this is not a blog, it's a sandwich

bed creature 

From ch 238, the bittersweetness of unrequited love🥺

also, colored version bc i wanter to try underpainting:

Hi-ho, Parasol Lady Ansy (& Sora!) here again 🌧️☀️

With a reminder about heat sickness in light of the extreme heat warnings we’re getting in France & in the US this week or so.

Heat-related deaths in at least France have been rising, so please, please, PLEASE do what you can to stay safe! Have enough cool water on hand (& also eat cooling foods with enough salt to retain said water), wear brighter, lightweight clothes, avoid direct sunlight whenever & however you can (use a dark or dark-underside umbrella like mine), etc.

Heat sickness is not something to take lightly, or just brush off / tough out. If you start to feel lightheaded, weak, very thirsty, nauseous, etc. please take care of yourself. 😢

In the US, we’re forecasted to have record-breaking heat in the east, as well as wildfire conditions in the west. Not good.

If you or someone you know is unhoused (or under-housed, especially when it comes to access to AC or power), we do have emergency cooling centers they can go to. They have a website where you can search where to find one in your state. ❄️

You can also come to the public library - many have water fountains, & most of us have HVAC systems (can’t promise the quality, but it’s better than nothing) as well as free WiFi for you to chill out safely out of the heat. I think some of us may also have some cooling resources as well - better check the library’s website for more details before going. 📖

As for you guys out west, be sure to do what you can do to prevent wildfires. I know nothing about that being on the generally wetter east coast (currently more in drought / flood / storm conditions), so here’s a helpful guide by the NOAA.

Simple question, right?

Except… he suddenly got defensive. His tone changed. I could feel tension building, and I had no idea why. So I took a breath and asked, “Wait, what did you hear me say?”

He paused, thought about it, and said, “I thought you meant ‘Why aren’t you doing anything?’ Like you were mad I was being lazy.”

But that wasn’t what I meant at all. I’d genuinely just been curious.

And that moment reminded me how easily things can go sideways when we assume intent. Our brains, especially when we’ve had messy pasts, trauma, or relationship anxiety, tend to fill in the blanks with the worst possible meaning.

But that one question, “What did you hear me say?”, turned what could’ve been an argument into understanding.

It gave both of us a chance to clarify before our brains made up a story that wasn’t true. I was able to explain, and he was able to listen. Understanding what I meant changed his tension entirely.

Sometimes the fight isn’t about what was said. It’s about what was heard.