#pka draws

[pkb-plus]

im just kinda rotating it in my head, but... im excited to see how Kai's design changes over the years...

[lambtotheslaughterr]

The Day The World Ended : Rise -- Part One

A Rafe Cameron Series

Chapter One

WC: 7.1k

Dividers provided by @firefly-graphics

MASTERLIST | CHAPTER TWO

FIVE DAYS BEFORE THE WORLD ENDED

            Your body moved with the rhythm of the dark wave music flowing throughout the party. Hot pink, neon yellow, & vibrant purple colors danced across the sea of people. You could feel yourself smiling in spite of the sweat coating your arms & legs. The alcohol that flowed through your body kept you cool & unfeeling of the stickiness that comes with an early summer in Florida.

            It was so incredibly natural for you to move your limbs, waist, hips in time with the beat. A good party was where you thrived the most. Even when you opened your eyes & couldn’t make out any of your friends’ faces or see your boyfriend nearby you didn’t panic. Losing yourself among strangers & classmates alike was part of the fun. After all, finals week was over. Summer was here. College was almost over, just one year left. You weren’t the only one celebrating.

            Everywhere you looked, you saw everyone wearing a shade of pink. It was Wednesday, & your boyfriend’s fraternity was throwing a ‘We Wear Pink On Wednesday’s’ to kick-off the summer break. The outfit you wore captured your personality well. Bold, sexy, confident. Dancing in your stiletto heels, rubbing your hands along the sides of your body, feeling as if everyone had their eyes on you, it kept you going. You could dance all night.

            As you swayed, you felt warm hands fall on your hips. You grinned knowingly to yourself, pressing your back to the chest behind you. Sayyed nuzzled his face into the crook of your neck, his facial hair getting caught up in the strands. You giggled, spinning around to face him. He fought with your hair & you helped him remove it, trading smiles.

            The music continued & the two of you danced for a bit longer with one another. This was one of the reasons you & Sayyed were so good together. He was a dance major & you just loved to dance every chance you had. Your energy was unmatched & your body language with one another couldn’t be stopped. He leaned into you & you let him, bending ever so slightly, looking as if he was melting into you. It was magnetic, seductive, empowering.

            Once the next song finished though, Sayyed grabbed your hand & pulled you away from the main living room of the frat. Every corner you turned there was more & more people. Pi Kappa Alpha never failed at throwing a party & drawing the masses in. You were a member of their sister sorority, Alpha Delta Pi. You had been coming to PKA’s parties since rush week freshman year. It’s where you & Sayyed met.

            Turning one last corner, Sayyed brought you into the kitchen which was just as crowded as the rest of the house. In here, however, were your friends. On one end of a beer pong table two of Sayyed’s frat brothers—Luka, Kai, & Bear—were losing pretty badly with more than half their cups still on the table. At the winning end of the table was Adrianna & Rafe. Nuha, Sayyed’s sister, stood behind them, roasting the opposing team.

            On the sidelines, you marched up to Millie & Micah, your closest friends & roommates. Becoming a junior at the university had been the best thing to happen since you were finally able to move out of the sorority house. Millie had been your friend from high school & Micah was her bed buddy. The three of you got along swimmingly.

            “Oh, c’mon guys!” Rafe teased, pointing at the boys across from him, “You’re getting your ass beat by a girl.”

            Adrianna grinned proudly at that. Out of all the men at the table, Adrianna was certainly the toughest. She graduated high school a year early & applied to the NROTC. It was only in the last year that she began majoring in nursing. Medical, warfare, you name it & Adrianna could excel in it.

            “She’s not a girl!” Bear, nicknamed as such for his appearance, playfully argued back, “She’s a goddamn military weapon!”

            “Awwh, Boo Bear,” Nuha cooed, narrowing her tantalizing green eyes glowing mischievously, “Is mommy gonna need to read you to sleep tonight?”

            “Only if you’re mommy.” Bear returned, winking, his flirtatious banter towards Nuha was never ending.

            “Alright.” Sayyed interrupted, tossing Bear a warning, “That’s enough, make the shot. I want next game.”

            Rafe & Adrianna cleared the table swiftly with their skills. Sayyed began re-setting, catching your attention, “Teammate?”

            You made a face of disgust, “Yuck, no thanks. I’m a lousy shot, you know that. I’ll just be over here, ya know, drinking.”

            Sayyed rolled his eyes but nodded, kissing you once before you crossed to the other side of the kitchen to peruse the alcohol options.

            “What’s your poison tonight?” Rafe came up beside you, mirroring your perusal. You shrugged. Usually your go to was a cheaply mixed cocktail but you were thinking of switching to beer to avoid the intense sugar headache you’d surely get the next morning.

            “What are you thinking?” You asked. Rafe Cameron was you in the male form. He too knew how to party, enjoyed being the center of attention, & could drink well into the daylight hours. You two bonded quickly over loud music, drunken fits of laughter, & rampant parties over the years.

            “I’m just gonna do some shots. I don’t want to use my brain any more than I have to.” You laughed in agreement, watching as he poured you two a couple.

            Rafe handed you the overflowing shot of tequila & you leaned forward to shoot it back, careful to not spill any on your clothes—though you were hardly wearing any.

            “Woo!” You & Rafe yelled in unison, feeling the smooth burn of the tequila slip down your throat. He raised his hand, “Up high.”

            When you went to smack his hand he lowered it, wiggling his brows, “Too slow, down low.”

            “Fuck off.” You smiled pretending to turn & walk away. Then, before he could catch on to you, you spun around & smacked his hand.

            “Goddamnit.” He gritted, shaking his head.

            “Too slow.” You mocked, slipping away from him before he could try to out smart you. Along the way you snagged a beer out of a cooler & returned to Millie & the beer pong game.

            The infamous trio lost yet another game as the Rahal’s kicked their ass. Sayyed & Nuha were as thick as thieves, making you envious of never having any siblings growing up. Your dad was a pilot, gone long & often. Your mom was self-medicated & kept to the dimly lit confines of her bedroom. College had been the long awaited escape you always dreamed of, & you finally found your own family on that campus.

            It was almost one in the morning when you found yourself sitting on the front steps leading up to the frat house, kicking your heels off. You felt good. The alcohol left you buzzing. The only thing that would make the night even better at the moment would be if the sprinklers were turned on so you could run shamelessly through them.

            People were spread out on the front lawn. Houses all up & down Greek row had people spilling out onto the street, stumbling everywhere. You laughed to yourself, enjoying the freedom & adventure that college was. All these people, just as drunk as you if not more so, hopping from one party to the next, totally free of any responsibility & milking the utters of their youth.

            “Ha.” You giggled, leaning back to rest your elbows on the brick steps, “Utters.”

            “What are you giggling to yourself about?” Millie appeared over your shoulder, dropping to her butt to join you.

            “Mills.” You squeaked, gripping her slender legs & hugging them, “I really love you.”

            “I love you, too, you lush.” She returned, patting the top of your head.

            “I’m gonna name my daughter Lush.” You mumbled, smiling at the thought, “It’s pretty.”

            “Yeah, yeah, & you’re gonna name your son Bitters.”

            “It’s a theme.” You defended.

            “One I know Sayyed will no way in hell support.”

            “Whatever. He loves me.” You smirked knowingly.

            “Hey guys.” Micah joined the two of you but didn’t sit, “I’m gonna head back, want a ride Mill?”

            “Nah, thanks.” She rubbed your face, making you bat away your hands, “I gotta keep an eye on this one.”

            “C’mon. Where’s Sayyed? Let him get her home. I want us to roll around before bed.”

            You snorted at that, “Okay, okay, Mee-Kuh.” You slurred, stumbling as you stood, “Mills is all yours. I got my own rolling around to do.”

            Millie & Micah traded looks before she gently grasped your arm, hooking it over her shoulders, “No way. You’re done. We got an early day tomorrow anyway. You’re coming with us & I will call Sayyed in the car.”

            Though you wanted to resist, still having the urge to party & go all night long, your limbs felt heavy as your roommates carried you to the car. Once in, you lied down in the backseat, not bothering with a seatbelt. Micah had The Pixies playing on the stereo at a low volume. You faintly made out Millie on the phone with who you presumed to be your boyfriend.

            Where Is My Mind? lulled you to sleep. Before you knew it, you were falling into a pit of comforting darkness.

FOUR DAYS BEFORE THE WORLD ENDED

            Someone was shaking you.

            You threw your hand out, batting it away, “No.” You groaned, your head throbbing at energy you used to produce the single world.

            “_____, get up, sleepyhead. We’re already behind.”

            You didn’t care. You couldn’t even remember why the hell anyone would be waking up this early. Millie knew better. After a night of drinking & partying, you were permitted to sleep well into the afternoon hours.

            “Wake up, fishy!” She imitated, shaking you roughly.

            “Mills, quit!” You could feel yourself growing irritable.

            “Don’t make me resort to plan C.” The threat forced your eyes to pop open. You glared daggers at her, “Don’t. You. Dare.”

            “Get your lush ass up & I won’t.” She cocked her head, her hands on her hips.

            You didn’t know what time it was, but as you took in her attire, you were confused by what she wore.

            “What are you wearing?” You questioned, taking in her crop top, Levi cut-offs, & worn-through boots.

            Millie pursed her lips, “Camping, dumbo. It was your brilliant idea for us all to go camping before we all went home for the summer.”

            That couldn’t be right. “I hate being outdoors.” You whined, “You’re lying.”

            “Believe me, I wish I was.” Millie seemed exasperated, “Now, seriously, get up. You roped me into this trip so you’re helping me load Sayyed’s jeep. I’m not doing it by myself.”

            “Where’s Sayyed?”

            She pointed to the door, “Watching the news with Micah.”

            “Wake up or plan C goes into effect.” With that, Millie exited your room.

            You groaned inwardly, feeling your stomach slosh as you sat up. Bile rose in your throat & you immediately cupped your mouth. Oh no.

            Making a mad dash for your bathroom, you fell to your knees, slapping up the toilet lids in time for you to empty out your stomach.

            After a minute or so, you felt a comforting hand on your back. You knew it was Sayyed. Reaching behind you, you gripped his jean clad knee in support. Once you were finished vomiting, Sayyed poured you glass of water to swish the taste out of your mouth before helping you stand.

            “How you doin’, babe?” You could hear the slight amusement in his question, imagining that you looked quite funny at that point, but you shrugged, “Better.”

            “Good.” He kissed your forehead, shifting you over to stand in front of the sink. He grabbed your toothbrush & toothpaste, applying the crème to your brush before offering it to you, “Brush your teeth, take a shower, we’ll be done loading the car by the time you’re finished.”

            “Is it too late to cancel?” You moaned, dreading the idea of going without proper plumbing for who knows how long.

            Sayyed smiling sadly, but cupped your cheek comfortably, “You can sleep the whole way. The whole trip if need be. It’ll be over before you know it.”

            With that, he left you to your hangover. Doing as he said, you brushed your teeth—twice—then stood in the shower until Millie came hollering for you. Begrudgingly you climbed out of the shower. In your bedroom, you pulled out a cute yellow jumper & slipped into some old shoes from high school. You threw your hair up & moisturized your face, pointedly ignoring the bags under your eyes.

            Once you were finished, you gathered some essentials for a to-go bag & hauled it over your shoulder.

            In the living room, you stopped abruptly, confused by what everyone was doing. Your living room was filled with your friends, all of whom stared at the television as a news report sounded. You frowned, “What’s going on?”

            Sayyed turned to you, a look of worry on his face. He brought you closer, his arm around you but said nothing as he turned his attention back to the TV.

            Your mouth parted.

            The reporter on the TV announced:

            Again, that state of California is calling a state of emergency as an unknown air-borne virus rips through the state. The origin of the virus at this point in time is unknown, however, the first reported cases of it was in the highly populated city of Los Angeles. There have been a reported two thousand two hundred fifty six cases thus far since Monday evening with the number rising every hour. Surrounding states have closed their borders to anyone traveling from California in an attempt to isolate the virus. In a press statement earlier this morning, the Governor of California, alongside the guidance of the CDC, advised California residents & those traveling within the state to remain indoors, wear masks, & avoid social interaction at all times.

            There have been no reported deaths thus far but we will have more at the top of the hour. For any information as this story develops, please visit the CDC official website.

            “Jesus.” Adrianna muttered, immediately getting onto her phone, “COVID all over again.”

            Everyone in the room groaned at that.

            “No way.” Nuha rolled her eyes, “It’s one state. One. And it looks like they’re getting a handle on it. Nothing for us to worry about way down here in the sunshine state.”

            “Besides,” Bear joined in, “Whatever the virus is, it’ll eat those left-wings first before it comes for us.”

            “Bear!” Everyone reprimanded at once.

            He rose in hands in defense, smiling, “Joking! Joking.”

            “I thought it was funny.” Rafe shared lowly, slapping Bear’s arm. In turn, you slapped his, “Oh, shut up.”

            “C’mon guys.” Sayyed clapped his hands together, “We got a lot of driving to do if were gonna find a decent stop. Gotta hit the road.”

            Following Sayyed’s command, your friends began gathering their things, the news report fresh in their minds as they shuffled out of your apartment. The TV was turned off now but you continued to frown at it, “You really think it’ll be taken care of?”

            Sayyed pondered your question before answering, “Who knows honestly. Before COVID made it stateside we all thought it wouldn’t make it here. But it did. There’s no saying. Every virus is different.”

            You nodded, crossing your arms, “Maybe we should cancel. Listen to the CDC.”

            “Okay.” Sayyed laughed softly, gently grabbing the sides of your face, “Remember when everyone panicked & overbought toilet paper?”

            “Of course.” You rolled your eyes.

            “Don’t be that demographic, babe.” He kissed you once, looking into your eyes, “We’ll be okay. We beat COVID, whatever this thing is they’ll take care of it. Besides, we can’t stop living just because California is in the midst of an outbreak.”

            You sighed, but nodded. “You’re right, you’re right.”

            “I know.” He grinned, “Besides, it’s like Nuha said. This is Florida. We’re on the complete opposite end of the country. If it reaches us, we’ll be well prepared by then. Alright?”

            “Alright.” You finally mustered a smile, the news report having chased away your hangover.

            “I love you.”

            “You.”

            It was early evening by the time your group made it to your destination. Thankfully, you slept for most of the seven hour drive—though Rafe & Sayyed sped to save on time. Rafe hauled Luka, Kai, Bear, & Adrianna in his Ford truck with all the camping gear while Sayyed drove you, Millie, Micah, & Nuha in his wrangler, his trunk filled with the food & essentials. The sun wouldn’t set for a few more hours, which worked in your favor considering what was next.

            “Alright, everyone grab a hold of something heavy, make it work, we’re a team.” Sayyed announced, taking the leadership role seriously, “We got about a twenty minute hike to the spot then we can chill.”

            “Finally.” Luka groaned, opposite of his best friend Kai who was a geography major & picked the national park for you all to camp at. Kai beamed at the surrounding forestry.

            “Smell that, Luka?” Kai teased, “That’s what folks like us who don’t spend all our time in the lit section at the library call ‘fresh air’?”

            Luka made a face causing Kai to laugh.

            You & Millie partnered up, loading your backs & arms with the lighter items while Adrianna & the boys carried the heavier items. Nuha was happy to be left with the remaining coolers that contained the food. Both coolers hand wheels with handlebars.

            Sayyed led the way through the trees with Kai close behind, the latter pausing every now & then to take pictures. Every time he did someone in the group snapped at him to keep it moving. You managed the slightly inclined terrain well, glad you only wore a jumper & nothing more since you tended to sweat easily.

            Finally, after what felt like an hour rather than twenty minutes, Sayyed led the group into a decent sized clearing.

            “Here we are, guys!” Sayyed dropped the camping gear he had been carrying, everyone else quickly following suit.

            “Oh nice, man!” Micah exclaimed, noting the nearby waterfall with a swimming hole underneath it. Then he began to undress, “Last one in is a rotten egg!”

            You couldn’t help the squeal that rushed out of your body. A majority of you, though tired, were still high on the excitement of summer break. Micah had the right idea.

            Quickly untying the strap of your jumper, you let it fall to the ground, sporting only your bra & underwear before slipping out of your shoes & taking off after Micah. The entire group then raced to the swimming hole, bodies jumping or belly flopping in.

            The sun was still high in the sky, keeping the ten of you warm in the cool natural water. Belts of laughter, hollers & light-hearted screaming, surrounded you. You swam still in the middle, watching all your friends frolic amongst themselves without a care in the world.

            The smile on your face couldn’t be contained.

            The fire was going. Everyone was sitting quietly, talking amongst themselves. After swimming for a short while, everyone worked together to set up camp. There were so many tents to put up since a couple of the boys insisted on having their own space.  

            In one tent was you, Sayyed, Millie, & Micah. Nuha & Adrianna shared another, same with Luka & Kai, but Rafe & Bear brought their own single person tents. The clearing that Sayyed picked was perfect though. There was plenty of space to spread out & everyone was happy with the set-up. Sayyed & Millie got to work on preparing dinner while you & Rafe broke into the beer cooler. Fortunately, there was plenty to last everyone the next few days.

            Once dinner was made, everyone chowed down, talking loudly over one another & cracking jokes. You rested your head on Sayyed’s shoulder, enjoying your meal. It was a simple dinner for the first night since arrival time had been late (your fault). But Millie was one hell of a cook & Sayyed was an excellent assistant.

            By the time everyone finished, the alcohol really began to pour.

            Most of the boys found sticks in the trees to play with, chasing each other in the dark. You & Millie laughed in amusement, the beer warming your stomachs on the gently chill night. Rafe sat on your other side, shaking his head at the antics of his frat mates.

            “Idiots.” He muttered but was smiling.

            You & Millie both rolled your eyes.

            “Like you’re one to talk.” Millie commented, “Or did you forget why everyone calls you Roofie Rafe?”

            Ugh. The nickname still made you sick to your stomach, knowing that anyone who heard it probably the worst immediately, but it was the total opposite that birthed the name. One night freshman year, Rafe had consensually roofied himself & found many stimulating ways to try to keep himself awake. Every two hours he would keep from passing out, he’d have to take another half dose. Impressively, Rafe lasted four hours before he finally crashed.

            And ended up in the hospital. It was a scary night, but definitely one that would never be forgotten.

            “Yeah, yeah.” Rafe smirked, shaking his head. His eyes met yours, leaning forward so only you could hear, “I got something for us.”

            Your interest piqued ten-fold. Rafe always had the goods.

            Making sure Millie’s attention wasn’t on them, Rafe subtly showed you a plastic baggie dangling between his fingers before he swiftly returned it to his pocket. He wiggled his brows at you.

            Your heart skyrocketed. It had been a couple months since you last did coke. Sayyed tolerated the habit at the beginning of your relationship, but after spending a year together, he asked that you stop altogether or at least only do it once every now & then—if he was present.

            Technically, this counted. You reminded yourself that you hadn’t touched the stuff in months & Sayyed was indeed present. But did you want to get up & stop the fun the boys were having to bring it to his attention. Your eyes looked at Rafe unsure, his eyes growing bigger waiting for an answer.

            One bump wouldn’t hurt.

            “Quickly.” You lowered your voice, placing your beer in the cupholder of the chair you sat in.

            Rafe nodded, getting up from his chair, “I’m gonna go take a piss.”

            Millie made a face but said nothing. After he disappeared behind you, you exhaled quickly, moving yourself, “I left my water in the tent, I’ll be right back.”

            Fortunately, Millie said nothing, didn’t even look suspicious as you followed after Rafe. Unlike the majority of your friends, Millie was one of the few who didn’t get into party tricks. She stuck with beer & limited herself three a party. Out of everyone she was definitely the mother of the group. Same could mostly be said for Adrianna. Being a member of the military, she was 100% prone to partying, but when it came to the hard stuff, she was usually there being a voice of reason. It’s why you & Rafe had to be secretive around them.

            In the dark, you whispered Rafe’s name.

            “Over here.” He called softly. You held out your hands blindly, searching for him as you walked toward the sound of his voice.

            A gentle hand gripped your wrist, pulling you closer. You laughed sheepishly, getting closer to him now that you were away from the warmth of the fire. Even though it was late April, it could still get somewhat cold out at night, especially for the southern folk who traveled seven hours north to camp in the mountains.

            “Hurry, hurry.” You rushed, pulling out your phone but turning the brightness down so as not to draw attention to the drug commotion happening in the trees.

            Rafe chuckled at your anticipation, pouring a little snow out on the fatty part of his hand. He raised it to you. You closed one nostril, leaning over his hand to inhale. The coke went as smooth as expected. You chapped your lips, licking them next. You could still feel a little bit of the grains in the back of your throat.

            You sighed blissfully, waiting for Rafe do to his bit.

            “That all you bring?” You questioned.

            Rafe sniffed, wiping his nose before stuffing the coke back in his pocket.

            “Yeah, can’t risk having more than this on me if we get pulled over, especially crossing state lines.”

            “Pretty sure the criminal charge for holding is the same across the states.”

            “Eh.” He shrugged, grabbing your elbow gently to lead you back towards the campsite. “Either way, I get caught with it & my dad will send me to military school.”

            In the three years you knew Rafe, you had heard a lot about his father but never had the pleasure of meeting him—for lack of a better word. He sounded abrasive, domineering, cruel, careless. It made sense why Rafe turned to partying. You could relate a little. Your own parents were barely involved in your well-being.

            “Guess we’ll have to clear it before we head back later, huh?”

            Even in the dark, you could make out Rafe’s eyes twinkling, “I can always count on you.”

            The two of you bumped shoulders as you both came out from the tree-line. Rafe ventured off towards the beer coolers. You were under the impression that you were about to make it back to your seat without raising any suspicions but then you heard your name being called.

            “_____.” You paused, cringing to yourself. You knew that tone well.

            Slowly turning on your heal, you spotted Sayyed standing under the cooking tent. His arms were crossed & his head was cocked in knowing disappointment.

            You approached him, already slipping on your puppy dog eyes, “Baaabe.”

            “Don’t even start.” He held up his hand, “What the fuck were you doing?”

            You dropped the ‘please forgive me act’, easily transitioning to a defensive stance, “Having fun, Sayyed. It’s summer, I’m allowed to let loose.”

            “You did last night. And this last weekend. Oh, & the weekend before that.”

            Okay, so? You partied a lot. He knew that, he knew that before he even began dating you. That hadn’t changed.

            “When are you going to grow up?” The insult had you rearing backwards.

            “Are you serious right now?” You sneered, glaring at him, “It was one time & you’re acting like I’m in the woods fucking off my whole life.”

            “You said you wouldn’t do it anymore.” He lowered his voice so no one could hear.

            “No, I didn’t.” You countered, “I said I would do it less. And if you were around. Hello! You were less than twenty feet away from me.”

            Sayyed sighed, running his hands down his face, “Ya know what, forget it. I don’t like talking to you when you’re like this.”

            You scoffed, nodding your head, “Yeah, right, & what is that supposed to mean?”

            “When you’ve been drinking, _____, you know that.”

            “Oh, come off it.” You ridiculed, “I’ve had two beers & I’m not even buzzed. You know that.”

            Not wanting to argue further, you stomped away from him, ignoring the curious looks as you returned to your seat, chugging the rest of the beer that sat waiting for you.

            “You good?” Millie asked.

            You shook your head but said nothing. You weren’t in the mood to talk.

            Across the fire from you, Rafe met your eyes. You rolled your eyes, ignoring him too. It wasn’t his fault. You were entirely in control of what you decided to do, but goddamn him, too. Now, all you wanted to do was another bump to chase away the night.

ONE DAY BEFORE THE DAY ENDED

            Fortunately, the next two days camping went by smoothly. Sayyed & you had made up, finding a hidden spot in the forest to have a quickie. Sex while camping was the least sexiest thing you could do but after you had done another bump—with Sayyed’s knowledge—your libido couldn’t be stopped. It was fast yet passionate. You came twice.

            Everyone was enjoying the off-the grid activities: hiking to a look-out point to view the canyons, climbing the face of the waterfall, childhood games in the swimming hole, telling scary stories by fire. It was a lot of fun. Though you initially loathed the idea of camping, still finding it hard to believe you were the one to suggest it, you were sad to be going back to civilization the following morning.

            Millie & you would be traveling south to the tail of Florida where your families were. Sayyed & Nuha would return to New York. And the others would jet off to their respective hometowns. It was a bittersweet end to the college year, but it’d only be a couple months before everyone reunited for senior year. A couple weeks before the start of the school year, Sayyed & Nuha would come to you in Southern Florida to visit before the four of you mobbed back to school.

            Not seeing him during the summer months was typical but it didn’t make you miss him any less.

            It was the last night & everyone had a lot to drink. You & Rafe finished off the baggie of coke a couple hours ago. Everyone started to crash around midnight but you & Rafe were still wired from the stimulant.

            Sayyed had been the last to go to bed, kissing you once before crawling into the tent where Millie & Micah slept soundly. You were alone at the fire with Rafe. It was quiet, save for the crackling of the dying fire & the cicadas to fill the night.

            Rafe polished off the rest of his beer. You remained in your chair, snuggled deep within one of Sayyed’s hoodies & a pair of sweats. You felt warm & fuzzy. The coke was making you smile at absolutely nothing.

            Rafe chuckled beside you.

            You flashed a wide-eyed look at him, “What?”

            “You look drugged the fuck out.”

            You rolled your eyes but smiled, “Whose fault is that?”

            Silence returned but it was a comfortable one. Rafe was one of the few people in your group of friends who didn’t feel the need to entertain conversation all the time. You loved every single one of your friends, but Rafe was special in the sense that he didn’t need to talk to have a good time. It’s one of the many reasons you two got along so well.

            “Dreading going home?” Rafe asked, surprising you. You shrugged, “You?”

            He mirrored your gesture. The two of you chuckled lightly.

            “Believe it or not, I would much rather stay here.” You waved to the forest around you.

            Rafe made a sour face, “Nah. Don’t get me wrong, camping & the woods & shit is cool, but I miss the coast. North Carolina kicks Florida’s ass any day.”

            You scoffed, feeling the need to defend your home state, “North Carolina is filled with classist assholes, company included.”

            He belted out a laugh at the insult. “I’ll drink to that.” Rafe cracked open another beer, taking a swig from it then leaned forward to challenge your statement.

            “But I’d rather be a classist asshole than come from a state that produces the next wave of cracked out crazies in the headlines.”

            You smiled proudly, “Free entertainment.”

            “You laugh at the impoverished & I’m the classist asshole.”

            “Oh, whatever.” You ignored him, “You supply them.”

            “Touche.”

            The fire was barely lit at that point, allowing the cool night chill to seep through your layers.

            “God, I wish this didn’t have to end.” With that, you stood up, cracking your spine & stretching your limbs, “I’m going to bed. See ya in the morning, loser.”

            “Back at chya.”

            You approached your tent but turned to point at Rafe, “Put that out before you go to sleep. Don’t need to be the cause of the first wildfire this summer.”

            “Yes ma’am.” Rafe replied sarcastically.

            Unzipping your tent, your three companions slept. Sayyed was pressed against his side of the tent & Millie was cuddled up to Micah on the other side, leaving the perfect amount of space for you to slide in. As you did, Sayyed shifted, opening his eyes slightly. He said nothing but opened his arms for you to join him.

            You gladly climbed into his sleeping bag. As quickly as he had woken up, he fell back asleep, his breathing light. His body warmed you quickly & you buried your face in his chest.

            Not being able to this for the whole summer was going to be the death of you.

THE MORNING OF

            The hike back to the cars was slow moving. For the first time, you were one of the few not hungover among your group of friends. Even Millie was rocking a headache. The packing had been quick & before you knew it everyone was following Sayyed back towards the dirt road where Rafe & your boyfriend parked off of.

            You were standing in the bed of Rafe’s truck, taking items from others as they handed them to you. Everyone was sporting a yawn, eyebags, blotchy skin, or an annoyed expression. You had to hide your smile. It was nice not to be the one recovering for once.

            There was little discussion among everyone as they hopped into either vehicle. You were just hopping out of Rafe’s bed, approaching the back of Sayyed’s wrangler when you heard hushed whispering. You paused. One of the voices was Sayyed’s.

            Making sure none of the others were curious as to what you were up to, you lowered yourself to peek around the front of Rafe’s truck.

            Behind Sayyed’s SUV was your boyfriend & Rafe. Sayyed had his back to you but you could easily make out Rafe’s face. He looked pissed. No, more than that. He appeared livid.

            You couldn’t make out what Sayyed was saying but whatever it was, the more he spoke the more Rafe grew red in the face. He stepped forward then, practically brushing chests with your boyfriend as he said whatever he was saying. It was irritating you that you couldn’t hear what they were discussing but they were whispering for a reason.

            Sayyed shoved Rafe in the chest. Not hard, but enough to send him back half a foot.

            “Just fuck off, Rafe.” Sayyed finally said, his voice significantly louder, “It’s what you’re best at.”

            With that, Sayyed circled around to the drivers side & got in, slamming the door. His wrangler shook with force. Rafe stared hard at the ground. From where you were crouched, you could see that his chest was heaving.

            What the fuck?

            It wasn’t uncommon for Rafe & Sayyed to have words with one another. They were both males with an alpha mindset so every now & then they would get into it but nothing ever bad enough to ruin a friendship between the two. However, as you watched Rafe fluctuate between different levels of anger, you were deeply concerned what could be happening between them.

            Finally he moved. Approaching where you were hidden.

            You quickly backed up to pretend you were finishing up with something in the bed of the truck when he appeared. At first he looked a little surprised to see you, but said nothing.

            You couldn’t help frowning, “Everything okay?”

            Rafe ignored your question, opening his door, “We’re late.”

            Then he got in the truck, turning the engine on.

            “_____!” Sayyed was leaning out of his window, “C’mon, lots of driving to do.”

            You would let it go. For now. But the second you & Sayyed were alone, you were going to investigate.

            It was about an hour into the drive back to civilization when things grew worse.

            “What the hell?” Sayyed said. You had been resting your head against the window, your eyes closed with your earphones in listening to a podcast.

            Everyone else in the car was sleeping.

            You looked at Sayyed, about to ask him what was wrong when you followed his line of sight.

            What you saw caused goosebumps to erupt across your skin.

            On the on ramp to a highway, Sayyed slowed to a stop.

            There were cars everywhere. But none of them moving.

            “Guys.” You reached blindly behind you, unable to take your eyes off the sight, “Guys, wake up!”

            The panic in your voice was enough to force the others awake.

            “Jesus, what?” Micah groaned. Millie wiped the sleep from her eyes & Nuha leaned forward in her seat to peer out the windshield.

            “What is that?”

            “I don’t know…” Sayyed’s voice lowered.

            Sayyed then put the car into park, hesitantly opening his door.

            “No, what are you doing?” You hissed.

            “Something’s wrong.” He told you, slipping out from under your grasping hands.

            Nuha & Micah followed.

            In the sideview mirror, you could see everyone piling out of Rafe’s truck behind you.

            You twisted around to look at Millie, “What do we do?”

            Millie looked as scared as you felt.

            But once she made to move out of the car, you reluctantly followed behind her.

            The ten of you stood around, staring in every which direction. All up & down the highway were hundreds of cars, bumper to bumper, some with engines still running. But there was no movement. No sign of anyone nearby.

            “I don’t like this.” Bear commented, walking slowly closer to the nearest cars.

            Behind you, you watched as Adrianna crawled into the passenger side of Sayyed’s SUV. She flipped on the stereo, cruising through stations.

            “Hey, guys!” She hollered, “You might want to hear this.”

            At her claim, everyone crowded around. She turned the volume.

            This is a National Emergency Broadcast Alert. If you are hearing this, remain indoors. The unknown virus from California has spread across the United States rapidly. Over a million deaths have been reported & the number continues to rise. We are in a state of emergency. If you are in a heavily populated area your risk of exposure is great. Quarantine, isolate, stay in contact with the United States Military should symptoms occur.

            This is all the information we have this time.

            This is a National Emergency Broadcast Alert.

            The message repeated. Adrianna lowered the volume.

            “Oh, my god.” Nuha covered her mouth, her eyes watering.

            “Check your phones.” Sayyed demanded. Most phones were dead but a few had charged enough within the hour long drive.

            Kai pulled out his phone, “There’s no service.” He held it up, walking away from everyone to see if he could find any signal.

            “Same.” Millie shared, her hands shaking.

            “Can you call?” You asked, your voice matching her hands.

            “No, no.” She cried softly, “Nothing is going through.”

            Kai returned with no luck.

            “What the fuck is going?!” Nuha cried.

            “Calm down, sis.” Sayyed brought her into a hug, his eyes full of concern meeting your own.

            “Guys!” Everyone’s head snapped in Bear’s direction. He had walked all the way to the other side of the highway, his back to you.

            With rapid movement, everyone dashed between cars left abandoned to join where Bear stood.

            A gasp left your mouth, your eyes blurring.

            “I don’t think is COVID…” Bear’s voice was barely audible over the sound of blood rushing to your ears.

            Below the highway, on a hill, was the horrific sight of hundreds of bodies. Men, women, children. You had to turn away when you saw a baby stiff in the arms of a dead woman.

            “Sayyed.” Your fingers clung to the sleeve of his shirt, “What’s happening?”

            He shook his head. There were no words that could be said.

            “We need to go.”

            You looked over your shoulder at Rafe. He was standing back from everyone, his face expressionless.

            “Where, Rafe?” Millie questioned, “We don’t know where is safe, we don’t even know what the hell is going on!”

            “The alert system to avoid populated areas.”

            “So, what?” Luka spoke then, “We just don’t go home, man? We have families. We gotta make sure they’re okay.”

            “Fine, okay.” Rafe doubled down, stepping forward to point at the bodies, “Wanna start there?”

            Everyone was silent at that. When no one challenged him further he shook his head, “Think it’ll be different anywhere else?”

            “We have to try, Rafe.” You spoke, your voice soft but firm.

            Rafe was about to open his mouth, growing angry, but Sayyed spoke first.

            “He’s right.” Sayyed said, swallowing but nodded with what Rafe suggested, “We can’t go anywhere populated. We don’t know how bad it is.”

            “I think we have an idea.” Bear muttered, referring to the dead below.

            “Look.” Sayyed began, “We avoid the main roads, we keep trying with the phones & stations, maybe we find a military base & get some answers. Either way. Whatever killed all those people did it fast.”

            His eyes danced across the familiar faces, “It’s our only shot. Then maybe, maybe when we have more information, more of an idea how to protect ourselves, we move further south. But for now, Rafe is right. We can’t stay here, & we can’t go home. Not yet.”

            Your heart faltered. Sayyed & Nuha’s family was in New York City. Their chances of survival… you couldn’t let yourself finish the thought.

            “Alright, okay?” Though he was the voice of reason, you could hear the fear in his voice. You grabbed his hand, letting him know you were with him.

            “Okay.”

            A few of the others grumbled, Nuha was crying uncontrollably, Adrianna was staring at the bodies below. But no one challenged Sayyed or Rafe further.

            “Let’s go.” With that, slowly everyone began making their way back towards the vehicles.

            But Adrianna didn’t move. You approached her, placing a gentle hand on her arm, “We gotta go.”

            “We’re not going to find anything.” Her voice was so quiet you barely made out what she said.

            “We don’t know that.”

            She shook her head, finally turning to look at you, “We’re already dead.”

            Your lips parted, watching as she walked away, following behind the others.

            She’s just scared, you told yourself but your gut churned. We’re all scared.

            With one final look at the bodies below, you ran after the others, Adrianna’s words repeating over again in your head.

            We’re already dead.

THE DAY THE WORLD ENDED

alrighty! the first chapter of my first full length series.

a reminder that i write for myself & myself does write porn w plot. this will be a slow burn series with lots of plot building, world building, character building, ect. if you're looking for straight smut i suggest looking elsewhere.

Rafe, as always with my stories, is the dark/non-con/18+/MDNI warning.

all that being said, The Day The World Ended (TDTWE) will be a universe series. Rise--Part One is Rafe & Reader. Summit--Part Two will be Ransom Drysdale & a different reader. And Fall--Part Three will be Billy Russo & yet another different reader. this whole universe will be my biggest project on here thus far.

so please show me your love & support any way you can! i look forward to hearing your thoughts.

thank you for reading! follow or requests to be added to the TDTWE or Rafe Cameron taglist to get update notifications.

oona<3

Requests are currently CLOSED.

Read this post on why doing more than liking a tumblr writers work is essential to our content creation.

[my love language is words of affirmation, it would make my day if you could comment your thoughts, reblog with tags, or drop an ask that shows your support. thank you for reading tumblr writers, we appreciate you]

taglist: @totallynotkaibiased @rottenstyx @fangirlwithlou

if you want to be added to a tag list, comment whether you want to be tagged for a character, a series, or in general, otherwise it will be dismissed.

[sleepy-gardevoir]

march 16, 2023 - thursday week 2

i have a quiz on the 20 canonical amino acids tomorrow, so i've been working some more on getting those memorized! i can draw almost all the structures from the name but i can't remember all the pKas of the sidechains 🙏 wish me luck!!

today, i stopped by the research lab to see if our quantum dots had formed, but no such luck. we're leaving the solutions in the oven for another day, so we'll see if we get results from that! hoping for the best so that we don't have to use all our sodium tungstate dihydrate before getting anything.

i also started rereading vicious by v.e. schwab and am more than 200 pages in... needless to say, i am enjoying it thoroughly.

[upismediacenter]

SIRENA: K-6 Students Perform at UPIS Variety Show 2024

UP Integrated School (UPIS) K-2 and 3-6 students exhibited their talents at the Variety Show last May 22 at the UPIS 7-12 Gymnasium.

A total of eight performers from Grades 3-6 performed in the event. Each one was given three to five minutes to show their talents to the audience. The performances were evaluated by the judges Mr. Joseph Tablizo from the Social Studies Department, Ms. Alexia Metrio from the Practical Arts Department, and Asst. Prof. Diana Caluag, our Assistant Principal for Academic Programs.

The competitors from Grades 3-6 showed a variety of song and dance numbers. Anica Gail Lopez from 4-Labanos dedicated her performance to God and sang the Christian worship song "Wala Kang Katulad''; Marco Bonganay from 4-Patani sang "My Favorite Girl" by Justin Bieber; and the Whitebored Band, consisting of Ulan Rico on drums, Lucas Dionisio on piano and vocals, and Caleb Kwe on guitar and vocals, performed "Raining in Manila" by Lola Amour and "Believer" by Imagine Dragons. Meanwhile, a student from 5-Arayat, Jared Alexander Lagrimas sang “Miss Miss” by Rob Deniel.

Lastly, Mikkel Caia Odulio from 6-Amethyst sang "Yellow" by Coldplay; The Shooting Stars duo, consisting of Vivienne Madamba and Sue Anne Giannan from 6-Amethyst, sang the English version of the Japanese song "Goodbye Sengen" by Wonderlands x Showtime (originally by Chinozo); Allyssa Sarenas from 6-Sapphire sang the English version of the Korean song "Only" by Lee Hi; and lastly, drawing the Grades 3-6 performances to a close, was Jam Brian Edmundo Sumayo from 6-Sapphire played the guitar while singing "Say You Won’t Let Go" by James Arthur.

In addition to the eight main performers, there were also five special performances by students from Kinder to Grade 2. A group called Power 5 consisting of Grade 2 students Cris Paculanang II, Aya Maria Villamayor, Zion Zingapan, Alexard Espino, and Aya Martheen Abaigar performed a dance number on the song “Kinang Pilipinas" by Shine Philippines. 2035 Band, a group of Grade 1 students— Francesslyn de Leon as the drummer, Macy Parlade as the vocalist, Luke Zaide Santos as the guitarist, and Mary Elisabeth Martinez as the pianist—performed “UP Naming Mahal” and “Dynamite” by BTS. Francesslyn de Leon from 1-Pipit played the keyboard while singing “Sana'' by Jolina Magdangal, Zandro Edwin Patnongon from 1-Kalaw sang “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Amstrong, and lastly, Danielle Sheyla Ulaso from K-Liryo sang “Speechless” by Naomi Scott.

Following the last special performance, the winners were announced. There was a Championship Award and Crowd Favorite Awards for the 3-6 performers and the K-2 performers. Whitebored Band bagged both the Champion award and the Crowd Favorite Award for Grades 3-6. The K-2 Crowd Favorite award was given to 2035 Band.

The members of Whitebored Band expressed their happiness and sense of victory for winning. They thanked their parents for supporting them all throughout their rehearsals and for paying the reservation for the studio where they practiced. They also thanked their teachers and their advisers for supporting them and encouraging them to participate. They also said they miss Jsam Samudio, the band's supposed vocalist, who wasn’t able to attend due to illness.

“We really miss him and we wish he were here with us to perform on stage," said Lucas.

This year’s Variety Show proved to be a success, overcoming numerous scheduling challenges posed by the extreme heat and suspension of face-to-face classes. According to Pamunuan ng Kamag-Aral (PKA) 3-6 President, Ethan Lakip, the biggest challenge in organizing this event was the unforeseen changes to the UPIS Week schedule due to the recent high heat index. This caused the original date of the Variety Show on April 17 to be moved to May 10, and eventually to May 22. He also added that due to the suspensions announced by UPIS, the original 4-day UPIS Week was streamlined to one day, forcing them to reschedule some events and cancel other events such as TALAYTAY: K-2 Palarong Pambata, 3-12 Sports Festival, TALISIK: 7-12 Trivia Competition, and ATLANT-ISKO: Club Wars.

Despite these hindrances, the Variety Show was able to push through and the students from Kinder to Grade 6 were able to showcase their talents.

//by Aisha Timbal

[mrjellybeanz]

Yulee Choi At Fonda Theatre July 20

In support of her debut LP ‘Paracetamol,’ which draws its name from the widely known pain reliever Acetaminophen, K-Pop phenom Yulee Choi PKA YULEE will deliver a one of a kind performance on Hollywood Boulevard at Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles tomorrow (Saturday – July 20th). The show is scheduled to begin at 7PM and will include live renditions of the entire album from the talented…

[kingwolfie08]

stanford and espeon crossover

this is just another redrawing, of an older drawing i never shown online.

i feel like i coulda made it better, but eh- its alittle better then the first one.

oh yeah- while looking through my old amino posts, in the pka i also found this-

so yeah, atleast i have something that has the colours i used for this crossover.

while also looking through my old pka posts, i also saw that i made wendy a vulpix in this crossover thing i made in 2021, and i think i might change that, but idk.

and i also found afew more of the cypheon stuff i made, including the first drawing of him i did-

so here it is, ig:

yeah, if i remeber, i made that drawing sometime at 3:00 a.m.

anyways- thats all i have for this post, so yeah-

[wishikawa]

The first thermodynamics in the world with regard to hemoglobin (6).

The pH of human blood is 6.8～7.8, the pKa of (4)deoxyhomoglobinA is 8.2, the pKa of (2)oxyhomoglobinA is 6.96, it assumed that(1)logP₀ and (2)logP₀ or (3)logP₀ and (4)logP₀ are approximately the same value.

The yellow region in fig-5

The yellow region in fig-5 is the region of 6.8≦pH≦7.8. and the region of ΔrG₀total = -2.3RT[4｛(3) logPー(1)logP ｝＋｛(2) logPー(4)logP ｝] = 2.3RT［4｛(1) logPー(3)logP ｝＋｛(4) logPー(2)logP ｝］≦ 0 This region is within the pH value of human blood(6.8～7.8) and the sum total of Gibbs energy changes is less than 0. Within the yellow region in fig-5 the transfer of oxygen molecules to (3)deoxymyoglobin from (2)oxyhemoglobinA is spontaneous.

The sum total of ⊿G₀ changes in that region is less than 0. ΔG₀total≦0 At that time the Gibbs energy change of solute in the aq layer ΔrG₀aqtotal is also less than 0, due to ΔG₀total = ΔrG₀aqtotal

Within the yellow region in fig-5 the reaction from (2)oxyhemoglobinA and (3)deoxymyoglobin to (4)deoxyhemoglobinA and (1)oxymyoglobin is spontaneous. In the terminal tissues of the body which belong to the area of low pH value within the pH value range of human blood, (1)oxymyoglobin is formed and the oxygen molecule in it is used in metabolic processes.

Within the yellow region in fig-5 the sum total of changes in Gibbs energy values based on chemical reactions involving the movement of oxgen molecules has not been taken into consideration, due to the sum total is effectively in a cancelling out relationship.

Gibbs energy values due to fluctuations in pH values

Since the variation in magnitude of solvation due to fluctuations in pH values are not the same between the solutes having different pKa values(pI values), the variations in the sum total of Gibbs energy values due to fluctuations in pH values are taken into consideration.

See fig-4. The drawing fig-4 makes it easier for you to understand the meaning mentioned above.

The reaction to form (2)oxyhemoglobinA from (4)deoxyhomoglobinA and the oxygen molecules.

{(4) logPー(2)logP} = (2)logP-(4)logP is shown in fig-6.

The inequality relation (2)logP-(4)logP <0 is established in pink region in fig-6. The pink region in fig-6 is the range with a high pH value within the pH region of human blood.

Since the sum total of ⊿rG₀ in that region ΔrG₀total is negative(ΔrG₀total=-2.3RT {(4) logPー(2)logP} = 2.3RT［(2)logP-(4)logP］<0 ), the changes in Gibbs energy of the solute in the aq layer（ΔrG₀aqtotal<0) is also negative.

ΔΔrG₀total is negative (ΔΔrG₀total <0 )in pink region of fig-6. Since ΔΔrG₀aqtotal at this time is also negative at the same absolute values, in the pH value region to the right of the point where (2)logP and (4)logP intersect in fig-4, the absolute value of negative values, which is the sum total of change in ΔrG₀aqtotal values, increases.

When (2)oxyhemoglobinA is formed from (4)deoxyhemoglobinA and the oxygen molecules, Since it involves the conversion from a high-spin Fe++ complex to a low- spin Fe++ complex, the changes of reaction Gibbs energy values that are not taken the solvation into the consideration are also negative. The reaction Gibbs energy changes considering solvaion are also negative. Since the sum total of these negative values is negative, the reaction from (4)deoxyhemoglobinA and the oxygen molecules to form (2)oxyhemoglobinA is spontaneous one with quick process.

[stayarmytinyzenmoa-l]

Sorry I’ve been MIA but anyway I’m going to bed now that I’ve memorized all 20 amino acids in the human body, their structures (recognition and hand-drawing), all their properties, isoelectric points, and typical pka values because I just found out that I’m going to have a quiz on it tomorrow and I need those points

[pigeonkidart]

Chloe Price pencil crayon sketch

[thekiwibats]

You’ll never guess who i love rn

(Character designs r semi based/inspired by @kineticallyanywhere’s concept for these dirty blues ;> )

[oarf1sh]

Zorua my beloved.

Something I drew for a 30 day "challenge" on PKA. Day 1 was favourite pokemon!

In truth, zorua and zoroark are BOTH equally my favourite, but zorua is by far easier to draw,,,

Also known as: man whose only venture into drawing animals was warrior cats attempts to draw pkmn 🙃.

[inkofamethyst]

December 16, 2021

[10a]

Biochem exam was okay.  Certainly not great.  I most definitely pulled things out of thin air.  Didn’t talk about hydrogen bonding once except perhaps in a vague sense when I mentioned weak interactions.  Very little of my combined knowledge about those 1.33 mechanisms (out of about four total, I think) helped.  Might’ve weaseled my way into some right answers though.  I still barely understand what a pKa is, but I think I calculated the isoelectric point correctly even if I couldn’t define it.  Ended up sitting behind the guy lol.  Of all the seats in that place, that was the one I ended up in.  Averted my gaze hard when he got up to turn his paper in.  With any luck, I’ll never run into him again on this big ol’ campus.

Not feeling the need for a nap, exactly, but I certainly am tired.  I’ll probably just chill (youtube, CR, etc).  I wish I had some sewing things with me.  I have two meetings today and then plan to organize my physics notes and start reading over the new cell bio lecture slides.  Will likely end up going to bed early.

[7p]

The group chats are abuzz.  Word on the street is there’s a huge uptick in covid cases on campus as of, like, yesterday.  The lines in this area for covid testing are, according to the grapevine, long (though I suspect it’s filled with students who want to possibly take their final online).  The dining halls have switched to carryout only as of this afternoon (which is unfortunate because I’d planned to get one last stir fry meal tonight).  A number of profs are moving exams online (which would suck if my uni decides to mandate it and the only in-person exam I have was also my hardest one :/).  There’s even questions milling about related to whether we’ll still be able to hold the concerts this weekend.

dang.  imagine first losing the solo and then the concert as a whole.  idk how I’ll cope going another semester without a big stage performance of some sort that I’ve prepared weeks and weeks and weeks and weeks for.  and not just me.  this is a 100+ person ensemble.  I was so excited to do this really cool thing that I’ve never really done before.  I mean I suppose I still am, as it hasn’t been cancelled yet, but the odds are not looking great.

[8p]

I’ve been switching between groupchats, “listening” to people chatter on in mild panics off-and-on over the course of the last hour and it reminds me a lot of the final hours before we all got notifications that we were being sent home back in March 2020.  It’s frantic.

[10p]

One of the group chats swung so far into panicking about how if they took the final in-person they would transmit covid to their aunt’s boyfriend’s dying dog with cancer (granted, I’m exaggerating, and there are legitimate concerns that they raised) that some people began sarcastically wishing the virus onto the professor.

I’m actually really tired rn.  Got a trip to a museum tomorrow with my parents followed by a physics exam in the evening.  Might also do my anth exam after that one.  Unless I study for cell bio after physics then take the anth exam on Saturday after the cell bio exam.  That may be the best option.

Today I’m thankful that uh that uh that the end of this semester draws nearer with every passing hour.

[edit: LOL THE WAY I GOT A 30/30 ON THAT TRASH LAB NOTEBOOK]

[upismediacenter]

OPINION: “May club meeting ba today?” Finding ways to improve club activities in UPIS

What club do you currently belong to? Are you perhaps a member of a subject-related club like the Science Society? Or maybe special interest clubs like the Peer Facilitators? Or probably even part of a scouting or religious group?

For the past three years, during the pandemic, clubs have been put on a temporary pause by the administration to accommodate for the adjustments in the class schedule and to prioritize the students’ academic affairs amidst the uncertainties of remote learning.

Fortunately as of A.Y. 2023-2024, years of being inactive due to pandemic, club activities have officially made their comeback, reviving old club-led events and activities; Thus, it’s time to take a deeper dive at how club activities work in the new normal and how it can be further improved.

According to the UPIS Handbook, the co-curricular and extra-curricular program in the school is designed to have a balance between academic, social, and emotional development of students; it has important components such as enriching curricular offerings and providing additional venues for maximizing the potential of students. The way that this works is that student organizations in UPIS are divided into two categories depending on their type of membership, automatic (Student Associations, Year-Level Organizations (YLO), and Homeroom) and voluntary membership (subject-related clubs, special interest clubs, religious/devotional and civic groups, varsity teams, and scouting). A student must be a member of at least one school organization aside from the ones they are given automatic membership too, however, students who are a part of a YLO or Pamunuan ng Kamag-Aral (PKA) are exempted from this rule. For this school year, there are currently 11 clubs active in 7-10, and 9 for 3-6.

When club activities returned, students were still required to join one club, however, each club now has a limit of 45 members. This was done in order to help the teacher maintain a conducive learning environment for activities. In the new guidelines that the Pamunuan ng Kamag-Aral had established for club enlistment, students were now required to rank their choices from most preferred to least. Each section had an allotted number of slots per club and membership was decided through draw lots. Once slots are filled for one club, the next club in their list will be considered. The process repeats until they can secure their slot in a club. This implementation was also done so that they can ensure all students are members of a club and can have an equal distribution of members throughout the student body.

Despite this limit on the number of students per club, there were still difficulties in the conduct of club meetings. The shorter duration of club activities left students with little to no time for getting to know their fellow club members and for doing other activities outside planning upcoming events or projects.

Some students have also expressed interest in joining club activities even as senior high students. Interviewed Grade 10 students said that they want to voluntarily continue their club activities after they become senior high students; they want to experience being a member of a school organization for longer because they were unable to join clubs for the past three years of the pandemic, in other words, since they first became high school students.

However, even if senior high school participation can be voluntary, the fact still remains: there are not enough classrooms to accommodate classes with more than 45 students. If we were to lift the member limit per club, so that those with few members can use smaller rooms, it would then lead to clubs having an uneven distribution of members. Currently, the High School building has four large classrooms, designated science laboratories; the Grades 3-6 building, meanwhile, has no large classrooms that can accommodate more than 50 members. This shows that there are a limited number of classrooms that can be used for clubs with big members. Moreover, science laboratories are not ideal areas for holding non-science club activities. Ideally, the school can also dedicate rooms for special purposes (such as the Media Center room) to different clubs.

Creating more clubs, specifically those that cater to hobbies (anime, gaming, writing) or a UPIS delegation of Model United Nations was also suggested by the interviewed students. This can be challenging due to availability of club advisers. Our teachers have additional responsibilities and roles to fulfill in school, making it difficult to find a suitable and available adviser for a club. This school year, the grade 3 KAB scouts are currently inactive as there was no available club adviser. Also, our student population is small compared to other schools, and we have limited personnel and resources, so achieving the ideal environment for club organizations to thrive is still out of our reach as of the moment.

Yet, that doesn’t mean we are completely hopeless; there is a way to make club activities more enjoyable and at the same time, put less burden on the teacher adviser. As students, we can take initiative and be proactive in our club activities. It is a student organization after all, and it is supposed to serve as a means to cultivate our potential and interact with other students outside of our regular classes. We could have sub-clubs under the umbrella of a bigger club. The English Club had Forum, a debate sub-club, and Board Games, a play sub-club under their name.

Lastly, in order to make club enlistment go more smoothly, students should be given the option of continuing their club memberships to the next school year, so that they won’t have to go through the trouble of competing for slots against their classmates. Students who choose to remain in their respective clubs can also be responsible for showcasing their activities to interested students in club orientation rather than the teacher adviser. This can make the student organization experience more genuine, as it is now a student-to-student interaction. Club advisers are still present and can function more as a bridge between the student and administration, so that students can have more freedom to plan their own activities, for their own and for the school. Club advisers will still be involved, but only as a bridge between students and the administration, monitoring and helping the students with logistics and giving feedback on the feasibility of activities. This way, students are empowered and have more freedom to plan their own activities, and hopefully, can open opportunities for students to establish their own clubs.

The return of club activities has brought a lot of positive changes such as interactive events where each club can showcase their unique skills and talents in their disciplines. This can be seen in successful events such as CA-EMA Week and Math Week; the perception of these events were extremely positive, coming from both the hosts and the participants themselves.

We have to remember that we are still in a transition period for club activities in the school and there is still room for improvement in how these activities are conducted and managed. Making way for students to bond more with their fellow club members and as well as give more opportunities for enjoyable and engaging extracurricular activities to happen and encourage their development in other venues outside of regular classes. In fact, experience in club activities aren’t just limited to primary and secondary education because the joy of being a part of a student organization extends to college, and that’s why it is important to foster the passion of joining them at an early age.

As students, our job is to continue giving feedback to the school’s administration as to how they could further improve on club activities, to lessen the club advisers' burden, and to take initiative and be proactive in planning club activities. Doing so will foster an atmosphere in which students are empowered enough to conduct more student-led activities and to open the possibility of student-initiated clubs.

// by Erin Obille

[emmajackielee]

Stuff I Learned: D001x Medicinal Chemistry X

Oral absorption

Clearance and Vd

kel = clearance / Vd = ln(2)/half-life

Therefore clearance = Vd * ln(2) / half-life -> linear line

Generally aim for 8 hour half-life

To increase half-life,

Increase Vd by increasing lipophilicity (logP)

Decrease hepatic clearance by making the molecule more stable

Acidic Molecules

Contain a carboxylic acid group (pKa 4-5) that is deprotonated, thus negative

Because it is charged, it is less lipophilic

Because it is negative, it is prone to being bound to albumin

Therefore acidity decreases Vd

Basic Molecules

Contain an amine group (pKa 10) that is protonated, thus positive (ammonium, NH4+)

Cell membranes contain phospholipids which have negative phosphate groups and thus attracted to NH4+

Thus phosphilipids draw molecules out of plasma

Therefore basic increases Vd

E.g. nifedipine is neutral and amlodipine is similar structurally other than a short basic chain, increasing half-life from 1.9 hours to 34 hours

[architectnews]

Ghamsar Villa, Kashan City Iran

Ghamsar Villa, Iran Building, Kashan City Property Development News, Iranian Real Estate Design Images

Ghamsar Villa in Kashan City

1 Mar 2022

Design: MADO Architects, Tehran

Location: Kashan City, Ghamsar region, Iran, western Asia

Ghamsar Villa, Iran

Ghamsar Villa is located on a 950 square meter land in Kashan city, Ghamsar region.

Due to the construction laws of the area, only 20% of the total land area could be built, which caused the initial construction area and its placement on the site.

Due to its location in a rich historical, cultural and architectural context, the project caused the design team to pay special attention to the studies of this region.

According to the studies conducted in this field, in the central climate of Iran, special attention was paid to the void in the houses, so that first the location of the void was determined and then the mass was placed around the void.

The houses had one to several void according to the land area and also the needs of the user, and the way the void were placed in relation to each other had special rules and principles. Accordingly, in the design, void and their placement in the construction area of the project took place.

Due to the creation of multiple spatial quality, low land width and privacy instead of a simple void in the center of the project, this void was smaller and divided into several empty spaces and then in place according to the principles and rules of Iranian architecture.

In the next stage, according to the location of empty spaces, Gholam-Gardesh and corridors were formed around empty spaces, and according to the needs of the project, these corridors were maintained or removed.

Based on the position of the client and recognizing his needs, a diagram was formed to place the spaces in the construction area, so that public spaces in the project center and private spaces in the outer layers were defined.

With the morphological studies that were done on the elements and components of Iranian houses, an attempt was made to create a desirable spatial quality in the project by using these elements. The dome and the arch were the two main elements of the architecture of that area. The dome was used to create spatial quality and lighting and along its arch in the spaces in the form of structural walls as well as arches in the corridors and terraces of the project.

Ghamsar Villa in Kashan City, Iran – Building Information

Design: MADO Architects – https://madoarchitects.com/en Head Architect: Maziar Dolatabadi Lead Architect: Deniz Ebrahimi Azar Design team: Reza Valinejad, Mahsa Rajabpour, Fatemeh Miri Interior Design & Rendering: Donya Yosefi Drawing: Reza Valinejad, Mahsa Rajabpour, Fatemeh Miri Model: Fatemeh Miri, Aria Rahiminejad, Mahsa Rajabpour

Ghamsar Villa, Kashan City Iran images / information received 010322

Location: Kashan city, Ghamsar region, Iran

Iranian Architecture

Iran Architecture Designs – chronological list

Iranian Architecture News

Cubes Warehouse Tehran, Shamsabad Industrial Park, Tehran Design: Nazar Idea Paidar Company photo : Deed Studio Cubes Warehouse in Tehran

Lotus Amphitheater Building Design Design: Peyman Kiani Architects (PKA) rendering : Mohammad Ali Rezaeiyan Lotus Amphitheater Building Design

Cantilever House, Mosha, Damavand, Amol, Māzandarān Design: uc21 architects photo : Mohammad Hassan Ettefagh Cantilever House in Mosha, Damavand

Iranian Architecture

Comments / photos for the Ghamsar Villa, Kashan City Iran design by MADO Architects page welcome

The post Ghamsar Villa, Kashan City Iran appeared first on e-architect.

[upau017]

Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + HA 2% Review

The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% & HA 2% is a high-strength lactic chemical p formulation that offers mild exfoliation without causing irritation. Typically the Tasmanian pepperberry draw out reduces the infection and sensitivity connected with acid use. This product is secure for sensitive skin and can be used on most skin types. The normal hyaluronic acid can be obtained from many other cosmetic products. This item is a wonderful choice when you have hypersensitive skin and want to experience the same positive aspects. You can employ this serum in order to combat your acne pimples by reducing inflammation, irritated skin, and even preventing the organization of wrinkles. It comes in the transparent bottle along with a slight lilac tint, and contains a tasmanian pepperberry derivative to relaxed the redness plus inflammation that appear with using stomach acids. It has a new good consistency and even has a large concentration of lactic acid. It is gentle enough to use on delicate or oily pores and skin. The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% & HA is the mild superficial peeling formula that contains five per cent lactic acid. This also contains a purified Tasmanian pepperberry derivative, which allows to offset the irritation of chemical exfoliation. The normal lactic acid is constructed from a crosspolymer of salt hyaluronate, a hydrating substance that sorts a film on top of the pores and skin. Apart from its mildness, lactic acid is effective for all skin area types. It targets acne-causing bacteria plus works well on both sensitive and greasy skin. It is usually also effective intended for those with hypersensitive or oily skin area. The alternating use of lactic acid and even salicylic acid helps control acne acne outbreaks. The gentle method is suitable for all skin types, but that is not recommended for those along with lactic intolerance. The regular lactic acid will be a highly successful exfoliant. The component is gentle plus well suited for most epidermis types. Its usefulness depends upon how it works. For instance , the product with some sort of high concentration involving lactic acid can have the result on acne than the usual product with a new lower concentration. This specific is because lactic acid is not necessarily digested in the particular same way like lactose, and that won't cause any kind of allergic reactions. Its pH value will be 3. 8. This suggests the acid's supply. Its pKa in addition to pH are close up, which increases typically the effectiveness of the particular acid and reduces the risk of irritation. In add-on, the HA in The Ordinary Lactic Acid is a great effective antibacterial agent, but it is essential to remember that will it is not safe to use about compromised or sensitive skin. It is definitely best used using caution and found in conjunction to goods. The Ordinary lactic acid serums usually are pH-compatible. The ph level of the lactic acid in these kinds of products fits most skin types. When your skin is certainly sensitive, it is definitely best to start with a low-pH merchandise with a small concentration of lactic acid. This product gently exfoliates the particular skin while hydrating the skin with glycerin and hyaluronic acid. Further, the particular hydroxy acid inside these products increases your skin's feel and smoothness. Technological innovation The Ordinary Lactic Acid 5%+HA is definitely an alpha hydroxy acid that offers slight exfoliation. Its ' aids in preventing the appearance of wrinkles simply by reducing inflammation plus irritation caused by simply the amount of acid. It is definitely also a vegan product. The item can be purchased at well being stores or on the web. It is in addition cruelty-free and vegetarian. Yet , it is definitely important to talk to a health care provider before getting it. The pKa value of lactic acid is a few. 8. A ph level close to this specific value maximizes the particular efficacy of typically the acid and lowers irritation. Higher pH values will increase the concentration of salt in the formulation and may lead to rashes and

irritation. Consequently, the larger the pH, typically the more the merchandise will irritate the particular skin. And when you use this acid solution on your skin, be sure you apply sunlight protection. The normal lactic acid serum is definitely a 5% formulation that contains ST?LLA TILL MED ETT helping improve the particular appearance of your respective pores and skin. It is most effective used once some sort of day or two times a week. Because it is very effective, you can make use of it every day or perhaps as needed. The recommended dosage of lactic acid is definitely a couple of times a 7 days. Most people will experience good benefits with an one- or two-day software.