hey hello ! nice to meet you all ! my name is aksel, i'm from michigan and my pronouns are she/they. <3 i'm looking for discord friends at the moment, so i'm excited to meet all of you lovely people !!
first and foremost, i am video game gremlin lmao. 99.99% of my free time is typically spent gaming (that might be an exaggeration, it might not be... i'll let you decide lol) right now, i'm really big on fortnite, minecraft, sea of thieves, phasmophobia, lethal company, and seven days to die !! i play on pc, just fyi <3
other things i'm interested in -- i adore writing and drawing ! baking is fun, i prefer to make cookies honestly. they're just so adorable, same with cupcakes ! i also love love love danganronpa very much and would love to find someone that is just as obsessed as i am LMAO. sanrio is also my life !!
i think that is all i have to say ! thank you very much for reading my post ! if i sound interesting, please shoot me a message aaaaall about your darling self and i'll get back to you asap with my discord tag. have a wonderful day/night <3

My nephew's first birthday is coming up and he cannot have dairy.
Any local bakeries that would have some cupcakes or cakes available for purchase which are dairy free?
Thanks!

Afternoon, all! My storage is getting full again, so I've got several bits going free :)
Produce/Fruit

• Tomato (10) x4
• Wheat (10) x5
• Sugarcane (10) x3
• Potato (10) x3
• Carrot (10) x3
• Orange Pumpkin (10) x4
• Coconut (10) x2
• Orange (10)
• Pear (10)
• Cherry (10) x2

Housewares

• Diner chair
• Froggy chair
• Zen cushion
• Vintage TV tray
• Gas range
• Water cooler
• Square bathtub
• Bathroom sink
• Yucca
• Garbage pail
• Dress mannequin
• Merchandise table
• Cat tower
• Tower of Pisa
• Gold turtle figurine

Art

• Beautiful statue (genuine)
• Wistful painting (genuine)

DIY Recipes

• Basket pack
• Box-shaped seat
• Carp on a cutting board
• Coconut juice
• Floral swag
• Garden wagon
• Glowing-moss balloon
• Glowing-moss dress
• Glowing-moss-jar shelves
• Glowing-moss wreath
• Golden bathtub x2
• Infused-water dispenser
• Jungle wall x2
• Kettle bathtub
• Light bamboo bath mat
• Log bench
• Log garden lounge
• Pan flute x2
• Project table
• Ruined decorated pillar
• Tiny library
• Vine garland
• Vine ladder set-up kit x2
• Woven-vines hat

Cooking Recipes

• Baked Potatoes x3 x2
• Bread
• Cake sale
• Carpaccio di capesante
• Carrot juice x2
• Champinones al ajillo
• Cherry smoothie
• Coconut oil
• Fruit salad
• Mushroom curry
• Mushroom potage
• Orange pie x2
• Peach tart
• Pear jam
• Pumpkin scones x2
• Salad
• Salad-stuffed tomato
• Sugar crepe
• Tomato bagel sandwich
• Tomato juice
• Veggie cookies
• Veggie crepe
• Veggie cupcakes
• Veggie quiche

Just a couple of rules;

• Maximum 10 items per person, to give folks a fair chance to get something they want (one stack counts as a single item)
• Please comment with exactly what you'd like, as my DM notifications are unreliable. If you don't comment, I won't see your request!
• My internet can only handle hosting one person at a time, so I'll reserve items in the order they're requested and contact people individually to arrange collection
• If I don't hear back from you within 12 hours, the reserve will be lifted
• My time zone is BST, so bear that in mind if I'm taking a while to respond :)

Autopilot.
Aware that you cannot move or think or breathe on your own. The words that spew from your lips are nothing more than senseless garbage to appease the masses watching your every move.
You can't scream or cry or beg for mercy.
All you can do is watch your body, your mouth, your thoughts, be puppeteered by thousands of greedy, impatient eyes.
It's like being dead, and aware I'm dead.
Dead, while my body dances, my mind is no longer mine.
I smile a perfect smile. I don't notice the stitches holding me together.
I'm not allowed to notice.
So many layers of skin, flesh over flesh that is patchwork and does not belong to me. I am not allowed to think. I am not allowed to scream or cry, or tear into layer upon layer of Brianna Timberman’s sculpting me into beauty.
Perfection.
No thoughts, except one.
That suffocates me, strangling my words from my throat.
And I am put into autopilot.
I am Brianna Timberman.
I am Brianna Timberman.
I am Brianna Timberman.
Felix was my latest three day fling.
I was using him to make Sam jealous, but a drunken night had turned into another night, and suddenly it was Wednesday, and I was yet to leave his place.
Fuck.
He was supposed to be someone I could kick to the curb, someone to take out my frustration on. Now, Felix was more than a rebound. But even tangled in his bed, I couldn't stop thinking about Sam.
Sam Thwaites rejected me at seventeen years old, and had waltzed back into my life. As teenagers, I told him I loved him, and Sam got all flustered and started shaking his head, like I was something he didn't believe in.
Sam said words like, “I didn't know you thought of me this way.” and “Wait, you liked me?” with this dumb fucking look on his face. He told me he needed space, and left me in the pouring rain.
Five years later, he was standing in my parent’s lounge.
I could still smell him on my skin, and I hated it. I hated him.
“Bree!” Mom’s smile was wide. She and Dad were obsessed with finding me a suitor.
“This is Samuel.”
Sam Thwaites took my hand, entwining his fingers with mine. He was so warm, and I hated that I wanted to fall into him. I hated that my heart was pounding through my chest. I had already seen him, bumping into him in the snow.
I had already shamelessly fucked him in a stall without truly looking at him, angry and frustrated, and really, really, fucking hot. I wanted to tell him whatever he wanted to happen was over. I told him I hated him, curled against him, the two of us out of breath, my head against his chest, his head tipped back, half lidded eyes skimming across the ceiling.
The two of us were sprawled out on ice cold tiles, his fingers stroking through my hair. I told him to leave.
But there he was, standing in my parent’s house. In the exposed light, Sam was maturer in the face, losing his baby fat for more curvier, handsome features. Thick brown curls hung in playful eyes that wanted a challenge.
The slight curve in his lips told me everything I needed to know. Sam remembered our stupid childhood pact.
I could hear it in his voice, the satisfaction dripping from his tone.
“Hello, Brianna.”
I pulled him outside, straight into a downpour.
“What are you doing here?” I demanded.
Sam shrugged with a smile. “We’re both adults, aren't we?”
I thought back to our childhood pact. If neither of us had found anyone by the age of twenty, we would marry each other.
“You left me.”
Sam stepped forward, grasping my hands. “I did.” He admitted, “But I was a stupid kid, Bree. I had no idea what I was talking about, and I was… scared.”
“Scared?”
He nodded, blinking rain out of his eyes.
“I was scared of losing you.”
I laughed incredulously. You did lose me, Sam! When you left me in the rain.”
“But I'm not scared anymore,” his voice was soft. He got closer. So close, I could see his breath. Sam kissed me tenderly, one hand cupping my cheek, the other sliding up my jacket. His mouth found my ear, something wet and warm oozing down my neck.
“Take… it.” Sam’s voice was different, suddenly.
”Please.”
Pulling away from the kiss, I shoved him back.
“How much is my father paying you?”
Sam swiped at his… bloody? lips, and a question sprung to mind.
Where did the blood come from?
“Well?” I demanded, my voice collapsing into a sob. “Is my dad paying you or not? Is that why you came back?”
Sam didn't answer, his face crumpling.
“Bree–”
“Save it!”
I left before he could fully open his mouth.
Halfway down the road, I realized I was freezing cold.
Before a shadow loomed, an umbrella shielding me.
“You look like a drowned rat.” My colleague was next to me, avoiding my gaze. “Take this.” he turned away from me, curling his lip. “Do whatever you want with it, I don't care.” He twisted around, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
The next day at work, I couldn't stop thinking about Sam.
Felix, the lead singer of a local band, and a law student, was the perfect distraction. I met him in a bar.
He was the Aussie trying to get a Dualingo streak, downing shots like soda. His accent was cute. It reminded me of water, or maybe that was just my drunken state. The cadence in his voice was like…trickling.
I told him this, and he laughed. His suggestive wink took us to his apartment, and we spent the night together after I drunkenly told him I thought he was hot. I expected it to be just a one-time thing, but then we were having sex on his kitchen counter.
I told him it wasn't serious. However, a one night stand had become more of a three day friends with benefits thing.
Now, we were sitting outside my work drinking coffee, and I was starting to reconsider my initial stand on Australian Felix.
There was something about the way he smiled with all of his teeth, nervously tapping his coffee cup and occasionally losing himself completely, falling into a daydream mid-conversation. I liked it though.
I liked watching his mind jet off into space. His longing gaze was adorable.
Felix was sitting awkwardly, chin resting on his fist, talking about his favourite band, and I was enraptured by caramel colored eyes and the dimples in his cheeks. The sun was shining, and we were sitting under cherry blossoms I didn't remember seeing before. I was supposed to be working, and he had come to see me, armed with cupcakes and my favourite coffee. Dreamer Felix.
Dimpled cheeks Felix.
Felix with the trickly accent and slight lisp, who stumbled over his words and had a milk moustache I desperately wanted to wipe away. I did, leaning over the table and lightly brushing the curve of my finger across his upper lip.
“You've got a little…”
Felix’s eyes widened. He swiped at his mouth, chuckling. “Ah. That's… kinda embarrassing.”
A loud and overly exaggerated clearing of the throat made me jump.
“Urgh. I think I just threw up in my mouth.”
Looming over me like a bad smell, was my colleague Jasper, scowling as usual. Standing with his arms crossed over his apron, he shot me a patronising smile, completely blanking Felix.
The boy dumped my latte down, spilling half of it across the table.
Behind him, a group of teenage girls were giggling. I wasn't surprised.
Jasper really could pull off any look, and, just like the girls squealing over him, I couldn't resist handsome features and a killer jawline. It just sucked that he was one of the rudest people I had ever met.
He was wearing the exact same shirt from yesterday, his apron flung over the top, cropped blonde hair in disarray. Running his hair through it, he groaned.
“You're supposed to be workiiiing, Bree,“ He said in a sing-song. Leaning across the table, Jasper’s patronising smile widened. “Are we done here?”
I nodded. “Yeah. Sorry, Jasper.”
“You should be.” Jasper’s gaze flicked to Felix. ”You're a student, right?”
“Uh…” Felix nodded slowly. “Yeah? I guess.”
My colleague shot him a sparkly grin. “Five percent off at the Crap ‘N Shack this weekend! Student discount! Alcohol served after 9pm will be free.”
“Woah, really?” Felix downed the rest of his drink, his eyes wide.
I glanced at his cup. I could have sworn he'd… finished it.
“What about parking?” Felix asked. “Will… I still get a ticket?”
“Nope!” Jasper shot him a grin, and a thumbs up. “Make sure to bring a student ID, and parking is free! It's all going down at the Crap ‘N Shack! This Saturday! With a Special guest, local music artist, Tiema Wright! Performing his new song, “I'm sorry I left you in the rain, but will you marry me?”
Both boys turned to me with matching smiles, speaking in sync. “Will you be there, Brianna?”
I nodded, with a grin. “You bet I will!” I saluted Felix with my drink. “Shouldn't you be heading to class?”
“I love you Jasper!” one of the girls squeaked from behind me.
My colleague rolled his eyes, not even turning around to look at her.
“I know you do.” Jasper sighed, pulling out his notepad and pen.
He side-stepped to the next table, serving the people next to us. He licked his finger with exaggerated slowness, flipping the page. “But you're embarrassing yourself, sweetheart.”
“I'm free after work,” I said, “Maybe you could come back to my place?”
“You're on the late shift tonight with me, so no you're not free.” Jasper said behind me. When I twisted around to shoot him a look, he was tapping his pen on his notepad, mid-eyeroll.
“No, sir, we don't do refills. Nope, I can't make an exception, and no, complaining about it will just make me laugh.”
“I'll text you.” I told Felix.
“Sounds good.” He jumped up, finishing his coffee and grabbing his backpack. The Pikachu keyring on his zipper made me smile. “I have class, but I'll reply when I'm out, all right?”
Felix lifted his hand in a wave, took two steps back, and was crushed by a falling sheet of glass.
I'm not sure when it was my mind stirred, and I regained consciousness for the fraction of a second. It was enough for my vision to clear, my senses coming back to the surface.
The never ending script of words programmed into my brain stopped abruptly, and I was left suffocating on my own breaths.
I was awake.
Awake, blinking at Felix’s body being peeled from concrete.
Awake.
Awake enough to notice my colleague visibly flinched behind his notepad when Felix died. Awake enough to be able to breathe again, coerce words in my mind.
I had zero idea of who I was before Brianna Timberman. Who was underneath flawless skin and manicures and sparkling teeth. My senses returned in waves. Taste.
I had drank the same fucking coffee four times, and I could taste coffee grounds on my tongue.
Smell.
There were sweat patches staining my blouse.
Touch.
I could feel my coffee cup, running my finger around the rim.
I am not Brianna Timberman.
The thought slammed into me, and I felt my hands twitch by my sides, the overwhelming urge to tear off my skin, layer after layer until I found myself.
When did I regain my free will?
Maybe it was when Felix’s blood was seeping across my shoes, his body an unrecognisable mess of stringy flesh and lumps under splinters of glass sparkling like diamonds across the sidewalk.
It took me half a second to realize a woman was screaming in my face.
“Oh my god, sweetie, are you okay?”
Autopilot.
I nodded shakily, words already tumbling out of my mouth.
“I'm fine.”
“Was he your boyfriend?”
Autopilot.
“No.”
For some reason, my eyes found Jasper still hiding behind his notebook.
“He wasn't.”
No matter how hard I tried to fight it, Brianna’s feelings were already swamping me. I felt my cheeks heat up, my stomach fluttering. Before autopilot thoughts could spring out of nowhere, I remembered my colleague’s reaction to Felix’s death, as well as him subtly trying to stop me from talking to Sam.
There was zero doubt in my mind that Jasper didn't know what was going on.
If the rest of us were recycled lumps of skin, what was he? He was a love interest, but he wasn't one of Bree’s exes.
Sam explained my colleague was a curveball.
The so-called bad-boy playing with Brianna Timberman feelings.
With little to no thoughts of my own, I stated the facts in my head.
My life wasn't real. I was nothing but recycled flesh sculpted and moulded into a dead prom queen with her memories. That thought still had not sunk in yet, and when I started to register it, all I wanted to do was peel my skin from my bones until I found myself.
Who I was, hiding under patchwork flesh.
So many Brianna’s stitched onto me. So many lost souls.
I had been on autopilot for days. All that I had left when I came to, was a vague memory of every other death.
Ben, Alex, and Esme.
Car crash.
Suicide.
Carbon monoxide poisoning.
Now Felix.
Crushed to death.
Each of their deaths had been voted m by the townspeople.
It was only a matter of time before Felix would be erased from existence too.
Sam, or the boy underneath him, had shown me who I really was, a lump of flesh sculpted into Brianna Timberman.
Sam had the same fate.
He showed me where he came from, a factory that had turned the town's teen populace into the exact same four faces.
Brianna Timberman’s exes.
Ben, Alex, Esme, and Sam.
First, he was an Alex, then a Ben, and then an extra, who tried to warn me, before being abruptly converted into Sam Thwaites, a brand new love interest, and Brianna’s childhood friend.
Sam told me Brianna’s exes deaths were a joke, her love life controlled by the town through a popularity poll.
Brianna had committed suicide years ago, but the town were obsessed.
They wanted to watch her life. They wanted to see which person she would choose, voting for their favourites while dooming the loser to a fate worse than death. The least popular love interest would die brutally, and the cycle would continue. In this case, it was Felix.
The boy suppressed under Sam had shown me the truth, only to be captured and turned into one of my parent’s suitors. The realization was like a kick in the face. I was alone. Awake and aware of too-bright lights on my face, and unable to cry out or scream.
Brianna Timberman was dead, but according to the town, the show must go on.
Staying very still, I was suddenly well aware of patrons on their phone.
I glanced at a teenage girl, who was rapidly swiping right on an image of my colleague, while a man holding a briefcase lazily swiped left on Sam.
“Your boyfriend should have been more careful.”
I blinked.
Jasper was in front of me, arms folded across his apron.
Sam talked about a Red Zone in the bathroom stalls a few days ago.
He said it was where they couldn't see us, and I would be fully conscious, severed from whatever was in my head.
Jasper waved his hand in front of my face, and it suddenly occurred to me that if I wanted answers, such as where the Red Zone was located, I needed my colleague’s help.
Whether he was awake or not.
Brianna Timberman was in full control of my mind, however, so regaining free will was getting progressively harder.
Two days later, after being stuck on autopilot, I was serving a woman trying to calm her screaming kid.
Felix didn't have a funeral, and his name was already forgotten. In my half awake state though, I remembered him.
I had since met two people.
Adrianna, who was a quick make out in a bathroom stall.
She smelled just like Esme. Roses and cheap perfume.
Ren. The older college professor who I drunkenly kissed in the back of an Uber.
I can't pinpoint the times when I was fully awake.
Fully in control.
I was perfecting a foam heart on a customer's latte, when I realized I really wanted to fuck my colleague. The thought was explosive, immediately setting my cheeks on fire. Trying to suppress it was fighting a losing battle.
“Hey.” Jasper sided in front of me, tearing me out of my thoughts. Or Brianna’s thoughts. I had spent the last hour dazedly staring at his wonderfully sculpted jawline, unable to look at anything else.
Brianna liked to fantasise, and her mind wasn't exactly PG13.
It's not like I had control of my mouth. Autopilot meant my body and mind worked for me. I was just lucky to be conscious– or at least semi-conscious.
I had a semblance of a plan, and the first part was finding Sam Thwaites. Or the boy sculpted into Sam. The last time I saw him before I went on autopilot, I had no idea if he was awake or just a really good fucking performer.
The Red Zone was all I could think of.
If I wanted out of this nightmare, I needed to find it.
However, thinking is kind of hard when all I can think about was my colleague’s biceps.
I couldn't take my eyes off of the way he swung a carton of milk, mid-conversation with our manager.
Jasper caught my eye, scowling.
“Bree. Get your fucking head out of the clouds.”
My colleague’s tone was so shamelessly unapologetic, a group of girls in the queue burst into giggles. The guy was like a circus attraction.
Now that I had a semblance of actual thought, I realized our only customers were women, with the odd man every blue moon. Jasper cleared his throat, setting the milk down.
“Okay, look, I’m sorry your boyfriend got flattened, or whatever, but you need to stop moping around like someone freakin’ died.”
Autopilot.
There was a bright light suddenly.
I shoved him. Hard.
“Why do you always have to be such a dick?”
Jasper was unfazed. He didn't even stumble. I felt it, a shiver creeping down my spine, an insatiable need clouding my thought process.
Brianna Timberman was hot. Very hot. Jasper’s attitude, his movement, everything about him and being so close to him, was making her flustered.
She was sweating under her apron, and all she could look at, all she could focus on, was her colleague. Who was, against all odds, still playing hard to get.
All around us, patrons went silent.
The girls in the queue started nudging each other. My colleague stepped forward, his breath tickling my face.
He was a little too close. “I should be asking you the same thing,” he murmured, lips twitching into a smirk.
“You've been staring at me all morning.” Jasper stepped closer, backing me into the counter. I could feel my cheeks getting hotter and hotter, my thoughts clouding.
Another step, and we were nose to nose.
Jasper cocked his head. “Do I…have something on my face, Bree?”
It took every morsel of self control to turn away from him, back to the queue.
I smiled widely at the customer, making lattes and coffees. But my stomach was dancing, my mind foggy and distant.
It didn't help that every time Jasper shoved past me, he made it intentional, and the friction of his body against mine, his hands brushing my waist, was driving me crazy. Sam mentioned aphrodisiacs being pumped through the vent in the bathroom stalls to influence intimacy between Brianna and her love interests.
I had a feeling that is what was happening. Still, though, when I peeked at the ceiling, I couldn't see a vent.
I couldn't stop my own wandering hands every time he passed me.
It was a game, in a way.
Who would crack first.
I was in the break room trying to cool myself off, when Jasper stepped in front of me.
“Vegan milk.” He said. Despite acting cool and collected, maintaining his asshole smirk, I glimpsed a noticeable red blush spreading across his cheeks.
His lips found my ear. “Can you… help me find it?”
Autopilot.
Autopilot had taken us into the dark. My body and emotions and feelings were no longer mine, choking, drowning, in fog that contorted me into exactly what these people wanted.
I'm not sure how I got from the break room to the storage closet, pinned against a shelf, half naked, my legs wrapped around my colleague. He started, of course, with his mouth latched to my ear, muttering about Mulberry Milk offers, before his lips found mine.
His breath was heavy, his hands finding my waist, and sliding up my shirt.
God, I pretended a lot of things weren't happening for the sake of not losing my fucking mind.
I pretended I couldn't hear the wolf whistles and squeals rumbling in the walls surrounding us, that the pleasure riding through me was mine, and not theirs. We had an audience.
Somehow, that was even worse than my body being used to satisfy others.
I pretended I wasn't fully exposed, and even worse, that I wanted it.
I wanted to get closer to him, pressing my mouth into his clammy neck and burying my face in his shoulder.
I wanted him to continue, his lips in my hair.
Tipping my head back, my vision was blurring.
But I could see it.
Right above our heads, there was the vent pumping us full of aphrodisiacs.
Sex drugs, I thought dizzily.
I laughed, and it was so out of character, Jasper pulled away for a moment, brows knotting in confusion.
“The Red Zone.” I managed to grit out through Brianna Timberman’s mouth. “Where is it?”
When he didn't respond, I grabbed the back of his head, forcing him to look at me. Under the dim light of a flickering bulb, my colleague’s eyes were half lidded, his pupils dilated pools of confusing black. I had no doubt he hadn't been heavily drugged.
Jasper kissed me deeply again, and when I managed to shove him away, he tightened his grip on my waist, pressing his face into my shoulder.
“The Red Zone.” I repeated, my thoughts reduced to soup.
I only had a certain amount of time, and that time was running out.
I shoved him again. This time, I felt filthy.
His clammy hands all over my skin was like poison.
I felt suffocated, every time he leaned in.
The worst part is that this man had zero choice either.
The thought struck, sending violent tremors through me.
How many times had my corpse of a body been used like this?
How many times had I been fucked, or fucked someone else for this town’s sickening satisfaction obsession with Brianna Timberman?
“Tell me where it is!” I said through a shriek.
Jasper slowly started to respond, blinking rapidly. “The… wha?”
He was a good performer, awake or not.
“You knew what was going on when your friends dragged Sam away.”
I kept my voice low, kissing him harder to keep the narrative going. Especially when I could hear the dull sound of pounding feet. These freaks wanted us to fuck.
I made sure to let my mouth linger on his, aware of every inch of the two of us being watched, analysed, probably photographed and posted to the town website. “I saw you flinch when Felix died. Which means you were awake.”
I pulled away, slowly, playing with the collar of his shirt. But at the same time, I was looking for every possible escape route. Sam was right. To my left, I could see a subtle red light dancing across Jasper’s jaw.
And to my right, another skimming across my neck.
So, I grabbed the boy, shoving him against the shelf, switching our positions.
“You tracked me down that day,” I spoke softly, pretending to bury my head in his chest. “You knew exactly where I was. And you took Sam away. So, you know exactly where the Red Zone is. You know where he was hiding.”
Jasper surprised me with a chuckle. When I lifted my gaze, my vision was fuzzy, my body hot and flustered, and yet I was shivering. His head was tipped back, lazy eyes tracking the ceiling. He was following the exact same red light.
“You're a funny girl, Bree.” He murmured. My colleague leaned forward, keeping up the facade for our unseen audience. He was doing exactly what they wanted, the curve of his back almost too perfectly lit up.
It was exactly what Brianna Timberman had fantasised.
Jasper’s panting breaths found my ear. “Keep talking, though? You're going to fuck both of us over.”
His words sent shivers trickling down my spine.
In the corner of my eye, the red light was visible. If the room was too dark, that meant they were tracking and filming our movements. I didn't think.
Grabbing my colleague’s shoulders, I yanked him to his knees, dropping with him. Risking a glance behind us, the light was gone. Which meant (or at least I hoped) that we were out of shot.
Jasper regarded me lazily, inclining his head. “What are you–”
I slammed my hand over his mouth, cutting him off.
“The Red Zone. You know exactly where it is.” I hissed, tightening my grip on his shoulder. When he played stupid, I dug my fingernails in. “You're not an ex,” I said, “So, what are you?”
“Jasper?” my colleague muffled under my hand, pointing to his name tag. When I removed my hand, his lips spread out into a grin. But I caught his eyes frantically searching for those red lights.
“I have no idea what you're talking about, Bree!” He raised his voice significantly, “But… did you know vegan milk is made with only the best pasteurised milk from Mulberry Farms?”
This guy wasn't going to sing, so I had to get creative.
Above us, three red lights were scanning the dark.
They were looking for us.
“Please.” I whispered, searching his eyes for a hint of a human being.
“You're as much of a victim as me, right? Don't you want out of here?!”
Jasper responded with his signature eyeroll, maintining that plastic fucking grin.
“I… have zero idea what you’re talking about! But do you know what I really want to talk about? Mulberry Farms milk!”
I couldn't stop myself. Maybe it was frustration, desperation, or a mix of both. I wasn't fully thinking straight when I grasped the back of his head, and slammed Jasper’s skull into the metal edge of the shelf. I regretted it immediately when the guy’s eyes rolled to pearly whites, his body going limp in my arms, head lolling onto his shoulder.
When a single rivulet of red slid from his nose, I realized he was like Sam.
Sam, who must have given himself a head injury to wake himself up.
A severing.
Under the influence of the narrative, as well as aphrodisiacs choking my thoughts into arousal, I never really saw my colleague’s body. I only saw what Brianna wanted to see. Lean muscles and a perfectly sculpted v-line.
But now, away from the cameras, and in the fading light of a dying bulb, I saw them, running my trembling fingers over rugged stitched and patchwork skin moulding this boy, and so many others, into the perfect man.
I could see where parts of him had been replaced and cut away, his entire face airbrushed into a viewer’s fantasy.
But looking closer, his real eyes were mismatched contortions of blue and brown.
I waited for the sarcastic eye roll and immediate plug-in advertisement.
Instead, though, the man's expression was… softer.
He looked dazed, confused, blinking rapidly.
But, as he slowly drank in his surroundings, his expression started to twist into fear. Pain. Anger.
Anger that was so vast, so overwhelming, that he dropped to his knees, scrubbing at his face. I didn't know what to say. Sorry didn't mean anything. Sam was gentle when he told me I was recycled skin, nothing but a flesh puppet for a psychotic town.
But I didn't give him a chance to take it in. I plunged him directly into this cruel, horrifying reality.
Jasper’s frenzied gaze went to his hands, and then his hands were in his hair, clawing down his face.
His lips parted like he was going to speak, but I don't think he could.
Jasper’s eyes filled with frustrated tears. Terror that was something I could relate to, an existential dread and confusion and pain that was tearing him apart. I knew the questions at the back of his head.
Why me? Why was this happening to me? How can I be alive? How can I be real when the rest of me is nothing?
I felt my own fingers trace the scars across my own stomach.
Scars that only I could feel, deeply indented into my skin.
Skin that I wanted to rip into, to tear away.
Because… I was somewhere, right?
Underneath all of this, my old self was there.
I fucking HAD to be because I can't just be THIS.
Jasper stumbled back, clumsy on his feet, embarrassed and confused, trying to hide himself. When blood started seeping freely from his nose and down his chin, I found my voice. “Hey.”
I spoke softly, and his eyes finally found mine, resembling a startled deer.
“Can you tell me who you are?”
I swallowed thick slime creeping into my mouth.
“Who you were?”
For a sobering moment, it was just the two of us.
Not Brianna and Jasper.
His eyes found mine, truly drinking me in.
And something sparked in his expression. Recognition, or familiarity.
His hands cupped my face, fingers running down my cheeks.
The man was mute, speechless, and yet somehow, he was crying.
Crying for me.
A stranger.
Somehow, though, my hands, or at least part of my hand, the stitched and rugged parts of me, responded to his touch.
“Bree? Jasper?”
When the door flew open, I jumped to my feet, pulling the boy with me.
They were paranoid, I thought, mirroring Sam’s earlier words.
The town was making sure we were still satisfying them.
To my surprise, Jasper’s eyes dilated back to brown.
“Uh,” His voice was choked up, more of a growl, “Give us a sec, all right?”
Autopilot.
I bent down and grabbed my shirt, throwing it on.
Jasper buttoned up his own, brushing himself down.
He stepped back, winking.
“Same time tomorrow?”
Autopilot.
Brianna didn't speak. Instead, she headed towards the door.
She wanted him to chase after her for more.
But not before Jasper came close, hissing in my ear.
“You want to go on a suicide mission? Fine.” I was already pulling away, or Brianna was pulling away, because my body was being forced forwards.
Still, he held me, tightening his grip. “The thrift store across the street. Stall three, in the bathroom.” He said. “Just, please,” Jasper’s tone softened.
“Please never fucking do that to me again.”
So, I had a location.
The problem was actually getting to it.
Autopilot.
It was stronger, forcing me onto the stage.
I spilled coffee over a customer, and of course, Jasper came to the rescue.
When I dropped a tray full of drinks, slipping on someone's mess, his arms were already wrapped around me, catching me before I could hit the ground.
When our eyes met, Brianna Timberman’s heart fluttered.
The people surrounding us were already swiping right on their phones.
Jasper helped me stand up. “You… should be more careful, you idiot.” He grumbled.
I nodded, straightening up.
Jasper leaned against the refrigerator. “Do you know Sam Thwaites?”
I didn't look up from making coffee. “Yeah. He was…”
I blinked away memories of the two of us as kids.
“Just a friend.”
“He's bad news.” Jasper said. “The guy is working for your dad.”
“That's not… that's not true.”
“Oh, really?” He stepped in front of me, head tiled to the side. “So, he just came back into your life for no reason?”
“I don't want to talk about Sam.”
“But… Did he leave you anything?” Jasper murmured. “Like a… I don't know, a parting gift, maybe?”
Before I could reply, my colleague blurted, “What were you wearing when we were… “ He looked around nervously. “Looking for vegan milk?”
“I… don't know?” I prodded at my apron. “This, I guess? Why?”
“Oh, no reason!” he winked at me. “Did you know my Aunt died recently?”
“No…”
“Well, her funeral was all sorted within a matter of days,” Jasper continued, speaking through that same grin.
“Callister Funeral Care really did give me the comfort me and my family needed while we were in mourning…”
Autopilot.
I woke up halfway through my shift the next day, in the middle of serving three boys.
Immediately, I dropped what I was doing, darting to the door.
“I'm going on my break!” I yelled, grabbing my jacket and pushing through a group of girls. The town thrift store was empty. I was pushing through the door when a girl pushed past me, hard enough to knock my jacket out of my hands. When I scooped it up, something dropped out of my pocket.
Inside was a single black disk-shaped thing. I stuck the plastic down my bra.
“Bree? What are you doing here?”
Lifting my head, my colleague was standing over me.
Jasper’s smile was a little too big.
When he helped me up, his voice was a sharp breath. “How exactly are you planning on getting in the men’s bathroom, genius?”
I had a way.
But neither of us were going to like it.
Autopilot, however, did my job for me. I was in a bathroom stall on my knees, when reality hit, and I shook my head of fog. Jasper was already pulling me to my feet. Pressing his index over his lips and motioning for me to be quiet, he pointed above our head. Instead of a window, there was a hatch. “Red Zone Two.” He mouthed. "Fucking go!
I nodded, climbing onto the toilet bowl, throwing myself through the hatch.
This time, I felt directly into a pile of still-wet and still warm bodies.
But these weren't Alex’s or Ben’s, or Sam’s.
My own face, my perfectly moulded and sculpted Barbie doll face stared back at me. Brianna Timberman was everywhere. Her glazed blue eyes and wide smile were suffocating me. It when I stood up, did I start to see patches. I saw skin and hair, torn and stained clothes with body parts still attached to them. Different faces.
Girls.
Beautiful girls with their heads severed, their bodies reduced to mutilated flesh.
Smiles stretched into skeletal grimaces, and eyes scooped from the sockets.
As if I felt connection with the doll pieces around me, I started to claw at my legs.
Like I could find my own skin, revel in it.
I stood up, at the sound of a mechanical whirring. In front of me was a blood stained conveyer belt that wasn't moving, that was frozen. Just like the room with Sam’s, Ben's, Alex's, and Esme’s. I felt my fingernails rip into my arms, and my face. My gaze was glued to the cutoffs, the human bodies scattering metal flooring. Is this what I was?
I ripped into the skin of my face until I felt the sting.
But there was no fucking blood. Nothing to remind me I was human.
“Bree. You need to get out of here. Now.”
I was barely aware Jasper had joined me. He fished up my jacket.
“What are you?” I asked him, my voice shuddering.
“Wrong.”
His response surprised me. “Which is why they're going to kill me off soon, and I'll die the way I was supposed to.”
Jasper’s words collapsed into white noise.
Instead, I was someplace else, a memory splintering into dozens of memories.
I was… Clara.
Jamie.
Lily.
Kiera.
Becca.
Elizabeth.
I was running.
Screaming.
A guy was in front of me, tugging my hand.
“The far gate is the exit!” The voice in front was female.
“If we reach it, we’ll get out of here. Just keep running.”
A sharp flash, and I was standing stiff. Upright.
I was moving, a long line of girls in front of me.
I felt them, writhing, entangled around my bones.
Every girl I was made out of.
The cruel needle plunging into the back of her neck, instantly killing her.
A second needle injecting a solution that kept the body alive.
Her thoughts and feelings and sensations.
All of it was kept alive.
Conscious.
The whirring blades coming down and skinning away her face, her eyes, her lips, her screams falling on deaf ears.
Her sculpted body, naked and raw, was shoved forwards.
The next metal arms made sure to stitch up loose skin, adding and removing and slicing away what was no longer needed, adding a metal exoskeleton to assure no damage. Then came clothes, a yellow summer dress, exactly what she was wearing on the day Sam Thwaites dumped her in the rain. The final metal arm was more of a brush, a thing scraping across the face to make sure Brianna was perfect.
When she tumbled off of the conveyor belt, smiling widely, I wasn't Clara, or Jamie, or Lily…
Fuck.
I was Brianna Timberman.
Standing at the end of the line, with his arms folded, was Brianna’s father.
His smile was proud, eyes glinting with madness.
He stroked my face, eyes filling with tears.
“She's perfect.”
The memory shattered, coming apart, when something pricked my neck. There was a blinding white light on me.
“We’ve got her, sir.”
A muffled cry, and I could just see Jasper being wrenched back.
“Hey! I did what you told me to do! The pocket is empty!” his voice deepened into a growl. “Let me go!”
The figure who grabbed him seemed to enjoy his discomfort. She had wandering hands. “Five more seasons, pretty boy.” The woman hummed. “Brianna may have forgiven you, but your debt is with Mr Timberman.”
“Wait! No, we had a fucking deal you piece of– mmppphmmh!”
I was forced onto my stomach. “AND the love interest who appears to be faulty. It's the tracer who was supposed to be following her.” The voice swam in and out, as my mind plunged. *“Yes. I'll get him remodelled immediately. Uh-huh. Brianna is A-okay, sir. Do you have my permission to proceed?”
Autopilot.
This time it was deep, dragging me to impossible depths.
“Brianna!”
Mom’s voice snapped me back to half-fruition.
I was standing in my parent’s hallway in front of Sam.
Sam, who had lowered himself to one knee, a ring pinched between his fingers..
“Say yes!” Mom stood behind me, standing with my brother.
Autopilot.
My lips spread into a smile.
Two bright lights on the two of us.
“Yes.” I whispered, when he wrapped his arms around me. “I'll marry you.”
The walls around us were ooh-ing and ahh-ing.
When the lights switched off, and Sam’s smile stayed plastic and taut, I realized the boy underneath was gone.
But it was when his head was in my chest, did I remember his earlier words.
“Please. Take it.”
Autopilot.
The day skipped forward.
I was only aware of my mother’s hands tangled in my hair.
She was dragging me down the hallway.
“Don't worry Brianna!” She said gleefully, tightening her hold.
“No daughter of mine is this much of a nuisance, and the show must go on!”
I was shoved into a room, on autopilot.
But, after regaining myself, I can break myself out of autopilot.
The medic came to see me.
According to her, I'm slightly severed.
They're going to fix me. Like what they did to Sam.
Look, it's been three hours and I've been thinking about a lot of things. I know you can't save me. I live in the blip of a town, a town you can't find on a Google search. I know I'm a prisoner.
But I think I know how to save myself and the others.
Mainly. I want to cut Brianna Timberman away, and look underneath.
But I'm terrified that under all of these layers? They're will be nothing left.
I've already done most of it. Right now, half of my face is caught under my nails.
But I'm not
Fuck
I can't find me???
Im not bleeding, I can't see anything that looks like ME and when they come back they're going to patch me back up.
They'll stick someone else's flesh over me, and call me Brianna.
But I'm not Brianna?????
I'm not any of those girls, so who am I?

I have a B-day coming up for my kid, there’s a known peanut allergy the class but I would like to drop off cupcakes. Anyone know of a nut free bakery in town?

Bundle deals available/I'm open to reasonable offers. More details are on my spreadsheet. New items have been added recently (particularly from NAVA)! Some notes:

• Most perfumes were received direct from the original store. If you want me to double-check, just let me know!
• All perfumes are kept in a cool, dark place. I live in a non-smoking and pet-free house.
• Payment via PayPal G&S. I will send an invoice. Prices are in USD.
• If buying multiple items that aren't already bundled, make me a reasonable offer for a discount :)
• I will ship within 7 days of payment, though I am often much quicker and will ship same/next day!
• Shipping is $13 tracked to Canada unless you're only getting a few samples, in which case it's $3 without tracking. Shipping to the US is typically around $13 tracked (I will provide a quote based on zip code).
• If purchasing >$50, I'll offer a 50% discount on shipping. If >$125, shipping will be free regardless of location!
• I'm mostly looking to sell, but will consider swaps for scents listed on my ISO tab. However, I'm looking to get multiple items (at least three) from one seller.

Fantome

• Vasilia (FS): Clover honey, neroli, rich tonka, chamomile, dry hay, a flower crown of marigolds & sunflowers

Stereoplasm

• Clemency (2 samples are available): Myrrh, clementine teak, thyme, photographic fixer, tobacco, suede
  
• Disco Stardust (both a FS and sample are available): Winter Mai Tais, roll-on lip gloss, expensive sunglasses, tanning bed oil and new car smell
  
• Excitation: Frothed Irish cream with rye whiskey, evaporated milk, wild honey and chocolate covered coffee beans
  
• Opaline: Iridescent and heavy stones of opalized amber, birds of paradise, frozen yucca and lacquered teak
  
• Perdotmint (both a FS and sample are available): Gems of concorde pear, crushed spearmint, iced green tea and classic jade accord
  
• Yellownog: Intoxicating bourbon-vanilla, cigar-smoked cinnamon, clementine stars, shredded coconut and Chantilly cream
  

Possets

• Mrs. Rabbit's Carrot Cake (FS): The most moist and vanilla drenched melting cake shot through with sugar encrusted rum kissed currents and golden raisins and crowned with the richest butter filled sour cream and ricotta frosting and trimmed with tiny spun sugar carrots, and grass
  
• Silver Narcissus: A stunning fragrance that combines the luxurious Possets' Silver Base with the iconic Narcissus flower, evoking the essence of a warm and vibrant spring morning
  

Pulp Fragrances

• Women In Dresses Running From Houses 2021: This year's version is smokier and sweeter: Caramellized sugar, a roaring bonfire, heliotrope, aged patchouli, and a hint of violet

Nui Cobalt

• Hell Freezes Over: Decadent devil’s food cake, still warm from the oven, fluffy marshmallow frosting and the lightest dusting of crushed candy cane
  
• Little Brown Rabbit: Nutmeg and tonka bean nuzzle up against fluffy marshmallow, cottonflower, pink pepper, and a trace of carrot seed.
  
• Mendacity: Horchata: Classic horchata made from jasmine rice, demerara sugar, and true Ceylon cinnamon.
  
• Roll Initiative: Egyptian cotton, pale driftwood, white pepper, green cardamom, and a slender wisp of copal smoke.
  

Sucreabeille

• Alembic (FS): Sweet pumpkin souffle dotted with marshmallows and drizzled with buttery maple syrup. Tuberose wafts through the open front door

Arcana Wildcraft

• Witches Cavort with Cupcakes (FS): Pumpkin spice cupcakes are smothered in gobs of cream cheese frosting

Hexennacht

• I ♥ the 80’s: A Lisa Frank-esque powerhouse: tuberose, orange blossom, white amber, bubblegum, suntan oil, Aquanet hairspray, gummy worms, & fruit-scented erasers

Andromeda's Curse

• Strength: Coffee, Marshmallow, Milk Chocolate, Coumarin, Brown Sugar, Whipped Vanilla Frosting
  
• The Call of the Void: French Lavender, Nag Champa, Egyptian Amber, Sandalwood, Cedarwood, and Vanilla
  

Poesie

• Nectar: Nectar is the sweet scent of honeysuckle blossoms — honeyed, intoxicating, irresistible

Astrid

• Whisper: Cherry blossom, a pair of patchoulis, sugar, and vanilla

Alkemia

• Vanille Armour (FS): Vanilla Infused with Warm Spices

NAVA

• Buttercream Honey Bee (FS): Orange Blossom Honey, Buttercream Frosting accord, Vanilla, Crystalline absolute, Butter accord (vegan) and Vanilla Bean fleck
  
• Tobacco Musk: Tobacco Leaf, Fresh Pipe Tobacco, Tobacco Absolute, Caramel accord, Bastet’s Amber Absolute and soft white floral blend of Tuberose, Mallow, Angelica, Musk Flower, and White Lily all blended beautifully into Bastet's Musk base
  

Sixteen92

• Be Careful What You Wish For (FS): Dusty magic shop shelves, dried sage leaf, crystal ball, darkened amber musks, a puff of smoke

Pat McGrath

• Eye Ecstasy: Subversive Palette

Link again: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/19URt2wyxl2xQd8XN2CPKzqBv0ZANl65yUTx9Gx_u0a4/edit?usp=drive_link
Thanks for checking out my destash!

Have any of you heard of Glucose Goddess? Her name is Jessie Inchaupsé, she's a biochemist who specializes in insulin, glucose and hormones. And since most of suffer with all of that of some sort, I will be testing her advice. She's recently made a series on YouTube (Dont know if im allowed to link), called Glucose Revolution and I must admit I'm impressed. I was definitely sceptical of her, but she seems reliable enough that I wanna attempt this.
So, the order of food matters. Now, I already forgot why and her videos will explain it better regardless. If you start with a carb, you usually stay hungry longer and tend to snack much more because of the huge spike you gain when starting sweet.

ORDER OF FOOD WHEN EATING A MEAL:

^(\This list of course only works when your food is clearly seperated)*

1 - Fiber

Artichoke, Asparagus, Aubergine, Broccoli, Brussel sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Collard greens, Courgette, Garlic, Green beans, Kale, Kale chips, Kimchi, Lettuce, Mushrooms, Olive, Onions, Parsnips, Peppers, Pickles, Radishes, Rocket, Spinach, Spring onions, Swiss chard, Tomatoes, Any other vegetable...
1.5 - Fiber & Protein
Black beans, Chickpeas and other peas, Kidney beans, Lentils, Soybeans, Any other type of beans...
2 - Protein
Almonds, Brazil nuts, Cashews, Cheese (any kind), Eggs, Fish (any kind), Greek yogurt and plain yogurts, Ham, Hazelnuts, Macadamia, Meat, Nuts (any kind), Nut butter (unsweetened), Nut milk (unsweetened), Peanuts, Protein powder, Seafood, Tempeh, Tofu, Any other animal product...
3 - Fat
Avocado, Butter, Coconut milk, Ghee, Olive oil, Pesto, Any other oil...
4 - Carb
Starch Bagels, Barley, Biscuits, Bread (any kind), Breadsticks, Buckwheat, Cassava, Celeriac, Cereals, Chips, Corn, Corn starch, Crackers, Flour, Grains (any kind), Granola, Millet, Oat milk, Oatmeal, Oats, Pasta, Pine nuts, Pita bread, Polenta, Popcorn, Potatoes, Pretzels, Quinoa, Rice, Rice cakes, Tortilla, Turnips, Sorghum, Squash, Sweet potatoes, Wheat, Yams.
Sugar Agave syrup, Brownies, Breakfast cereal, Cake, Candy, Canned fruit, Caramel, Cereal bars, Cookies, Corn syrup, Crepes, Cupcakes, Custard, Dates, Donuts, Dried fruit, Dulce de leche, Regular fizzy drinks, Frosting, Whole fruit (any kind), Fruit juices (any kind), Golden syrup, Honey, Ice cream, Maple syrup, Milks (sweetened), Milkshakes, Pastries, Pies, Puddings, Raisins, Table, sugar (any kind), Sorghum syrup, Toffee Waffles, Yogurts (sweetened), Muffins.
^(\*This is the 'master list' from her PDF, which you can download for free. I find this helpful!)*
Let's say you have something very mixed to eat (like a full on pasta dish), what do you do then? Well, regardless you should still start with some form of fibre! Have a salad, some tomatoes, whatever fiber first. At least according to her, you should always start with some form of veggie.
Other tips she gave:

• Have a savory breakfast.
• Eat a table spoon of apple cider vinegar before meals. This helps with keeping the glucose spike lower, even when eating something really sweet afterwards! You can digest the vinegar in different ways (Like in a glass of water)
• Walk or be in motion after meals. I actullay forgot why, but if i recall correclty just 10 min of walking around your house before 60 min after you're done with food was good enough.
• If you want to eat sweets/carbs, supply with one of the other things. Say you wanna eat cake? Supply with some almonds or yogurt!

I particulary like her episodes 6 (Food order) and 11 (PCOS and hormones), which gives a really good insight in how and why food affect everything, why the order matters but also gives advice about it! She's knowledgeble and prepared, have a lot of data, research and experience. A lot of effort and valid study references are put into these videos. And she have some killer outfits too! I haven't watch all of them though, so I've probably missed some other good tips.
Please let me know if any of you have tried this. I'm genuienly curious about the effects it has on others and it seems plausible 💕
Link to her YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GlucoseRevolution

MY LIST:

1. Spoon of apple cider vinegar before meal
2. Follow meal order (Fiber, Proten, Fat & Carbs)
3. If want carby snack, supply then with protein, fat or fiber. Whatever goes good with snack. Snack will be last you eat. Always.
4. Walk after meal.
5. I'm IF/OMAD and i don't plan on stopping because it works really well for me.
6. Medicine/Vitamin list: Vyvanse (ADHD), D-Vitamin, Extra Multi-Vitamin, Omega fish oil
7. BouldeClimb at least 2 times a week
8. Drink plenty of water

List of supplements I've noted down when looking at this sub: Spearmint Capsules (RIP Europe) Ceylon Cinnamon Myo Inositol Magnesium Glycinate Kollegen Biotin B12 Berberine Palmetto Vitex

Hey :) Here are some fun recs I put together for this weekend!

🌟 3 Events to Attend

SJ Made Fest

• When: Sat. and Sun. (6/1-6/2) 11AM-6PM
• Where: History Park San Jose
• Price: Free admission; nearby paid parking garages available
• Description: One of the most popular maker festivals, with over 200+ small businesses, a kitten lounge, and K-pop dance lessons. Bring a blanket for a picnic on the grass, or grab a bite at a food truck. First 1,000 attendees each day gets a cute bag. Dog friendly.

San Jose Greek Festival

• When: Friday (5/31) 5-10PM, Sat. (6/1) 11AM-10PM, Sun. (6/2) 11AM-8PM
• Where: 1260 Davis Street, San Jose, CA 95126
• Price: $5 admission; free parking & shuttle available
• Description: The largest Greek festival in the South Bay. Enjoy authentic Greek food, pastries, sweets, and drinks—almost everything is handmade using traditional recipes! There will also be live music, dancing, and entertainment.

AANHPI Heritage Month Celebration

• When: Fri. (5/31) 5-9PM
• Where: 1590 Berryessa Rd., San Jose, CA 95133
• Price: Free admission with $5 parking
• Description: Have a fun night out while supporting local AANHPI (Asian-American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander) small businesses at this Berryessa Night Market event. Browse around, get some Asian dishes at the food trucks, and enjoy live performances.

🚗 1 Place to Visit

Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden

• Where: 1431 Waverley Street, Palo Alto, CA 94301
• Price: Free admission; lots of free street parking available
• Description: A beautiful historic garden with a cute gazebo. It’s not very large—perfect for a quick afternoon stroll. There’s also an outdoor yoga class and a paper making workshop in the garden this Saturday.

🍽️ 1 Restaurant to Try

Icing on the Cake

• Where: 50 W Main St Los Gatos, CA 95030
• Description: A hidden gem in downtown Los Gatos that offers cakes, cupcakes, cookies, and more. Swing by to try their famous banana cake and cupcake.

👀 New to SJ

Check out these restaurants that opened earlier this month!
Huckleberry’s Breakfast & Lunch

• Where: 2071 Camden Ave, San Jose, CA 95124
• Description: Offers delicious Southern-inspired food like pancake breakfast platters ($16.99), chicken & waffles ($16.79), peach ice tea ($5.99), and beignets ($8.29).*

Home Eat

• Where: 88 S 4th St, San Jose, CA 95112
• Description: A Chinese/Taiwanese eatery next to the SJSU campus. Try their classic fried chicken wings ($11.75), hot pot (around $16), and beef chow fun ($10.75).*

*Prices based on their website; might change
Hope these recs were helpful! You can get this as a weekly email if you're interested: https://sj-weekender.beehiiv.com/subscribe
Feel free to comment any other events/places/restaurants you're excited about :)
-Cindy

If having any gluten is bad, does it make much of a difference in your synonyms if it’s a crumb vs the whole cupcake? Or several cupcakes?
For context, I got “weak positive” blood labs and am waiting on an endoscopy. I had a relatively low gluten (but not gluten free) diet before, but am now intentionally eating gluten to ensure accurate results but I feel much worse than before. I wasn’t really expecting that because I had not eliminated gluten yet.

It helps if you're a sexy 29 year old bisexual woman.
But there's certain things that happened with my:

Approach
Confidence level
Ability to analyze situations to make people comfortable with sexual stuff around me
Style/hygiene

Which help significantly when chasing that sweet, sweet poontang.
Firstly, she's interested. Or is she? Scope out whether her level of interest rides similar to yours.
How? Keep the conversation mostly light and friendly, mostly safe, neutral topics like pets, favorite foods, the weather, what's going on today or this weekend, you know, the small talk? Small talk is a good thing in moderation. Consider it the foreplay to the foreplay of the foreplay, or f³ or something, choose your own variable.
This whole time, we of course have to keep ourselves very hygienic and clean.
We want our spaces and selves to radiate the energy that we take good care of both our belongings and selves.
Dress should be relatively clean, teeth brushed and flossed each day, daily shower, hands and nails free of dirt and face scrubbed before mealtimes, nails groomed in terms of clipping and cuticle care, body or face shaved according to how we like to see ourselves, hair shampooed clean and conditioned.
You want to walk by smelling like a fairy on a cupcake 🧁
Trust me.
Smells are one way to get inside people's heads.
If you stink, make sure you wash your ass, taint, junk, and pits with as much soap and for as long as you need for the soap to feel smooth over the skin.
I scrub my entire body head to toe with good soap at least every other day because otherwise, I'm a dusty, greasy, stinky bitch.
I get every nook and cranny. Forehead, eyes, inside and behind ears, sides of the nose real good, mouth, eyebrows, scrubba-dubba-doo, don't be afraid to get in there with soap. Chin, underside of the chin, and the neck.
Reapply soap to scrubby brush.
Back of the neck, and shoulders. Arms. Chest.
Reapply soap.
Belly. Belly button—I'm no lint-licker. Reach around my back.
Reapply soap.
Legs.
Reapply soap.
Junk. Booty. Taint. Asshole.
Reapply soap.
Feet. In between each toe. Around the bottom, too.
Then, after I rinse, dry off, lotion down my body with good lorion, and apply conditioner to my hair, I feel SO MUCH BETTER like a freshly bathed puppy and want to go fucking running around tripping over myself yipping at everyone.
My fresh curls smell like tangerines
I'm not a furry, ok guys?
I hate being dirty.
I love being sexy-fresh from my showers.
But anyway, so here I am sexy-fresh from the shower walking by this cute staff member with whom I just painfully desire a mutual facesitting session
And I'm just being myself doing my (cute)/weird little thing I do when I have time around the house
And I'm talking to her casually sometimes about blasé shit, she seems like she was sort of annoyed at first but then she seemed to like my style some days... Most likely she's annoyed because it would be extremely illegal to do that while I still stay here, and I'm a wet open 29 year old freak.
But, you know. I like to flirt.
You need to learn how to flirt appropriately for the situation. In this case, I shan't be turning up the heat much unless I've moved on from this place.
In other situations, it's okay to let a favorite pickup line slide or maybe touch her shoulder.
You have to learn to detect mutual intetest. If she shrinks away when you move closer, then stop, and apologize for being a space invader.
The last thing is confidence, which I didn't have until I finished processing turning 26. So, if you don't get any pussy yet, don't worry! It gets WAY better and wetter, but you must be at least so old to ride all the rides.
There's a certain age where it all clicks, even if you've spent half your life wondering if you had undiagnosed autism.
I can't be russed up by social situations anymore, and I tend to exhume kindness, joy, and humor.
Keep going. You can make it! Get that pussy.
Get to know women as people and individuals. This helps the MOST. Have conversations with her, and remember the stuff she says! She'll be impressed.
Remember the stuff she likes.
Talk to her about stuff going on in your life.
Ask her for advice! Girls love to help out with stuff.

Live Music

• Jim Lamb, Mill Top Tavern, 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
• Tony Scozzaro, The Cellar Upstairs Wine Bar & Restaurant, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
• Heather Craig, Backyard Island Cafe at Meehan's, 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
• Alexis Peramas, Pierre's Pub, 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
• Mike Cook, Guy Harvey Resort, 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Dewey Via, Guy Harvey Resort, 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Trevor Compton, St. Augustine Shores Golf Club, 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Bob Patterson, O.C. White's Seafood, 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm
• Alexis Peramas, Pierre's Pub, 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
• Claire Vandiver, Fuzion 904 Eatery, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
• Clairemont Duo, Prohibition Kitchen, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
• Red Level Band, Concerts in the Plaza 2024, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Jeremy Weinglass, Chez L'Amour, 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm

Boozin' on the Boulevard

• Boozin' on the Boulevard takes guests on a hop-on hop-off service to some of the local restaurants on Anastasia Island.
• This bar crawl begins at Kaiser's Deli & Market and Sogno Restaurant from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. Guests will then be taken to Blackfly and Odd Birds Cocktail Lounge and Kitchen from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. The tour will end at Candlelight South at 8:00 p.m.
• Each eatery will have food and drink specials — individuals must purchase a drink first from Kaiser's or Sogno Restaurant to receive a wristband. This band enables entry onto the Old Town Connect bus — a free transportation service for participants.
• Admission: Food and drink prices vary at each establishment. Transportation is provided by Old Town Connect once a drink is purchased at Kaiser's Deli or Sogno Restaurant.
• When: Every Thursday from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Note: Dates and times could be adjusted based on the number of sign-ups.
• Where: Starts at Kaiser's Deli & Market at 4 White Street East, St. Augustine, Florida 32080.

Uptown Block Party

• On the last Thursday of every month, many of the Uptown shops along San Marco Avenue, stay open past their normal closing time for the St. Augustine Uptown Block Party.
• The Uptown neighborhood of shops and eateries begins at Grove Avenue and stretches north to the roundabout. The area has shops filled with funky and vintage items, home decor, jewelry, antiques, clothing, art, and eateries offering food and drink from coffee to beer and from cupcakes to elevated dining and small plate fare.
• On the last Thursday of each month, from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m., many of these shops will remain open and invite people to shop, visit, and enjoy food and drink as well as live music. Spinster Abbott's, at 61 San Marco will host live music and an outdoor block party.
• Participating businesses are subject to change, and can include: Spinster Abbott's, Sunday Gathering Table, Jenna Alexander Studio, Ink and Barley, Juniper Market, Declaration & Co., Snake Bird Vintage, Crafts Without Borders, Materialistic, Luli's Cupcakes, 360 Boutique, Gloria Grace Art Studio, Anchor Boutique, Borrillos Pizza & Subs, Antiques and Things, Chez L'Amour, Carrera Wine Cellar, St. Augustine Scoop, Hilaman & Co., Coastal Traders, Cool & Collected, and The Painted Lady.
• Admission: Free
• When: From 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. on the last Thursday of each month.
• Where: Along San Marco Avenue, from Grove Avenue.

Thursday Night Trivia (three locations)

• SOUTHERN VIBES - UPSCALE TAPAS AND WINE BAR ​105 Murabella Pkwy Suite 5, St. Augustine, FL 32092 (904) 814-8217 Trivia EVERY Thursday @ 7 PM! Hosted by: Mike
• WOODY'S BBQ - PALM COAST, FL 99 Flagler Plaza Drive, Palm Coast, FL 32137 ​(386) 439-5010 Trivia EVERY Thursday @ 7 PM! Hosted by: Kristey
• DICK'S WINGS - SAINT AUGUSTINE, FL 4010 US-1, St. Augustine, FL 32086 ​(904) 547-2669 Trivia EVERY Thursday @ 7:30 PM! Hosted by: Paul

I am unable to post the sources because they are getting flagged as spam since they are all similar in name. So please visit this site for the list.
Written out urls here tinyurl.com/yjkw32kd

For future events please visit the Discord.

https://discord.gg/NG4eZSWAgR

Live Music

• Jim Lamb, Mill Top Tavern, 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
• Tony Scozzaro, The Cellar Upstairs Wine Bar & Restaurant, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
• Heather Craig, Backyard Island Cafe at Meehan's, 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
• Alexis Peramas, Pierre's Pub, 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
• Mike Cook, Guy Harvey Resort, 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Dewey Via, Guy Harvey Resort, 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Trevor Compton, St. Augustine Shores Golf Club, 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Bob Patterson, O.C. White's Seafood, 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm
• Alexis Peramas, Pierre's Pub, 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
• Claire Vandiver, Fuzion 904 Eatery, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
• Clairemont Duo, Prohibition Kitchen, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
• Red Level Band, Concerts in the Plaza 2024, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
• Jeremy Weinglass, Chez L'Amour, 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm

Boozin' on the Boulevard

• Boozin' on the Boulevard takes guests on a hop-on hop-off service to some of the local restaurants on Anastasia Island.
• This bar crawl begins at Kaiser's Deli & Market and Sogno Restaurant from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. Guests will then be taken to Blackfly and Odd Birds Cocktail Lounge and Kitchen from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. The tour will end at Candlelight South at 8:00 p.m.
• Each eatery will have food and drink specials — individuals must purchase a drink first from Kaiser's or Sogno Restaurant to receive a wristband. This band enables entry onto the Old Town Connect bus — a free transportation service for participants.
• Admission: Food and drink prices vary at each establishment. Transportation is provided by Old Town Connect once a drink is purchased at Kaiser's Deli or Sogno Restaurant.
• When: Every Thursday from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Note: Dates and times could be adjusted based on the number of sign-ups.
• Where: Starts at Kaiser's Deli & Market at 4 White Street East, St. Augustine, Florida 32080.

Uptown Block Party

• On the last Thursday of every month, many of the Uptown shops along San Marco Avenue, stay open past their normal closing time for the St. Augustine Uptown Block Party.
• The Uptown neighborhood of shops and eateries begins at Grove Avenue and stretches north to the roundabout. The area has shops filled with funky and vintage items, home decor, jewelry, antiques, clothing, art, and eateries offering food and drink from coffee to beer and from cupcakes to elevated dining and small plate fare.
• On the last Thursday of each month, from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m., many of these shops will remain open and invite people to shop, visit, and enjoy food and drink as well as live music. Spinster Abbott's, at 61 San Marco will host live music and an outdoor block party.
• Participating businesses are subject to change, and can include: Spinster Abbott's, Sunday Gathering Table, Jenna Alexander Studio, Ink and Barley, Juniper Market, Declaration & Co., Snake Bird Vintage, Crafts Without Borders, Materialistic, Luli's Cupcakes, 360 Boutique, Gloria Grace Art Studio, Anchor Boutique, Borrillos Pizza & Subs, Antiques and Things, Chez L'Amour, Carrera Wine Cellar, St. Augustine Scoop, Hilaman & Co., Coastal Traders, Cool & Collected, and The Painted Lady.
• Admission: Free
• When: From 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. on the last Thursday of each month.
• Where: Along San Marco Avenue, from Grove Avenue.

Thursday Night Trivia (three locations)

• SOUTHERN VIBES - UPSCALE TAPAS AND WINE BAR ​105 Murabella Pkwy Suite 5, St. Augustine, FL 32092 (904) 814-8217 Trivia EVERY Thursday @ 7 PM! Hosted by: Mike
• WOODY'S BBQ - PALM COAST, FL 99 Flagler Plaza Drive, Palm Coast, FL 32137 ​(386) 439-5010 Trivia EVERY Thursday @ 7 PM! Hosted by: Kristey
• DICK'S WINGS - SAINT AUGUSTINE, FL 4010 US-1, St. Augustine, FL 32086 ​(904) 547-2669 Trivia EVERY Thursday @ 7:30 PM! Hosted by: Paul

I am unable to post the sources because they are getting flagged as spam since they are all similar in name. So please visit this site for the list.
Written out urls here tinyurl.com/yjkw32kd

For future events please visit the Discord.

https://discord.gg/NG4eZSWAgR

Growing up, I had no idea what emotional neglect was, so I am creating this post to talk about it and what it looked like in my family as a child:

• Yelling at your kids for expressing anger
  • Threatening a 6-7 year old with anger management for throwing toys when she is angry instead of teaching her healthy ways of dealing with anger
• Giving your children the silent treatment whenever you get angry - even if they weren't the ones doing anything wrong. This can last from days to weeks to months.
• Not seeking treatment when your daughter is showing signs of disordered eating
• Not calling 9-1-1 when your son is threatening to commit suicide
  • Similarly, not seeking any form of mental health treatment when he admitted to two previous suicide attempts at the same time
• Not noticing your 13 year old daughter's first suicide attempt
• Not stepping in when your 18 year old son is holding a knife to your 14 year old daughter's throat less than 10 feet in front of you
• Downplaying all of your daughter's achievements to make your 30 year old son feel better
• A father who repeatedly touched yours arms, legs, and shoulders as a child even after you asked him not to (and then who proceeded to wonder why you flinched whenever he touched you)
• Making fun of your children for being worried about schoolwork (even jokingly)
• Calling depression laziness and therefore, your children are lazy when they don't feel like getting out of bed
• Not seeking treatment when you see cut marks on your 14 year old daughter's wrists, even though you both knew that the cat scratch was a lie
• Telling your children to "Suck it up, cupcake" in bad situations instead allowing you to feel your feelings
• Never respecting your privacy
  • Checking through your phone and internet history periodically
  • Removing locks from every door in the house except the front door
  • Coming into your children's bedroom without permission
  • Reading your children's journals/diaries
• Ignoring your children's interests and pushing them to be interested in other things
• Guilt-tripping your kids into doing things they don't want to do
• Threatening to spank your kids or wash their mouths out with soap when they do something wrong instead of teaching them to use their words when angry/frustrated
• Telling your daughter that she is a tad bit smarter than your son

How these experiences can manifest in your life as an adult:

A) Emotional Symptoms

1. Emotional Dysregulation: Difficulty managing emotions, leading to intense emotional reactions or numbness.
2. Persistent Sadness: Chronic feelings of sadness, depression, or despair.
3. Guilt and Shame: Overwhelming feelings of guilt, shame, or worthlessness.
4. Emotional Numbness: Feeling detached or disconnected from emotions.

B) Cognitive Symptoms

1. Negative Self-Perception: Persistent negative beliefs about oneself, such as feeling unworthy or incapable.
2. Dissociation: Feeling disconnected from oneself or reality, which might manifest as memory gaps or feeling "zoned out."
3. Flashbacks and Intrusive Thoughts: Reliving traumatic events through flashbacks or experiencing unwanted, distressing thoughts about the trauma.

C) Behavioral Symptoms

1. Avoidance: Avoiding situations, places, or people that remind you of the trauma.
2. Self-Harm: Engaging in self-destructive behaviors, such as cutting.
3. People-Pleasing: Trying to avoid conflict by excessively accommodating others.
4. Hypervigilance: Being constantly on guard, easily startled, or overly alert.

D) Interpersonal Symptoms

1. Difficulty Trusting Others: Struggling to trust people, even those who are close.
2. Relationship Issues: Having problems in relationships due to fear of abandonment, difficulty with intimacy, or feeling disconnected.
3. Isolation: Withdrawing from others and feeling isolated or alienated.

E) Physical Symptoms

1. Chronic Pain: Experiencing unexplained physical pain or somatic symptoms.
2. Sleep Disturbances: Having trouble sleeping, such as insomnia or nightmares.
3. Fatigue: Feeling constantly tired or exhausted.

F) Triggers and Reactions

1. Triggers: Being easily triggered by reminders of the trauma, leading to intense emotional or physical reactions.
2. Panic Attacks: Experiencing panic attacks
3. Reactions to Conflict: Conflict being a significant trigger, causing intense anxiety or distress.

G) Self-Perception and Identity

1. Negative Self-Image: Having a distorted and negative view of oneself.
2. Identity Confusion: Struggling with a stable sense of identity or feeling fragmented.

H) Other Signs

1. Avoiding Male Individuals/Coworkers: Difficulty feeling safe around men due to past boundary violations.
2. Surface-Level Emotions: Often responding with "I'm fine" or "I'm okay" without elaborating, indicating emotional suppression.
3. Feeling Numb and Detached: Feeling emotional numbness and detachment.
4. Passive Suicidal Ideation: Struggling with passive suicidal thoughts.

If you feel comfortable sharing, please feel free to add to this list with your own experiences and the impacts they had on you. Hope this helps, y'all!

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I am fresh from hosting another great birthday party for one of my kids and I feel like I've cracked the code on these birthday parties so I wanted to share my hack, which seems obvious, but isn't: make it all about the birthday kiddo and their friends. I live in a rich part of the country where people ROUTINELY spend $600-$1500 for children's birthday parties. Nobody opens presents at the party. Parents routinely put "no gifts please" on the invitation, and the whole affair often feels like it's about adults showing off for their friends and neighbors with catering and extravagant party favors and expensive bounce houses. I wouldn't dare spend that kind of money, but I feel guilty not offering a similar experience for parents who buy my child a gift and arrive with certain expectations. I let go of this guilt gradually over the years by focusing 100% on the kid experience. - For older kids, we do drop-off pajama parties from 4pm to 9pm with movies and chocolate fountains and pizza and parents aren't involved at all. It's chaos and the parties are the talk of the school. In December I had 18 kids at my house since I always let siblings come along. - We open gifts within an hour of the party starting so guests can see their gift enjoyed and people can leave when they need to. - I make the cake/cupcakes from modified $1 boxed cake mix and people rave about how great it tastes without store chemicals. The cream cheese frosting is always the biggest hit. - I make grazing boards with goldfish and Combos and pretzels and popcorn and cheese sticks I already had at home so kids can snack the whole time, but offer no catering except the occasional pizza if party occurs at meal time. - I let my kiddos play with a few of their newly opened toys AT THE PARTY with their friends in a designated spot so they can enjoy the excitement of the gifts with their friends. This is always a huge joy for the kids and raises all the parent eyebrows. Everyone is so worried they'll lose pieces. They will. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe next week. Pieces will be lost. At least this way core memories are formed. - I don't do favors. I get a pinata and they beat it to shit and they fight to the death for the candy. I like to raise and lower the pinata so they miss every second swing and really have to fight for it. I keep an extra candy bag for littles who don't want to risk their lives for a lollipop. - I design the invitation using free Canva templates and email them so I don't spend any money. Today we hosted a super fun <$200 party for our 7-year-old. Here were the costs.
$100 Rented park space (could easily do this for free if you choose not to use a covered rentable space) $10 Cake/cupcakes (from buying cake mixes on sale and homemade frosting which I learned to do well watching TikTok videos) $8 Water bottles and Capri-Suns (Sam's Club has 80 bottles of water in perfect 8 ounce servings for $8) $3 Chips and Salsa (pulling from things I already had at home) $3 20 lb Bag of ice from Sam's $20 Ice cream sundae bar with toppings $20 Pinata with candy (Mexican grocery stores have great deals on pinatas and I buy clearance candy at 90% after Christmas and Easter and Halloween) $1.25 Treat bags from Dollar Tree for pinata
So when I first started moving away from the norm in my area I worried it would disappoint parents that I wasn't going all out. Mentally, I had to refocus and continually ask myself "what would a kid do if they were throwing this party?" The result is a lot less money and plenty of fun with tons of sugar. I let the parents with sugar concerns deal with that however they like. So far they just seem happy their kiddo is preoccupied.
I bake and freeze cake layers and cupcakes a week before the party for convenience and because it makes them more moist. I also make and freeze the frosting when I have time so decorating the day before is easy and not super stressful.
Hope this helps anyone else struggling with party planning!

I moved from Seattle and have lived in the West Loop area for a month and I have no regrets. I can't stop eating at restaurants, I sold my car 3 weeks after moving here, and bought a bicycle the same week. Riding the El and taking public transportation is pretty awesome though I'm sure that novelty will eventually wear off. I also got to meet tamale man the first time I visited Chicago during St. Patricks Day week.
People are generally very friendly and the city is very clean for how populous it is. Thank you to the group of people who helped me with getting my cat stroller through the State/Lake Station ticketing station. Learned the hard way that not all stations are handicap accessible / friendly for those with strollers.
After spending my first few weeks here exploring I ended up choosing the DePaul / Lincoln Park neighborhood as my next home. Looking forward to experiencing more as time goes on and meeting others!

Neighborhoods

Lakeview:
Seattle equivalent: A much larger Wallingford.
Very busy area with a younger 20-30'ish crowd. Lots of dog owners and plenty of restaurants, bars, and businesses to hang out at.
Lincoln Park:
Seattle equivalent: Ravenna
Close to Lakeview which is nice but appears to be a more affluent area. Seems to have a very slightly older crowd (25-30) than Lakeview but that makes sense given the cost of living there. Centrally located between Downtown and Lakeview while still close to the Lake makes it a nice destination for those who don't mind paying a bit more of a premium.
Wrigley Field:
Seattle equivalent: University District
Seems much more affordable while still being reasonably close to the rest of the Chicago neighborhoods. Hence it makes sense that it appears to draw a much younger crowd of college age kids.
Logan Square:
Seattle equivalent: Ballard
A bit hipster-ish but feels like a mini Lakeview with less crowds. Nice area if you like to live in the city but don't like to feel like you're surrounded by the city.
Fulton Market
Seattle equivalent: Fremont
Neat little area with lots of restaurants and bars but not much else outside of the Fulton Market itself. I don't see any particular reason to live there since you can commute to Fulton Market when you want to hang out there. Commuting anywhere (e.g. Lakeview or even Logan Square) is a bit of a ride as everything requires a transfer to another line.
West Loop:
Seattle equivalent: Northgate
Not much to do here other than going to Fulton Market. This area is also where you start to notice signs of gentrification as there is a good mix of new modern apartments mixed with older and abandoned lots. There really isn't a sense of physical danger living here other than petty level type crimes.
The Loop:
Seattle equivalent: Downtown Seattle
Not sure why anyone would personally want to live here unless they cared about distance to work. Nothing to do here after business hours and everyone goes home.

Activities:

Beach Volleyball:
I got to sub for a team in beach volleyball which was a blast. Highly recommend trying to find a league to join. Personally still looking to join a volleyball or kickball league.
Walking: There are so many parks and trails in Chicago that are beautiful to walk through in the summer. You'll find people walking or hanging out in the nice summer weather. The Nature Boardwalk at Lincoln Park Zoo is one of my personal favorites. There also appear to be a lot of running clubs but that's not my kind of thing.
Bicycling:
There are plenty of places that you can rent a bicycle and the 606 is a highly popular trail though I personally haven't been on it myself yet. Since this region is so flat, it makes biking a breeze.
Lincoln Park Zoo:
A free zoo that is very large and plenty of fun to walk through. No pets allowed though.
Riverboat Architecture Tour:
Super fun and awesome to learn about all the buildings along the river. Learn some fun facts that you can impress your friends with when they visit.
Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary: So many cool birds that you can see while you walk through a very peaceful and secluded park that almost makes you forget that you're in the middle of Chicago.
The Art Institute of Chicago:
Cool museum if you're into that kind of stuff. The surrounding area is definitely worth checking out although you cannot see the Bean at this time.
Comedy Clubs:
Visited the Laugh Factory and got to see a skit. Seems fun and there are lots of amateur classes where you can meet others.

Restaurants (Link to Google Maps):

My favorites are in bold

• Al's #1 Italian Beef
• Annette's Italian Ice
• Banh Mi City
• Bonci Pizzeria
• Breakfast House
• Cafe Jumping Bean
• Chicago Philly Stop
• Crave Kebab
• Fatso's Last Stand
• Gangnam Market (Food Court)
• Greek Islands
• Harold's Chicken Shack West Loop
• Homeslice Pizza + Patio
• JARS by Fabio Viviani
• Jam 'n Honey
• Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams
• Johnny's Beef & Gyros - Lincoln Park
• Kanela Breakfast Club
• La Casa Del Pueblo Supermarket (Hot food section)
• La Casa Del Pueblo Taqueria
• La Michoacana Premium
• Levain Bakery – West Loop, Chicago
• Lula Cafe
• Lulu's Hot Dogs
• Margie's Candies
• Mario's Italian Lemonade
• Mild 2 Spicy
• Molly's Cupcakes
• Nando's PERi-PERi
• Portillo's Chicago – Canal and Taylor
• Prost!
• Selam Ethiopian Kitchen
• Siri Indian Restaurant
• Small Cheval- Fulton Market
• Standard Pho
• Taco Max Mexican Grill
• Tapicozza West Loop
• The Soul Food Lounge
• Yolk - Test Kitchen

Edit: People have fairly called out that I haven't been to any places in South Chicago yet so I've created a new list of places to eat that include some places there. Thank you for the suggestions!