed to soft sway of her uniform skirt which he noted was short.

 His date was prickly Hoseok concluded, but temper suited her. She had long slim legs and right when his thoughts turned to more interesting road Yoonji caught him looking. Her brow lifted under her neatly styled bangs and her mouth thinned. Her eyes turned dark and dangerous sending sparks as she walked back towards him. Hoseok swallowed the urge to apologize and smiled sheepishly. She was fascinating. Why did he find her so interesting?

 Yoonji pushed napkins his way diving up their food. “Don’t make me punch you,” her words were clipped but rolled off of her tongue as if she’d uttered the threat so often it was common.

 Hoseok coughed and covered the smile playing on his lips. “You guys ready,” Jin asked as he and Ahmi walked up with an inappropriate amount of food between the both of them.

 Hoseok led Yoonji into the movie theater and they followed Jin and Ahmi to find seats. Once at the middle of the hallway, Hoseok caught himself because the damn woman put her foot out to trip him. “Hey! What are you doing?”

 “Follow me,” Yoonji took a sip from her soda and walked in the opposite direction.

 “Shouldn’t we sit together,” Hoseok asked looking towards Jin and Ahmi.

 “Absolutely fucken not,” Yoonji climbed up some steps and selected a seat before melting into it. “They talk during the previews and make plans of what movies to see so hard pass.”

 She had a point so Hoseok shrug his shoulders and sat down. He took his drink from her and handed her the nachos and gummy worms. She shifted slightly in her seat and the edge of her skirt brushed lightly against those amazing legs. Hoseok pretended to arrange his things putting his card back into his wallet and turning his cell phone off. He stole another glance towards her legs and watched as she attacked the nachos out of the corner of his eyes. Before Hoseok could take the first bite of his hotdog she put down the arm rest between them with squinted eyes, “if you try anything, I’ll break your fingers.”

 The movie started under a cloak of darkness and Hoseok’s muffled laughed. He couldn’t remember ever having so much fun on a date. She’d threatened to punch him and break his fingers. How could he not like her?

 During the movie, she laughed with abandon and often. Even in the dim lights of the movie theater, Hoseok enjoyed her gummy smile. On first dates, in his experience anyway, there was always tension and people didn’t always act like themselves. There were always pretenses and appearances to keep up, but not with her. She was enjoying herself and the movie. When Hoseok offered her some of his popcorn she squinted at him again and then took a small handful with a curt, thank you.

 She wasn’t a dainty flower, but she was herself, and he just had to like that about her.

 **

“The movie was great,” Ahmi had her hand linked in Jin’s and was gesturing wildly. “I laughed, I cried, and I laughed again.”

 “It was hilarious, but I could have used a few more dick jokes,” Yoonji grinned winking at Ahmi. “The more meta the better.”

 “Right,” Ahmi responded enthusiastically. “Also can I send a personal thanks to Ryan Reynolds oppa. He must have skipped out on a lot of tasty snacks to get that banging body.”

 “Yes very nice,” Yoonji nodded in agreement. “Not my style, but nice booty.”

 “Not your style,” Ahmi smacked Jin in her shock. “He’s everyone’s style right babe?”

 “What I don’t get,” Jin turned to face both girls, “is how the both of you can be so perverted.”

 “How are we perverted?” Ahmi’s smile wavered as she pulled away from Jin. “Did Ryan Renolds oppa not look amazing?”

 “How Jin?” Yoonji asked.

 Hoseok stood by Jin’s side in solidarity, but his friend was about to get it. “I just meant the comments …,” but Jin trailed off.

 “Maybe he’s trying to say we’re objectifying Ryan Reynolds oppa,” Yoonji suggested.

 “Sure,” Ahmi crossed her arms over her chest, “if with objectification he means not seeing Ryan Reynolds oppa as a breathing living, human being but as a thing that can be claimed and owned.”

 “Yeah,” Yoonji put a hand to her chin. “But Ryan Reynold’s oppa’s worth is not defined by how beautiful or sexually desirable he is or by how much attention he receives or how many women want to fuck him.” Hoseok winced a bit. “He doesn’t satisfy our female gaze… for Men it doesn’t work out like this. Socially, men’s worth is defined by other factors Sure as an actor we can say that his looks and sexual appeal do have a sway there; however…”

 “He, if people are interested I his work, will continue to have a long and successful career regardless of how he ages unlike his wife who is also an actress and under different expectations in Hollywood,” Ahmi finished as Jin started blinking quickly a sure sign that he was nervous.

 “Jin if we can’t live in a world where Ahmi and I can’t appreciate a dick joke as much as the next person then why even try,” Yoonji took Ahmi by the arm and the two girls walked away towards the arcade.

 “Man what were you thinking,” Hoseok asked.

 “I wasn’t obviously,” Jin turned and followed the girls.

 **

“You think they’ll be ok? They’re not going to fight the rest of the night are they? I was hoping to nit the arcade,” Hoseok tilted his head over to where Jin was standing in front of Ahmi gesturing wildly and blinking like there was no tomorrow.

 Yoonji sank deeper into the chair and crossed her ankles together. “Is the hare-brained beauty blinking like his eyes are going to fall out?”

 Hoseok sat down and looked over at their friends. “Yes, definitely and they’re watery too.”

 “Does she look like she couldn’t be more bored and her lips are thin and tight?”

 Hoseok shifted in his seat go get a better look at Ahmi. “Yup absolutely.”

 “They’ll be fine then just give them a few more moments,” Yoonji settled back in her chair and went shockingly still like someone had taken the battery out of her.

 “They shouldn’t fight it really isn’t a big deal.”

 “It isn’t?” Yoonji opened one eye to look at him.

 “Well its important of course,” Hoseok responded, “that gender things be discussed.”

 “Gender things,” Yoonji gave Hoseok a sideways glance. “Well you’re not wrong… Take them for example.” She nodded towards their two friends.

 “Do you think that they would have had this disagreement if they were both male or female?”

 “Hmmmm that’s a weird solution, but maybe?”

 “Good answer because regardless of gender Ryan Reynolds oppa or hyung is hot as fuck,” Yoonji answered simply. “Gender is performative and a construction… look at them if Ahmi was a guy how would you interpret what’s going on between them right now?”

 Hoseok looked over back at their friends. Jin was still blinking like crazy touching the sides of Ahmi’s arms to get her attention. His face was incredibly close to her keeping the conversation between them despite the obvious signs that they were having a disagreement. Ahmi turned to look at Jin and again Hoseok was struck with how much she loved his friend. It was all there in her eyes despite the sheen of annoyance. “Well that they’re good friends.”

 Yoonji burst out laughing. “Really? Friends? Those two?”

 “Well Jin isn’t gay.”

 Yoonji shook her head and squinted at him. “It’s not about that, that’s not what I asked you. If nothing was different they’re still making kissy face eyes at each other, and standing just as close, and looking at each other like that does something change? Do the way they love each other change because they’re both men?”

 Hoseok watched as Ahmi’s dimples flashed at Jin. “No, they’d still love each other.”

 “Exactly,” Yoonji said with a gummy smile.

 **

“Race cars,” Yoonji said shaking a handful of coins in in Hoseok’s direction as she walked past him. Hoseok followed leaving Ahmi and Jin in the middle of an intense game of basketball.

 Hoseok followed as Yoonji selected a Fast and the Furious version of the game and quickly put coins in. “I’ll get the next game,” he smiled at her. She snorted at him. She was a mule of a woman and he couldn’t help but like it.

 Hoseok was happily flipping through the different card options when he spotted her: Hera.

 She was with a group of her friends and the guy she had passed him for, Leo. She spotted him and Hoseok sunk into his seat. Please don’t come over, please don’t come over, he chanted in his head and gripped the steering wheel tightly.

 Yoonji watched out of the corner of her eye as Hera walked over to talk to Hoseok. From Hera’s position either she couldn’t see her or just opted for ignoring her. Hera’s voice dripped with pity and Yoonji recognized the look of scraped male pride in Hoseok’s eyes. Yoonji wouldn’t have intervened, but the tension in Hoseok’s frame made her act. Yoonji put a light hand over Hoseok’s shoulders and leaned in completely ignoring Hera. “Oppa, if you pick this car we can do the drift course. I reeeeally want to do that one.”

 Yoonji fixed a polite smile on her face but kept her hand on Hoseok’s shoulder. “Hi Hera,” Yoonji flipped her short crop of hair back from her face. Hera was pretty for sure, but Yoonji could take her if need be. “Are you here alone,” Yoonji tilted her head to the side.

 “Of course not,” Hera answered. “I am here with a group of friends and Leo.”

 “Great then you should go back to them,” Yoonji turned her full attention to Hoseok. Yoonji winced internally when she saw Hoseok’s eyes cloud a bit. She had turned on the charm a little too much, but surely he’d understand why later. “Oppa, what color are you going to pick? I think I’ll go classic with the all black when it’s my turn.”

 Yoonji watched the look of confusion in Hera’s face and wondered if the three brain cells the girl had in her head had finished computing the scene. A few minutes later, the girl quietly excused herself and left.

 “Sorry,” Hoseok mumbled for only her to hear. Yoonji nodded and prepared herself to kick his ass at every game in the arcade.

 **

Yoonji kept leaning onto Hoseok until she was sure Hera was gone, the entire time wholly aware of the waves of confusion coming from Hoseok’s tense frame, despite his apology.

 So, when she sure the girl was gone, Yoonji felt obligated to punch his arm for good measure. Rather than backing off, she leaned in, prompting Hoseok’s eyes to widen as he was forced to stare into her semi-irate face. It was funny how such a small girl could cut such an intimidating figure.

 Once she was positive she had his undivided attention, Yoonji spoke, jabbing his chest for emphasis, “I don't like people who are full of themselves with nothing to back it up. I don't like stupid people even more. And, I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt here, but I'm assuming you're a nice guy, or at worst, you're leagues above Hera, since you actually seem to have a personality. So, let's be clear here, Hera committed the cardinal sin of annoying me. You, thus far, have not. Keep that up, and I won't regret saving your face, right there. Are we good?”

 Hoseok could only nod.

 “I'm even willing to consider that dumb face she made funny enough that you won't owe me for that. Don't say I’m not generous.”

 “Thanks?”

 “You’re welcome.”

 There was a moment of awkward silence as Hoseok tried to figure out what happened, because he kind of lied when he nodded, but considering he honestly felt his life depended on satisfying the girl looming over him, he could be forgiven for his dishonesty. He took a moment to observe the tiny figure of Yoonji, and couldn't help but mentally compare her to the warrior heroes of old folklores.

 Wait. Did that make him the damsel?

 He shook his head and tried to get a better hold on reality.

 “So, you want to?” He pointed at the game.

 “I said I'd get the next game. That shit was just for show.”

 “Oh, okay.”

 “Just hurry up, I want my turn some time this year.”

 Strangely, he couldn't help but flash a smile at her in response to the griping.

 He went about choosing the car and specs, and then he was off. Hoseok wasn't terrible at racing games, but even he had to admit having a gorgeous dictator of a girl leaning over the headrest of his seat while he played wasn't exactly conducive to skillful maneuvering.

 It got worst when she started talking again.

 “So,” she drawled, her voice unnerving as it was coming from over his head, but he couldn't turn to look at her, much like speaking to a judgmental god, “I was just thinking, your terrible taste in girls aside, you do seem like a decent dude.”

 “Thanks, I guess?”

 “Don't question my judgment. Anyway, you're single, then, and obviously not of your own volition.”

 “No, I guess not.”

 “So, give it to me straight. What kind of weird shit are you into?”

 Hoseok proceeded to drive straight off a cliff.

 “What?” He whirled around, while the game readjusted the car.

 She didn't even really look at him. Instead, pointing at the screen and said, “you kind of suck at this game, don't you?”

 “Yeah, no, wait, what? No! What did you mean by weird shit?”

 “Your car is about to go off the cliff again.”

 Hoseok was forced to turn back, and once again, Yoonji became a disembodied voice floating from above him.

 “And I meant exactly what I said,” she continued, “you must be into some weird ass shit to suck that bad with girls. I mean that was Hera. She's the very definition of ‘easy,’ but somehow you obviously managed to screw that up.”

 “How did you know I screwed up?”

 “I said ‘easy,’ didn't I?”

 “I'm not into anything… weird.”

 “Oh, don't give me that. You can tell me. No judgment here, promise. I just want to know what made her run.”

 “I'm really not -”

 “Not buying it. You into fisting?”

 Fortunately, there was no cliff to for Hoseok to swan dive from, but he did crash into the barrier. There was some flailing with the wheel to get back on the road, but he managed it and very calmly said, “no, Yoonji, I'm not into fisting.”

 “Yeah, I didn't think so. I'm pretty sure someone could talk Hera into that. Hmm, watersports?”

 Hoseok was white-knuckling the wheel when he answered, “no.”

 “Really? I would have put money on that. I was going to say pegging, but it's Hera. She would totally be down. BDSM?”

 Before, he could respond, Yoonji plowed right on, “actually, I think she wouldn't turn that down either. Besides, I don't think you could afford decent enough toys for that. Wait, you think you would be dom or sub?”

 Hoseok was choking on air. Who knew it was possible?

 Completely unaware of his plight, Yoonji’s word vomit continued to pour over Hoseok’s increasingly sweaty head, “actually, why am I even asking. Sub. Definitely sub. Although, I see potential for power bottom in you. You should give it a go someday. Let's see… I don't see Hera being thrown off by you having a voyeurism kink, though. Maybe actual threesome, might be if-y. You like orgies?”

 Hoseok had no idea what to say, so he just shook his head. Why wasn't this round over? Oh, look, an oncoming train, maybe third time’s the charm and he could get out of this hell seat.

 Yoonji made a scoffing noise as his car was obliterated by the train. He happily gave up his seat to her, and while Yoonji was occupied with inserting the coins, he planned a hasty retreat to the oasis of sanity that was Jin and Ahmi. He was debating the moral quandary of it, when she ended it for him with a sharp, “Now watch and learn. This is how the pros drive!”

 Hoseok found himself watching over the headrest as Yoonji destroyed his score. He found himself smiling, despite the sweat still beading his forehead. He almost forgot the whole ordeal, but then Yoonji happened again.

 “So no orgies, huh,” she said, still going full speed in the game.

 He felt his shoulders slump in defeat and just hummed his agreement.

 “This is harder than I thought it would be. Okay, I'm going to list some shit, you just say yes or no.”

 Hoseok sighed. This girl…

 “So, cum play, yes or no?”

 Choking on spit was indeed possible without even swallowing.

 “No? Okay. Bukkake?”

 “No…” he whimpered, not really sure what that actually was, and debating the wisdom of looking that up when he got home.

 “Hm,” Yoongi hummed as she blasted past the other vehicles inside the game, “I had this cousin who said her boyfriend couldn't fuck without porn playing in the background. Like they tried, and he couldn't. Not wouldn't. Couldn't. You got some hiccup like that?”

 “Yoonji, I haven't…”

 “Haven't what?”

 “You know. I just haven't… with anyone.”

 “Oh, fuck yes!”

 “What?”

 “No, not you, I just knocked this guy off the road,” she said, not taking her eyes off the screen, “so you're a virgin? No shame in that.”

 “Uh… thanks?”

 “It's not like you need someone else to have fun, anyway,” she casually added.

 So this is what a heart attack feels like; Hoseok had always wondered.

 He meant to ask what she was talking about, but all that came out was an incomprehensible garbling noise.

 She huffed a short laugh, “what? Like your hand doesn't count?”

 Hoseok wondered where the high-pitched kettle sound was coming from, until he realized he was the one squealing. Oh, god, how embarrassing.

 Surprisingly, although she still hadn't looked away from the game, Yoonji laughed. And from his angle, Hoseok was able to see enough of the smile to be stunned by the contrast it was from the usual look of displeasure. Oh, god, she's adorable.

 “Wait,” she said, “so did you understand what I was talking about?”

 “You do realize there's the internet,” he said, ignoring the fact that there were maybe a few items he might have to research later.

 “So you're doing the homework, but not pulling in the grades, got it!”

 He just heaved a sigh and accepted his lot in life.

 “Alright, quickie then. Are you a furry?”

 “Why are we still on this?”

 “I'm curious. It's pretty obvious Hera moved on to more experienced pastures. This is just for funsies.”

 “No, not a furry.”

 “Vore?”

 “No,” he said, mentally writing down another item on his growing list.

 “That's probably good thing.”

 Or maybe he shouldn't look it up after all.

 “Well, this sucks.”

 “Sorry?”

 “No, not you, I barely made top ten. Who the hell thinks ABCD is a decent player name?”

 “I think yours is cool. Suga?”

 “Damn straight it's cool. I came up with it,” she stretched and took a swig from the soda she'd all but forgotten since she started the game. Then stopped with a frown.

 “What's wrong?” Hoseok was worried about the abrupt change in mood.

 “I'm low. Gotta refill.” She shook her empty soda at him and wandered off, calling over her shoulder, “You go find the dastardly duo. I’ll meet up with you guys in a sec.”

 Once again, Hoseok was left staring after Yoonji, both in fear and admiration.

 **

Hoseok was surprised he didn’t swallow his tongue. Who was she? Did she just say everything that popped into her head? Although that wasn’t quite accurate, he thought as she walked away to get a refill of her soda. She waited until the most shocking and inappropriate things came into her mind then she decided to say them out loud.

 “Hey, are you guys interested in playing a two on two epic arcade smackdown,” Jin clapped a hand over Hoseok’s shoulders.

 “Sure, sounds like fun,” Hoseok said halfheartedly as his date walked back looking as innocent as a nun.

 They played in pairs: Jin and Ahmi against Hoseok and Yoonji. What had started as a friendly competition had turned into a marathon for frozen yogurt tickets. They played four rounds of Dance Revolution, basketball, air hockey and fruit ninja.

 They all sucked at DDR which was sad.

 They all looked like idiots trying to play, but luckily Hoseok pulled ahead by just a few points giving them the win in that round. They would have won at basketball but Ahmi had miraculously slayed the game after a technical do-over. Hockey by far had turned out to be the most competitive with Jin almost losing a testicle in an aggressive and probably illegal air hockey move by Yoonji.

 “Oh, oh babe are you ok?” Ahmi asked as she walked over to stand next to Jin. Yoonji had burst out laughing and Hoseok hadn’t been able to help himself. When Jin whispered a deflated, “I am ok,” Hoseok had only laughed more.

 Although the race had been tight, Hoseok and Yoonji had emerged victorious thanks to her ruthless accuracy in air hockey and fruit ninja.

 “Yogurt passes please,” Yoonji put her hand out. Ahmi pouted slightly but handed over the two yogurt passes her mom had given her. “Let’s go, bye suckers,” Yoonji turned and waved Hoseok over.

 “We’re not waiting for them,” Hoseok asked as he caught up with her.

 “Hell, no they lost. They don’t get frozen yogurt that’s the rules.”

 **

She liked strawberry short cake.

 Hoseok would have never guessed that Yoonji liked strawberry short cake in a million years. Hoseok took a spoonful from his hodgepodge of frozen yogurt and toppings. It had been fascination to watch Yoonji deliberate, contemplate and carefully select her ingredients until she’d settled on a simple combination of vanilla and strawberry base, with cake pieces and fresh strawberries.

 “I’ve never been here,” Hoseok looked around the small shop.

 “Oh, I come where with Ahmi. We usually get a table in a corner somewhere and study for a bit.”

 “Oh that’s cool, usually Jin and I just study in the dorm or library.”

 “Of course you guys do,” Yoonji took a sip form her raspberry infused water. “Color me not surprised that Jin doesn’t actually have a life outside of Kim Ahmi.”

 “He has hobbies,” Hoseok defended.

 “Sure name three,” Yoonji challenged as she pushed the empty container out of her way and leaned closer to him.

 “Well he likes Mario Bros, and he enjoys playing the game-“

 “Nope that’s one thing,” Yoonji interrupted.

 “No, gaming and collecting are separate activities,” Hoseok argued.

 “Hmmmm ok so Ahmi and I like BTS. We collect their stuff, buy the albums, and go to concerts are all of those separate activities or part of a whole?”

 She had him there, “fine Mario Bro’s related things are one. He also likes the color pink.”

 “Liking a color isn’t a hobby,” Yoonji sat back looking smug already.

 “It is if its his life aesthetic,” Hoseok said with a cheerful smile.

 “Fine I’ll give you that one, but you’re reaching.”

 “And third,” Hoseok said triumphantly, “he likes… he likes,” Hseok trailed off trying to figure out what else to say. Everything else that Jin did was for Ahmi so those things didn’t really count as hobbies. Jin had started to cook because Ahmi had made him a box lunch and he’d gotten food poisoning. After the third time it happened, the guy did it for survival. “He likes…,” Hosoek trailed off again unable to come up with a third thing.

 Yoonji raised an eyebrow and watched Hoseok closely. “He wants to be an actor,” Yoonji filled in after a few minutes. “He’s harebrained and all, but he’s actually pretty good.”

 Hoseok just stared at her.

 “You should close your mouth. You look like a horse,” Hoseok just watched as she walked away to throw her empty yogurt cup in the trash.

 **

The bus ride was uneventful and silent. Hoseok walked with Yoonji towards the dorms.

 “Alright so see ya,” Yoonji turned around and started to make her way towards the girls dorms.

 “Wait, wait I’ll walk you,” Hoseok said as he awkwardly followed along.

 “Suit yourself,” she said as she put her hand sin the pockets of her coat.

 “It’s pretty tonight,” Hoseok looked up at the evening sky. The moon was full and round so which was great because he didn’t have to worry about tripping over a rock and faceplanting like he had on his date with Choa. That had been beyond embarrassing so much so Hoseok still avoided her.

 “Sure,” Yoonji looked up to admire the moon.

 Hoseok noticed her skin was almost the same color as the glow the moon gave off. In the dim lights, her skin seemed to shimmer.

 “You’re staring,” Yoonji turned to face him and crossed her arms over her chest.

 “I am sorry, I didn’t’ mean to stare… Its just your skin… its super white like the moon,” Hoseok fully expected to be punched or torn to pieces as she had previously threatened. Much to his surprise, she smiled and looked down at her hands.

 “Yeah, my skin does that,” Yoonji pulled her sleeve up to reveal a silky and white wrist. “My skin is pretty pale naturally, but since BTS just had a comeback and we were streaming the video Ahmi and I are extra pale.”

 Hoseok said nothing as he followed her along the buildings. “This is far enough,” Yoonji announced in the courtyard.

 “Oh, I can walk you the rest of the way,” Hoseok offered.

 “Not necessary, I can walk myself.”

 “Ok well…,” Hoseok didn’t know what to do with his hands. Why did humans have hands anyway? What were you supposed to do with your hands on a date? “Thanks for helping me win the frozen yogurt it was great.”

 “Sure,” Yoonji said calmly.

 “Oh yeah thanks. I had a… Oh there’s a- “Hoseok’s hands reached for Yoonji before he could stop himself. She had giving him all of the signs that she did not appreciate being touched or approached without proper warning. Why Hoseok had no sense of self-preservation would intrigue professionals for years because there was murder in Yoonji’s beautiful eyes when his hands circled her shoulders.

 In Hoseok’s defense, he was trying to protect her from a huge bug that was on her shoulder, but perhaps reaching for her the way he did was not the best option. It looked like he was trying to struggle cuddle her akin to hugging a cat who was not in the mood for your shenanigans.

 One second he was reaching for her and the next he was on his face in the dirt with a very sharp knee digging into his back and a hand pulling viciously at his hair.

 “Are you fucken kidding me,” Hoseok felt his head snap back harder as she put more force into the hold. “Asshole,” she muttered as she pushed his head into the dirt and Hoseok just lay there as he heard her walk away.

 **

“Hoseok, I hope you don’t think I am being nosey but why are you bleeding and covered in dirt,” Jin walked towards Hoseok and lead him into the kitchen.

 “If I told you, you wouldn’t believe me,” Hoseok said dishearten as he let Jin sit him down and hand him an ice pack.

 “Last time I saw you, you were with Min Yoonji so I’ll believe just about anything,” Jin said as he held Hoseok’s hand and waited for the story.

 Five minutes later, Jin sat in the kitchen doing his best to hold the laughter bubbling inside of him. “I think that, that is the most accurate description of Yoonji and physical contact. She is like a cat you struggle cuddle. I am so sorry,” Jin threw Hoseok a comforting look. “I should have given you more warning. You can’t make sudden moves towards Yoonji, but I didn’t think you’d try to make a move on her on the first date.”

 “I didn’t make a move there was a huge bug,” Hoseok pouted, “she didn’t even give me a chance to explain either. I know it looked bad but my intentions were noble and the next thing I knew I was eating dirty Jin.”

 “I believe you,” Jin nodded,” but Yoonji isn’t very trusting. She gets hit on a lot like a lot. She might not be your usual type, but a lot of guys at school think she’s very beautiful. She’s made it pretty clear she doesn’t date, since BTS is her one true love, but when she transferred here she caused a huge commotion even the class president was trying to charm her.”

 “Class President Park? How did I miss this,” Hoseok asked.

 “I think you were mooning over Seolhyung at the time.”

 “So, she’s really popular?” Yup Hoseok thought he definitely didn’t have a chance with her. What the hell was his mind thinking? He didn’t have a chance with her? Of course, he didn’t want a chance with a girl who had beat him up or did he?

 “Yes, and no. Yes, she still is because a lot of guys and girls admire her,” Jin laughed lightly. “She jokes with Ahmi that she’s everyone’s type and has the best legs in the world, but because she’s turned down so many guys no one is brave enough to ask her out anymore. She’s just admired from afar.”

 “So, she’s not seeing anyone,” Hoseok couldn’t help but think back on their date. She had laughed, joked, and talked to him. Sure, he ended up eating dirt in the end, but that was by far one of the best dates he’d ever been on.

 “Dude didn’t you hear me? She destroys hearts faster than Ahmi breaks things,” Jin said so intensely that Hoseok kept all his questions about the mysterious Min Yoonji to himself.

 **

They had both come to an interesting conclusion earlier that evening when the two couples went their separate ways. And despite their lack of yogurt, as Ahmi and Jin watched the unlikely pair wander off, she couldn't help but feel an odd sense of anticipation with a hint of trepidation. When she took a look at Jin, her boyfriend had his head tilted to the side and a thoughtful look on his face.

 “What do you think,” she had to ask.

 Without changing his stance, he answered her question with another question, “what is the likelihood of that turning into something?”

 “On one hand, not very high. Yoonji is… Yoonji,” Ahmi said while turning to look at the backs of the figures in the distance.

 Jin nodded sagely, eyes also still on the two, “on the other hand, this might not be impossible. I mean, Hoseok is, well, Hoseok.”

 “You have a point there, sweet macchiato of my heart.”

 “Oh, do I? Well, if my darling genius queen says so, then it must be true. This might be the start of a beautiful love story.”

 “Or a glorious trainwreck.”

 “Either way -”

 “We can always watch the firework together.”

 “Have I told you I love the way your mind works?”

 “Not as often as you should, but I'll forgive you if you get me a nice milkshake.”

 “As you wish. Nothing but the best for my beautiful lady.” He hooked his arm in hers and gently led her away.

 “You're such a sap, Jinnie,” she laughed while slapping his arm.

 “Only for you, pikachu!”

 “Oh, shut up!”

 “We really should keep an eye on this whole thing though.”

 “We should. I feel responsible.”

 “I'll keep up with Hoseok. You fill me in on the Yoonji side of things.”

 “Sounds like a plan. Now, milkshake!”

 And with that decided, Ahmi tried not to look too conspicuous in their dorm common room waiting for Yoonji’s return. The longer it took, the antsier she became. Was it possible that Yoonji had actually hit it off with a guy? Or did she kill him and was in the process of getting rid of the evidence?

 Ahmi shook her head and went about cleaning the third cup she'd accidentally destroyed with her fidgeting. She was in the process of dumping the shards into the trash bin when the sound of the front door opening broke the silence.

 Dropping everything she was doing and kicking the bin aside, she ignored the crack that was probably the demise of said bin and ran toward the sofa, diving into it at the same time the door opened.

 Fuck it, Ahmi had never been subtle, and the giant smile she was shooting at Yoonji was probably horrifying. Had it been anyone else but Yoonji, they would have turned right around and left for the sake of self-preservation.

 Given that it was Yoonji, however, she just rolled her eyes and went about getting herself a some water.

 “Ahmi, what happened to all the cups?”

 “Just use the ones from the drying rack.”

 “We’re kind of close to maxing your destruction budget this month.”

 “Shush. You can't prove shit.”

 Ahmi listened to Yoonji puttering around in the kitchen for a bit before coming in after her. She stood behind her, resting her chin in her hands and beamed expectantly at the other girl’s back.

 “Stop whatever you're doing, Ahmi. I don't even have to look to know you're doing something stupid.”

 “What? I'm just curious.”

 “About what?”

 “You're back awfully late,” Ahmi sung the last word a bit, maybe having too much fun playing with fire.

 “The yogurt place was far.”

“Yeah? And?”

“And what?”

Ahmi gave up and waved her arms in the air a bit when she finally exploded, “how did the date go?”

Yoonji turned around, face blank as ever, and said, “okay, first thing, it wasn't a date. Second…”

“Yes?”

“You owe me extra compensation.”

Ahmi froze. “Wait, what?”

“I am willing to accept it in kimbap. Good night.” 

With that she stomped off into her room, leaving behind a gaping Ahmi. 

It took a few seconds for the taller girl to collect herself and when she did, all that she could think was a simple, ‘oh, dear…’

[hgfstreamchats]

Christmas Eve Eve Stream

Hello! Somehow it seems very recent that we last watched the Futurama one. It does, doesn't it? But it's tradition and it gives people time to funnel in if they're funnelling. Video works, sound works! It's a Christmas miracle! Relaxing! R E L A X I N G. That dog's face You never know what you're going to get with these compilations and I appreciate that this one seems to be mostly screaming. ...Are those your discord notifications or mine Fixed. Comes with the emulator. hahahha Ahhh Ditto. Hi everyone, merry pre christmas Hello! Been a while Merry pending Christmas! 👀 OH BOY

oh That's not even blue My god Hmm.  HMMM. I like the one that's on fire. sorry about that, I keep coming and going Not to worry! Yikes Very. Bring back the backwards talking demon cake. And this is from two years ago DEmon Santa returns It's not Christmas until he makes an appearance. Apologies for any typos, the text antry box is below the bottom of the screen so this is a total guess Bender why. Is this how Megatron used to give out mission assignments, I wonder? That is *exactly* how he used to give out assignments. This whole episode brings back memories of the last days of the war and that's why we all watch it despite having it memorized. I think it is naughtier to not pay your protection money Rackets need to eat too! Pictured: physics, probably Never drown yourselves with rye Always demand proper scotch preferably from Islay Honestly, what did they expect ...Who arrested the devil, though short shorts need no explantion you know who else dreamed of a red xmas? Stalin. Think about that. little old political joke there Ew. Heheheheh My favorite bit. the best Alright, onto new material! I've never seen this before, but I hear it's attrocious. Oh boy! ooh rankin bass, these are always the weirdest things "Because he's dead!" Starring anemic children and parents who may or may not be siblings. probaly shouldnt have sent those letters cash on delivery did mid 20thC america have severe vermin problem? all these mouse things... That town is riddled with hantavirus. this guy is about to pitch a monorail Ha~ Hah! i love democracy This guy's going to run off with all the money. I would. Oh jeez But Ugh. I mean no, just no This IS one of those universes where santa is real and gives everyone presents, right?  Presents that mysteriously appear every christmas? i thought evidence led treatment was the best medicine? Real and a petty, childish tyrant -- oh by the Allspark, he's Primus. Whoop. monorail, monorail, monorail Please, if I make any more of a sarcastic jerking off gesture I'll sprain something keep him out This is dreadful. "winter came" sorry when WAS the beginning of this Why is everyone starving now, does Santa also bring them food i feel no empathy for the antiscience mice this is what happens when you move to happy thought based economy Santa brings them food, heat, light, and all he asks is unflinching devotion and a yearly sacrifice via wicker man. Hah! Oh right, it's just them that's starving, because nobody's giving him business Please don't widdle. That family tree does not branch. "Santa's angry because you all widdled too much." i think it loops hahahah soooo, put down more mousetraps? this makes less sense than why santa was banned from narnia This is the most messed-up santa I've ever seen uh, he's smoking?  indoors? "Santa" spends the rest of the year underneath the bridge. this santa looks to be both drunk and on meth Well, a red nose IS a sign of alcoholism It would explain so much. Alright, just working out some technical difficulties with RiffTrax... tis the season for technical issues There it is! But first... Can't forget our other holiday tradition! Oh boy THIS Rhyming remember with remember.  How dare. what pod people are those kids? I can't tear my eyes away from that bow. There's the drugged, kidnapped children! Here we go! Hooray! "Spunky" Awww he made the joke before we could Hhahaha That owl is possessed Owls... They're all possessed. all owls are Wait isn't Santa's whole deal that he delivers the presents himself did you read the news story at the weekend about the family who found an owl in their christmas tree when it was in their living room? No, but my condolences to their surviving loved ones. that is why i have an artificial tree this year has been light on owl news, clearly they are plotting something big it is dumbledore where is Snape when you need him? Did.  Did the animals want a christmas tree They live in a forest Hooverville That's a weirdly flat hammer toys for budding psychopaths Breakdown says he can see the appeal. The decapitation game "A real KNOCKOUT" ... "A real--", haha. The emotions are conflicting. still more impressive than the current royal navy fleet roster ... That certainly is...something? ?? fifty shades of grey, the game Not An Orgy more from meth santa? It's tonight's theme. america really loved the great depression, didn't it gaaaah That mouth animation i think i preferred the mouse's meth santa is santa going to eat him? Absolutely. That's a predator's mouth. hooo boy Normal dog mouths with normal dog teeth is this cartoon really happening or am i having a bad acid flashback? Oh, it's happening. it is the live action nightmare before christmas This certainly is Christmasy. Pffff Oh no!  haunted! lucifer looks better after he is replaced by Tom Ellis hahahah Don't break into people's houses, kids. who is afraid of a little felony house breaking? one of those kids will betried as an adult, lets guess which There it is. Pffff head injuries which cause alterations of sensory states always need brain scans Huh. "a secret compartment for POISON" this Harry Potter prequel needs work, but at least doesn't star Jonny Depp Hah! "okay, let me write this down" "not telling you which kind I am tho" I'm serious though, if you get a head injury and start seeing colours or hallucinating witches, get a brain scan asap even if it is only transitory oh god yes you are hallucinating, kid. see a doctor! Okay that does not seem like an appropriate habitat This all has so little to do with Christmas. https://external-preview.redd.it/uzUWdKH11awsRkfQFArl8KhcKQC5XiMMZrMYtMXxZG0.jpg?auto=webp&s=929d814cd06688484059aff9629a617d842b8da4 brain trauma and animal abuse, truly the real meaning of christmas uh or rather http://i.imgur.com/DFqlhuz.jpg Aladdin rubbing his lamp is just a metaphor for masturbation I bet his parents won't have any questions about the new tree in their yard whereas a kid playing hide the turtle and planting his ring seed is.... I have no idea. That's not really how mowing works. I miss when this movie was about bolgna and meatloaf, and made sense Those were good tims. *times What is he even doing she' s calling a divorce lawyer, right? Was he... not looking where he was going? And people got paid to write and make this too This scene feels like it's been going on for years. So he just has a grudge against this tree because he ran into it like a dumbass, right I can't remember when this scene wasn't happening this family is really half assing their christmas GAH! WELP did he just say "enter you" seriously kid, get a brain scan hahahah So... his dad's going to come back and find a tree already there "hey, THESE aren't our decorations" you are a nightmare made real I would have fragged this tree at a certain stage in my life. kid uh you really wanna be a tree ...Stages. It's the voice, isn't it. if you ddon't get that brain scan kid, you'll end up being a plant for life That and I have a thing for haughty, awful Seekers. It is. yes kid, go towards the light Yikes when does he  turn someone into a jack in the box? what is going on? murder suicide? hahahah "Uh, no further questions" wish for infinite wishes, duh He... wants Santa for his very own Kid No ...Oh. Well. could they not have hired an  actor with a real beard? Uh "belong to" He could have just wished directly for whatever dumb toys okaaaaay that was genuinely disturbing there stroking the gun like that Yeah ....What. What. what the? UH??? UGH, HE'S SQUATTING. So... if it's morning... wouldn't his parents have gotten up and found Santa trapped in that chair Wow. Ha santa might forgive him, but i will never forgive the director Agreed. I feel like I could have made a much better job of three wishes. Oh so it was alllllll a dreeeeaaaaam see, I said he he had a brain injury get a brain scan, now though I'm sure you would. continued hallucinations and altered sensory perceptions... this kid is bleeding into his brain Ha! Oh boy Hahahaha was this guy on the epstien jet too? OHH That face Killer?? And one more for the road! Pfffff A classic. timeless classic And that's all I've got! okay, well it has been an experience as always thank you and merry christmas to our host And an exceedingly merry Christmas to you as well! Thanks for hosting! and I guess i'll see you all again next christmas too Season's greasons :) bye all and to all a goodnight Good night!

[braindamageforbeginners]

Half superhero. Half Kenny Chesney. Half Vietnam War correspondent. 100% ‘Merican

Week 9, Day 63, Experimental Infusion #6

So, in a case of being careful what you wish for; the MRI came back clean (Research Coordinator further ingratiated himself to me during the Warlock consult by leaning over and whispering, “You’re looking for the red contrast on the third screen - I don’t see any”), and with relatively little quantifiable radiation damage. Which is fantastic, believe me, no one is happier about that than me. However, as Senior Warlock pointed out, that just means I have to keep up the pressure (which. Which means more dreaded Temodar, at over twice the previous dosage; and more Captain America serum. As you’ll note from the photographic evidence, I came dressed for the job I want (my male vanity feels inclined to point out that even though I’m not exactly svelte these days, those chemo barcaloungers don’t really put you at the most flattering angle)(also, I’d just received a massive IV dose of zofran, which tends to make me feel a little fuzzy around the edges)(oddly enough, the pills I take daily don’t seem to have that same softening effect; although that’s probably because you lose a large chunk of any orally-taken drug to the GI system). The pockets are there to keep my other pockets in (we’ll get to that shortly).

I spent a solid chunk of last night in the bathroom and/or sucking on my antianxiety meds (they’re dissolvable and - I assume - absorbed sublingually), It seems another needless cruelty that I have to face this disease with a weak stomach, but we all have our cross to bear. So, by the time I finally made it to the Warlock consult - which happened after an MRI and a blood test, so there was a certain sense of dramatic build-up to the event - It was taking all of my willpower not to vomit and pass out (again, I will happily admit to being a coward). I don’t really recall too much except that everyone in lab coats seemed very happy about the results, and cleared me to enter Phase 2. Which involves three serum infusions a month combined with a week of Temodar at higher doses (I’ll admit that I got a bit weak in the knees when Senior Warlock mentioned that I’m only on a “mid-grade” dosage - but, one week out of every four seems a relatively minor price to pay to remain this side of the dirt and mostly-intact)(I’m still not sure about the Captain America Serum; that’s fairly rough stuff, even with the cool psychadelic dreams)(good news on that one; Senior Warlock says my weird, post-injection dreams do sound like there is some blood-brain barrier penetration of the serum, which is correlated with better patient outcomes with the combination of this drug and standard chemo)(hooray).

To explain my rather unique nerd vest; I should point out that it’s technically a jacket with removable sleeves (I’m still single, ladies); I removed them after I realized that I’d be getting jabbed a lot that day, and I didn’t want to pull the jacket off and on every ten minutes. And every pocket in that vest had something useful in it. Yes, I might’ve looked like a nerd (WYSIWYG)(the hilariously cruel comment of the day goes to Dad, who said, on my ability to recall random Star Trek trivia, “After that shirt and jacket, you’re just earning a geek oak cluster”), but I was a nerd fully-prepared for any contingency. Which was helpful, because after I got cleared to receive infusion #6. I had to wait quite a while - apparently, chemo wards tend to get crowded after three day weekends, because most patients prefer to spend their remaining time visiting loved ones instead of being injected with poison. Those weak-ass pansies. On the other hand, I did get a good look at the chemo ward, and realized I’ve gotten pretty lightly, so far. Your medical vocabulary word of the day, reader, is “cachexia,” though I’d advise not looking at the images if you’ve eaten recently. Anyway, the stack-up of patients meant I had a lot of time with my gadgets and chargers (I’m making a chemo playlist - if I’m spending six hours a month in there, I might as well be creative about it)(song #1 is Alice Cooper’s “Poison”), so, the nerdy pocket vest payed off there. It really payed off when I finally made it to the chemo chair, and the nurse had to find a new vein (I’d had blood drawn and received an MRI contrast injection, so my go-to vein was showing some wear and tear). Pro-tip; if you have hard-to find veins, wear the dorky vest and make sure you keep a squeezy stress-ball thing in a pocket (I use a basic rubber tennis ball, but that’s just me), because you can take it out and start pumping it (this actually impressed the chemo nurse and Research Coordinator), and it’ll help a competent nurse find a vein.

The bad news is, that took up an entire, 9-5 day. Just being a sick person. At a hospital. Getting treatment. Which just gives credence to my ongoing gripe that being a sick person is (or should be) a profession unto itself. On the other hand, things are looking up at the moment (which makes me feel like I’ll die in my sleep or something tonight), even though my left shoulder and side are in extraordinary pain (my lasting contribution to science might be the establishment of that side-effect for this drug). And better news, I did find an alternative to Gatorade - one of those mix-it-yourself rock climber electrolyte concoctions (I double-checked with the Warlocks, they said it sounded fine and they usually recommend Pedialyte and Gatorade because that’s readily available and immediately recognizable). The downside is that this stuff tastes like urinal cleanser - I almost kind of miss the cough syrup sweetness of Arctic Blast Gatorade. The good news is, it seems far more effective than Gatorade, so I don’t have to drink as much (I’m almost impressed at those hard-core alcoholics who wake up early to drink more; I barely have the stamina to keep hydrated throughout the night - and that’s on doctors’ orders). And it’s much, much cheaper, and has a mere fraction of the calories (I’ve literally lost ten pounds after stopping my all-Gatorade, all-the-time lifestyle after Infusion #5). So, like everything else in my life, it’s unpleasant, but doable. And I’m still coherent enough to complain about it, so things haven’t gone dreadfully wrong.

[davidcdelreal]

How to Recover from a Financial Crisis

It was supposed to be an epic family vacation. Until it wasn’t. Picture this: We had just moved into our temporary rental in Nashville, Tennessee, and we were so ready for a break. One cool thing we didn’t realize at the time was the fact that our new school district has what’s called “Fall Break.” Now, we’re totally used to taking a break from school for Thanksgiving, but this particular break takes place in October. All of a sudden, we realized we had three school days off plus the weekend to do something fun. Hooray! After talking to a lot of parents in our neighborhood, we learned that Nashville locals spend their fall break in a place called 30A, which is located in the Panama City Beach area of Florida. After hearing this news, it didn’t take long for Mandy and I to settle on a sunny beach getaway. I mean, what could go wrong? Unfortunately, we found out that even the most amazing vacation plans can fall apart in the blink of an eye. Before we even left the house, our youngest son came down with the stomach flu. We were worried he wouldn’t recover in time, but thankful when he rallied at the last minute. But, our trouble didn’t end there. Once we arrived in Florida, my oldest son started getting sick. And while one kid getting sick isn’t the end of the world – especially when you have four – the world really does come to a standstill when mom and dad are desperately praying for recovery. Sure enough, my wife got hit with the same stomach bug the last night of our vacation. And about 90 minutes after she started puking, I joined her. We were both down for the count, puking up everything that we had consumed that day.

While the experience was horrible, thankfully, it wasn't serious enough where we had to go to the emergency room.

Of course, not everyone is so lucky. You hear horror stories all the time of somebody getting hurt while away from home and having to deal with some sort of medical or financial crisis.  We avoided it this time, but definitely got me thinking “what if.”

What if we had to take everyone to the emergency room and cover our large medical deductible in one fell swoop?

What if we had to stay a few more days in Florida because we couldn’t drive home? What kinds of additional costs would we encounter, and how would we cover them?

What if one of us had an extended health condition that made it difficult for us to work?

The reality is, any of these situations would have been fine for us, mostly because we have our financial ducks in a row. But, I realize that’s not the case for everyone. If you’re trying to figure out the best ways to handle a financial or medical crisis, here are some steps to take:

Step #1: Always have an emergency fund.

No matter your financial situation, having an emergency fund is crucial. Without a fully-stocked e-fund, it’s hard to cover surprise expenses like a leaky roof or a car repair, and you’ll be a lot more susceptible to financial issues if you have a medical emergency. How big should your emergency fund be? Now, that’s an entirely different question – and I’m torn on the answer. Many “experts” say you should have 3-6 months of expenses in cash, but for some people, that’s a lot of money that would be better off invested. Other “experts” like Dave Ramsey say you should start with a baby e-fund of at least $1,000 and work up from there. I tend to believe that your emergency fund can be flexible, as long as it provides enough cash to cover your potential liabilities if somebody got sick or lost their job. As you start building an emergency fund, consider asking yourself these questions:

Will my emergency fund cover my deductible so I can get medical care without going into debt?

How long will my emergency fund last if I lose my job or can’t work because I’m sick?

How much are my monthly bills?

From there, you can figure out how much you need and start building your fund in a high interest savings account. If you’re worried about not having enough, try to commit to saving $50 or $100 per month then ratcheting it up over time.

Remember, a small emergency fund is better than no fund – and you can continue building it up as time goes on.

Step #2: Plan for the worst.

As an optimist, I always hope for the best for my family and everyone I meet. But, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have a plan in mind if everything falls apart. Having an emergency fund is a good example of hoping for the best but planning for the worst-case scenario. You might hope you’ll never have to use your e-fund, but in reality, you’re probably going to use it for medical bills, new tires for your car, and other boring expenses you’ll wish you didn’t have to pay. Other ways to plan for the worst can include things like:

Buying term life insurance as income replacement

Buying disability insurance in case you can’t work

Having proper limits on your auto coverage so that, if you get in a wreck, you aren’t left in the lurch

Having health insurance coverage that protects your family from catastrophic medical bills

Of course, none of this sounds fun – and it’s not. However, planning for the worst is crucial if you’re going to escape financial disasters and medical emergencies unscathed.

Step #3: Live below your means.

Here’s a piece of financial advice that works for everyone no matter your income or your status:

Live below your means, and you’ll be a lot better off.

Unfortunately, a lot of people prefer to live at or even above their means. How many of you know a high earner or family of high earners who spends every penny they earn and more? How many of you know someone who is moderately wealthy who doesn’t have a dime in the bank? As a financial advisor, I’ve met far too many people who earn enough on paper but spend every dime. Unfortunately, this puts them in a perilous situation where any emergency -financial or medical – can cause their finances to spiral out of control. If you want to avoid situations where a job loss, illness, or health condition leaves you broke, the best thing you can do is spend less than you earn and save the rest.

By living below your means, you’ll make it easier to keep up on your bills if the worst-case scenario comes true.

Step #4: Figure out what you owe, and hatch a plan to pay it back.

Ideally, you’ll have an emergency fund in place long before you encounter a financial or medical crisis. But, what if you don’t? If you wind up owing money after a financial crisis, the best thing you can do is figure out what the damage is and the best ways to pay it back. Start by adding up the grand total of your bills. From there, you can figure out how much you might need to pay monthly to pay back what you owe. Let’s say you racked up a $5,000 bill in the emergency room or getting your car repaired. How much could you pay each month to whittle the balance down, and how long will it take you to pay it all off? If you had to charge the balance on a credit card, what is your interest rate? And how will your interest rate affect your repayment timeline? Most of the time, a good credit card payment calculator can help you figure out how much you’ll owe each month, how much of your payment will go to principal, and how much you could save if you paid down debt faster.

Step #5: Handle financial emergencies responsibly.

While a credit card can certainly help you out of a financial jam, be aware of the risks you may encounter with using credit for emergencies without considering other options. For starters, credit cards can come with higher interest rates than other financial products, so look at your credit card rates versus, say, unsecured loans, for emergency expenses. Further, credit cards don’t come with firm payoff dates or fixed payments, so it can be all too tempting for some to make the minimum payment and delay paying off the debt. There are many financial tools out there that could help if you find yourself in a financial crisis. It’s good to know what’s out there if you don’t have the funds needed in an emergency in savings, and need funds quickly. Personal loans are a financially responsible tool I’d recommend. Since personal loans are unsecured, you can also get one without collateral. If you’re approved, most lenders provide funds within the week. I know with Discover Personal Loans, upon approval funds can be sent as quickly as the next day after acceptance. You can choose from a variety of flexible repayment plans to fit what works best for you. Not only that, but they have a fixed monthly payment and a fixed repayment timeline so you’ll know exactly what  you owe every month and can easily budget and get back on-track financially.. If find yourself with higher-interest debt from handling the financial jam, personal loans can also help to consolidate and pay down your debt. While personal loans still involve borrowing money, they can come with lower interest rates than other financial tools and have a set pay-off date. If you choose the personal loan route, it’s also important to make sure you choose a loan company with no origination fees – Discover Personal Loans is one.

The Bottom Line

Life happens, and there’s no way to avoid every emergency or disaster the world throws at you. But, with a plan, you’ll be ready to fight back and get back on track. By having an emergency fund, planning for the worst-case scenario, living below your means, and handling emergencies responsibly, you’ll be prepared for anything that comes your way. This is a paid post written by me on behalf of Discover Personal Loans. All opinions are my own.

The post How to Recover from a Financial Crisis appeared first on Good Financial Cents.

from All About Insurance https://www.goodfinancialcents.com/recover-financial-crisis/

[davidcdelreal]

How to Recover from a Financial Crisis

It was supposed to be an epic family vacation. Until it wasn’t.

Picture this: We had just moved into our temporary rental in Nashville, Tennessee, and we were so ready for a break.

One cool thing we didn’t realize at the time was the fact that our new school district has what’s called “Fall Break.”

Now, we’re totally used to taking a break from school for Thanksgiving, but this particular break takes place in October. All of a sudden, we realized we had three school days off plus the weekend to do something fun.

Hooray!

After talking to a lot of parents in our neighborhood, we learned that Nashville locals spend their fall break in a place called 30A, which is located in the Panama City Beach area of Florida. After hearing this news, it didn’t take long for Mandy and I to settle on a sunny beach getaway.

I mean, what could go wrong?

Unfortunately, we found out that even the most amazing vacation plans can fall apart in the blink of an eye. Before we even left the house, our youngest son came down with the stomach flu. We were worried he wouldn’t recover in time, but thankful when he rallied at the last minute.

But, our trouble didn’t end there. Once we arrived in Florida, my oldest son started getting sick. And while one kid getting sick isn’t the end of the world – especially when you have four – the world really does come to a standstill when mom and dad are desperately praying for recovery.

Sure enough, my wife got hit with the same stomach bug the last night of our vacation. And about 90 minutes after she started puking, I joined her. We were both down for the count, puking up everything that we had consumed that day.

While the experience was horrible, thankfully, it wasn't serious enough where we had to go to the emergency room.

Of course, not everyone is so lucky. You hear horror stories all the time of somebody getting hurt while away from home and having to deal with some sort of medical or financial crisis.  We avoided it this time, but definitely got me thinking “what if.”

What if we had to take everyone to the emergency room and cover our large medical deductible in one fell swoop?

What if we had to stay a few more days in Florida because we couldn’t drive home? What kinds of additional costs would we encounter, and how would we cover them?

What if one of us had an extended health condition that made it difficult for us to work?

The reality is, any of these situations would have been fine for us, mostly because we have our financial ducks in a row. But, I realize that’s not the case for everyone.

If you’re trying to figure out the best ways to handle a financial or medical crisis, here are some steps to take:

Step #1: Always have an emergency fund.

No matter your financial situation, having an emergency fund is crucial. Without a fully-stocked e-fund, it’s hard to cover surprise expenses like a leaky roof or a car repair, and you’ll be a lot more susceptible to financial issues if you have a medical emergency.

How big should your emergency fund be? Now, that’s an entirely different question – and I’m torn on the answer.

Many “experts” say you should have 3-6 months of expenses in cash, but for some people, that’s a lot of money that would be better off invested.

Other “experts” like Dave Ramsey say you should start with a baby e-fund of at least $1,000 and work up from there.

I tend to believe that your emergency fund can be flexible, as long as it provides enough cash to cover your potential liabilities if somebody got sick or lost their job.

As you start building an emergency fund, consider asking yourself these questions:

Will my emergency fund cover my deductible so I can get medical care without going into debt?

How long will my emergency fund last if I lose my job or can’t work because I’m sick?

How much are my monthly bills?

From there, you can figure out how much you need and start building your fund in a high interest savings account. If you’re worried about not having enough, try to commit to saving $50 or $100 per month then ratcheting it up over time.

Remember, a small emergency fund is better than no fund – and you can continue building it up as time goes on.

Step #2: Plan for the worst.

As an optimist, I always hope for the best for my family and everyone I meet. But, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have a plan in mind if everything falls apart.

Having an emergency fund is a good example of hoping for the best but planning for the worst-case scenario. You might hope you’ll never have to use your e-fund, but in reality, you’re probably going to use it for medical bills, new tires for your car, and other boring expenses you’ll wish you didn’t have to pay.

Other ways to plan for the worst can include things like:

Buying term life insurance as income replacement

Buying disability insurance in case you can’t work

Having proper limits on your auto coverage so that, if you get in a wreck, you aren’t left in the lurch

Having health insurance coverage that protects your family from catastrophic medical bills

Of course, none of this sounds fun – and it’s not. However, planning for the worst is crucial if you’re going to escape financial disasters and medical emergencies unscathed.

Step #3: Live below your means.

Here’s a piece of financial advice that works for everyone no matter your income or your status:

Live below your means, and you’ll be a lot better off.

Unfortunately, a lot of people prefer to live at or even above their means. How many of you know a high earner or family of high earners who spends every penny they earn and more? How many of you know someone who is moderately wealthy who doesn’t have a dime in the bank?

As a financial advisor, I’ve met far too many people who earn enough on paper but spend every dime. Unfortunately, this puts them in a perilous situation where any emergency -financial or medical – can cause their finances to spiral out of control.

If you want to avoid situations where a job loss, illness, or health condition leaves you broke, the best thing you can do is spend less than you earn and save the rest.

By living below your means, you’ll make it easier to keep up on your bills if the worst-case scenario comes true.

Step #4: Figure out what you owe, and hatch a plan to pay it back.

Ideally, you’ll have an emergency fund in place long before you encounter a financial or medical crisis. But, what if you don’t?

If you wind up owing money after a financial crisis, the best thing you can do is figure out what the damage is and the best ways to pay it back.

Start by adding up the grand total of your bills. From there, you can figure out how much you might need to pay monthly to pay back what you owe.

Let’s say you racked up a $5,000 bill in the emergency room or getting your car repaired. How much could you pay each month to whittle the balance down, and how long will it take you to pay it all off?

If you had to charge the balance on a credit card, what is your interest rate? And how will your interest rate affect your repayment timeline?

Most of the time, a good credit card payment calculator can help you figure out how much you’ll owe each month, how much of your payment will go to principal, and how much you could save if you paid down debt faster.

Step #5: Handle financial emergencies responsibly.

While a credit card can certainly help you out of a financial jam, be aware of the risks you may encounter with using credit for emergencies without considering other options. For starters, credit cards can come with higher interest rates than other financial products, so look at your credit card rates versus, say, unsecured loans, for emergency expenses. Further, credit cards don’t come with firm payoff dates or fixed payments, so it can be all too tempting for some to make the minimum payment and delay paying off the debt.

There are many financial tools out there that could help if you find yourself in a financial crisis. It’s good to know what’s out there if you don’t have the funds needed in an emergency in savings, and need funds quickly.

Personal loans are a financially responsible tool I’d recommend. Since personal loans are unsecured, you can also get one without collateral. If you’re approved, most lenders provide funds within the week. I know with Discover Personal Loans, upon approval funds can be sent as quickly as the next day after acceptance. You can choose from a variety of flexible repayment plans to fit what works best for you. Not only that, but they have a fixed monthly payment and a fixed repayment timeline so you’ll know exactly what  you owe every month and can easily budget and get back on-track financially..

If find yourself with higher-interest debt from handling the financial jam, personal loans can also help to consolidate and pay down your debt. While personal loans still involve borrowing money, they can come with lower interest rates than other financial tools and have a set pay-off date.

If you choose the personal loan route, it’s also important to make sure you choose a loan company with no origination fees – Discover Personal Loans is one.

The Bottom Line

Life happens, and there’s no way to avoid every emergency or disaster the world throws at you. But, with a plan, you’ll be ready to fight back and get back on track.

By having an emergency fund, planning for the worst-case scenario, living below your means, and handling emergencies responsibly, you’ll be prepared for anything that comes your way.

This is a paid post written by me on behalf of Discover Personal Loans. All opinions are my own.

The post How to Recover from a Financial Crisis appeared first on Good Financial Cents.

from All About Insurance https://www.goodfinancialcents.com/recover-financial-crisis/

[davidcdelreal]

How to Recover from a Financial Crisis

It was supposed to be an epic family vacation. Until it wasn’t.

Picture this: We had just moved into our temporary rental in Nashville, Tennessee, and we were so ready for a break.

One cool thing we didn’t realize at the time was the fact that our new school district has what’s called “Fall Break.”

Now, we’re totally used to taking a break from school for Thanksgiving, but this particular break takes place in October. All of a sudden, we realized we had three school days off plus the weekend to do something fun.

Hooray!

After talking to a lot of parents in our neighborhood, we learned that Nashville locals spend their fall break in a place called 30A, which is located in the Panama City Beach area of Florida. After hearing this news, it didn’t take long for Mandy and I to settle on a sunny beach getaway.

I mean, what could go wrong?

Unfortunately, we found out that even the most amazing vacation plans can fall apart in the blink of an eye. Before we even left the house, our youngest son came down with the stomach flu. We were worried he wouldn’t recover in time, but thankful when he rallied at the last minute.

But, our trouble didn’t end there. Once we arrived in Florida, my oldest son started getting sick. And while one kid getting sick isn’t the end of the world – especially when you have four – the world really does come to a standstill when mom and dad are desperately praying for recovery.

Sure enough, my wife got hit with the same stomach bug the last night of our vacation. And about 90 minutes after she started puking, I joined her. We were both down for the count, puking up everything that we had consumed that day.

While the experience was horrible, thankfully, it wasn't serious enough where we had to go to the emergency room.

Of course, not everyone is so lucky. You hear horror stories all the time of somebody getting hurt while away from home and having to deal with some sort of medical or financial crisis.  We avoided it this time, but definitely got me thinking “what if.”

What if we had to take everyone to the emergency room and cover our large medical deductible in one fell swoop?

What if we had to stay a few more days in Florida because we couldn’t drive home? What kinds of additional costs would we encounter, and how would we cover them?

What if one of us had an extended health condition that made it difficult for us to work?

The reality is, any of these situations would have been fine for us, mostly because we have our financial ducks in a row. But, I realize that’s not the case for everyone.

If you’re trying to figure out the best ways to handle a financial or medical crisis, here are some steps to take:

Step #1: Always have an emergency fund.

No matter your financial situation, having an emergency fund is crucial. Without a fully-stocked e-fund, it’s hard to cover surprise expenses like a leaky roof or a car repair, and you’ll be a lot more susceptible to financial issues if you have a medical emergency.

How big should your emergency fund be? Now, that’s an entirely different question – and I’m torn on the answer.

Many “experts” say you should have 3-6 months of expenses in cash, but for some people, that’s a lot of money that would be better off invested.

Other “experts” like Dave Ramsey say you should start with a baby e-fund of at least $1,000 and work up from there.

I tend to believe that your emergency fund can be flexible, as long as it provides enough cash to cover your potential liabilities if somebody got sick or lost their job.

As you start building an emergency fund, consider asking yourself these questions:

Will my emergency fund cover my deductible so I can get medical care without going into debt?

How long will my emergency fund last if I lose my job or can’t work because I’m sick?

How much are my monthly bills?

From there, you can figure out how much you need and start building your fund in a high interest savings account. If you’re worried about not having enough, try to commit to saving $50 or $100 per month then ratcheting it up over time.

Remember, a small emergency fund is better than no fund – and you can continue building it up as time goes on.

Step #2: Plan for the worst.

As an optimist, I always hope for the best for my family and everyone I meet. But, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have a plan in mind if everything falls apart.

Having an emergency fund is a good example of hoping for the best but planning for the worst-case scenario. You might hope you’ll never have to use your e-fund, but in reality, you’re probably going to use it for medical bills, new tires for your car, and other boring expenses you’ll wish you didn’t have to pay.

Other ways to plan for the worst can include things like:

Buying term life insurance as income replacement

Buying disability insurance in case you can’t work

Having proper limits on your auto coverage so that, if you get in a wreck, you aren’t left in the lurch

Having health insurance coverage that protects your family from catastrophic medical bills

Of course, none of this sounds fun – and it’s not. However, planning for the worst is crucial if you’re going to escape financial disasters and medical emergencies unscathed.

Step #3: Live below your means.

Here’s a piece of financial advice that works for everyone no matter your income or your status:

Live below your means, and you’ll be a lot better off.

Unfortunately, a lot of people prefer to live at or even above their means. How many of you know a high earner or family of high earners who spends every penny they earn and more? How many of you know someone who is moderately wealthy who doesn’t have a dime in the bank?

As a financial advisor, I’ve met far too many people who earn enough on paper but spend every dime. Unfortunately, this puts them in a perilous situation where any emergency -financial or medical – can cause their finances to spiral out of control.

If you want to avoid situations where a job loss, illness, or health condition leaves you broke, the best thing you can do is spend less than you earn and save the rest.

By living below your means, you’ll make it easier to keep up on your bills if the worst-case scenario comes true.

Step #4: Figure out what you owe, and hatch a plan to pay it back.

Ideally, you’ll have an emergency fund in place long before you encounter a financial or medical crisis. But, what if you don’t?

If you wind up owing money after a financial crisis, the best thing you can do is figure out what the damage is and the best ways to pay it back.

Start by adding up the grand total of your bills. From there, you can figure out how much you might need to pay monthly to pay back what you owe.

Let’s say you racked up a $5,000 bill in the emergency room or getting your car repaired. How much could you pay each month to whittle the balance down, and how long will it take you to pay it all off?

If you had to charge the balance on a credit card, what is your interest rate? And how will your interest rate affect your repayment timeline?

Most of the time, a good credit card payment calculator can help you figure out how much you’ll owe each month, how much of your payment will go to principal, and how much you could save if you paid down debt faster.

Step #5: Handle financial emergencies responsibly.

While a credit card can certainly help you out of a financial jam, be aware of the risks you may encounter with using credit for emergencies without considering other options. For starters, credit cards can come with higher interest rates than other financial products, so look at your credit card rates versus, say, unsecured loans, for emergency expenses. Further, credit cards don’t come with firm payoff dates or fixed payments, so it can be all too tempting for some to make the minimum payment and delay paying off the debt.

There are many financial tools out there that could help if you find yourself in a financial crisis. It’s good to know what’s out there if you don’t have the funds needed in an emergency in savings, and need funds quickly.

Personal loans are a financially responsible tool I’d recommend. Since personal loans are unsecured, you can also get one without collateral. If you’re approved, most lenders provide funds within the week. I know with Discover Personal Loans, upon approval funds can be sent as quickly as the next day after acceptance. You can choose from a variety of flexible repayment plans to fit what works best for you. Not only that, but they have a fixed monthly payment and a fixed repayment timeline so you’ll know exactly what  you owe every month and can easily budget and get back on-track financially..

If find yourself with higher-interest debt from handling the financial jam, personal loans can also help to consolidate and pay down your debt. While personal loans still involve borrowing money, they can come with lower interest rates than other financial tools and have a set pay-off date.

If you choose the personal loan route, it’s also important to make sure you choose a loan company with no origination fees – Discover Personal Loans is one.

The Bottom Line

Life happens, and there’s no way to avoid every emergency or disaster the world throws at you. But, with a plan, you’ll be ready to fight back and get back on track.

By having an emergency fund, planning for the worst-case scenario, living below your means, and handling emergencies responsibly, you’ll be prepared for anything that comes your way.

This is a paid post written by me on behalf of Discover Personal Loans. All opinions are my own.

The post How to Recover from a Financial Crisis appeared first on Good Financial Cents.

from All About Insurance https://www.goodfinancialcents.com/recover-financial-crisis/