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kilojulietsierra · 1 month ago

Note

Thinking about Jack and Night Shift:

- Bridget is Jacks work wife/mother hen of the night shift. She has known Sam and Jack since forever and when they were new to Pitt she invited them over for family dinners. She’s a mom of boys so she’s never phased by the night crowd

- like how the day shift had bets in the ambulance, the Night Shift has a running tab of how many objects are found or inserted throughout the week.

- Sam came in one night with a ruptured appendix and needing surgery. Emery found out and she threatened the resident saying do not kill my best friend. Jack will kill you first I will revive you and I will kill you again.

Bridget is Jacks work wife/mother hen of the night shift. She has known Sam and Jack since forever and when they were new to Pitt she invited them over for family dinners. She’s a mom of boys so she’s never phased by the night crowd

- Sam had been nervous at first. Her and Jack weren’t really “peopley people” but she knew getting this job had been huge for Jack. So they went when Bridget invited them to dinner.

- She’s glad they did.

- Back when they were still new to town and living in an apartment with facebook marketplace furniture going to dinner at Bridget’s was sort of a treat.

- She was a good cook. Her husband had been a Pittsburgh firefighter for nearly 30 years, working his way up to battalion chief, and their three boys were a riot.

- It didn’t take long to figure out why nothing phased Bridget.

- It also didn’t take long for her to figure Jack out. Keep him busy, step in and save him from the crying parents and spouses, let him work, throw the kids in the deep end and let them sink or swim. She also figure out quick what his good days and bad days looked like.

- Bridget liked being on his shifts, they got shit done. The longer he worked at PTMC the more he loosened up and they enjoyed each other’s dry sense of humor and sarcasm.

- Bridget liked Sam, saw right away she was exactly who Jack needed and vice versa.

- She was proud of the two of them for everything they’ve been through.

- It was bridge had suggested that Sam try to get hired in the Pitt, but she was a sure thing for the VA job. Sam did let Bridge convince to come on as a PRN.

- Jack and Sam needed the money and the Pitt needed good nurses.

- Bridget and Dana both encouraged Sam to go for the charge nurse opening at the VA. They’d both been listed as references on her resume.

like how the day shift had bets in the ambulance, the Night Shift has a running tab of how many objects are found or inserted throughout the week.

- personal note: I worked an ER front desk in my early 20s and can 100% confirm that we played bingo on event weekends and other shenanigans.

- Shen had started the virtual bingo cards in his intern year.

- When Jack found out and cornered him in a triage room Shen quite literally thought he was about to die. Jack stared him down for a long hard minute and then with a straight face pulled out his phone. “What’s the buy in?”

- It’s a game that’s gone on for years.

- It’s $20/card. The round lasts a month or until someone gets a bingo. Whichever comes first. Winner takes the pot.

- For an extra $20 you can also buy into the “blackout round”. It’s only ever been one once. Since the game started. It was Parker her first year on night shift.

- What are some of the squares you ask? The basics like a runway dildo or vibrator, lost condoms. 3D printing and DIY silicone molds certainly…. added a level of… creativity. The more usual suspects: remotes, phallic shaped fruits and vegetables, electric toothbrush handles, etc. it gets worse from there. Lightbulb, action figure, balloon (inflated/deflated), Bluetooth speaker, non phallic shaped fruits/veggies, hotdog, mannequin parts, panties, shampoo bottles, crystals, beer bottle, harmonica, ice cream scoop, dog toy, a gear shift (bonus points for fire department involvement), anything with a hobby lobby sticker.

- The longer the game goes the more absolutely batshit it gets.

- Myrna is allowed to play.

- She threatened Shen to get in on the action, he went to Jack for help and his attending just chuckled, said “Work the problem.” And walked away.

- She won once and Parker is convinced Myrna rigged it. Somehow…

- It’s rumored that nightshift keeps a storage tote of the “treasures” but nobody has ever located it and night shifters do not snitch.

- Gloria caught wind of the game once and brought it up to Jack at the next attendings meeting. His response; a scowl and “you really think I’d let stupid shit like that happen on my shift?”

- Was he at that time in possession of a bingo card one remote away from $380? Maybe. Maybe not.

Sam came in one night with a ruptured appendix and needing surgery. Emery found out and she threatened the resident saying do not kill my best friend. Jack will kill you first I will revive you and I will kill you again.

- she called Jacks cell first but he didn’t answer. Not a big deal. She called the desk phone and was grateful it was Bridge that picked up. “Hey it’s Sam. Can I talk to Jack real quick?”

- “What’s wrong?” His voice is calm but he knows that something is wrong. They have that rule. No calls at work unless it’s an emergency. Sam gets right to the point, “think it’s my appendix. Still don’t feel good, now I have an elevated temp, sweating, lower right quadrant is painful” “ruptured?” She’s quiet, Jack can picture her mentally assessing herself again, “maybe, I’m not a doctor how should I know” Jack sighs, “babe” he hears her chuckle and then wince. “Can you make it in or do I need to send a rig?” He says it like he had any say in how FD ran their ambulances. But he knew people.

- Sam parks in visitor parking and walks in through the ambulance bay. She’s wearing a pair of sweats and one of jacks hoodies, she’s drenched in sweat and bent over in pain. When Jack sees her she smiles, “hey baby, guess what?” He quick steps to her and grabs her, “it went didn’t it?” “Yep, pretty sure” she groans as he picks her up “think I’m gonna be sick” “bridge? The nurse calls back “eights open, page surgery?” “Yep”

- Jack does the exam, Shen appearing out of nowhere “what do you need boss?” He says it to Sam, not Jack.

- Walsh is one of the surgeons on call when Sam comes in, but she’s in surgery. How she found out what room she was in is a mystery to this day but she made one of the techs call down “how long can she wait?” Is the first thing she says. Jack doesn’t seem phased, “she’s next in line” “who’s cutting?”

- The OR doors swing open because yes Walsh scrubs in just for this moment. “Walsh, what the fuck are you doing?” She ignores the other surgeon and circles the table, eyes locked on Sam’s vitals “you’re letting an intern cut on my best friend. The fuck do you think I’m doing here?” “It’s an appy Walsh, he’s perfectly capable. You did plenty of them your first year” Walsh ignore her former attending to make eye contact with the intern “do you know who Dr Jack Abbot is?” He nods “well this is his wife, and if anything, any-thing, goes wrong. He will kill you.” “Walsh!” “Then I’ll ask him to bring you back, because he can, and he will if I ask, and then I’ll kill you myself.” “Walsh!” “Slowly. Painfully.” “Walsh!” Em made eye contact with the intern “and I’ll enjoy it” “Walsh! I will remove you from this fucking OR” her eyes swing to the attending just as hard “would you like to try that idea out?”

- Emery is in the recovery suite when Sam came out of anesthesia. “Oh god, I always knew you’d try to steal my organs one day” Walsh smirked “I left you the important ones, quit complaining” “how’d it go?” Jack appeared through the door. Walsh begrudgingly admitted, “they did a good job i guess” Sam grinned, still groggy “don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll get to cut me open one of these days” Jack walks to the other side of the bed, kisses his wife on the forehead and smooths her hair back “don’t encourage her baby”

#the pitt #the pitt hbo #the pitt fanfic #the pitt fanfiction #dr jack abbot #shawn hatosy #the pitt headcanons #the pitt imagine #dr jack abbot x ofc #dr emery walsh #dr john shen #dr parker ellis

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sirfrogsworth · 11 months ago

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Froggie's Guide to Budget Headphones

@nimrella I am more well versed in traditional audio and home theater with big honking speakers, so I don't have much personal experience with headphones and headphone accessories. But I can tell you what I've learned from other people who are in the headphone world. And since you are starting more within the "budget" range I think I am somewhat qualified to guide you at this level.

You have three paths to choose from...

Wireless, low impedance wired (no amplification required), and high impedance wired (amplification required).

Basically... easy, medium, and hard.

But also... good, better, best.

Wireless Headphones

Wireless headphones have come a long way. Audiophiles used to scoff at them but now there are options that really do sound fantastic and the Bluetooth data rates are good enough to deliver high resolution audio. They also have noise cancellation options which may be desirable. If you do not have a quiet, dedicated space for listening to music you might find high end noise cancellation a godsend. People love them especially for planes, trains, and automobiles.

I don't know if everyone knows how noise cancellation works or not, but basically the headphones have microphones that listen to the world around you. They measure the incoming sound and then generate an opposite sound that just about kills ambient noise. If you play the same sound 180 degrees out of phase it basically nullifies those sound waves. The tech works best between 50 Hz and 1000 Hz. For reference we hear between 20 Hz and 20,000 Hz (lower if you are old). So anything super high or super low pitched can still get through.

In any case, if that sounds appealing, wireless headphones should be a consideration.

The other advantage of wireless headphones would be the ease of use. They pair to your phone, your laptop, your TV. They have controls to help you pause and skip songs and change volume. Some allow you to take phone calls.

But the big downside is the sound quality takes a bit of a hit. As I said, the bluetooth standards have actually gotten very very good. (Though there are audiophiles who will swear it still sounds like a 1990s MP3.) So streaming the actual media files are not really an issue. But trying to cram all of that tech into lightweight headphones you can wear around town all day requires compromises and added expense. Not to mention the battery has a limited lifespan. You may have more limited or inconsistent frequency response, poor dynamic range, distortion problems, weak output, and a high noise floor. Wireless options still can't match wired headphone systems in the same price range. And the wireless options that come close are quite spendy.

Wireless Headphones Suggestions

In your price range the two wireless options that I hear mentioned over and over again are the Sony WH-1000 series and the Bose QuietComfort. They are both well regarded for having a good mix of sound quality and noise cancellation while also being a decent value. You might be able to visit a Best Buy and demo them to see if you prefer the sound and comfort of one over the other.

The Apple AirPods Max are said to work really well within the Apple ecosystem. They have some interesting spatial sound modes and very good audio quality. I've heard the noise cancellation is some of the best currently available. But they seem too expensive and a lot of people feel they are too heavy. I also suspect they are due for an update. That said, if you wait for the new ones to come out and buy used, they could come into your price range. I'd really only suggest these if you have multiple Apple products that you will be streaming sound from.

Before we move into wired headphones, let's go over some terms that you might see pop up when doing research and reading reviews.

Froggie's Glossary of Audiophile Terminology

Driver A speaker is made up of drivers. Some speakers have a woofer, a midrange, and a tweeter. Each individual thing is a driver. And with headphones you will often hear "headphone driver" instead of speaker because it is more specific. Headphones typically have an all-in-one driver that does all frequencies. A woofymidteet.

That's not a thing.

I made that up.

Frequency Response This is the range of frequencies produced by the drivers from low to high. You want to make sure your headphones have good, deep bass. That will make more of a difference than anything else. It's the foundation of all sound and what is sorely lacking in devices with small/cheap speakers.

Music typically doesn't go much below 40 Hz in the bass range. So if you are only interested in music listening, that is plenty deep. Movies can go down to 20 Hz, but this isn't necessary for a good immersive experience unless you have giant subwoofers. So if you find something that can play ~40 Hz with decent output, you should be all good. Every speaker has a frequency response curve. It looks something like this.

The X-axis represents the frequency and the Y-axis represents the volume in decibels. We are most concerned with the 40 to 10K Hz section, as most sound happens there.

I'm not going to go super in-depth and overwhelm everyone, but typically you want this graph to look fairly flat in that range. A flat-ish line will give you a "neutral" response.

The above graph gets a little bumpy in the high frequencies. That means those frequencies will have a higher volume than the lower frequencies. If a higher frequency has a big peak, that could make your sound seem too bright or tinny.

Or you could have the opposite problem. You could have a null in the bass where the output dips below everything else. This can make your sound a bit anemic and lacking punch.

Whereas a more flat speaker will output all frequencies at about the same volume and sound much more balanced and smooth.

Equalization or EQ A flat response is good because it will accept EQ well. Equalization is where you add peaks and dips in volume deliberately to taste.

This can be as simple as 3 knobs.

Or it can be a more complicated parametric EQ.

A lot of digital EQ methods have presets to help get you started. I promise it isn't as intimidating as it looks.

Some people like to buy speakers/headphones that are EQ'd how they prefer out of the box. (Or if you get Beats by Dre they just turn the bass all the way up and say "Fuck them other frequencies!") But this is often a bit of a crapshoot because it is hard to EQ a speaker that sounds good in every room or every environment or just to varying individual preferences.

By making the speaker more neutral, it can be much easier to equalize specifically to your needs and enjoyment.

So if you like the bass a little bassier and the mids a little quieter, you have the power to dial that in with great specificity on a neutral speaker. You can apply any EQ you wish and you won't be fighting the speaker's predetermined response.

Basically if you are reading reviews and the headphones are described as "flat" or "neutral" that's a good thing (in my opinion). Just remember nothing is going to be perfectly flat. We're shooting for flat-ish.

If you do decide to get a neutral sounding pair of headphones you may find them a little bland out of the box. Do not panic. You just need to learn a bit about how to apply EQ, but thankfully YouTube is plentiful with tutorials.

The Harman Curve was researched to be most liked by the most people, so you might start there. (Also, SoundSource is a very popular EQ app for Mac.)

Dynamic Range This is the spectrum of how quiet to loud something can get. If you have speakers that can render both a pin drop and a big explosion with great fidelity and proper intensity, you will be in audio heaven. There is so much emotion and drama that can be expressed by expansive dynamic range and most cheap speakers compress it to an inch of its life. When the soft and the loud sounds are the same you miss out on so much audio information intended by the composer.

Distortion This is just how loud a speaker can go without breaking up. Low distortion is good. While every driver distorts at some point, usually that is at a much higher volume than you will use. This typically only plagues cheap, tiny drivers.

Sound Pressure Level (SPL) This is a measurement of how loud a speaker can get. While you don't want to listen to anything louder than a sustained average decibel level of 80 to 85, you do want peaks over 100, especially in the bass. Bass is less damaging to ears and hearing damage is all about sustained volume rather than quick peaks here and there. Most headphones can comfortably do an SPL between 90 and 110 dB. The ability to go louder is good, but only because that expands headroom, not because you should actually listen to them that loud. So if the headphones can get super loud, that means they will have a much easier time delivering normal levels.

Noise Floor Every sound system has background noise. You know that static you hear when you turn a radio up really loud when there is no sound playing? That is your noise floor. You want that to be as quiet as possible because if you turn up the volume, you don't just turn up the volume of the sounds you want to hear, you also turn up the volume of that background noise.

If you can find a headphone system with a decent low noise floor and you can also find a very quiet space to listen in, you could have a religious experience. I don't think people realize how much the room you are in matters, even when listening to headphones. When you are in a quiet room, you can play at lower volumes. And that can mitigate a lot of the problems associated with cranking the volume. You won't damage your ears for one thing. But the speakers won't have to work as hard so you'll have less distortion and better clarity.

Noise mostly comes from the amplifier, which I will talk about later on.

Froggie Pro Tip: If you want cheap speakers to perform better, go to a quiet room and move them as close as possible. This allows you to play them at a lower output while maintaining your desired perceived volume.

Okay, now we can finally talk about...

Wired Headphones

You have open back and closed back styles.

Open back tends to have a more natural sound and feels more comfortable. Like listening to regular speakers. People generally feel they are able to listen to them longer because they don't create a seal and cause pressure on your ear drum. However, if sound can get out, it can also get in. So with open back headphones people nearby will be able to hear what you are listening to. And if you are not in a quiet room, all of that sound will leak in. Meaning you have to increase the volume and the noise floor and the distortion.

Closed back seals off your ears and gives you a quiet and immersive experience. You can be in a noisier room without having to crank the volume as much. Some prefer this style just because it helps them feel like they are going into their own personal dimension of sound. These are great for ASMR too. But ear fatigue can become an issue and you may need to take little breaks to let your ears breathe and your ear drums rest.

And the last thing we need to discuss is impedance.

The impedance of headphones mostly determines how hard they are to amplify. Impedance is measured in ohms which is this little horseshoe symbol... Ω.

Lower ohms means less electrical resistance and easier to amplify.

Higher ohms means more electrical resistance and difficult to amplify.

If you get headphones rated below 100 ohms, they can typically be driven by smartphones and laptops just by plugging into a standard headphone jack. Though depending on the device, 100 may sound a little quiet so you may want to go lower. 30 ohms is fairly typical if you plan to drive your headphones with everyday electronics.

Above 100 ohms you are going to need some sort of amplification—usually a DAC with a headphone amplifier. (There are DACs without amplification so be sure to check that.)

A DAC, or digital-to-analog converter, is already built into your phone and laptop. But those are very small, don't have a lot of power, and might have a higher noise floor due to interference from other components and heat and just a lot of electrical signals nearby.

By getting an external DAC w/amplifier you separate out the components, make them larger and more powerful, and typically improve the sound quality. Because it is more isolated, the amplification can be much quieter despite being more powerful.

If you plan to stay in a static location and you have high impedance headphones, you can get a little box DAC that sits on your desk. It works like an external sound card for your computer. If you record music or stream, a digital audio interface works great as well (remember to check the Ω).

But if you need to be more mobile with your headphones you can get a little USB dongle DAC, though you will probably not get the same sound quality and power.

Both will be superior to the internal DAC built into your computing devices.

So, low impedance headphones are easier if you need to move around.

High impedance headphones are better for staying put in a single location unless you get a dongle DAC.

Just remember, high and low impedance doesn't necessarily indicate quality. It's just that in order to drive high impedance headphones you need the larger amplifier with the nicer components and, by necessity, you automatically get that quality bump.

You can get very good low impedance headphones. However, if you power them *only* with a smartphone, you may not use them to their full potential. Which is why getting an external DAC is a good idea regardless.

But the nice thing about low impedance is you can get the headphones and still use them until you save up for the DAC. Or you can use them as normal while out and about and have a special listening spot at home with the DAC.

To review...

Low impedance and high impedance can both be high quality.

Low impedance (less than 100 ohms) works with anything.

High impedance (more than 100 ohms) requires amplification.

Both will be used to their full potential with a DAC/headphone amplifier of some kind.

Wired Headphones Suggestions

Again, I have not personally listened to any of these. I am just relaying what experts I trust have mentioned as being nice quality in your price range.

The beyerdynamic DT 770 headphones are some of the most well-regarded budget headphones I've heard of. They come in low and high impedance versions.

The Sennheiser HD 560 high impedance headphones are also praised for their value and performance.

If you can go a little pricier...

The HIFIMAN Sundara headphones have low impedance and can be driven easily by all your devices.

And the HIFIMAN Edition XS are even lower impedance and about the same price.

And if you want to try a DAC, I've heard good things about both Fosi and Schiit (yes, like the poopies), though there are many different brands. Just make sure the DAC has a headphone amplifier rated for the ohms you need.

The FOSI K5 Pro is a cheap "beginner" DAC that will power anything up to 300 ohms. This is the kind that sits on your desk.

And if you want a more portable dongle DAC, you can get something like the iFi Go Link.

I've also heard good things about the AudioQuest Dragonfly, though I hate recommending AudioQuest products due to them claiming they can do magical things. They use scientific gobbledygook to scam customers most of the time. That said, the DragonFly might be their only valid product.

Note from Future Froggie: AudioQuest just can't help themselves. While the Dragonfly itself is a good product and not a scam, they developed the "DragonTail", which is a scam.

It's just a USB A to C Adapter for the Dragonfly. But they have to find a way to justify 30 fucking dollars so they came up with this bullshit.

Definitely need to stabilize my geometry. If I have unstable geometry that could lead to quixotic trigonometry. And we all know that could introduce vertices into dodecahedrons. Which leads straight to accelerated cosmotic entropy catalyzing the heat death of the universe.

Fucking AudioQuest.

ANYWAY...

An inexpensive DAC may be all you ever need but DACs can get crazy expensive—just like headphones. And if you are really fancy you can get a DAC and a headphone amplifier as separate items. Audiophiles claim when you simplify components to a singular function you increase quality. While I think there is some small truth to that, I suspect they just think the tubes look neat.

Froggie's Disclaimer: I am not telling you to get these specific things, but I do think you'll probably be happy with anything I've suggested. But sound is a subjective experience and it is always best to test things out before you buy them, if possible. Or make sure there is a return policy. You might see if there is a brick-and-mortar store nearby that allows you to demo headphones. Remember that comfort can be just as crucial as sound quality for long listening sessions.

Final Thoughts

Good sound has been life changing for me. And I am excited when anyone goes down this journey. While the stuff mentioned is considered "budget" by audiophiles, this can give you a good starting point if you want to upgrade down the road. You'll get to know your preferences and get a better understanding of how this all works and choose your own adventure from there.

Though it is very possible you'll be quite content with "budget" and the sound quality is more than enough.

Personally, while I am very happy with my current home theater setup, I am hopeful one day I can upgrade one budget tier above where I currently am and that will be my endgame. I've heard $10,000 speakers and it is mostly a land of diminishing returns once you reach that level.

I'm fine in "budget" land.

Further Research

I didn't mention the different types of headphone drivers because I didn't want to put too much data in everyone's head. But if you want to do additional research you can learn about the 4 main types... dynamic, planar magnetic, electrostatic, and balanced armature.

#long post #headphones

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astrogre · 2 years ago

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What gifts to buy for each Venus sign

Christmas is among us, my favourite season and time of the year. Venus is the planet of love, by nature it can display what we like to receive from others but if you don’t know their Venus or the house it’s in you can try to look at the persons Sun sign instead but Venus is ideal.

A gift based on their:

Sun sign will make them feel seen and like you know them well, it will be a gift they may appreciate

Venus sign is all they’ve ever desired it’s the pinnacle of their ideal gift. Especially as Venus represents how we like to receive and experience love

Aries/ 1H Venus

Gym membership, running shoes, thrill seeking experiences like tickets to bungee jumping, rock climbing, a skydiving event, gym outfit, tickets to their favourite artist, tickets to festival, cool lighter, archery classes, tickets to sports games, a shirt with their teams logo or merch from their favourite artists, scissors set, cooking tools, hair styling products like hairspray, hair dye, Fitbit/apple watch, knives set, sports gear, heavy bass headphones, tickets for those room smashing experiences, take them clay pigeon shooting, family destroying board games like Risk or Catan, diy tattoo kit, diy piercing kit, theme park tickets.

Aries Venus are by nature thrill seekers, Aries is ruled by the head and has 1st house influences, they can certainly appreciate something that ignites passion, they are impulsive and quick by nature to pursue what they desire. They need gifts that match their decisive nature and to let out that pent up energy they have in them, I honestly think experiences are the best for them. Or a box of hair dye for their impulsive moments

Taurus/ 2H Venus

Hire a chef or take them to a really good restaurant for a 5 course meal that serves orgasmic food and has impeccable visuals/atmosphere OR you can even arrange a 7 course homemade meal with the finest of recipes! , fine jewellery adorned with a gemstone, culinary experiences, cooking classes, kitchenware, go to fragrantica.com and find a high quality perfume to give, premium home decor, art, antique items, antique furniture, comfortable cosy clothing, hot water bottle, gardening tools, plants, selection of seeds for their garden, diffuser, essential oils, desserts like baklava/ferro rocher, luxury goods, wellness retreat subscription, day at the spa, tea set, comfy velvet winter pillows and bed sheets

Oh my Taurus natives, they know how to break a bank for Christmas and if not they can enjoy luxury on a budget! They enjoy the finer things of life of course Venus ruled, they know how to induge in pleasures and satisfaction. Due to the earthy influence they have a green finger and a natural affinity with plants and gardening, they may love flowers or want to grow plants themselves. Taurus venuses are rather easy to gift, if you know them they usually have a vice, it may be sleep, food or pure laziness, get them something according to their vice and they will treasure it.

Gemini/ 3H Venus

Really cool stationary, Spotify subscription, comedy show tickets, books from their favourite genre, a notebook, Grammarly subscription, cards against humanity board game, Duolingo subscription, multiplayer games, home kit recording studio, language learning stuff, calligraphy classes, kindle, portable car charger, Bluetooth speaker, karaoke machine, suitcase, travel accessories, a musical instrument, sealing wax kit, creative hobby supplies, microphone, podcasting equipment, audio editing software, a car, vr headset, Nintendo online subscription, Netflix/HBO/youtube/crunchyroll subscription

Gemini rules communication, short journeys and social engagement. Blessing these natives with tools to enhance their pleasant hobbies will make them swoon in gratitude, if you want to get them something make it engaging and whimsical. These natives are ruled by mercury and always welcome something that requires the mind.

Cancer/ 4H Venus

A cooking set, baking set, comfort food, commission artwork of the family, family photos, some really nice home decor, a keepsake/musical box adorned with velvets and soft materials that will store sentimental objects, a locket necklace, family recipe book make a recipe book of all their favourite foods and some foods you know they’d like, soft fluffy blanket, the family heirloom, hand crafted quilt, hand painted ceramic mug, animal crossing game, sims 4 game, games relating to the home, bring and fly in family that are far away as a surprise and cook their favourite meal together, household utilities, lush bath products, a personal chef for a day, a personal butler for a day, custom family tree art, ancestry DNA kit (please be careful though once you use them they keep your data and if they get hacked your information is out there), home movie night, comfy slippers and pyjamas, family board games, this christmas make them Christmas dinner this time.

Cancer rules the home and there’s nothing more appreciated by a cancer Venus than things that remind them of this. They are by nature expressive and nurturing, this time let them be pampered!

Leo/ 5H Venus

Hair care products, gift card for their favorite store, make them an edit no joke like a TikTok edit that makes them look really cool, one of those light up mirrors or a pretty handheld one if they don’t have one already, book them a photoshoot together if they don’t like the camera maybe post them on your social media and show affection for these bold natives, theatre tickets, bold sunglasses, luxury watch, good jewellery, VIP experiences like backstage passes or reservation to exclusive invite only restaurants, designer clothing that is a prestigious brand they love, commission style artwork, make them a playlist of songs that reminds you of them, fine wine, personalised fragrance creation that allows them to create their own signature fragrance, personalised makeup makeover, hire a stylist for them

A perfect gift for Leo’s need to have an element of self expression, luxury and incorporate their personality that garners attention from peers. They need a gift that makes them feel special, something tailored specifically for them that cannot be gifted to anyone else. Personalised gifts do well either this placement too. When I think of these natives I just think of that Meghan Trainor music video “Me Too” watch that and you’ll get their vibe.

Virgo/ 6H Venus

Skincare products, a blender for smoothies, lots of cleaning products, multi purpose aesthetic storage containers, Quora or chat gpt subscription (these guys like to be well informed), give them scientifically researched bath products that have all that vitamin breakdown qualities, make them a notion template to help them plan, quality office supplies like a desk organiser or chair, practical fitness gear like a yoga mat, a fitness tracker, get them a personal nutritionist, tailored meal prep services, bookshelf organiser system, a stylish briefcase, home office makeover (BUT PLEASE GET THEIR PERMISSION FIRST), online course subscription, digital subscription to news feed, you can never go wrong with practical things, an ikea haul, Costco membership, minimalist decor, multi vitamins, a precision watch, set of labelling and sorting tools, a neat tidy chess board, get them a nice little pet, honestly for some reason whenever I think of Virgos I think of matcha. Get them something matcha based.

Virgo Venus natives need gifts that resemble their routine and organisation, they can be rather difficult to purchase for since they have such a specific taste in mind. Gift cards are practical for them but they really need something that allows them to be more prepared. Take them out for comparison price shopping like say if you want to get them a sofa tell them you’ll take them out to Costco, Amazon, ikea, and compare the best ones. They are also very clean and efficient.

Libra Venus/ 7H Venus

Trending Make up like the fenty hot chocolit heat lip gloss, Korean skincare products, beautiful piece of art, a wedding ring 😏, bouquet of flowers, take them to a beautiful botanical garden, fashionable accessories like a silk scarf, books and courses on design, take them to a couples romantic date, a couples workshop, write them a love letter, museum date, tickets to an art exhibition, fine dining, an astrology synastry reading, if they’re single set up a blind date with someone who you KNOW they would like (make sure they’re handsome/pretty), couples retreat, love coach Patreon subscription, pottery/painting classes, relationship podcast subscription, relationship psychology books, fine fragrance/cologne

Libra is ruled by Venus and 7th house, all things related to love beauty and pleasure align with this native, even if they are single they have a natural gift for delving into relationships. Make sure that whatever gift you give them it is pleasing and sensual

Scorpio/ 8H Venus

Intimate gifts, a psychological crime documentary playlist like Epstein island documentary or YouTubers who speak of renowned cult leaders, personalised astrology reading, a dark seductive fragrance, dark artwork, dominance and submission guide book, shadow work journal with a lock on it, dark poetry and literature, escape room adventure tickets, monopoly game, dungeons and dragons game equipment, bdsm accessories, personalised erotic art, leather/latex clothing, bonding activities, empowering books like 48 Laws of Power, martial arts training, taxidermy, personal development workshops, intense workout equipment like a punching bag, chess, daggers, locks on their door or for their belongings like installing a lock for their drawers, buy them a ring camera and subscription, wine tasting experience

Give them something sultry and deep, it has to be psychological and empowering. They are not impressed by superficial gifts that mean nothing to them. They really like gifts that allow them to explore their nature and the darker aspects of existence.

Sagittarius/ 9H Venus

A scratch off map that allows you to scratch off countries you’ve been to, a surprise holiday where you take them abroad, Duolingo subscription, a wanderlust journal for them to document their experiences, passport accessories, an electric guitar, drums, take them to a fireworks display or do one at home for them, a telescope, a drone, binoculars, philosophical books or religious books based on their own beliefs and religion, running shoes, horse riding in the sunset experience, musical instruments, motivational and positive affirmations book or make some for them yourself, a book collection of all their motivational and positive messages they have said, a compass, pay for their tuition for a course they’ve always wanted, traveling stuff like suitcases, pillow for travelling, a portable flask, a disposable camera, a Polaroid camera, a tent, tickets to a cultural festival, hiking gear, skiing gear, camping gear, sketchbook, a donation in their name

Sagittarius Venus and 9H venuses love the concept of exploration whether it be in the mind or physically, the best gift you could give them is one that allows them to take in so much culture, information and experiences.

Capricorn/ 10H Venus

Customisable credit card (CUCU is a good site for this), a nice power suit like business attire, vintage pocket calculator, cufflinks or a tie, formal shoes, pay for their CV to be analysed by professionals in their industry, elegant timeless clothing and jewellery, make them business cards, get them a corporate slave (an assistant will do), pay for business class flights for their next trip abroad, project management courses, tickets to Ted Talk event, take them to and big them up at networking and entrepreneurial opportunities, a sleek desk, submit their work for trophies and awards, quality furniture, Starbucks or their fave coffee place gift cards, a fountain pen, personalised desk name plate, professional photoshoot, designer accessories like a Swiss watch, leather wallet, cheque book, pay for a professional calligrapher to design their signature, time management software

Our sweet cap Venuses and 10Hers need their professional acknowledgment, give them anything timeless and a way for them to better themselves. They love being the best of the best so give them things that support their ambitions.

Aquarius/ 11H Venus

A 3D printer, high tech phone, a gamer console, smart home device like Alexa, chat gpt subscription, AI art pieces of them, rubix cube, VR headset, bespoke one of a kind art piece, tickets to a science technology conference or musem, networking events, phone case, futuristic home decor, membership to an niche club their interested in, mini indoor garden like a plant terrarium, pay for an astronomy stargazing experience for them, alt clothing, goal setting journal, a camaraderie for their friendships can be a bracelet for an example, tickets to a unique workshop according to their niche interests, video editing software, a unique invention prototype for the industry their interested in say if it were cars then a mini Tesla or something, volunteer together, design software, film festival tickets, social cause merchandise, unique fashion piece, astronomy kit, an AI boyfriend or girlfriend, take them a Ted talk.

Always remember the specific niche interests of these natives they like things that are very niche and so sometimes asking them is actually the best thing to do. But make sure it’s something they’re passionate about not all of these natives live tech but they certainly are innovative.

Pisces/ 12H Venus

Seashell necklace, watercolour paints, fantasy book collection, their favourite mangas, handmade artwork, stained glass window art, dream interpretation book, flowerpedia book, vinyls, yoga mat, contact lenses, tickets to their favourite artist like mitski or the sort, create a playlist for them that’s about fantasy and imagination, they might like Disney consider taking them to Disneyland, windchime, subscription to mindfulness app, astrology book, go to the aquarium together, windchimes, art supplies, a dream journal, sound healing instruments, pay for their spiritual retreat, zen garden decor, a mystical music box, water fountain, take them to a mesmerising body of water, prayer mats, diary, write them a heartfelt letter of how amazing they are, take them to a nature retreat, wearable art

Dreamy imaginative gifts would be perfect for these people, they need gifts that allow them to appreciate their escape world where they have a reality that’s just better than here. Give them things that are as beautiful as their inner world.

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orangameelectronics · 1 year ago

Video

youtube

Double Horn Hi-Fi Shocking Heavy Bass Bt Bluetooth Wireless Mini Portable Speakers

Today, we're going to talk about the awesome Double Horn Hi-Fi Shocking Heavy Bass BT Bluetooth Wireless Mini Portable Speakers. These speakers are super cool and will make your music sound amazing!

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amirawrah · 2 months ago

Text

⭐︎Five minutes

with MICHAEL OLISE⭐︎

synopsis: At a beach party under the stars, you and Michael sneak away for five stolen minutes that turn into something deeper.

The bonfire crackles behind you. Laughter echoes down the beach, bass thudding from a Bluetooth speaker half-buried in the sand. People dance barefoot under string lights, beer bottles clinking, waves crashing in the distance.

But none of it matters.

Because Michael is looking at you like he’s already somewhere else—and he wants you there with him.

Your fingers brush under the table once, then twice. By the third time, he grabs your hand and leans in, voice low near your ear. “Come with me.”

You don’t ask where. You just go.

He leads you past the palms, away from the lights. Past the coolers and the fire and the eyes. Past the music and noise, deeper into the dark. The sand is cool now, soft under your feet. The only light is from the sliver of moon overhead, the dull gold from distant tiki torches.

He stops when it’s quiet. When you’re hidden.

A little pocket of silence just for the two of you.

Before you can say anything, his lips are on yours.

Urgent. Desperate. Like he’d been counting down the minutes.

You gasp against his mouth, and he shushes you gently, grinning as he presses you against a tree trunk. “Keep it down,” he whispers, hands already gripping your waist.

Your laugh is breathy, teasing. “You dragged me out here, remember?”

“I know,” he murmurs, mouth moving to your jaw. “Couldn’t wait.”

You pull him closer, fingers through his locs, tugging just enough to hear him breathe harder. His hands explore like they know you by memory—which they do. Every curve. Every sound. Every weakness.

And then—

He groans your name.

Low. Drawn out. His head buried in your neck like he’s trying to anchor himself.

Your breath catches.

“You told me to keep it down,” you remind him, half-laughing, half-melting.

His voice is muffled. “I lied.”

You lose track of time. The stars blink overhead. Your bodies pressed together in the dark, breaths shallow, the space between you barely there.

The party still rages in the distance. But this? This is where the night actually lives.

In whispers. In fingers curling into fabric. In the way he says your name like a confession.

In five stolen minutes that feel like everything.

The sand clings to your legs. His hoodie is slipping off one shoulder. Your pulse is still racing like you’re on the edge of something.

Michael exhales hard against your neck, skin warm, locs damp from the humidity and you.

"Come back with me," he murmurs, barely pulling away.

You blink at him. "To the party?"

He gives you that low, lazy smirk. "To the villa. Obviously."

You want to act like you need to think about it, like you’re not completely undone by his voice right now, but the way his fingers lace through yours already answers for you.

The walk back is quiet—his thumb rubbing soft circles into the back of your hand, like he’s grounding himself again after unraveling. When you get close to the bonfire again, the music's louder, the air warmer, voices sharper.

You're two steps away from blending in when someone spots you.

“Yo, Olise!” one of the guys from the team calls out, lifting a cup. “Where’ve you been?”

Michael doesn’t even flinch. “Bathroom,” he says casually, and everyone buys it, like he wasn’t just whispering your name into the stars ten minutes ago.

You? You're trying to wipe the dazed look off your face.

But as you pass the drinks table, your best friend narrows her eyes at you.

You avoid eye contact.

Michael squeezes your hand behind his back before letting go and murmuring, “Villa in ten. Don’t be late.”

You almost choke.

Ten minutes later, you sneak up the villa stairs barefoot, heart pounding in your ears. He’s already inside. The door creaks when you push it open, and he's leaning against the kitchen counter, water bottle in one hand, gaze on you like you're dessert.

“You always show up when I need you,” he says quietly, like it’s the only truth that matters tonight.

You smile, stepping closer, heart full and skin buzzing. "That’s because you always want me."

He sets the bottle down, moves in slow, and this time, it’s not urgent. It’s reverent. Like five minutes wasn’t enough. Like this is the part he wants to take his time with.

You know the night is young.

But here, in this villa where the air smells like salt and sugar, where your skin is sun-kissed and your heart is full—

You don’t need the party.

Just him. Only him.

The villa feels too quiet after the beach—just the low hum of the ceiling fan and the distant crash of waves outside.

Michael kisses you like he has all the time in the world now.

His hands find your waist, your back, your jaw, anchoring you to him. No more stolen touches. No more quick glances. Just you, wrapped up in each other, slow and sweet under the dim villa lights.

The glass doors are open to the balcony; you can hear the ocean rolling in and the soft strum of music still playing from the beach. It feels like another world out there—loud and reckless—but here inside? It's just you and him. Quiet. Heated.

He leads you to the bed without breaking the kiss, tugging you gently until your knees hit the mattress. His hoodie slips fully off your shoulder now, and he leans back just enough to look at you properly—like he’s memorizing you.

The night blurs into the feeling of his weight over you, the press of his body, the brush of his curls against your skin. Every touch is slower now. Every kiss sinks deeper.

And when he finally whispers your name again, it’s not rushed, not desperate, just pure love.

You wake up tangled in sheets that smell like coconut and him.

Sunlight spills across the room. The sounds of breakfast—the clink of plates, someone laughing way too loud—float up from the kitchen downstairs.

You stretch lazily, still sore in the best way, and Michael grunts into the pillow beside you.

“Five more minutes,” he mumbles.

“You said that last night,” you tease, flicking his locs.

He grins against the pillow but doesn’t open his eyes.

Eventually, you both drag yourselves downstairs, trying to look normal. Trying.

But the second you step into the kitchen, it’s over.

Your best friend spots you first, a devilish smile spreading across her face. “Oh, there they are. Took y’all long enough.”

Someone else snickers into their coffee. “Bathroom break? That what we’re calling it now?”

You bury your face in your mug, cheeks flaming. Michael? Cool as ever. He just leans casually against the counter, sipping orange juice like he didn’t completely wreck you against a mattress six hours ago.

Your best friend fake-coughs: "Villa in ten, don’t be late."

You nearly choke on your drink.

Michael only smirks at you from across the room—eyes dark, mouth twitching like he’s so not sorry.

And honestly?

Neither are you.

#mirahsworks🦫#michael olise x reader #michael olise #michael olise x black reader #jamal musiala x reader #bayern munich #fc bayern munich #jamal musiala #footballer x black reader #footballer x black oc #footballer x reader #footballer x y/n

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pipermcleanswife · 1 day ago

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OKAY, I GOT THIS CUTE REQUEST IN THE COMMENTS OF MY POST ASKING FOR SOME. BASICALLY, THE DESKTOP GANG (lux, Mac, chance, Penelope, Dasha, and you obvi) HAVE A SLEEPOVER, BUT SOMEONE HAS SNORES THAT COULD RIVAL THE NOISES THAT LEAVE JAY-ZS HOUSE AFTER HIS BREAK UP WITH BEYONCE

Fluff! not really a X reader!

GN READER!!

It was getting late. A monthly hangout that turned into a tradition between you and the things that formerly made up your office. It felt nice, it was good to have them around again, the former objects that made up your desk, that saw you everyday, in your best and worst still come by. Tonight you all watched a movie, you didn't really remember much of it. It was some sappy romance movie that Penelope and Dasha sobbed to, and something so ignorant that you, mac, and chance couldn't stop laughing. You guys had such a good time that you barely even noticed Lux talking to their live in the back!! It was about 12 am, everyone was sleeping, minus Mac, who was working on some program. That's when a sound akin to a dying lawnmower awoke you. At first you considered the possibility of WW3 going on at this very second, BUT when you whip your head around you see the loud but cute culprit. Chance. You let out a very angry but tired grumble. Despite the annoyance plastered on Mac's face they laugh at the noise. Upon further inspection you find everyone else waking up too, all but chance. You turn to Dasha, "I didn't know chance could sound like a frightened goat. Maybe he could pick up voice acting” you say with a passive aggressive laugh. “I guess the only solution would be to wake him up” Penelope says. You guys try EVERYTHING. First, turning on all lights, NOTHING, even when lux is trying to borderline blind chance while his eyes are closed. Then you all tried to watch TV loudly, still Chance droned on. You guys even called up jean loo and Johnny to give a duet on your bluetooth loud speaker! At this point you've lost all ability to care, you shake Chance. “Chance, wake up!” you say annoyed borderline sob, looking out the window as dawn rises outside. Just a few moments later the snoring stops. Chances eyes flutter open and he says with a “gravely hum, “mhh hey guys, good morning! How'd you sleep?” Lux lets out a quick shout of anger "WE DIDNT." At the absolute blessing of being snore free you, mac, and Dasha fall asleep the second he wakes up and stops. “Whats up with them?” chance says a little confused, moving you from his shoulder to a more comfortable spot on the couch. “Never fall asleep around us again.” penelope says. #someone buy chance that anti snore tape before lux chokes him with that dice

☕

🪄

🎩

WHAT A CUTE REQUEST! I know this was short, but I'm trying to improve my fic writing capabilities! I'm a headcannons warrior... BUT, nevertheless, I really liked how this ended up and I hope you enjoyed!!!

Special thanks to @aster-giggles12 for the request!!

#date everything headcanons #date everything #date everything!#date everything fanfic #date everything x you #date everything x reader #chance date everything #mac date everything #lux date everything #dasha date everything #penelope date everything #fluff

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verdemoun · 1 year ago

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jumping ahead in the timeswap au because i am the captain personally i headcanon jack not making it to 20. i think life had well and truly defeated him and he was too tired to keep running, and he ended up hanged for ross's murder.

side tangent a) imagine the emotional devastation the VDLs in modern era would feel reading that. there's a grainy photo/sketch and they can almost tell what jack looks like, how much he looks like john, how old he already looks at 19, and then there's the noose sitting on his shoulders waiting for the trapdoor to be pulled. the article portrays ross as a poor elderly man of honor killed by jack marston, outlaw, a dangerous sociopath

side tangent b) john and jack being reunited. john really struggling not to be angry because he wanted/expected so much better for jack: knowing he was never an ideal father (or even a good father) but how much he didn't want his son to be like him, how clear he had been to never become an outlaw. then, the grief. it's only been 3 years but being able to see how much those three years have changed jack, physically and mentally, just by the way he carries himself and that dead, destroyed look in his eyes. jack struggling not to be angry for a lot of the same reasons because at 16 he was left taking care of abigail as heartbreak and illness killed her, and a ranch they could barely take care of together. jack realising his mom, dad and little sister got to play happy family in current day without him.

well now that that's out of the way: dues-ex-isaac morgan

isaac morgan deciding jack marston is his personal responsibility. sure, the whole recipe of staying in a house for a few weeks slowly learning about the current day slowly works for most VDLs, but isaac understands that not only is jack 19 (a teenager) but the culture shock isn't quite as severe going from 1914 as it was 1899.

isaac throws rocks at the window until jack sneaks out his first night in modern day. he forces a helmet onto his head and gives a vague warning that 'it's going to be faster than a horse', before setting off at very illegal speeds on his motorbike

jack immediately loves it. it's very much what he needed: the adrenaline, feeling like he's rebelling, seeing the chrome and crowds of city as a blur become more and more recognizable in outdated suburbs until they're pushing 100mph on the highway

isaac strategically takes him out to the desert, because the desert really hasn't changed that much, and pulls out a bottle of whiskey. they lay down and trauma-bond about how fucked their lives have been (isaac, who experienced the timewarp like a child moving house and had to teach things to his 19th century mother, jack, who grew up in the chaos of the VDL gang with his mother as the only constant: deadbeat dads taken to the metaphorical extreme).

'there's only two things you really need to know: you can't buy alcohol until you're 21 and cigarettes are actually really bad for you' 'cigarettes are BAD??????'

isaac introduces him to cliche teenage emo music through a dodgy bluetooth speaker. jack marston actually listens to music for the first time

arthur getting a frantic phone call from john saying jack snuck out

charles offering to help track them down, because they immediately know isaac is involved

charles and arthur finding a drunk isaac and jack air guitaring to mcr in the middle of the desert

isaac and jack are instant best friends. instead of the coddling most of the gang do when something is new and initially intimidating, isaac laughs at him and it's honestly more comforting. like yeah, traffic lights take a hot second, but jack does feel dumb for not realising that the changing lights and loud beeping meant it was time to walk/run.

isaac literally doesn't hold his hand unless he has to, meanwhile jack has had months of living alone as an outlaw in 1914. they balance each other out in the worst ways. isaac will say they shouldn't walk through a dark alley and jack is like pfft if someone tries to mug us i can take them

their hangouts go from jack bookworm marston helping isaac study at college to isaac being the one calling his dad because 'heeey we might be in jail' in 3 hours. all parental figures involved are going grey with stress

#rdr2 timewarp au #isaac morgan #jack marston #john marston #arthur morgan

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yuaoxi · 2 months ago

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𝐏𝐔𝐋𝐒𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐔𝐒 || Xiao x F!Reader

Chapter 7 - Failed Date, Foggy Haze

Tired of his father living vicariously through him, Xiao decides to start the band he’s always dreamed about. Fame and wealth never mattered to him, he’d just want to feel part and contribute to a community that’d accept a broken man like him.

Starting a band in his friend’s garage, Xiao runs into a problem: there’s no drummer. Thus, auditions are held to be apart of the band. Our dear bassist has little to no experience with women, so how could he deal with one joining the band? Why did she bring so much of her ‘girl drama’ to rehearsals, and why is his ex trying to get back into his life?

Word Count: 7.4k

CW: implied/referenced abuse, drug use (xiao is a stoner)

It’s been a few days since rehearsals started. It’s also been a few days of Yunjin acting weird. The day you told her you’ve been accepted into the band, she ghosted you until the next day.

‘srry i didnt mean to not respond ><’ dad had me working’ was all she sent to you.

Of course you accepted, she’s a new friend and already getting along well with Ayaka and Hutao. But it seemed as if she was only interested in meeting with them. Anytime you’d bring up Venti, she’d just give off some excuse for not being able to hang out. Studying, working with her dad, she has an appointment, etc. So you ultimately gave up on trying to plan a friend date with your best friend.

She's been more active but recently all her texts seem to be about the band, she’d ask about how you feel about them. Venti? Best friends since high school, obviously you love him to shreds. Aether? You met him and his twin once before joining the band, he’s a little quiet and lost in his mind often, but still very friendly and can hold a conversation well. A natural leader to the band. Xiao? Also quiet, you knew of him as he’s been friends with Venti since they were children, your dad also worked with his dad as mechanics at some luxury car company. But you just can't seem to break down a wall he holds up. Not even a peephole.

It’s pretty irritating.

During rehearsals you catch him watching you and you can almost feel his eyes burning into you. You're not sure if it’s because of the drink you spilled on him a month back, you haven't apologized for that (yet). Maybe he’s just uneasy with new people? That's probably why team synergy was an important factor for them in terms of judging.

Whatever it was, you decided to get over your thoughts as you focused back onto the old notebook on your lap.

You're back in Itto’s garage for a band rehearsal, your class was canceled so you showed up early. The garage door was opened to allow the cool breeze inside, some shelves full of tools on one side of the garage, paint buckets in another, mini fridge in a corner stocked with beers and capri suns (that you bought for yourself but had to buy more as Venti likes to drink them all), a massive beanbag that Shinobu made Itto throw out (he didn't), and an old, stained couch from 30 years ago. So, for now it was you, the drum set Itto borrowed from a friend in jail, a few amps, microphones, speakers. And Xiao. The two of you on the couch, opposite sides.

He’s in a hoodie and jeans, hair messy as always but it frames his face so well, eyes tired but still sharp. He’s scrolling through his phone, occasionally biting and playing with his lip ring. Not talking to you, other than lifting his hand up at you when he saw you enter the garage; his way of greeting. It was so awkward even sitting near him as you feel like he’d hate you just for breathing wrong.

How can you write in this atmosphere?

Fuck it. You leaned over to your bag that sat beside you on the floor, searching for your headphones. You connected them to your phone, enabling bluetooth, and placed them over your head. One ear covered and the other exposed. In case Xiao decides he wants to talk. Ha.

You opened your music to something that will help cloud your mind with more noise.

‘Dim (Nostalgic Edit)’ by Yves.

The beat trying to stabilize itself, the echoes in the background sounding like sirens going down a tunnel, the distorted synths that replicated the thoughts in your mind. It's just noise, but it's as if it forces you to organize it and make sense of stuff.

You aren't sure if he watched you move, keeping your eye on Xiao using your peripheral vision. But you couldn't just stare into space with him beside you. What if he thinks you're going crazy?

You took a deep breath, changing your position on the couch to cross your legs together and adjusting the notebook on your lap once again.

On the pages are written some notes from the last rehearsal, adjustments to lyrics. You’ve been debating on trying out a collision overlapping between two bars, or if they should just scrap whatever it was they were trying to fit.

Your pencil tapped in annoyance against the paper, using it to tap the beat again and refresh your mind on the song, composing it in your head. Your pencil being what helped test out the melody.

“Is that the song we're working on?”

A raspy voice caught your attention from beside you. Your head turned over to the only other person in the room with you, Xiao.

His golden orbs met yours, his position never moved just his head facing you now. He looked at you then down to the notebook on your lap, then back at you.

He’s pointing using his eyes.

“Uh, yeah. It is. I don't like how the lyrics are coming out.”

“Which part?”

Xiao's making conversation? I mean, it's just about the music they're making, that doesn't count. Right?

“You know, uh, the chorus,” you pointed at some words on your notebook, moving the book closer for him to see, “I feel as if we're moving on too quickly from this stanza. I don't know if I should chop it out or find a different filler. Heh, yeah…”

You already feel yourself shutting down. Why is it so hard to even translate your thoughts to him? So embarrassing!

His expression remained unreadable, but you could tell he was reading your notes and the lyrics. He stayed still for a minute, before readjusting his position on the couch. Now his back is against the armrest of the couch, one leg crossed in front of him while the other still hung over to the floor. Porcelain fingers reached out to grab your notebook, although he didn't touch you, his cold silver ring grazed against your skin. Xiao read through your notes, head bobbing at the lyrics and seeing him organize what you were trying to fix up.

“Let’s sing til the end of the song. Beginning of the song already has 16 seconds of instrumentals before vocals come in. How about cutting the stanza up and exaggerating ‘you’?”

“How so?” you ask, intrigued as Xiao flipped your notebook to where the two of you could see.

“Here,” he pointed at exactly where your troubles were, “How about we cut up ‘Its’s you / I’m just saying it's you’. We can cut those up and have ‘you’ exaggerated to emphasize the song. This song isn’t calling for fast vocals, so we can slow down.”

“Can you… try it? I need to hear it.” Fuck!

“I’ll start at the pre-chorus. Just keep the beat.” he nodded, eyes still on the lyrics on your notebook as you counted him in.

Although you clapped along and kept your eyes still onto your notebook, you were so taken back by Xiao’s vocals. He’s proven himself to be a great vocalist alongside the other band members, but hearing him sing along and howl out the ‘you’ in the lyric. It kinda made you shy.

You really thought this mf hated you.

Whatever, step one is somewhat completed I guess.

“That… was good. Thank you.”

Xiao looked back up to you and nodded before turning his position back to when you first entered the garage.

You scribbled on some more notes.

‘Exaggerate vowel, keep breathy’

From there you started humming to yourself what Xiao suggested, and it fit.

Only a couple minutes passed by as you hear two doors slam shut in a car, Venti and Aether. Arriving just in time for rehearsal to start with iced coffees. Thank fuck.

Aether offered a wave at the two of you, iced drink halfway done, before heading over to where his guitar laid onto its stand. Venti arrived with the rest of the drinks.

“Vanilla oat milk cold brew for you,” the sparkling boy giggled as he handed Xiao his drink, “and a toasted coconut shaken espresso for you.”

Your eyes sparkled so much it could rival Venti’s. So sweet but so smooth, not overpowering. You took a sip and it was as if your taste buds danced after the first rain of a brutal summer. “Thank you so much!”

Venti giggled, still standing over you and looked down at your notebook. Not the one you were given by him to write the band's lyrics and notes, but your personal notebook.

His quick hands snatched it out your lap, pacing around the room with it.

“Venti-” you called in embarrassment, the headphones on your head that you had forgotten all about slipped down to your shoulders as you stood up from the couch.

“Now, now. What is my dear drummer looking to change? Oh!” Venti’s surprised reaction caught the attention of Aether, heading to peek over his shoulder as Venti plopped down in the empty space between you and Xiao.

“You finished the song?” Aether asked, eyes still reading the rest of the song the band never got to. “It sounds good. You did this all yourself?”

Now it was your turn to talk, “Uh, no. Not entirely. Xiao… helped with the chorus. Didn't know how to cut it up so he suggested we extend ‘you’.”

As you said Xiao’s name, his eyes darted from the notebook he once held just to lock his eyes in with yours momentarily, before they went back to the notebook, reading the new notes you put in after his suggestion.

“Y/N… this is good! Much better than what I was thinking. Xiao, good job too, I guess.” Venti stood back up, throwing the notebook over at Aether who caught it. Venti went to the back of the mic, just his little body as his guitar was still propped up on a stand. “Shall we get to work now?”

Aether read the notes once again, really taking them in before he nodded and headed back towards his mic. “These are really good. Great job, drummer girl.” He handed the notebook back down to you as you stood up. Before leaving back to his position he gave you a pat on the back.

Feeling a stare on you, you turned your head to see Xiao was staring back at you once again. He gave a curt nod before standing up to head to his guitar.

Venti decided to grab his guitar again, hyping himself up.

Still something was missing.

A recording of your rehearsals.

“Is it cool if I set up my phone to record us? We can review the playback footage and see what we should work on.”

Aether, finishing up with his tuning gave you a nod at the suggestion. “Go ahead, it’d be embarrassing sounding out of tune.”

You pulled your phone back out your pockets, opening the camera app and finding a place to prop up your phone. A bunch of cardboard boxes stacked on a pile worked. You tilted the phone as much as needed until everyone was in frame. That's when you realized your headphones were still around your shoulders. Before pressing the red circle to record, you threw your headphones onto the couch where you were sitting. Then gave the camera a peace sign before running back to your drums.

“Take 1 of ‘You (Show Me Where My Days Went)’,” Aether started, before looking at you to count the others in, “Ready?” Truly Pulse’s natural leader.

You nodded, a big smile on your face as you tapped your sticks together to give the others the tempo. It wasn't a loud song, so your guitarists had to start slow before easing into the first verse.

Aether started the song, Venti took over the second verse, then Xiao took over the chorus. You? Adlibs and backup vocals. Although you can sing, you’d prefer to focus more on drums rather than vocals.

Finally the song ended with Aether’s final lines and your drums. The group cheered, minus Xiao who just sat down on an amp and started tuning his bass again.

Hopping out of your seat, you ran over to the camera that was still recording and pressed the little red square to stop. Venti hopped right onto your back, seeing the recording on your phone. His chest was pressed entirely onto your back and his arms wrapped around your waist, head onto your shoulder.

You skimmed through the song as Venti practically invaded your personal space. “Did you bring your laptop?” You asked him

“Yeah but no cords.”

You snorted out a laugh, “That's fine, I got cords to plug it into. Just forgot my laptop on my bed.”

Venti hopped off of you as he fetched his laptop from his backpack, then went through your bag to grab the cords and a piece of gum.

Of course a gentleman can't go through a lady's bag. But this is Venti and Y/N. Venti’s taken care of Y/N as she’s thrown up drunk on her clothes. Y/N one time had to bathe Venti as he was piss drunk. What else is there for them to hide from each other?

The other two surrounded you and Venti as you plugged in your phone to his laptop. He clicked around using the mousepad and found the video you just took of the band performing.

It started with you throwing a peace sign and the guys behind you giving a chuckle (save for Xiao who just stared at you). You turned to run in the video and felt a little embarrassed, “Do I actually run like that?” hands covering your face from your body running to your drum set.

“The floor is covered in cables, anyone would awkwardly run like that.” Aether reassured you, placing a hand on your shoulder, squeezing it slightly.

Aether’s voice started, his body turning to face yours as he gave you your sign for the counts.

The actual performance was pretty good, with only few minor flaws and some changes to be made.

“It’s good,” Venti started, “but it’s missing something.”

“Aether, can you change the chords around the last 15 seconds of the song?” Xiao suggested, eyes closed and playing the song in the back of his mind. “Y/N, let’s have your drums be the absolute last sound in the song.”

Venti gave Xiao a pat on the back, at him suddenly speaking up to make suggestions. “Look at you speaking up!”

Xiao just threw a scowl over at Venti before leaning back onto the couch, spreading his arms out. Aether called for a small break while he figures out what kind of chord he’d wanna try out, Venti lent him his laptop so he can see what to test out.

After Venti left from between the two of you, it was back to you and the dark-haired boy on the couch. Xiao hopped back on his phone, one hand tapping the beat of the song onto the couch.

Since he’s back on his phone and some time has passed, you opened your phone to see you got a message from a ‘Haruki’ on… Tinder.

He just asked you what's up, called you pretty. Seems normal so you’d probably respond back the same way. ‘Oh just in a band meeting’, you thought to yourself as a response already. You clicked the message where the screen loaded in white same for a pinky fire going into the frame in the center of your screen. You clicked on his pictures just to remind yourself of how he looked.

Obviously from Inazuma, goes to the same uni as you but you’ve never seen him before, he’s got auburn hair, obviously a bowl cut but he styles it back. Normal pictures except you stumbled across a pic of him shirtless at the gym. That really assured something in your mind.

You probably swiped on him when you were horny and lonely.

You scrolled slightly to the bio.

“i go jim. something casual with someone open-minded :)”

Then back to his message to you, “link?”

Gross.

You unmatched so quickly, throwing your head back onto the couch, just for something to catch sight in your peripheral vision. Xiao took a peek at your phone, looked back at you, and smirked?? It must've been a trick of the light as he turned around to pay attention back onto his phone. But he smirked? There's no way you got laughed at already.

“Okay, how does this sound?” Aether asked, playing a new chord progression for the last bit of the song.

You felt it fit perfectly in, so did the other two. So back to recording take two of your song.

The rest of the rehearsal consisted of recording, playbacks, critiques, a lyric change or two, and so on. By the end of it all, your clothes began to stick to you slightly from the amount of takes. But finally the band felt satisfied, it was starting to get dark and the air became cooler inside the garage.

As you were sipping water, you picked up a conversation with Aether. Asked how his sister was as the last time you saw her was before the band formed, at karaoke with Venti and the others.

“She's fine, swamped with homework. Her boyfriend's pretty cool, too. Little weird but cool.”

“Weird? Is it worrying?”

“Yeah, kinda. He gets a little aggressive sometimes but never to her. Guess he’s just overprotective. Not too worried, my sister knows how to fight. She still kicks my ass if I leave the toilet seat up.”

You chuckled at that. No way Aether is house trained.

“What about you? Any siblings?”

Your face lit up, but before you could get a word out, Venti called your name from behind you.

He and Xiao were sitting down on an amp, Venti obviously carried the conversation as Xiao only seemed to respond in grunts when he wanted to.

“Y/N~ So I heard you were on tinder? Any hot dates yet?” Venti sang out, Aether giggled at the other's question.

How embarrassing! Xiao, you will pay for this.

You looked over at the quiet boy beside your best friend, who just raised an eyebrow over at you before turning back down to play around with his bass. Asshole.

Taking a deep breath, you crossed your arms and answered Venti’s question. “I have a date tomorrow. I’m sure you’ll watch my location at some point.”

“Is that why you asked for no rehearsal on Tuesday?”

“I’m not the one who asked, it was your little friend over there.”

Now Xiao got his attention back onto you. Venti looked between the two of you, having a stare off, “Wait! Don't tell me you guys are going on a date tomorrow?”

You scoffed, walking over to grab your belongings and slinging your bag over your shoulder.

“Don’t be stupid, of course not. Since rehearsal is over now, I’m heading home. I’m all sweaty.”

Besides, it's way too early in the story for a date.

“Where is it at?” Venti called out as you were exiting the garage. You turned around to face him again, “Don't worry about it. You have my location anyways.”

You threw a wink out at him before grabbing your keys out of your pocket and unlocking the car door. It was so cold out, you turned up the seat warmers and waited for your car to heat up some more before driving off. As you waited, Aether and Venti saw you still in your car and waved you goodbye. Xiao was still in the garage, watching the other two pack up in Aethers car before driving away.

He looked back at your car momentarily, before turning around to shut the garage door. Then the lights went out, signaling he’s out of there too

Weirdo.

At least you won't see him for another few days.

You placed in the directions to your home, then took off.

Hopefully he won't be too weird anymore, or stay as intense as he’s been.

–

Finally in your house, you gathered some clothes before hopping in your shower.

You took your time inside, feeling all the sticky sweat fall off of you and feeling rejuvenated. You grabbed your pj pants and tank top, slipping them off. Attempted to dry your hair as best as you could and added on extra moisturizer.

You see how your phone buzzed on your bed as you reentered your room, plopping onto the bed to see who would've texted you.

Venti.

V: srry for the teasing

V: hehe

V: not rlly

V: but i heard xiao spoke to you other than his usual groans and making stupid faces !!

Y/N: yeahhh idk im still scared of him 😞

Y/N: he aura farmed for too long

Y/N: he's like lvl 100 mafia boss and im lvl 1 thug

Venti laughed at that last message.

V: nuh uh !! bet you dont realize that hes also shy asf !!

Y/N: i lowk dont believe u but oki

V: its true !! just keep talking abt the music and he’ll come around. he’s kinda like a cat !!

V: just not his cat, shes rlly friendly

Y/N: xiao has a cat?

V: hehe yup !! you’ll meet her someday just gotta earn his trust first. thats his daughter he wouldnt want a bad influence like you around her

Y/N: me? bad influence? girl look at you !!

V: man wtv !! imma go to bed hehe. just keep doing what you were doing

V: promise he’s not scary just shy

You just liked his message, then you scrolled between other messages.

Yunjin, she's a little weird. Talks about the band a lot, won't tell you who her ex is but it's either Aether or Xiao. So far you're getting to know Aether, there's no way it was Xiao, he’s so difficult to get to.

The band group chat. Just the four of you. It was mainly Venti sending memes, Aether would reply to them or send demos, Xiao is somewhat active as he only likes messages and asked the other day to have Tuesday off, and you? You haven't texted anything in the groupchat yet.

Maybe that’ll change.

Some guy named Henry asked you on a date to get boba and go hit up some shops nearby, rather far drive across town. Although he offered to pick you up, you prefer driving yourself in case anything weird happens.

You smile at the pictures of him. Cute guy, pale skin, glasses, short, light hair, pretty toned. He was rather cute but totally not what you'd usually go for, still you don't like keeping yourself in a box. You weren't really excited but at least you got to get out of the house more, not that your dad bothers you, you just don’t like to be holed up.

You sighed, flipping through your phone looking for a video to ‘watch’ as you tried to fall asleep. You’ve gotten used to noise to calm you down, your parents jamming out would provoke you with sleepiness, or just your dad watching tv loudly from the living room would be enough too.

Finally, you found something worth your interest and clicked it. You placed your phone on the nightstand beside you then wrapped yourself up in the warm comforters, freshly dried and so warm.

–

It’s well into the date with Henry, a guy from Mondstadt and he’s been really nice. A little weird. Not creepy, he’s just a big crypto guy. Whatever that means.

At the moment you're going between getting your father an antique ashtray or watch, staring at both eagerly as if they’d come alive and convincing you which one to buy. The ashtray is ceramic, painted and glazed over beautifully, it has a pond in the corner with some swans and a cherry blossom tree. The edges are decorated in gold. But the watch is definitely something your grandfather would have worn. And you know how much your dad misses his dad and regrets not keeping the watch he was buried with all those years ago.

“That for you?”

Familiar. Raspy. Kind of grumpy.

You turned to see Xiao standing beside you, hoodie on him and hands stuffed into his pocket sleeves. His face looked unamused, as always, he locked eyes with you for a second before turning to look back at what you were looking at. The watch or the ashtray.

He really did catch you off guard as you jolted at the sound of his unexpected voice.

“You stalking me or something?” you let out a chuckle, steadying your breath.

Seriously, you’re very well across town but still run into Xiao on the same Tuesday he asked for. Maybe God was punishing you.

“No. My cousins dragged me out here.” His eyes looked over to two girls going through clothes and holding up against each other, giggling between themselves. Ganyu and a girl with pink hair. “Where's your date?” his eyes locked back with yours, eyebrow raising.

You really didn't know where he was, you kind of just wandered off without him noticing. So you shrugged. “Dunno. These are for my dad though,” you motioned back to the two antiques in front of you, “guess I’ll get them both.”

Xiao just grunted in response. Seriously, this guy is so dry.

Before thinking of something else to say, Henry popped back up empty handed. “Yo, you ready to dip?” How embarrassing.

His eyes lingered around the store before looking back at you, talking to Xiao. Great.

“You know him, babe?”

You didn't even want to bother turning around to see Xiao’s reaction, so you just sighed and nodded.

“He’s in the band I’m in. He plays bass.”

“Oh, you were serious about being in a band?”

Now your eyebrow raised, “Yeah?”

Henry just hummed, looking over at Xiao, tongue pushing against his cheek before he spoke up again. “So, uh, you interested in crypto? I make five figures a year, pretty alpha of me. Since you know my girl, I’ll be sure to invite you out for drinks sometime.”

You really couldn't hold back your annoyed sigh, looking back at the trinkets in your hands you just headed towards the cash register. Henry turned to follow you. Xiao also decided to move on back to accompany his cousins still looking at clothes.

As you were checking out, Henry spoke to you but you just tuned him out. Something about Xiao being a chump and again, crypto, like that was something important. Whatever, none of your business.

As you both headed out you turned back to him. “Hey, uh, I gotta get home. My dad needs his meds.”

Henry looked at you looking surprised at the thought of his dates dad being sick, “Oh, uh, is he alright? I can walk you to your car-”

“No need. I parked far. Uh, text you later.”

You purposely cut him off, walking in the opposite of where your car was left.

Just when he was out of your sight, you hid behind other cars to attempt sneaking back to where you left your car. As if you were going to let him see what kind of car you drive around. So fucking embarrassing.

As you headed back towards your car, safe and sound, you opened up messages between you and Xiao. Obviously nothing was there. But you were tempted to tell him not to say anything.

FUCK THAT’S SO EMBARRASSING.

Whatever. Maybe he won't say anything.

Right?

When you were back in rehearsals the next day Venti asked you how your date went. Your eyes flickered to Xiao to see him reading some notes Aether jotted down for him to read and apply to his part. Eyes back onto Venti, he was now beginning to lean more onto you face as curious as ever.

“Alright, back up. I can feel your breath on my upper lip.”

“Oh, but Y/N! You said he was a cutie! How was it?”

Your fingers pinched the bridge of your nose, as if it was trying to hold back a headache, “It was pretty cringe. Total loser. Alpha male, kept talking about crypto and making five figures a year. Probably only makes 15k like what's that gonna do for me, y’know?”

Venti’s curious smile started to twitch before he erupted in laughter. “Total loser, for sure! That’s so embarrassing, how’d it end?”

“Saw Y/N run away from him outside.” Xiao added, looking over at the two of you behind your drum kit before going back to his bass and plucking the strings towards Aether, who was crouched in front of him with intense concentration on how Xiao's new notes would sound.

Venti’s mouth dropped before he began jumping around in laughter, “Xiao was there? Dude, I don't know how you're still here, I would've quit the band!”

“Thanks for the comfort… Maybe I should just delete this hellhole of an app.” You sighed, pulling out your phone, but before you could unlock it, Venti slapped his hand onto it.

“No, you shouldn't. I have a friend who knows a friend that found their second husband on there, maybe you’ll find your match.”

“You’re not really the best at comforting.”

“Never said I was.”

You sighed, spinning in your chair to see Aether giving Xiao a look of satisfaction. “That's enough, Venti, let's go over this run again. Y/N, start us off please?”

Venti groaned as he headed back to pick up his guitar, which was leaning against the wall behind you, then a half-ass jog back to his position. Aether looked over at you with a sympathetic smile before heading back to his spot.

You took a deep breath before counting the boys in with the taps of your sticks.

Band rehearsal continued as usual: set up the phone, do a take, stop the recording, start up again, and repeat to watch later.

As the hours passed by, the band grew tired and ended early. You waited for Venti to finish packing as you were his ride home that night, so you opened your texts up to send your dad a quick message letting him know you were gonna be late for dinner.

Which ultimately left Xiao alone in the garage, watching Venti tell you about a classmate that accidentally grabbed their professor's ass. The garage door closes for the final time that night behind you. Lights went out as the upstairs lights turned on only a few moments later.

–

Upstairs, lights and fan turned on, Xiao laid in bed. His eyes were closed and only the sound of the fan and Mila’s purrs filled the room. She always knew what to do, as soft paws walked across Xiao’s chest and sat down, round, green eyes looked down at him as if telling him that he can rest now.

Pale, long fingers reached over to pet the white, orange, and black fur of her neck which she leaned into giving out a tiny meow of contentment. A smirk crawled onto Xiao’s face as Mila obviously missed him, despite him being downstairs for only a couple of hours.

Xiao picked up his phone that lied across the bedding as a vibration caught his eye. Ganyu.

Shit.

Although he promised to keep an eye on Y/N, he really didn't want to. He formed this band to keep himself busy, even if it was on a whim, but it's really starting to feel as if it's an obligation.

G: how was rehearsal?

X: how do you know when it ends?

G: your spotify gets active again.

G: clementine by elliott smith tonight. sounds melancholic.

X: yeah

X: rehearsal was ok. same old.

X: just so you know, Y/N was on a date with someone yesterday

X: you and yanfei were trying on clothes, so i went to go say hi and her date was rather

X: lame

X: seems shes over that little boyfriend of yours

G: and if she's still plotting with yunjin?

G: figured that out yet?

X: dunno, she doesn't talk to me. venti usually gets her whole attention.

X: not too worried but im still watching out

G: i can help find out more

X: rather not. i’ll deal with her.

G: xiao.. :(

He closed his phone at that last text message, slamming the phone face down back onto the bed. Fingers combing through his hair, feeling rather wet. He’s been sweating and starting to stink, so I guess it's time for a shower.

Although he didn't really want to get up, he refused to go to bed stinky and dirty. He’s always found hygiene important. Constantly cleaning dirt from his fingers, moisturizing his face when the weather is cold, brushing his teeth twice a day. Somehow, it felt like that was the only control he had over himself, even stretching it to Mila as he makes sure to trim her claws every two weeks and brush her teeth daily. She really hated it in the beginning but soon got used to it, even sitting on the bathroom counter as if it was routine for her now.

As he turned on the knobs and stripped in the bathroom connected to his room, the water seemed to take a minute to head up. So while waiting he looked over at his stripped body, flexing his arms to check himself out then turning his back to check himself out again. He’s not pretentious, he just likes to check his progress, or lack of, he’s been neglecting the gym recently which made him lose some muscle mass. Not that he minds, really, despite his short stature he could still take on someone twice his size. But he knows he can't allow himself to slack off, so he’ll probably ask Itto if it’s cool to use some of the gym equipment he keeps in another room.

It was in the garage, but when Xiao brought up starting a band to Itto, they just decided to move some items to a different room downstairs.

Didn't think he’d actually support his decision, but he really was thankful to have someone like him in his life. It was a little overwhelming at times, though. Just not used to kind acts.

As the mirror started to fog up, Xiao took that as his cue to turn on the cold water some more before jumping into the shower.

The once boiling water hitting his skin soon turned into a warm sensation. It’s not too hot but it wasn't cold either. Just right.

He cupped some water into hands, splashing water onto his face. A small ritual for Xiao, water brings life, to bathe in its embrace is like a new day promised. Or something like that. A fresh return.

His bathing ritual continued, covering every single crevice in his body with soap and watching the water carry it away down the drain just beneath him.

Clean skin, fresh new start.

Xiao twisted the knobs to end his shower, he leaves his shower thoughts outside the enclosed, slippery room. His dad always blamed the water bill being so high on him, so he’d rather Itto not worry about his water bill either. No time for shower thoughts.

The coldness of the bathroom compared to the warmth of the water brought goosebumps onto his skin, so he grabbed the towel that he'd brought in and instantly started to dry his body and hair as much as he could.

Wrapping that same towel around his waist, Xiao opened the door to his bedroom, allowing the trapped stream to finally escape the cold bathroom air. His clothes were piled onto his bed, just some sweatpants, black shirt, and a pair of underwear. Although he may have to go to bed without a shirt as Mila seems to have fallen into a deep sleep on top of it. Her soft, white belly with black spots were face up, her body stretched into a ‘C’ shape and one of her paws extended way past her little head, so much so that her trimmed claws were poking out.

The sight of her relaxed body in a state of unconsciousness brought a smile onto Xiao’s face, sharp eyes now softening as slow, deep snores escaped his small companion's open mouth.

Carefully, Xiao picked up his underwear and sweats and slipped them on, the towel that wrapped around his waist thrown into the laundry basket near the bedroom door.

The sudden sleepiness went away after his shower, so his thoughts began to fill up with his anxieties again.

Damn Yunjin.

Whatever. This isn’t a night to dwell on such feelings. And how else could he get over them than to smoke?

It’s been a few days since he last felt the high this beautiful green flower gave him. However, he can't recall exactly when he got into weed.

Maybe it was because of the football team in his high school inviting him to smoke with them behind the bleachers - surprisingly - or maybe it was in middle school when his first girlfriend snuck the two of them into an abandoned house in her neighborhood and they tested out the joint her mom's boyfriend secretly rolled for them. Maybe it was when he first got kicked out of his father's house at 16 and Venti introduced him to a bong he received from a cousin, even if Venti decided that weed wasn't for him. Whatever the case was, tonight was a kind of night where weed came back to comfort him.

He rose from his bed once again to crack open the window slightly, Mila wouldn't escape but you can't ever be too careful. The blue and white bong sat on his desk, it was recently cleaned and the thought of dirtying it again kind of hurts, but his need for a fill is too much to deny. So he grabbed the half empty water bottle nearby and dumped the necessary amount in. His drawers by the desk housed his bud, two different strands in two clear containers.

One container housed a beautiful purple flower, the color was what caught his attention when Itto introduced him to his supplier. Perfect for his anxiety and would help him sleep, it also tasted like artificial grapes which Xiao didn't seem to mind. Purple Kush, an indica. Supposedly makes you hungry as well but the golden-eyed boy is used to smoking so much he doesn't want to overeat whenever the munchies hit. He’s got water in his jug to help him with the cottonmouth as well.

The other container housed a blue-violet flower that Itto’s supplier gifted for him to try out. Tastes sweet, he said. Although it's a hybrid, it's more of an indica feel. He really needs more of a sativa strain instead, but he wasn't gonna complain to a new… friend about it. He searched more of the strain on the ride home with Itto, how it can be a little bit of an aphrodisiac. So maybe he’ll save that when he’s home alone and brings a girl over.

As if that’d happen any time soon.

Purple Kush it is.

Slender fingers twist open the cap and take a bud out, not too much since his bowl isn't really big. He places the singular bud on a tray, picking off the stems carefully as the container with the rest of the flower stays nearby.

His drawer is still open as his eyes scan over for a little silver metal round container hiding somewhere. It was quite easy to find anyways as the light reflected off of it. He pulled out the container and popped open the top, exposing some crushed leaves inside of it. His reliable grinder. He always thought of the leftover pieces as extra 'seasoning’.

He placed the bud he broke apart into the container and stuck the top back on, magnets helping the container close down smoother as he twisted the top around. Maybe after three twists everything fell into the bottom compartment. That little bud he had actually filled more than enough so last him two bowls.

Usually he could zip through four bowls in a sitting but tonight just wouldn't be that kind of night. Two bowls it’ll be then.

He twisted the bottom compartment off and emptied it out onto his tray where the single bud once laid.

It was nearly like a power, just more like clumps. The smell wasn't pungent either, just smelled like the artificial grapes it’ll taste like.

Xiao took the small bowl that sat on his bong, then slowly filled it up using the edge of the tray, packing it in with a wooden stick. Not too hard or else the smoke wouldn't be able to steep through, but not light enough to have the shredded flower fly around onto the carpet and his clothes.

He sat the bowl back into his bong, setting it onto his lap and finding the lighter that works.

First one didn't. Neither did the second one. Third times the charm right? It wasn't.

He really didn't want to bother Itto, especially this late at night.

For a loud guy he knows how to stay quiet especially with Shinobu. Didn't want to interrupt something intimate between them.

He checked another drawer near his desk to see two more lighters.

He’d nearly forgotten he bought a pair just a while back. And sure enough, they sparked.

He brought the ring of the bong up to his mouth, igniting the lighter close to the bowl which quickly brought smoke into the glass container.

Once it was ignited enough and Xiao counted to three in his head, he lifted the bowl from the bong once again and kept going for a few more seconds.

He took his mouth off the top of the bong and inhaled as much as he could, before releasing the smoke that clogged his lungs.

Such a smooth hit. It was a huge hit he took but it didn't make him want to gag or cough. He did, however, feel the burning sensation in the back of his throat. So he took the water jug that sat on the floor beside him and took a few sips to ease that feeling.

Taking a deep breath, he looked over back to the bowl and calculated that he could probably take another hit or two before packing the next one.

And so he did.

The first hit didn't really do anything to him, the third hit got him buzzed, but the last hit brought him up to a high that had him staring at his ceiling and the anxious thoughts floated away.

It genuinely was relieving how soft he felt in that moment on his old leather chair - it’s actually Itto’s but details don't matter. But not long after his sleepiness came crawling back.

So, he placed his bong back onto his desk, then gave himself an internal pep talk to not be lazy and go lay down in bed. Which he did. He closed his window, turned on the ceiling fan and turned off the light, then waddled over to the bed in the corner of the room and threw himself on top. Careful enough to not land on Mila of course.

The sudden weight bouncing beside her caused her to switch from her relaxed position to her rolling over and crawling on top of Xiao’s bare chest. Her soft purrs filled his ears as she leaned her head closer to his face, smelling the weed he just ingested on his mouth and chirped at him. She always did that after he smoked, Xiao assumed she would scold him in her own way, but she’d never be upset for too long as she curled around his chest.

I guess tonight he’ll just sleep shirtless. But at least his pretty girl would accompany him during his slumber.

And so, Xiao drifted off to sleep with his cat purring contently into his ear, and her drool falling on his chest. Gross. But at least she's happy.

im out of school and FREE !! went through a lot lately. uncle passed away this weekend, kitten i was helping take care of also passed a few days ago, finals week.

im a lil exhausted but at least im guaranteed kinich. and the other kitties are cool too, theyre starting to get playful and started playing w my maine coon despite the size/age difference.

song that the band is 'writing' is You (Show Me Where My Days Went) by Wallows, my bf lowk put me on

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