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mercurygray · 2 years

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3 of 10; sorry, all spots have been filled and I can't accept any more requests!

For @papersky-pencilstars

Hi Merc! Congrats on the follower milestone you deserve every one of them <3 I almost can't believe I'm doing this but I couldn't resist. Kat, she/her, wavy blond hair, rather tall. Quiet but not shy, pretty fast at establishing a rapport with near strangers, to the point where people think we're old friends. Enjoy time alone and with friends in equal measure. I love writing, baking and drawing, and time spent in a garden is never wasted. In my medieval weapons club I'm known for being a fun fencer to fight and for my distinctive fighting style. I have a snarky sense of humor and an infectious laugh. I love learning from other people's interests and expertise, and I'm pretty damn smart in my own right. Quick to anger, but equally quick to apologize, and I don't hold a grudge. If I was alive during the war...I think I'd have tried to get into nursing/something related close to the front lines.

No one seems to know what Banika means.

Stepping off the boat, one likes to know one's destination, the story about how the US Marine Corps (or the Navy Nurse Corps, for that matter) gets from San Diego to here, but no one seems to know, or care - it's an island in the Russells, and you're here to do a job.

Rehabilitation work isn't for the faint of heart. Every day, hospital ships are unloaded in the harbor and brought up to the hospital shelters, and every day you get a new batch of patients, men remembering how to move thier hands, and arms, and legs, patched up just enough to return to the front. The longer term patients - limb losses, blindness - get shipped home, but if there's a chance they can be returned to the front, they get sent here, to you.

People have always said you're easy to talk to, and that's important, for work like this - there's a trust that needs to be established between therapist and patient and it doesn't come easily unless the men will talk. Soldiers are always good for a whistle and a cat-call, but sometimes it's the real loudmouths who are the ones who are suffering the most. But you're big, and you're strong, and you're quick enough with a joke to remind everyone in earshot that you mean business, and woe betide the man who doesn't take you seriously.

All of your patients know you mean business from day one, but not everyone here needs rehab work. Some marines and sailors you see only in passing because your patient is the guy in the bed next to them, or because they're out in the common area when you go past.

"You played some kind of sport in college, Nurse," one marine announces, as you come around around between rounds to take a moment in the sun. He's a big guy, one of those aw-shucks midwestern types with a shock of curly hair growing in over the haircut the Marines gave him, very comfortable lounging in whatever chair he's in, his casual indifference spilling over in waves. You've seen him around - that smile's hard to miss. (Most men out here don't smile like that.) Today he's outside, legs sprawled, one very large cat enjoying the Pacific sunshine in his standard issue robe and slippers. "My money's on basketball."

You shake your head, trying not to smile knowing the answer isn't what he expects. "Tennis," he suggests again, the bit between his teeth now. "Track and field?"

"Fencing."

"Fencing?" The answer nearly brings him out of his chair, clearly not any of the replies he thought he was going to get. How's that for your indifference, Private? "They let girls have swords nowadays?"

"They let us have all sorts of things," you reply, relishing the ability to still surprise. "Are you interested in history, private?"

He shrugs, takes another drag of his cigarette. "Used to be. Now that I've had a ringside seat I'm not so sure." He leans back in his chair. "You read your...your Thucydides and your Ovid and get the idea everyone left a lot of stuff out when they write about war."

Privately, you know he's right. No one writes about places like Banika, about hospital ships bringing limbless men home. "Maybe you can fix that."

The idea seems to please him - maybe he was a writer, before the war started. He has that sense about him, an observer's eye. "Maybe I can." He holds out his free hand. "Bob Leckie."

#Channel crossing shipping game #thanks lovely!#papersky-pencilstars #I hope you like it!!

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apathycarestostudy · 4 years

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Things Every 20+ y/o Should Start Doing (if you haven't) - unedited and unfiltered.

Twenty is a magical age. I don't know why it's not said as often as it should be, but truly, I feel like it's as just a turning point as 30 or 40 is. This is when you struggle the most to come to terms with yourself, or deliberately say you have. This is when you're becoming "conscious" as I like to think to the world — whatever the world means to you.

So, in lieu of hitting 21 a couple of months ago, I've decided to compile a list of things I believe every twenty and more year old should try. If they haven't already, of course.

1. Journaling

I've always been apprehensive of keeping a record of all my thoughts and woes as I thought that would be (a) used against me if found and/or (b) be an admission that I feel some type of way about something. Both of these concerns are damn childish and I'm glad I kinda got over it now that I'm journaling regularly, but I still hold back a little unfortunately. Well. The point of this is that 20 is an awakening that's worth journaling about, even if you have nothing going on. Write letters to your future self, to your families and friends and that one asshole you hate and the shoes you're wearing and —

Also, I always thought I didn't feel any type of way about things until I started journaling and realized I do. Yikes. You might want to make like me and face them now.

2. Learn something new everyday

Did you know that the heart of a shrimp is located in its head?

Life is unfair. There’ll be times when you feel this in all its potency. But just know this - everything can be taken from you, sans your knowledge. Overrated, a little debatable (because, mental illnesses), but it’s a neat standard to have. Plus, if you’re not well adverse in maintaining conversation, or you’re in a tight spot, spouting a random fact would help lighten the mood.

3. Pause your indignation

We’re in the age of getting mad, triggered, attacked, whatever else and that’s sad and unhealthy as all hell. What happened to being cool? To giving people the benefit of the doubt? Are we so fragile now that anything could throw us into our feelings regardless of whether it’s valid or not?

Okay, you were wronged. You are absolutely entitled to how you feel about it too. But you know what you can control? Your reaction. Your response. How you carry yourself and the way you go about it is what matters. It won’t feel as good in the beginning when you can’t bust someone up (or yourself), but you’ll be proud of yourself. You successfully refused to relinquish a piece of yourself.

4. Decide what standards you won’t breach

This goes hand-in-hand with the last point, but isn’t entirely the same. If your standard is to always respect everyone, you can’t be late when you gotta meet them because that constitutes disrespect. You don’t tolerate something, don’t engage in it. Draw the fine lines and stay within them. Whatever your code of honor is, you have to stay true to them no matter the situation you’re put in.

P.s. let it be something righteous, self and community loving, positive. This is not a plea for unreasonable stubbornness.

5. Watch something you wouldn’t normally watch

This is an interesting one. I remember as a teenager, I’d proudly declare what genres I’d never cross over to and what was beneath me, with absolutely no sound reasoning behind it. It was a baseless generalization of what’s cool and what wasn’t in my eyes. Let me tell you, some of the things I claimed wasn’t my cup of tea became my bottle of water (☞ﾟヮﾟ)☞☜(ﾟヮﾟ☜)(☞ﾟヮﾟ)☞

Hah.

Well, I didn’t come upon this epiphany by myself. My siblings put on a show I’d never be caught dead watching and by the end of it, then I got the epiphany. Now, whatever random video I run into on YT, any show that someone suggests that isn’t what I’m into, a documentary about something outside of my faith I’ll watch. It not only polishes your tastes, it broadens your horizons.

6. Learn to let go

7. Pick your role models wisely

This is insanely important at this age. You don’t want to realize too late that your aspirations didn’t become anything meaningful because of the people around you. Who do you look up to? What traits of theirs do you want to integrate into your being? What do they do that you’d like to do some day? If the people you look up to do not fall into any of these things, I strongly suggest you don’t invest any more time into them. I don’t mean cut off your toxic parents or anything life altering like that, I mean ignore the things that don’t fuel your goals. I’m not saying you pick someone and mimic everything they do, I mean critically choose what lessons you’ll take from them.

Be weary of the people you follow. Don’t follow blindly.

8. Rekindle an old hobby

I used to read a whole book in a day. At the most, I’d stretch it out to a week, but nothing more. It was a glorious time in my life where I just got into anime, steam rolling through seasons, then writing fanficition, wasting sleeping time to write more and post several times in one night, not to mention playing flash games but now I barely do any of that anymore. I keep buying more books and not much of it are getting read. I keep typing drafts that I never publish. I scroll through anime lists before closing the tab, fruitless.

You must have had a fun hobby when you were younger. Why not slot in a time to try it again? You may be lucky enough to reignite that passion. It’s worth a shot in the race to feeling good the right way.

9. Follow the world news

At this point, there’s no avoiding it because of the current climate. But anyways, it’s important to know what’s going on over yonder because it not only feeds your intellect, it keeps you cultured and it humbles you in a way I can’t describe. It also opens a new conversation topic for you, and as someone who wasn’t into dipping into ANY type of news, it reduces the amount of side eyes you get from people who do. It didn’t bother me before, but again, when one of my siblings kept announcing the news to us everyday, I woke up early and skimmed through google news and just waited until he rolled in the room. His face fell when I started reciting the recent headlines and I’ve never looked back since.

P.p.s I do not mean entertainment news. Indulge in that if you like it of course, but please, cast your lovely gaze on world news as well.

10. Try and make more friends

I know. I practically hiss at people who approach me. I wasn’t always like this, but circumstance and people’s audacity brutally murdered me every time I reached out. It’s not like I’m antisocial - I’m always kind and accommodating to anyone who comes my way, but I stopped putting myself out there completely.

I can’t tell you to change and start talking to people, I’m saying to give the newcomers a chance. Don’t treat everyone the same way because that’s not fair and you might lose the opportunity to have another friend. Don’t get me wrong though, I’m stilling hissing at the assholes who forgot how to act right.

P.p.p.s Real life friends. Online friends are just as precious, but it’s healthy to have joy close by as well.

And that’s about as much as I can think of at the top of my head. There are many life lessons I’ve had the privilege to learn, and many more that have yet to come, and so have you. Here’s to our collective success and happiness, our failures and sadness, and all the pointless shit in between. 20s is a ride that doesn’t have to just be full of holes and mistakes and regrets. I really wish people would stop saying it will be and decide for me.

#study motivation #life advice #studyblr #motivation #life is good #journal #life tips #what am i saying #how am i supposed to tag this #adulting #college adventures #college advice #life in your 20s #apathycarestostudy

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