Confused and Concerned

There are a ton of quick and cheap electrolyte drink recipes that you can find online. Tea, coffee, cocount water, milk, milk substitutes, juice, etc are all hydrating despite extremely persistent myths. Many fruits and veggies like cucumbers, watermelon, strawberries, bell peppers, etc have high water content and are a great way to hydrate while also getting vital nutrients. Popsicles are also a good way to stay cool and hydrated and you can buy them or make your own with whatever ingredients you want; there are recipes online, including ones for electrolyte popsicles, but you can also just do basic ones with your choice of fruit juice and whatever you want to add, like chunks of fresh or frozen fruit.

1. Eat fruit

2. Eat something with salt.

I had a day during the worst of the heatwave when I was a feeling really ill and I realised I hadn't had anything with sodium for a good while. I ate some crisps (chips) and immediately felt better. Was that the healthiest option? Maybe not. Was it the most accessible at the time? Absolutely

lieutenant jee, so mysterious.   why his cropped hair in a nation where a topknot is prestigious??  how did he come to take a position on zuko’s warship?? how did he refrain from mutiny for so long?  and where did he learn to play the pippa so well??

i really enjoy his mini-arc with zuko through book one, and how jee goes from challenging zuko’s commands to establishing a mutual respect for each other.  “the storm” sets jee up as a narrative stand-in for ozai, whose outspokenness compels zuko to attempt to reenact the traumatic events that lead to the agni kai with his father and subsequent banishment.  jee and zuko nearly come to blows after zuko insists that the lives of the crew are inconsequential in regards to his search for the avatar.  but iroh intervenes with the tale of zuko’s history, leaving jee with new knowledge and respect for zuko.  and so the cycle of violence that zuko is still stuck in is never completed.  jee goes from complaining about zuko in the boiler room to actively helping him in his search for the avatar.  

there’s an entire category of atla fics where zuko gets adopted by various characters, so where are my “jee reluctantly adopts his traumatized, rage-filled teenage superior officer” fics??  

lieutenant jee is definitely dad-shaped.  he is grumpy, officially Too Old For This, and so completely done dealing with this little shit.  

i mean, are you even a zuko father-figure if he’s not mouthing off to you??

don’t you just hate it when your dad tells you your behavior is atrocious and you know that he’s right??

in fact, he’s SO dad-shaped that after jee chastises zuko for endangering the crew and disrespecting his uncle (a classic dad move by the way; only a Real Dad would scold you for your behavior in front of Literally Everyone You Know), zuko immediately tries to fight him.  because that’s what you do with dads, right??

and the ultimate indicator of a father-son relationship: after antagonizing jee and shouting at iroh and having an absolute meltdown in front of all his men, zuko literally goes and puts himself in time out.  HE GOES TO HIS ROOM AND SITS THERE UNTIL HE’S SORRY.  

i can’t get over how zuko essentially puts himself in time out to think about what he’s done.  

and then zuko goes and rescues the helmsman, which causes jee to make this face:

“maybe this terrible child isn’t quite as terrible as I thought!”

zuko and his two dad-shaped guys.

and in the episodes that follow, jee not only refrains from leading the mutiny he’s clearly been considering, but is shown to have a respectful working relationship with zuko afterwards.

bonus father-son bonding over firebending training!

2: Jee, eyes closed, plays the pipa in front of the night sky, his face dimly lit.

3: Jee and Zuko stand facing one another, confrontational expressions on their faces and very little room between them. Zuko only comes up to Jee’s eyes and looks like a defiant teenager. Like, the straining to his full height & expression clearly says, “You’re not the boss of me!”

4: Zuko, frowning, takes up most of the frame. Behind him, facing his back, are Iroh (facepalming), Jee (arms spread, looking mad) and two other crew members.

5: Jee and Zuko face each other in what is apparently some sort of dueling pose: left arm extended, right hand held close to the chest. Smoke is trailing from Zuko’s extended hand, Jee has an angry expression, and behind them both, Iroh is speaking to them.

6: Zuko seen from the back, sitting in his darkened quarters. He’s on a bench in front of his candle-covered altar and dragon wall art.

7: Jee smiles, helmsman’s arm wrapped around his neck and right arm extended probably to hold onto the rungs of the ladder as he lowers them in the driving rain.

8: Iroh, Zuko, and Jee stand in the driving rain as Zuko speaks (to say they’re not chasing the bison). The elders look grim.

9: Jee leans over something (probably paperwork on a table), looking calm, while Zuko watches from behind his shoulder, arms crossed, also looking calm.

asterisk (*) = optional

the main character's: gender species/race occupation*

the setting: primary secondary*

the genre: primary secondary*

Setting: Castle, Neptune [this threw me for a loop]

Genre: Horror/Thriller, Fantasy

Conflict: Loved one missing or murdered

NOTHING IS OPTIONAL

Curled around weathered stone, watching with eyes like fire, was the dragon of Morsin. It was guided in its duty by an ancient pact with the witches of this citadel.

It did not know, yet, that it was guarding an empty castle.

For inside was carnage, the bodies of the witches twisted beyond recognision. Their spells stolen from the breath and their wands taken to be burned in the pyre that would summon a primordial evil.

"That's pretty vague. What is true love? What kind of kiss? My mom kisses me all the time. You gotta be more specific, man."

The fae cleared his throat, many throats perhaps by the sound of it, and adjusted its tie. Why a many-limbed, many-eyes creature of myth and legend chose to dress like a business man was anybody's guess.

"Very well. I curse your bloodline!"

"Nice!" I said. I didn't intend on having kids, but I didn't tell the poor fae that. He was trying so very hard.

He must've heard my tone, because he glowered. "And," he said pointedly, "I curse you to never feel the touch of a man."

I sighed. "Do you take notes?"

"Notes?" he crossed his arms and was sullen. Then, he grabbed a notebook and pen, "Yes, go on then."

Servant: There is ten thousand--

Macbeth: Geese, villain?

Servant: Soldiers, sir. /end ID]

A bony arm stretched from the abyss and tapped the paper.

"Invalid reason," the voice spoke, sounding like the voices of a thousand administration workers overlapping in a grinding machine.

"Invalid?!"

"Valid reasons include: Sick, Depressed, Giving up. Invalid reasons include: Cawabanga. You may re-apply next year."

"Aw come on, I wanted to die this year!"

"Re-applications re-open annually on October 31."

"And that's on you. No one wants to die during Halloween. You should change it to Valentine's."