#i'm answering this one because i have some public speaking advice

[eevees-hobbies]

I'M ON MY HANDS AND KNEES PLEASE DO SOMETHING WITH KAJI AND BITING

Content Warning: Mind the tags! MeanGirlReader x TiredOfYourShitRenKaji. Hate-fucking, toxic behavior, degradation, sex in a public place, but plot armor makes it ok, spitting and consumption of said spit, biting, cumming inside without consent. Minors Do Not Interact.

Word Count: 1.3K

Banner by me.

Fun Facts:

If you’re sexually aroused by biting, you have a fetish called Odaxelagnia.

You probably like being bitten because you’re into pain, you sadomasochist.

It has been reported that half of all people are aroused from biting, so congrats, you’re not alone!

Kaji finds you so obnoxiously annoying that his lips curl upward into a scowl. He hates the way your eyes sparkle when you look at him–that irritating, mischievous glint shining brightly in your eyes right as he passes into your field of vision. He hates how you push his buttons with smart-mouthed remarks–every word passing through your lips laced with venom. And he especially hates how you can’t tell that he’s so in love with you that if you decided never to speak to him again, he’d choose to drop off the face of the planet.

But you were so goddamn rude, so fuck ever telling you that.

“I dunno, man. Maybe she’s one of those girls who likes their men a lil mean. It honestly sounds like you two need to bang it out.” 

Kaji gave Hiragi a deadpan stare after approaching his mentor for much-needed sage advice. Hearing him suggest that you wanted to be dicked down felt so off-base to Kaji, which was disappointing since Hiragi was usually right about everything.

But there must be an exception to that rule because the thought of you wanting to fuck him was simply:

Ridiculous.

Absurd. 

Unless? 

No! 

There’s no way you were into him. No sane person would act like you do if they liked someone.

So when Kaji finds himself at a dive bar where an underground death metal band is playing their heaviest set, his stomach churns with annoyance—and something else he’d rather not say aloud—as he sees you walk to the bathroom.

And maybe he was feeling a little brave—or stupid—that night. Because he followed in hopes that you both could squash whatever beef you had concocted in your head, and maybe he’d consider asking your dumbass out.

But as you exited the bathroom and he saw that shit-eating grin on your pretty face as your eyes met, he became painfully aware that, no, he was the actual dumbass.

“Kaji? You stalking me or…? Oh, wait,” you look behind you at the door to the restroom. “I get it. You wanted to watch me pee. I heard you might be into something like that.”

In a matter of seconds, anger consumed him, coursing through his veins like wildfire; all the negative interactions you two had, the snide comments, the poking, prodding, culminating into a very volatile climax.

“What’s your problem with me?!” Kaji doesn’t mean to grab your wrist so hard that you wince in pain—but he does. And he doesn’t mean to practically growl at you, his prominent canines on display as his lips curl upward—but he does. And he doesn’t mean to smash his lips against yours when he catches your eyes staring at his mouth—but he does. 

As the crowd in the next room thrash about in the mosh pit, Kaji is pulling your skirt up and spreading your legs by slotting his own between your thighs.

He tears his lips away from yours, chest heaving, and blue eyes blackened with rage.  “This what you wanted? To be fucked in some dive bar in some dirty ass hallway?”

If he didn’t find you absolutely reprehensible, he wouldn’t feel any shame in admitting how beautiful you look in the dimly lit hallway, lips swollen from his heated kiss, mouth slightly open, and dressed exactly like the type of girl who could run away with his heart.

You don’t immediately answer him, but your body is shaking, and for a moment, he feels as though he might have made a mistake. He’s about to withdraw and offer his apologies until he hears you cackling.

“Kaji, you think I’m scared of you? I eat little boys like you for breakfast.” Your tone is condescending, and any remorse Kaji feels for you dissolves along with his patience.

“What are ya gonna do, Kaji? Fuck the attitude out of me?”

Before he can talk himself out of it, he’s gripping your cheeks between his fingers. You try to gather enough strength to shake your head out of his grasp, but his fingers only dig in more, earning a hiss from you. And as you look at him, lips puckered in a delicious pout, Kaji accumulates as much saliva into his mouth as he can, and with two fingers prying your jaw open, he spits into your mouth. Globules of his spit land on your lips and tongue, sitting thickly and tasting like vodka.

And despite the hold he has on you, your eyes roll back as your clit seizes uncontrollably and your cunt drools.

He removes his hand from your face, repositioning it near your head against the wall so that he’s leaning into your orbit. 

“Swallow it.”

And he’s not fucking asking.

You make a show of swallowing his spit, gulping loudly as it slides down your throat, and then showing him your tongue.

“You want me to fuck you so bad, and you don’t even know how to ask for it.”

“I know how to ask, Ren.” Your hand snakes down to the bulge in his pants, and to his absolute horror, a moan bubbles out of his throat at your touch–it feels hot with want, and his brain is telling him that danger is imminent, but he can’t help but lean into the palm of your hand.

“So then ask. Nicely.”

You lick your lips, eyes hungry, and cunt the wettest it's ever been.

“Fuck me, Ren. Please, fuck me.”

“Good girl.” He unzips his pants, the sound making your heart palpitate wildly against your ribcage. As you reach down and pull your panties down your legs, you extend them to Kaji on the tip of your finger.

He sneers but takes the garment, placing it in his back pocket for future use.

You yelp as he picks you up, pushing your back against the wall as he lowers you on his cock. And there’s nothing gentle with the way he treats you. Not allowing your pussy to even adjust to his girthy cock as it rams into your tight, weeping hole.

He’s ramming into you, drumming thuds and sloppy, wet sounds echoing in the empty hallway, with only the sound of the concert drowning out the sounds of your grunts and whimpers.

You wrap your arms around his broad shoulders, closing your eyes and savoring the feeling of him beating up your cunt. “Fuck, fuck, fuck!!”

“S-shut the fuck up and stop acting like you weren’t begging for this.”

Your eyes blow out as he sinks his canines into your neck, and despite the searing pain, you clench around him, your cum already coating his dick.

Kaji laughs against your neck. "You wanted to be treated like a hole? All you had to do was ask.”

He’s smashing his lips on yours again, but this time, you lead the kiss, gliding your tongue into his mouth. Your tongue dances over one of his canines, careful at first out of caution but then with reckless abandon as the sharp points of them embolden you, and Kaji groans at your forwardness.

It’s not long before Kaji can feel his balls clenching, his cum loaded in the chamber and ready to fire into you. And if this were any other situation, he’d pull out, choosing to cum somewhere far more convenient, but the idea of filling you up after all the shit you’ve given him and making you march back into the crowd without panties, and semen dripping down your leg makes him groan in your mouth and release hot, thick streams into your pussy.

Your body recoils at the feeling of his seed pouring into you, his cock throbbing as the ropes become smaller spurts until finally subsiding.

You slide down the wall as Kaji pulls away from you and pushes himself back into his jeans. He’s still scowling down at you. “Got that out of your system?”

You’re dazed, a little confused, and entirely giddy from the experience. “And if I say no?”

Kaji rolls his eyes, but he understands you now—he understands what you like and what you need, and he’s sure he can supply it to you moving forward.

[transmutationisms]

Feel free not to answer this ask so you dont have to step into this particular hornet's nest but do you have any thoughts about people sharing inaccurate science about COVID in order to push for more COVID regulations? I agree that COVID is being neglected and we need better policies but I'm also a biochemist so it pisses me off to see people cite research in a way that makes exaggerated and terrifying claims. Two years ago, I was warning my colleagues against this condescending "just trust the science" approach but now the same crowd pushing that has shifted to pushing "don't trust any of the positive science, only my catastrophic interpretations of it". Can't we mask without also trying to convince each other that COVID is a guaranteed one way ticket to death and permanent disability?

you must be new here haha i swing bats at this hornet's nest like once a month. yeah i think the current state of covid communication sucks a lot. i mean the truth is that "follow the science" is always a disingenuous sentiment; Science doesn't speak, and scientists disagree with one another. and it's naïve to pretend majority consensus is a reliable mechanism to identify truth—anyone who has followed the covid aerosolisation about-face will recall that although linsey marr was not the first researcher to challenge medical orthodoxy on airborne disease transmission, even well into the covid pandemic the idea of aerosol transmission was marginalised by global health authorities because it was politically inconvenient, out of favour with powerful established academics, and reminiscent to some of pre-pasteurian miasma theories of disease. those who would "follow the science" were not presented with a convenient dichotomy between reasonable evidence-backed expert consensus and fringe peddlers of heterodoxy; to evaluate these positions required actually, yknow, reading and evaluating the arguments and evidence from multiple competing positions, and deciding which had the greater explanatory power. which is good epistemological advice only insofar as it's so obvious as to be trite.

fundamentally a huge driving force of this situation is the social, political, and institutional forces that make expert knowledge (a generally good thing) all too often synonymous with inaccessible knowledge. i don't mean inaccessibility caused by knowledge being specialised; obviously this is inevitable to some extent simply as a result of the fact that no one person will grasp the entirety of human knowledge. but the fact that knowledge is specialised, specific, highly technical, and so forth doesn't automatically mean, for example, that it has to be monetarily gatekept from all but a select few with the resources to persevere through a highly punishing, nepotistic, hegemonic university system; this is a political problem, and one that additionally has the effect of enabling and sheltering low-quality work (see: replication crisis) behind the opaque walls of university bureaucracy and the imprimateur of the credentials it grants. in lieu of an ability to actually engage with, read, or challenge much of the academic research being generated on any given topic, the lay public is supposed to rely on signs of reliability like possession of a degree, or institutional reputation. what we in fact see again and again, and with particularly high stakes in the case of something like a pandemic, is that these measures are instruments of class stratification and professional jockeying that don't inherently ensure quality information: MDs can and do peddle anti-vaxx lies and covid / long-covid denialism; the CDC and WHO can and do perpetrate bad and outdated scientific advice, like that masks are unnecessary and isolation periods can be shortened for convenience. many of these are just blatant cases of kowtowing to political pressure, which arises from the capitalist logic that counterposes disease prevention to economic growth.

this all leaves us in a position where it is, in fact, smart and correct to evaluate the information coming from 'official' and credentialled sources with scepticism. the problem is that in its place, we get information coming out of the same capitalist state-sponsored scientific institutions, and the same colonialist universities; the idea that some chucklefuck on twitter is telling you the secret truth just because they correctly identified that the government sucks is plainly absurd. where covid specifically is concerned, the liberalism of academic and scientific institutions is on display in numerous ways, including the idealist assumption, which many 'covid communicators' make, that public health policy is primarily a matter of swaying public opinion, and therefore that it is always morally imperative to form and propagate the most alarmist possible interpretation of any study or empirical observation. this is not an attitude that encourages thoughtful or measured evaluation of The Science (eg, study methodology), nor is it one that actually produces the kind of political change that would be required to protect the populace writ large from what is, indeed, a dangerous and still rampant virus. instead, this form of communication mostly winds up generating social media Engagement and screenshots of headlines of summaries of studies.

meanwhile, actual public health policy (which is by and large determined at the mercy of capitalist state interests, and which by and large shapes public opinion of what mitigation measures are 'reasonable', despite the CDC repeatedly pretending this works the other way round), remains on its trajectory toward lax, open exposure of anyone and everyone to each new strain of covid, perpetuating a society that is profoundly hostile to disabled people and careless with everyone's life and health. this fucking sucks. it sucked that we have treated the flu like this for years, and it sucks that we are now doing it with a virus that we are still relatively immunologically naïve to, and that produces, statistically, even more death and disability than the flu. and it sucks that the predominating explanations of this state of affairs from the 'cautious' emphasise not the structural forces that shape knowledge production under capitalism, but instead invoke a psychological narrative whereby individuals simply need to be sufficiently terrified into producing mass action.

[eldritch-spouse]

[There's something in my drafts I'm hardly going to finish, so I'll just leave this here.]

Full: Option 1; Option 2

TW: Degradation; Public humiliation

You meet behind the local mall.

The same one he first stalked you in, of course. You're a sentimental sap, after all, but it also helps you remember to not feel bad about anything you do to Patches. He's just a creep, always been one, and creeps don't deserve anything.

Certainly not when they arrive 10 minutes after the scheduled time.

You watch him meekly trudge towards you, slightly shadowed by the more secluded nature of this location. Patches has the decency to look embarrassed, rubbing his own arm and refusing to make eye contact while his old boots all but drag on the rocky ground.

He listened to your advice from last time, at least, making an effort to look more normal by wearing only his shirt and pants. Putting aside the garish shoe wear and the fucking ridiculous hat he refuses to part ways with, he could almost blend in well enough with other monsters.

This style of clothing isn't his preference, if the way he's shrinking even more into himself is any indication.

" Oh goodie, look who finally decided to show up! "

The dullahan immediately starts scratching at the bold veins on his arms, irritating the pockets of magic beneath his skin.

" I- I'm so sorry, Ma'am. I didn't mean to be late- It's- My... " He chokes a little. " My work... There was a- "

" Did I ask for excuses? "

Your tone is your most powerful weapon. In the flip of a switch, sugary, sardonic babying can become a bitter, chilling warning. It always seems to catch the undead's breath.

" No, ma'am... "

" You know, this happens a lot Patches. I'm starting to think that maybe you don't want to see me at all. "

The words make him panic, wide sockets peeking from his downturned hat to gouge the seriousness of your words.

" Ne- Never never! I lov- "

" Then don't waste my time. " You smile. " Are you getting cocky because I happen to find you mildly entertaining? Do you think you have a shot with any woman out there? " You speak as if you're addressing a crippled animal. " Oh, you dumb little thing, there's nothing in that head except seeds, hm? "

There's already some color around his face. " ... Yes, ma'am. "

" Good. " Your hand reaches to pet him under the chin. " Good boy, we keep our expectations in reality, don't we? We know you're just a loser, and losers don't get to waste anyone's time. That's rude, isn't it? "

Just this once, you allow him to nod instead of verbally answering.

There's a silent beat, before one stocking clad leg raises and your heel collides with his knee, sending the monster tumbling down. It wasn't a particularly strong hit, just something to make him smarten up.

Properly trained, Patches stays down, looking up at you with poorly masked anticipation.

" Well come on, dummy. " A foot taps against the ground, shiny black pumps that he bought you, with a small moon-shaped jewel on the front. They're pretty, his eyes twinkle with happiness just looking at them on your feet. " We're not going home until I feel like you're sorry enough. "

Patches knows what to do. He flattens to the ground like no more than a worm. Anyone could realistically pass by this nook and see him prostrated before some woman, slimy green tongue out to polish already spotless shoes.

Annoyed, you swat that large hat away, putting it on yourself instead.

" My hat-! "

" How am I supposed to know if you're doing a good job if I can't see you? " He looks back down, defeated. " God, you're so stupid. "

That gets him to work. The dullahan is nothing if not dedicated, quickly getting into the task. He lavishes the sides of your pumps, tongue flirting with your skin and hands twitching on concrete when you warningly 'tsk'. The length of them is peppered in carved kisses, and he pays special attention to the jewels, huffing with what you already know to be pure neediness. His drool leaves a translucent yet slightly green sheen behind, which looks almost pretty under the light.

Or maybe you're just mildly depraved.

Not as much as Patches, at least.

" What a good job you're doing down there! " You coo, the same way you would at a golden retriever that just handed you its paw. " You've always been good at this, maybe it should be your new profession, hah. "

He makes some kind of breathy mewl, now just retracing his earlier work. You figure that's enough for now.

" Okay okay, stop, I can almost forgive you. "

Patches looks back up at you. " Almost M- Ma'am? "

" Stick your tongue out. "

He does, a rather lengthy magical muscle protruding from that gourd head. You suppose, had you the means to, you'd also give yourself a rather large tongue.

" On the ground. "

The undead makes a face, lowering it as told and likely getting a nasty flavorful of whatever filth has touched the concrete before.

One heel rises, the flat end of your sole perching against his face, the pointed end swiftly descending into that exposed clapper. You make sure to grind it in, sink it, hearing his garbled cries as Patches instinctively tries to retract his tongue. He doesn't know what to do with his own head while trapped like this, the lights in his sockets blurring when tears form around the edges, painting his face.

You don't stop until he's sobbing quietly, shaking yet defeated.

" There we go. I think I can like you again. You're always so obedient... "

Your heel punctured deep enough that you kind of have to give it a shake to release the dullahan's tongue. He makes another pained whine before moving back, holding the damaged muscle as it limply hangs off his wide mouth. It's a tad dirty, but the most striking detail is the hole on top of its flat surface, oozing some kind of thick gel that you can't quite call blood.

He rises awkwardly, back still curved, trying to wipe his own summoned tongue clean before putting it back in his mouth and swallowing his own magic.

" Huh, you could almost pierce it, pumpkin. I bet that'd look good on you. "

And like the flattery-hungry loser he is, Patches smiles faintly through the pain.

Your eyes rake down and find what comes as no surprise. He's already more than hard. In a way, it's kind of better this way, not having to work at all to get him in such a shameful state. You could give Patches a look, and he'd probably begin chubbing in seconds. The problem is keeping it that way, and preventing him from getting excited enough to end things prematurely. Your new pet won't become a disappointment, surely. Not if his discipline continues.

A decently sized cock strains against the tight fabric of his pants, already forming an unsightly patch -Hah- of wetness. You've always liked one thing about him. Well, that's a lie, you enjoy lots of things about Patches. But- The way the prominent veins along his body continue into his endowment is also very pleasing. It makes you want to hurry things along, in spite of your modus operandi of grinding out the maximum potential of every second in these encounters.

" Try not to ruin your pants before we get home, okay sweetie? " You mock. " Did you bring it, by the way? "

The dullahan nods frantically, waving his hands in front of him in a specific pattern that, upon the snap of his index and middle finger, summons forth a collar.

This velvet dark green circle with intricate leaf patterns on its exterior. Two small white jewels frame the silver hoop where the chained leash in your purse attaches. You spent some time designing this beautiful adornment, more time than he deserves really, oh but it's in your nature to be a perfectionist. There were some hiccups. Particularly around the fact that dullahans are apparently frightened by gold... Your first purchase was trashed immediately, needless to say.

Last time you met, Patches had forgotten his collar. This was a grave offense to you, punishable by sharply diminishing his time with you. See, to truly punish this undead, you can't just promise him pain or ruined pleasure, he enjoys those. To upset him, to make consequences tangible, you deny him your time- And it's wonderfully effective!

Exhibit A, Patches has remembered to bring his collar today, after the previous session lasting only half an hour.

" Good boy! Perfect. See? You can learn. " He actually preens at that. " Now put it on. "

When you clip the leash to the monster, he's staring deep into your eyes, sockets pulsing heart-shaped lights as his breath becomes shallow and hot. Oh yeah, he's checking out already.

Good.

" Walk. "

[shalom-iamcominghome]

So I've wanted to start the process of conversion for the longest time now, but what stops me is just being afraid of not having the right answers if that makes sense, when meeting with a rabbi to discuss conversion for example. How did you prepare for meeting your rabbi and what kind of things did they ask you? I have really bad social anxiety and I struggle with public speaking so thinking about this scares me so much. I love everything I've learned about Judaism and I'm positive I want to convert but this is the one thing holding me back :( and additionally how was your experience when first going to services at your synagogue and is there anything you needed to do to prepare for it? I struggle with new environments even though I'd love to start going so any advice helps, thank you so much if you do decide to answer <3

First of all, good shabbos!

On Questions:

Most of the questions I have found rabbis to ask on a first meeting are generally categorized under, "what are your goals?," "what is your background?," and "what are you currently doing in your everyday life?"

I have talked to a few rabbis now, and upon the first few meetings, they truly just want to understand where you're coming from, what's brought you to this point, and how your relationship with Judaism may work out.

I would encourage you to potentially write your story out - where did you grow up? Were there any influential Jewish figures or moments where you thought, "man, I want that!" or perhaps any awakenings in your previous religion which troubled you if that's applicable? I like to think of this period as though you're meeting a match-maker - they want to figure out who you are before matching you with something they know you'll fall in love with. In the beginning stages, they really won't ask the hard-hitting questions, especially because you are also supposed to see if you think that rabbi would fit in with your Judaism goals. The rabbis I met before settling on the one I am sponsored by currently were all incredibly kind, even if they had to reject me outright (because they were busy with other students they are working with, not because they were trying to be mean!). All of them, essentially, were ecstatic alongside me about Judaism, and they gave the impression like they want people to join am yisrael.

On First-Time Services:

My shul requires that people email first if they have never gone to services, and I have noticed this is a semi-common practice. Frankly, though, that was all I needed to do in order to start attending. I think all you would need to do is to show up in your best clothing, and depending on the movement you go to, you may need to be mindful of different practices. I already have a kippah, and my shul has a big box full of kippot you can borrow (which is common). If kippah-wearing is a goal you want to achieve in your Judaism, certainly feel free to wear one, but it may not be something you need to bring with you. Additionally, be mindful of where people sit - in my shul, we do mixed, informal seating (though we naturally have men and women sitting on "their" sides, which I didn't even notice at first), but some shuls may have more explicit expectations of men's and women's seating - it truly depends.

I also made it clear with everyone that I will not be going up to read from the Torah, since they call upon people semi-randomly (actually, we rely on a particular family in which all of the children make up all the shul's child demographic). I have read haftarah portions upon their request, and have read from portions of the Torah if we don't have a minyan (semi often occurrence), but they have never called upon me to go up officially.

Most of my experiences being a newcomer were of people asking a lot of questions. Many shuls don't have newcomers, especially in small towns or places with a limited number of Jewish presence. They've been very nice, inclusive, and genuine - in fact, I feel I am treated as a fellow Jew by them (in the sense that they hold me to the same expectations, want me to learn, and have always let me participate to the fullest extent that I am able to). I find that if they see how genuine you are, they are incredibly willing to help you, to support you, or to even turn potential mistakes into learning opportunities. This is the norm for everyone - we made the mistake once of saying the Shema at the wrong time, and we just turned it into an opportunity to do better. Judaism is a collaborative effort, and that's a hard lesson to learn sometimes, but I have found that once you're used to it, you truly start to get comfortable. This shul is my home, and so I want to put that effort in to making it beautiful. I enjoy cleaning up after our communal lunch because it's the most I can do without a kosher kitchen and being a student, and I love to learn from everyone, so I attend the classes they've created. You don't have to do anything big! Just do it with all your heart and might, and people will see the effort you make, and you'll go a long way

[fullsunrise]

Playing With Fire (M)

Word count: 1.8k

Pairing: Johnny x Original female character

Genre: Office AU, some angst, light smut

Warnings: Mentions of alcohol, Johnny is a bully, heavy sexual themes, non-explicit smut (don't hookup with your coworkers!), uh semi-public sex

A/N: Uhhh I don't know what this is, but it's pretty much self-indulgent lmao

There was nothing quite like early winter in the city, with the twinkling lights tangled in the bare trees and a to-go coffee that was almost too hot. This early in the morning, there was no one around. It was calming, and Nari wanted to appreciate the silence before all hell broke loose. She sat on the unoccupied bench outside of her building, savoring the last five minutes she had until she had to face her worst nightmare. That nightmare happened to have a name: Johnny.

Johnny Suh from Sales. Even thinking about him made Nari’s eye twitch. Ever since she was forced to work with him on her latest project, he made it his sole mission to make her life a living hell. Never once in Nari’s career has she had to work with someone so egotistical, cunning, and above all else: annoyingly attractive.

Although she had been working at her company for the last two years, she had never heard of him. Not until she saw an unfamiliar name CC’d on an email from her boss. Confused, she made her way to her boss’s office.

“He's been here almost as long as you have, I believe,” her boss told her. “Great guy, it should be a breeze working with him.”

It was hilarious how wrong he was. Nari’s reality was most definitely not a breeze, but more like a hurricane. Whatever higher being set this up was surely laughing at her now as she struggled against the powerful storm.

To stand any chance, Nari knew she needed any advice she could get. And who else was more equipped than Jaehyun? After years of working at law firms across the city, Nari was sure he was the only person who could understand how to deal with egotistical monsters.

“I'm just saying, maybe try to avoid any interactions with the guy. I mean he's clearly a prick,” Jaehyun said, then took a sip of his beer.

“Trust me, I've been trying to avoid him but it's impossible when we have to work directly together,” Nari replied.

It was hopeless. Johnny was too smart. Careful not to push it too far, he was only condescending to her face. He made sure his actions spoke for him, though. Like last week when he went out to lunch with their project team, he accidentally forgot to invite her. And just a day ago, she swore he was whispering about her to another coworker in the kitchen. Then he laughed loud enough for Nari to hear, only confirming her suspicions. It was subtle, but enough to make her go insane.

“Don't let him get to you,” Jaehyun offered. “You know he's only doing this because he feels threatened by you.”

Threatened? Why would Johnny be threatened by her? Nothing about her was particularly threatening. Sure, Nari was good at her job but she never did anything that would cause someone to dislike her. And certainly she would never step on anyone just to get a promotion. In her corporate life, Nari made sure to remain honest, social, and professional. Unlike Johnny, who couldn't have a more opposite approach.

“I’ll try,” she replied. “But enough about me. How's it going in your world?”

“Same ol’ bullshit as always,” he chuckled.

They spoke about their jobs for a while longer, laughing at random anecdotes from the week. Nari didn't speak about Johnny again, and shortly the thought of him was washed down along with her Gin and tonic. Somewhere between her first and third drinks, Jaehyun asked her how her dating life had been. It caught her off guard only for a moment as she reached for an answer in her muddled brain. With her thoughts slowed, the best she managed to pull was a horrific yet comical dating story. Jaehyun laughed along with her and shared his own. It was always weird talking about her love life with Jaehyun but it was still nice nonetheless. But she would never get used to it, even though there were no lingering feelings left between them.

Nari came back to her apartment feeling a bit lighter after seeing Jaehyun. While he helped her forget about Johnny momentarily, Nari dreaded tomorrow. It was the day of the company holiday party. Normally Nari looked forward to it every year, but the idea of running into Johnny made her stomach churn. Sure, there were going to be a lot of employees and plus ones but the chance of seeing him wasn't zero.

The next day quickly flew by, with little to no urgent work that needed to get done. Nari always appreciated slow work days, but today she wished the day lasted a bit longer. Because as the moon rose in the sky, she knew could no longer hide.

The rooftop lounge was packed with her coworkers spread out across fancy bar top tables. Nari and a few of her team members claimed a spot close to the bar. While she was promised it would limit any unwanted interactions, the idea of walking up with all eyes on her made her mouth dry.

“I’m gonna get another drink,” Nari shouted on top of the loud music.

Much to her relief, Nari didn't recognize the people she passed on her way to the bar. No Johnny in sight, her shoulders relaxed instantly.

“One Old Fashioned, thanks,” the guy with slicked back hair in front of her ordered. Ugh, what kind of person would order that?

The guy with the slicked back hair turned around, and the moment Nari locked eyes with him she was frozen in place. The worst scenario Nair conjured in her mind was happening right now, in real life.

Johnny looked at her for a second before turning away to talk to his friend. That didn't bother Nari, but the fact that he decided to brush past her like she was invisible set her off.

Chasing after Johnny wasn't how Nari expected to spend her night, but there she was pushing through the crowd. Johnny moved fast, but she was able to catch up in the bathroom hallway.

“Why?” The liquor coursed through her veins, giving her the courage to speak up.

“I don't know what you're talking about,” Johnny deadpanned, as he turned around to look straight through her. It was clear he was avoiding her question, which in turn only made her angrier.

“Don't play dumb, you know what you're doing,” she accused, her voice raising.

“You're going to be a bit more specific than that, sweetheart,” he said, crossing his arms across his chest.

“So you're just going to pretend like you haven't made my life a living hell the last few months?”

“I think that's too harsh,” he answered, his expression softening. That look could've worked on other women, but Nari wasn't going to give in.

“It's the truth, you've hated me ever since that day.”

“When did I say I hated you?”

Jaehyun’s words echoed in her mind. “Admit it, you’re threatened by me.”

Bingo. Her words seemed to strike a nerve with Johnny, because the next thing she knew he grabbed her arm and pulled her into the bathroom. Warning signs went off in her head immediately, but it happened so quickly that she couldn't break away.

“You don't know what you're talking about,” he seethed, taking a step closer to her.

Was he always standing this close? The temperature was rising, and Nari could feel the blood rush into her cheeks.

“I think I do,” Nari breathed, trying to sound confident. But her quivering voice didn't fool him.

His kisses were feverish against her skin he left bites along the curve of her neck. As he made his way down to her collarbone, Nari’s eyebrows scrunched together. With her lips slightly parted in pleasure, Johnny took the opportunity to steal the air from her lungs in one swift motion. His lips were rough and chapped from the cold, but the way they molded to her own left her utterly breathless. When he abruptly bit her lower lip and gazed at her, she knew she was done for. Deep desire pooled in his eyes and her body craved more of the pleasure he brought. Nari knew right then and there that she had no plans of stopping him.

“No, you don't,” he asserted, breaking the kiss for only a second before diving back in.

Her back was flush against the wall now, the cool tile contrasting against the heat of her skin. Johnny held the side of her jaw forcefully, with his other hand tracing the contour of her waistband. Out the window was her moral compass along with her dignity, her judgment clouded with pure desire.

The sensation of his hand dipping lower only added to her bubbling lust. Without warning, he snaked his hand out of her waistband. Nari whined at the loss and Johnny chuckled in amusement.

“Oh?” he mused, his grin never leaving his face. “You don't like that?”

Nari could only shake her head in response, her brain too muddled to think clearly. Satisfied with her frazzled state, Johnny resumed his motions. Her gasps bounced off the bathroom walls as she chased the high, no longer caring who could hear. With each moan that escaped her lips, she began to fall apart. Strands of hair came loose and tears of pleasure pooled. Her release was imminent, but before she could reach the climax Johnny suddenly stopped.

“I'm sorry, did you want more?” he asked, forehead pressed to her own.

Falling from her high, the reality of the situation came back into focus. What the hell was she doing? Not too long ago Nari couldn't even fathom being in the same room as Johnny, let alone letting herself unravel in front of him. It almost sickened her how quickly she folded under his spell. He knew exactly what he was doing and Nari was willingly falling right into his trap.

“Please,” she replied as she tried to catch her breath.

That was all Johnny needed to continue. With her pleasure still heightened, it took Nari only a few minutes to fully come undone. If Johnny wanted, she would let him take her right then and there. All the sirens in her head told her it was wrong, but why did it feel so right?

“See you tomorrow,” he snickered as he pulled away from her. Giving her a quick once over, he left the bathroom without another word.

Left alone with nothing but her reeling thoughts, Nari glanced at her reflection in the mirror. Disheveled hair and smudged mascara. Nari could barely recognize herself. As she attempted to fix her unruly state, Johnny’s words mocked her. Their little affair was going to cost her. She wasn't going to get fired over it, no, but her impulses were going to cost her the little bit of sanity she had left. Johnny was going to take it all and ruin her beyond recognition.

[goodluckclove]

Are You a Writer That Isn't Writing? Join Me Inside My Blanket Fort!

Hi! Welcome! It's so good to see you. i've just been hanging out here, kind of listening to my favorite podcast and drinking some green tea. I have another bottle here - do you want to try? It has lemon in it. It's sweet, but not too sweet. Just like I like it.

Yeah, so I might need to introduce myself. My name is Clover, but you can call me Clove. I've been a write for fifteen years and I've finished fourteen novels. I published one and I'm working on the sequel. I've written and produced plays, published short stories, and even worked as a copywriter and ghostwriter. That wasn't very fun. Actually, the writing was fun, but they brough in AI right at the end - it's a long story. Anyways, what I mean to say is that you could consider me a working writer. If you go through my blog I post a lot of snippets from what I'm working on. You can even Google my old pen name "Miranda Seaver" and find some columns and stories and I think a short play I had some strangers do over Facebook.

I'm not saying this to brag. I'm saying this because I've been doing this for a long time and I want you to have context to the work I've done as we keep talking to each other. If you read what I write and you don't like it, maybe you can decide that I have no idea what I'm talking about. That's fine. We can still be friends!

Okay, so you're probably here because you're having trouble writing. Either that or you just can't resist the allure of a blanket fort - that makes sense too. But assuming you're unable to write for some reason, I just wanted to speak to you in private. Because I know it's hard. I know it's disillusioning. And though there's this weird perception online that writers are supposed to hate writing, I personally believe the situation is a lot more nuanced than that.

Maybe you're scared. Or you're tired. Or the whole act of sitting down and writing feels so big and clumsy and unwieldy as it bounces around your head that you don't know what to do with it. The weight of it doesn't feel right. It happens - it happens to me too sometimes, and it never feels good. But it's a natural part of the creative process and it's more of a slight mishandling rather than massive sin or flaw of character.

It might not help that there's so much advice online, isn't there? It seems all these people have a set guide to how to do literally everything. There's some sort of odd binary to the creative process that some make it seem as if writers innately fall under. You're either a pantser that never outlines, or a plotter that only structures. Every draft has have a specific focus, and you must follow an arc to achieve any specific goal in your character or plot.

That's a lot! Isn't that a lot? I've been talking to a lot of new writers on here who find all of that information - especially the information that conflicts (A lot of them) to be deeply intimidating. If not intimidating, then just slightly...off. Potentially enough to make the act of opening a word processor and slamming out a few hundred words to not really seem like that much fun anymore.

See, there are useful writing resources on tumblr. People with unique experiences sharing their specific information in a public space where writers can benefit from it. How would a certain mobility aid impact a person's life? What are the physical ramifications of training on a sword? Look at this picture of some sickass gems of different colors! These are all super cool things that I find incredibly useful for both current and future reference.

On the other hand, the guides that speak structurally to writing? That try and tell you the exact steps to follow in order to achieve a certain result? A lot of them end their posts by plugging their ko-fi but don't actually show any of their own personal writing? They don't necessarily have the answers.

If you read some prompt list and it inspires you, that's cool and great! Our brains think of a lot of really innovative things based on the smallest spark of input and that's a truly incredible thing. But if you read someone who makes a list of ways to show a certain emotion and you're left confused and discouraged - consider that they're wrong. Or not wrong, not really. They just don't have the right story.

For other forms of writing advice, maybe they're right - only not in a genre you want to write in. That's the weird thing about all these writing blogs that don't actually say what they write or read. If I was looking for writing advice, I wouldn't go to someone who specializes in reading and writing political thrillers or mysteries. They're valid genres, just not what I specifically do.

You just can't make grand blanket statements about this kind of thing, and that's an unpleasant truth I think we all need to hear.

Every writing rule has been broken successfully. The Dharma Bums, and frankly anything else Jack Kerouac has ever written, has truly no plot. American Psycho chains you to a truly reprehensible protagonist. Naked Lunch was written in one long chunk that was then cut up and rearranged, and then that nonsense was published. If On a Winter's Night a Traveler takes YOU (literally you - half the narrative is written in second person) and sends you on a wild goose chase where every other chapter is a different book. Kurt Vonnegut has a literal self insert of himself that shows up as a side character in Breakfast of Champions and then takes role in the lead cast in Timequake. Read a Chuck Palahinuik book and he will lie to you three time at least. Read House of Leaves and you'll feel like you're wandering a contemporary art gallery. I can't fucking get past the first 60 pages of Ulysses but I've been TRYING for YEARS because the prose is BEAUTIFUL.

I'm rambling. What I mean to say is that - you know Monet? Manet? Degas and Renoir, and all the other painters of the Impressionist era? They make the kind of paintings you probably think of if I ask you to imagine a painting you'd find in an art museum. They're respected - idolized, even. People will dedicate their lives to painting in honor to the legacy of Impressionism.

This would be a great surprise to early Impressionists, who were mocked mercilessly for their work. The name itself - Impressionism - was a reclaimed dig at how their art style was an impression of actual art. The road for it to even be CONSIDERED art, much less respected AS art, was a long one.

I'm rambling again, aren't I? I had a lot of this green tea. I just hate to hear so many people refuse to develop the ideas in their heads for one reason or the other. Or, even worse, they circle the brainstorming stage over and over again, far past the point of usefulness. I agree that some people function better with some form of an outline. I outline in my own way, through short form bullet points or taking space to storyboard in my head to music. It can help! But even if you work better with structure, there's a good chance that you don't need that much structure.

You can't fail here. You truly can't, I promise you. If you finish listening to me and you crawl out of the blanket fort and write two paragraphs, nothing bad will happen. If it's not the strongest thing you've ever written, that's okay. We're writers, aren't we? If you write something that you don't like, you aren't a fraud. You aren't weak. You aren't a hack. You haven't failed. You don't lack creativity or imagination or motivation.

Here's the truth: If you write something you don't like, you're a writer who wrote something you don't like. It doesn't mean you're bad. It doesn't even mean the writing is objectively bad. That's it.

Writers tend to be dramatic. I know I am. I laid on the couch for an hour trying to wrestle with act three of my newest book, and as my wife tried to talk me through it I slowly sank off the couch and onto the floor. Much as a slug would. If you ever get into that mindset, that's just a thing that happens when you're an artist. I think in the Hemmingway days writers would drink or smoke until they had the strength to try again.

We've seen how that turns out though. So welcome to the new era of writers who - though occasionally neurotic - try again at some point. And everyone is welcome. As I said already, there are no real rules or guides to the structure of writing, only ideas. And if you don't like the idea, you can look or think of another one.

And you can think of another one. Assuming you don't just have a drastically unrealistic perception of how much societal clout you can achieve by saying you're a writer (Answer: nearly none), you clearly want to tell a story. I haven't met a single person with that dream that has it based on nothing. The situation is so much more vast and complicated than the internet will try to make it out to be. Did you see some variation of the Apple Test and decide that your Aphantasia means you can never be a writer? Consider reading up on the Aphantasia Network to get a better look at the condition and learn more about what it means for you. Imagination is nuanced and it is absolutely not limited to Overall Apple Clarity!

Okay, that's all I have to say. I just want to see more people here putting their ideas to paper because a lot of them are really good and interesting, and they deserve to be seen. The feeling of writing your story is so much more complex and rich than just thinking about it, I promise. I know you can do it.

Okay okay. I have to pee. This was a long talk! I'm going to scoot past you in the fort now, but I think before you go on with your day you should maybe check out a video I think you'd like.

Have a nice day, Friend!

oh and this too.

yeah nice

[imbadatusernames2]

I was bored so I put Batfam into a random incorrect quote generator and I have never had this much fun

Duke, not yet familiar with the family lore: Duke: Live fast, die young, leave behind a pretty corpse! That’s what I always say! jason: You should say something else. Bruce to his friends (aka his children, exes and coworkers): bruce : I am not a lunatic. I have the psychiatric report to prove it. A slender majority of the panel decided in my favour.

Don't have to even say anything about this one: dick as a child: I can’t wait to grow up and have cool adventures! dick now: I can’t wait to go to bed.

Bruce- the first time father: dick: I just drank a lego piece. bruce : …what the hell?! You melted plastic and drank the liquid? dick: Yes. bruce : Why did you even melt a lego in the first place?! dick: Because it looked like chocolate! So I drank it! You know, like a chocolate shake?

Bruce- father of 10+ kids: duke: What do you want for breakfast? damian: I WISH TO DEVOUR THE UNBORN. bruce : bruce : They want eggs.

Classic Tim: tim: I am not an early bird or a night owl. I am some form of permanently exhausted pigeon.

This one hurt: jason: Do you always have to attack me with your words? bruce : Would you prefer me to use a brick?

Tim would answer hazardous waste or something: the Squad cleaning up alfred: Pick up the nearest piece of trash and throw it away. jason, to tim: Aight, which bin do you wanna go in—

This seems right: The gang's thoughts on stabbing bruce : Would never stab anyone. dick: Would stab someone in retaliation. tim: Yells "I won't hesitate, bitch!" first. jason: Would stab without warning. damian: Would stab as a warning.

Tim gets flashbacks: duke: Why would you think any of this was a good idea?! jason: Probably because I’m a dangerous sociopath with a long history of violence. duke: Oh… tim, from across the room: I don’t understand how you keep forgetting that.

Jason the babysitter: tim: jason, I want a bedtime story! jason: I’m busy, tim. I’ll tell you one tomorrow. tim: If you don’t tell me a story, I won’t go to bed! jason: Once upon a time, there was a person named tim, who always wanted things their way. One day, their friends got sick of it and locked them in the basement for the rest of their life. Everyone else lived happily ever after. The end. tim: I don’t like these stories with morals.

Giving advice to the younger ones: jason: Any advice before bruce and I fight? dick: Don’t wet yourself in public. jason: Not the kind of advice I was looking for!

Two professionals speaking: damian: We need a plan to beat them. cass: Okay, listen up. First, we fill their shoes with wet cat food. damian: cass: Judge me all you want, I get results.

Stephanie- one of the Bruce's not kids: stephane : (Talking to Damian) Oh, hi. I didn't see you there. Welcome to my abode. I'm glad you could join me. damian: But this is my abode. stephane : … stephane : Welcome to my abode, I'm so happy to have you, guest.

Ouch: bruce : You’re alive. damian: No need to sound so disappointed.

Little brothers, the sweetest of them all: cass: Ayo, what the FUCK is this?!? jason, sitting down, surrounded by corpses: I won Mafia, that’s what.

The meta joke here: bruce: Dracula had it right, sleep all day, live alone in a castle, and explode into bats to get out of all social situations.

[etherealspacejelly]

hiya dad. I've done research and taken some online screening tests and I'm fairly sure I'm somewhere on the autism spectrum, but I don't know if my symptoms are "severe enough" to qualify for a diagnosis. and I don't know how much of it is the autism and how much of it is other stuff. so idk what to do and I suppose you could say I've got some pretty strong imposter syndrome going on. any advice would be quite appreciated

-🪨

if you haven't already, i would suggest taking the RAADS-R test. it is a screening tool used by professionals when diagnosing autism. it is not equivalent to a diagnosis, but it can help with that pesky impostor syndrome!

also, the autism spectrum is not a straight line from mild to severe. there's no such thing as mild or severe autism. autism is a collection of traits, and the spectrum represents how much each of those traits presents in you.

here is an example from i screening test i took a while ago (this is not the RAADS-R btw). because i dont have too much difficulty with eye contact, social interaction, or abnormal speaking patterns, i might seem like a 'mild' autistic to a casual observer. however, i really struggle with overstimulation in public places, and can have internal meltdowns because of this. i get obsessed with my interests to the point where i struggle to think about anything else, which impacts my schoolwork.

oftentimes words like 'mild' and 'severe' are used to refer to how much an autistic person inconveniences those around them, rather than how much they are struggling internally. no one is more autistic than anyone else. we all have our own unique struggles and strengths, because we are people, and thats just how people are! there is no way to be a 'little bit autistic'. you either are or you aren't. spectrum =/= sliding scale!!!

and yes, symptoms can overlap a lot between diagnoses. i think there should be less emphasis on "Do the things i struggle with align perfectly with the way people with this condition struggle?" and more on "Will the techniques designed to help these people make my life more bearable?" and if the answer is yes then use them!!!

you dont need a diagnosis to wear sunglasses indoors or use fidget toys or noise cancelling headphones/earplugs. there is no such thing as being 'disabled enough' for accommodations. if they make your life easier or less painful/uncomfortable, then do it!!! and this goes for other mental disabilities and physical disabilities too! and even non-disabled people!

i think as a society we have placed so much judgement on disabled people that it is seen as a personal failure to need accommodations. using a cane or walker is seen as 'giving up', when it can actually be a preventative measure for many physical conditions!

if something makes your life easier, then do it. regardless of whether you have the 'correct' or 'severe enough' disability for it. suffering is not noble.

[wabatle]

HOOOOOY! :D I'm so glad when I see people doing BLLK matchups lol. So I'd love to request one please. I will follow the steps in your post. ❀~ fandom: blue lock.

❀~ gender: he/him.

❀~ preference: male character.

❀~ personality: funny; laid back; curious; can appear mean but I just love to tease people and joking around; love to explore and eating; analytical; good general knowledge; independent; ambitious; need to understand things; don't like when things don't go the way I'd like; not very communicative outside and people may think I don't feel anything but that's not true; people told me I can have a lack of empathy; blunt and sometimes bossy; I don't like clingy people and those who speak endlessly; I love to dig an interesting subject in depht even if I miss some sleep hours; individualistic, creative.

❀~ hobbies: writing; traveling; going out with friends and eating out with them; cooking (meat-based courses and desserts like tiramisu or brownies); gardening for meditation; playing with my cat.

❀~ things that make you feel negative: the rain; public transport cancelled when I have something planned that depend on them; slow drivers; when I fail at something, being bored; people that don't consider my efforts or qualities; those who complain but don't help themselves or ignore the advices I give to them.

❀~ things that make you feel positive: the sun; spring and summer; laughing; long car journeys; the beach, the forest and the mountain; eating new things; meet new, funny or interesting people; doing thrilling projects and have an impact on things and people; when people need me or want me to be with them for an activity.

❀~ love languages: act of service (giving); physical contact (receiving). I usually am the one who people do things for but it's the reverse if I sincerely love the person. For physical contact it's pretty the same, I can touch others without a warning but hate being touched. However, I let people I feel comfortable with touch me.

❀~ anyone you don't want to be matched up with: characters who didn't reach the Neo Egoist League.

❀~ let me know if you would rather me post your ask with my answer or just tag you: you can post with my info. Thank you very much and congrats! I don't know you yet but I love to discover new blogs.

𓆩⚝𓆪 — @tigreblvnc's Blue Lock matchup~!

𓆩⚝𓆪 — A/N: Thank you so much!! Ngl I was a little stumped... But I think I got a good result! <3

𓆩⚝𓆪 — I think your Blue Lock soulmate is...

𓆩⚝𓆪 — Michael Kaiser!

Here me out, it's sort of just a gut feeling, it kinda just... came to me?

He would like to help you research things but if he notices it's getting really late he'll just be like "shut the fuck up and go to bed."

I feel like you're the "um akthually 🤓☝️" of couples 💀. Combined you two are so smart. You both have so much knowledge stored.

You have a shared need to understand things, so you'll look into things together.

Such a cheesy trope but he's the type of guy to offer you his umbrella because he knows you don't like the rain. Depending on the day he'll tease you about it.

I think you would go to the beach together, and for some reason it reminds me of Gojo and Riko at the beach. Idk why he just gives those vibes I guess.

You would have cats and dogs. I think he'd tell you he doesn't want a cat but then once you get one he gets attached.

He loves to eat your cooking. It's probably just the fact that you made it, bit either way, he'll eat it.

Kaiser would also like to travel with you. He likes to see you enjoying yourself.

He understands why you could feel unhappy when you fail at something. Though he might not be the best at comforting, he'll at least try to assure you that you're more than your failures.

I hope you liked it! I'm worried Kaiser is ooc (oops), and I won't lie, I was a little stumped at first. I'm sorry it took so long and I hope you enjoyed it!

[five-thousand-loaves-of-bread]

from this post of mine receive this comment:

@relativestranger85 Please help. I'm in the UK and have a pseudo none verbal 7 year old and idk what aac is. The only things we've ever been offered is pecs which he absolutely does not like. (If you don't know pecs is pictures on a velcro board)

thank you for trust me with this question! try answer best i can. i know a lot abt AAC and nonverbal now and struggle with speech communication entire life but! not born nonverbal, so please take what i say grain of salt.

(gonna also tag @birdofmay , hope that okay, especially on perspective of nonverbal since birth & didn’t become aware of people & surroundings & communication until later? some nonverbal people very aware of surrounding since young, while others are very opposite. the “not aware” perspective am not good resource since i Don’t Remember.)

also, am in US, so not very familiar with UK laws. you may need to look into it. but even then not familiar with US laws - not lawyer.

AAC:

AAC stands for augmentative and alternative communication. has many forms. low tech AAC is like communication book, picture cards, PECS is a form of low tech AAC (talk more abt later)! high tech AAC is probably what people think of, an iPad or a dedicated communication device that generates voice. with iPad, can download / buy AAC apps on it on your own.

in US, public schools or schools that receive federal funding is i think required to give students who need it an evaluation with speech therapist, which can include AAC evaluation. some schools may not like to do it may not do it on their own because high tech AAC device expensive, but it is your right as parents & your child’s right, should 100% ask and push if school resist. getting AAC device through school is through education perspective—does child need this for education success. if AAC device approved, you may get to keep it (ideal) but also may have to keep in school or give back to school once leave (not ideal). now, don’t know if same in UK.

in US, can also get high tech AAC device covered through insurance. speech therapist do evaluation on what AAC app and device best fit, then submit to insurance. if insurance covers it, it’s yours, get to keep. insurance look through a “medically necessary” perspective. again, don’t know if same in UK with NHS (i think that what it called).

otherwise, can also buy an iPad or android device and download/buy AAC apps on there. many AAC users have made list of good & robust apps recommendation, will link below. however, AAC apps can get expensive, and some most popular apps only support ios/iPad.

either way, really do recommend find speech therapist who specializes in AAC to help, if can afford & have someone near you. it’s possible to do it on own, but can be difficult. but sometimes also bad speech therapists give wrong advice or not up do date info, so either way recommend do own research. can be really really overwhelming, please take one step at a time.

important things to mention is using AAC does not hinder mouth speech development. in some ways it actually helps! doesn’t mean your child will always catch up and become fully verbal when older (happens sometimes, but not often). but really, goal for child is to give them way to communicate. speech is not inherently better form of communication, just more normalized. i know it can be hard to believe, because so many people say other wise, even clinicians! but really. communication is most important. speech just a form of communication.

sometimes nonverbal people struggle with more than just speech. may not speak because of many reasons. may be struggle with communication as a whole, expressive and/or receptive language disorders, maybe motor skills (childhood apraxia of speech), maybe not aware that sounds people make is communication, maybe not aware of people, maybe not aware they can & should communicate, maybe not understand. here is something i wrote about it, it not directed at parents but more so other lower support needs speaking autistics, but think info may be helpful, because know why child nonverbal can help with target intervention.

AAC, especially robust AAC apps, can be extremely overwhelming to even adults. if you as parent overwhelmed by amount of information and amount of buttons, it’s okay, it happens. may feel like running out of time, but time you take to learn to make sure support child in helpful way and time you take to rest is not wasted time.

there is always more to things write here. here is a more comprehensive thing (but of course, still missing things because cannot write everything):

a reddit post i once wrote to parents abt AAC (prefer for people to not dig through this reddit since don’t like use now)

additional:

once wrote a tumblr post with many AAC info and words by AAC user. lots of information so may be overwhelming so specifically highlight these things for you (semi-ranked):

genuinely the best intro to AAC resource out there, if read nothing else please please read all of this: https://www.assistiveware.com/learn-aac

a facebook group ask me, i’m an AAC user! (24 hour rule) - really recommend if want other AAC user perspective, and after 24 hours of a post, may also hear from parents of AAC users, SLPs/speech therapists, etc.

tiktok user AverageMillenial18 - an autistic parent to an nonspeaking autistic AAC user child. talks about own parenting experience, especially a lot of AAC modeling (very important!!!!) and presume competence. genuinely helpful, not just “silly tiktok bad.”

aac apps: a personal opinion review of AAC apps i tried, another thing of mine, not mine but All About AAC: A Guide to Augmentative and Alternative Communication Options!

gave you lots of information already, probably already overwhelmed you. hope didn’t come off too strong. remember it okay to take it slow.

p.s. you mention using PECS (picture exchange communication system). am assuming you talking abt the actual PECS system and not just picture exchange cards. (PECS is a type of picture exchange card with rules and stuff)

not here to say “PECS worst don’t use PECS” because don’t know your situation. think there more nuance than that. but do think you deserve know multiple perspective—the specific PECS system can have issues and problems, a professional explains here better. give you this so you can make informed decision! not here to shame you, many parents not given all information, you clearly care very much and want best for your child, and also - may still see improvements even if harmful elements, because not binary black and white. but considering you say he does not like, maybe sign that PECS not work out great with him.

hope you and your child the best and please, if have any questions feel free ask.

[elviraaxen]

im new here, so im sorry if this is a question youve answered before but tumblr's search bar failed me in finding this to be previous answered but.. uhmmm

c... can we make ocs/personas for Felt World? or would you rather we not or we hold off until further in?? bc i would love to make a puppet give our cowboy a smooch before he is, i assume bc he is a fucking catch and a half, taken off the market in canon lol i assume he wont still be single by the end. im a tad bit too embarrassed to ever post such drawings, but i wanted to know in case i ever did become brave enough to make them public if such you would be welcome to be tagged in or if that would make you feel uncomfortable

and also, for that purpose: as someone with disabilities, im really curious how disabilities are translated into Felt World? obviously not all of them, that'd take forever. but i was curious if they use mobility aids just like ours or if they use ones we could not have (an example of what i mean could be like "seal-chairs" in "Witch Hat Atelier"? they are chairs with hooves that run and jump, as opposed to wheels). and i know you said music is really powerful in this world, in both singing and instruments, but i wanted to also ask how in a world with so much focus on sound are the deaf/hard of hearing accomadated? deaf/HoH people can still play instruments, obviously (the most famous example being Beethoven), but i meant other than that

(also, if i recall accurately you once said that "the puppets have to speak to be considered sentient beings"? i was wondering if in the future could that be amended to "have to be able to communicate"? because i assume nonverbal puppets would still exist, as well as puppets who just dont speak much (whether thats a facet of deafness or nonspeaking shutdown or just a quiet personality). or would that break Felt World's world-building's logic in some way? that's a genuine question. i wasnt sure how to word it in a way that would minimize the risk of one being put on their back-foot, but i tried my best, it really is a genuine question)

(also, because i never like to assume fluency in disability-knowledge: if you need a resource on media portrayals of disability at any point, i highly recommend the youtuber, Oakwyrm. they do a lot of really cool analysis videos on disability. i do apologize if i am overstepping, and you are already largely fluent in disabled portrayals in media and/or already aware of Oakwyrm's existence. i just like to shout at least one resource out because i know many people have no idea where to look to learn more about general disability representation advice and whatnot. you do not have to watch their videos if you do not want to ♡)

also a bit of a tangent, idk if this is just a "for now" aspect of Donna due to her adjusting or if this is a core pillar of her personality but... just, thank you for making a feminine character who cries a lot and is emotional with Big Feelings. ive always felt more connected to the Dorthy Gales, Cinderellas, Clarisse de Cagliostros kind of heroines who are a bit of a "damsel in distress" (tho i do think that term reduces a lot of their agency and bravery) and i feel a bit lonely that we dont see many emotional-vitality-driven heroines who need some help as much as badass heroines or sassy heroines, both of whom are fully capable of getting shit sone alone. makes my cry-baby disabled ass feel a little pathetic (im very physically weak because of my chronic health issues, and am the type of Autistic ADHDer who is very sensitive to getting big feelings), even tho i know those types of heroines are valid and needed. i resonate a lot with AJR's lyric about "But I'm weak. And what's wrong with that?" even though i know im taking it out of context

and im sure Donna will prove herself capable of being on her own and having her own agency, same as all the heroines ive listed, i dont assume she will be stagnant, but i just wanted to really thank you for making a character that i relate to. i dont get that often. it makes me feel a bit abnormal and strange, and i mean moreso than the "well youre neurodivergent and sickly" kind of abnormal that would be implied. like. Weird Kid sitting alone at lunch kind of strange. so its really cool to see Donna and feel less lonely, is what im saying. i wish there were more heroines like her for people like me nowadays, rather than the archetype being reduced to "archiac stereotypes" (which i both do and dont understand the logic of. it depends on context and the example given) and therefore shelving a type of heroine we dont see in a lot of contemporary media (in exchange for a heroine we didnt get to see often (if at all) in past media, the sassy and badass ones, i do get it, and im glad theyre being used more as they should have always been. there are a select few of both camps that feel like "women have to be as stereotypically masculine as possible to be worthy of being called 'a strong character'" when i think strong characters have less to do with personality and more to do with "do they direct the narrative's plot? do they have agency?". but i could be wrong about that and i am getting off-topic)

but yeah. just. overall: thank you for introducing Donna to be like she is. it means a lot to me to see a heroine like her in contemporary media. im really excited to see what youll do next ♡ but yeah, i know im babbling a lot here and you dont need to reply to this half, i just really wanted to stress my thanks and WHY you have my thanks ♡♡♡ i really appreciate having Donna sit at my metaphorical lunch-table with me, even if she has to go sit somewhere else later. its been really nice to be beside her

thank you ♡

ps. i wasnt sure how to format this Ask because i know some people like to have each section have their own Ask for compartmentalizing/tag-organization reasons, but others like it all to be together so they know its all from one person as opposed to the anxiety of "ahh why did i get so many Asks all at once, did i do something wrong, do people hate me-- oh. its fine. i went through that rollercoaster for nothing. dear lord, am i drained now". so i tend to rather assume the latter, just in case; but do feel free to screenshot and section these out into their own posts if you are the former, i wont mind if youd rather do that ♡ have a nice day!!

Oh my goodness what a long message!!! 0.0!!

I had to take a few hours to think about everything to make sure I answered everything. But I should start off by showing my gratitude for the amount of time and effort you put into formulating this! So thank you, this was a really cool ask to receive <3

As for OCs, absolutely you can! I've already had a few who've made theirs, and I have no rules at all when it comes to shipping or self inserts or anything, as long as everyone is being respectful towards each other ^^

As for the disability aspect, I have a few key points that I want to explore in regards to especially deafness and muteness (is it called that? muteness?), but that's further along the story and will be introduced later! Also how song vs instruments work in this world is a part of the lore itself that'll be explained further down the line too, so no need to worry about our fellow mute or deaf/hoh peeps!

I have of course thought about mobility aids and other disability accommodations (because they can be born with defect, illnesses, and be injured pretty much like us, their bodies are a bit more fantastical but there are still rules) but i must admit didn't think further other than to give them similar mobility aids that we use. But clearly it would make more sense to make something more fantastical! I'll give it a thought! That's probably gonna be a fun design exercise ^^

I'm not sure if I can answer the entire ask in a way that does it justice, it's quite frankly the coolest message I've gotten, I'm gonna try and not let it get to my head (lol),

but i'm so glad you and seemingly many others seem to like Donna and appreciate her specifically for being sensitive and reacting strongly. It shouldn't be but it's really daunting to write female leads because as we know people just don't like women in media generally, but I eventually just got over it because I realized I was starting to write a character that demanded the audience cared and respected, rather than showing a story that I had fun telling, in a world worth exploring.

And not to spoil but I've already decided I do not want Donna to go through an arc where she's forced to abandon her emotions or go through something physically traumatic in order to "become tough" to be respected, that's not only overdone but lame and harmful wish fulfillment. So no worries in that department!

But anyways, I don't think I can properly say how appreciative I am of this ask!!! It really warms my heart that you and other people are going out of your way to send me asks about my little story that I came up with on a whim!!! It's truly the best compliment as a creator.

<3

[atmymercy]

Hello tea🍵 I'd like to participate in your oracle giveaway<3 hope I get a chance this time cause last time i wouldn't get answered but anyways😊

Myself R.J (an ♍ rising, ♋ sun and ♎ moon) she/her.

Question-> which career path is right for me becoming a filmmaker/director Or IT sector job? ( I was completely confused between them like I want to be a filmmaker but afraid to take a move, and think a 9 to 5 job is better for me. I really do think that I can fulfill my dreams but I'm really really afraid to leave my home, go in another city, what if something wrong will heppen? Tbh in my country womens are not safe, they got raped in day on public places and no one help them, so that's also hunt me😔)

🎵Tell me some song lyrics that really speak to You

Well this one song HOW FAR I'LL GO From moana is one of the song, its whole lyrics just speak to me like they were telling me to step out of my comfort zone and do what my heart says are right for me.

I've been staring at the edge of the water Long as I can remember Never really knowing why I wish I could be the perfect daughter But I come back to the water no matter how hard I try

These lyrics are my life story like no matte how hard I try my heart is telling me do to something that in my family no one does. I hope I will also find right path in my journey and able to do what I meant to do✨

Thankyou so much!🎀

Have a nice week🎐

♡ giveaway winner - 2/5 ♡

hello rj! of course you can participate! and yes, unfortunately not everyone can win every entry! i'm glad you're still trying though, honey! honestly as long as you follow the rules, you have a great chance at winning! lol

ooh i love those lyrics, honey! i love when the ancestors start to sing in that song, i believe! it's so powerful! because it speaks about how our calling will always feel powerful! usually, we will fight these callings when we are young for the sake of making others happy but your true purpose will always be calling for you still! eee! it's one of my reasons for this blog! i want to help people meet their calling so i get why you love this song so much! it's so pretty and moving!

for you, i got the erase (reversed), the bubbles & the through.

the filmmaker/director is the winner, honey! double confirmed this because i don't like giving such advice, without doubling-checking my i and t's! lol but yep! it's for sure the first option, honey! i'm getting you can always turn to IT if you get bored of the film industry later on but what you actually feel pulled to is filmmaker/director! i can see you looking at actors with a lens between you all! you're trying to be thorough and get all the best shots from all the angles! and how you are just filled with ideas of how to make this scene better! or how to get the right 'feeling' in the piece you are filming! you feel connected to this destiny in a way that will make you want to shiver! ooh! i love that for you, honey! woot!

hope you enjoyed it! please give feedback or buy me a coffee/tip when you can! if you want to explore this further, please also consider a private read. also thank you for sharing with me!♡

love & light!

-tea

♡ message me for details/questions & to book a reading! ♡

[cosmo-lexies]

The apprentices (1) - Wolf in the public park

He looked up with a defiant expression. Too much insolence for such a young boy. I twisted his arm a little more. It wasn't necessary, he was defeated with several of his bones broken, but I couldn't help but test him.

I was going to foster him whatever was his reaction. He was strong enough to be my apprentice. Making me bleed wasn't easy and we're talking about a seven-year-old boy. To be sincere, he was in before we started this battle, but I had to know with what I was working.

"I'll let you go if you apologize," I said, holding his broken wrist. He stayed silent looking into my eyes. I could see a small bright in his eyes and I squeezed again before he could shapeshift again.

Werewolves are taught but easy to handle. They don't have distance attacks and only a few of them can do magic, which isn't combat-oriented. Let distance and with two or three attacks they're yours. A cambion, for his part, can be a true pain in the ass at any distance but with one good blow is over. However, the unexpected offspring of a werewolf and a demon had the worst part of both, well the worst part for me. I was the one who had to fight with a gigantic wolf who could breathe fire and heal at superhuman velocity. If I hadn't squeezed his wrist, it would have been recovered in a few minutes.

"C'mon, Cosmo, apologize," I said. The eyes of the boy soften for the first time. Probably for the unexpected revelation that I knew who he was. I could use his birthday name but his pack had been truly cruel when they named him. Zatrello, whose meaning was who was contaminated. This kind of name was a burden for anyone. I quite understood why he wasn't using it anymore.

"Yes, I know who you are. I was searching for you when you decided to attack me," I said.

"You brook into my home," he finally said. He used his high-pitched childish voice which he tried to make look rough and mature, not getting a good result.

"This's a public park, to be exact the third biggest from the biggest city in the world."

"No one is using it." He shrugged.

"Yes no one is using it because they're terrified of the big black wolf who barks and breathes fire at anyone who enters," I said raising my voice.

"I said that no one was using it, not the reason why." I had to avoid laughing because if I was going to raise that kid, I could reward that kind of behavior. But I must admit that this stubbornness mixed with his lack of worry about the situation was getting my heart.

"You don't feel remorse, do you?" He didn't answer, he didn't need to do it. "I'm here to speak with you and make you an offer. Can I set you free without fear that you attack me again?"

He narrowed his eyes and nodded. I put him on the ground and let go of his wrist.

"Well, my name is..." The sudden sound of a branch breaking drew my attention. My eight-year-old silver-haired apprentice was passing through a bush. His long pointed ears and nose were red due to the cold of the winter. I must have been very slowly fighting Cosmo if the elf could reach me so fast.

"He's gone," he said.

"What?" I looked around noticing that Cosmo wasn't there anymore. I sighed in despair. Finding him had taken me two hours the first time when he didn't know that someone was behind him. I was going to need all night to catch him again.

"You should have broken his legs, not his wrist," my apprentice said passing by my side.

"Thanks for the advice. It would have been unnecessary if someone had waited at the park's entrance as I asked him."

"Waiting is not my style," he said.

"Fantastic, now we have to waste all the night sear..." A strong whimper from some meters ago interrupted me. "What was that?"

My apprentice started to walk towards the sound. "I prepare some bear traps before coming here, just in case."

"That's a pretty good idea." I hadn't discarded any kind of trap because I thought that a more gentle approach would be better with a child. "I taught you well," I said with a proud smile.

"Please, don't overestimate yourself," he said breaking my bubble that I was starting to connect with the silver-haired kid.

The state didn't pay me enough to raise such a brat, and not enough to add the aggressive stubborn wolf to my dysfunctional family.

"Let's go, it's high time you knew your new roommate," I sighed.

[sammythegreenwitch]

Open: Pendulum Readings

Image credit

Paid readings!

-> Contact me here on Tumblr, P*yment is made through C*shapp and P*ypal only, for now!

Rates:

1 - 3 Yes or No questions = 1$ USD

Full Pendulum Reading [Unlimited questions for 1 - 2 hours] = 5$ USD

Readings can be done through private messages or public posts, depending on preference

DISCLAIMER: Because of personal preference, liability, and personal ethics I cannot do medical or legal questions. Because of a lack of skill in specific areas, I sadly cannot speak to spirits for you but I can ask the universe about certain spirits and beings in relation to you [Example: Asking if a loved one is trying to reach you, asking if a certain deity would be a good fit for you]

Types of readings I can do: Love Career Financial Spiritual / Practice-based Spiritual safety [Ex, 'Should I spiritually protect myself' 'Am I under spiritual attack' 'Have I been hexed', etc] Spells [Ex, 'Did my spell work' 'Should I perform this spell' ]

And many more, if you're not sure don't be afraid to ask!

Message me through Tumblr DMs or asks and I will get back to you as soon as possible, if I am unable to answer your question for any reason there will be a full refund

Payment/Donations: P*ypal - SammyMoh2003 C*sh Tag - $SammysMon

Send me an Ask or DM specifying where you'd like to send p*yment, and your first name or initial, and any information you think could help me connect with you for a reading like your sign or astrological planets!

Readings done through asks will be posted publicly, DMs can be if asked, or kept private. When sending an ask you can include a note during p*yment letting me know your username, or some type of sign-off that can be used for anon.[I apologize that there's not a more convenient way to do this atm, any advice on how to make this process smoother and more convenient is appreciated!]

Obviously if requesting a reading through DMs you just have to tell me your p*yment prefernce, no extra steps needed

Full 2 hour readings/5 dollar readings need to be done through DMs to avoid people stealing your questions during the timeslot, but you can request for them to be posted publically

[If anyone mentions or does anything with my deadname, which I am legally required to use on payment apps, They will immediately be blocked.]

I'm in a really really bad financial spot right now, and I'm doing paid readings out of necessity, any little bit helps !

Big thanks to @saradika-graphics for her beautiful dividers

[wytfut]

Covid is a live and well

As I stumble along thru life (thats everything, everyday).... last week I picked up covid for my very first time. Sigh..not a virgin any more...

No idea where/how/when..... but "boy howdy" I got it, and it hammered me.

Initially during the pandemic, I did due diligence by obeying the rules of engagement. Oh I wasn't good at it, but I did what I could. Even with my sloppy methods I didn't get it. Which in turn had me believing "I'm too good at this, to get it..." ..

.......

Information led us all to believe that the government had an SOP in place, and knew what they were talking about. Rules of engagement changed as much as Trumps advice to us all. Dr. Fauci the man in the know was whipped in public, .... his down fall being his speaking skills.

Examples in the early days sounded like a science fiction movie. I remember seeing a news interview with some guy, whos ends of his fingers had turned black (first and last time I had heard that example).

......

I knew several folks who lost their lives to this bug. So I realized it wasn't something to mess around with. Every loss was amazing, how quickly it took them. My 94 year old uncle was grading fields on Tuesday, and gone by Saturday (actual days don't matter now). It wasn't playing around, no matter what anyone believed .

Vac? no Vac? ..... covid really didn't care what your opinion was, she was random, and efficient

.....

I got all the covid vaccines. All of them.

Listened to many folks opinions about the vaccines. Good and Bad. I'll be honest, then and now, I still don't know if its the proper way to go with this battle. But I'll most likely continue... I don't have the answers..

The argument has been presented to all of us..... which is saying a couple of things. : Are we lemmings? and/or Is this natures way of culling the herd.

I think its applicable in theory.... just like the rules of engagement are in a sense "a theory".

......

Things I know:

It was horrible for 2 days. Something to the tune of influenza on steroids', with his big mean brother "fate" tagging along getting his kicks in. I'm on day 4-5 now, feeling pretty good, but on border of being contagious yet.

The medication Paxlovid seems to really work, but that dirty metal taste that is continuous, is wearing on my patience..... gag....

It truly does come on like severe allergies. I thought I had an allergy issue, as I had mowed a dry yard that very same day.

The fat guy in me, truly lost his appetite for 24 hours minimum.

I couldn't get warm one night. I couldn't get cool another. (I'm tired of flop sweat, so gross)

My Wife is my angel.... her real knowledge of this affliction most likely saved me a ton of grief. I so hope due to my nonattentive ways she doesn't get it from me....

I sincerely hope no one gets this from me.

I never lost my sense of taste or smell.

Here's an interesting one.... my legs quit hurting. Is it because I'm sitting around 24/7, is it covid reacting, is it the medication. Most likely my legs getting a rest.

......

My Wife unlike me, knows all the ins and outs of the rules of engagement of covid. I felt I too knew, but everything I knew was vague, and carried absolutely no weight in decisions. I depended on her to make all my decisions. And very happy I did.

Patti got covid just before Andy Latensers memorial service last December. I don't remember what grabbed her attention, but she felt she'd better test. And it was positive 2 times. She was very disappointed she couldn't attend the service. Amazingly, her symptoms were minimal at best. She didn't feel sick, and had nothing else other than a temperature.

As "they" say, it affects everyone differently. Many lives were lost that just didn't make sense, and others who you'd think for sure weren't going to make it.... it was a breeze. Makes no sense in this guys mind.

Just a guy being a guy, thinking he has out smarted life in general, ... but in reality doesn't know anything.

.....

best facts I could find:

you can be infected up to 14 days before showing signs

you can go back out in public 2 days after symptoms disappear or 2 clean tests.... basically 5 days after first symptoms

,,,

Looking at those 14 days.... I'm pretty much a home body, but wow, that was a lot of folks to look at. The morning before I realized I had it, I was at the geezers coffee, sitting tightly with a bunch of old guys. Laughing, telling stories, eating... not a care in the world. I most certainly hope none of them got covid. ....

I'd feel horrible....

[svt-yexi]

can we get a yexi angst chapter where one of the members and her fight , and maybe it was bad to a point where she maybe distanced herself and kind of closed off from everyone

I hope this fulfills what you were wanting, it's not exact but I hope you still enjoy it!

No More Fighting (2021)

Summary: Sexual harassment allegations towards Mingyu has Yexi seeing red and she doesn't agree with the way it's being handled by the company...or Seungcheol.

(anything in Italics is either Chinese or English)

Yexi slammed the front door to the upstairs dorm causing a few members on the couch to jump at the loud noise. Her eyes scanned the living room but didn't see her intended target. She quickly headed towards his room fuming. As soon as she saw him her anger boiled over.

"Ya! Choi Seungcheol!"

The boy in question turned around with an eyebrow raised, "Oppa." he corrected.

"Fuck that. You're really going to let the company do that to him?!"

Realizing that she was angry over the news about Mingyu he pointed at her in warning "Check your attitude Yex. This is only temporary. Mingyu will be back doing schedules with us as soon as everything is cleared up. The company is looking into it."

"This is Mingyu we're talking about! He would never sexually harass someone. So I'm not really sure what needs to be looked into. The bitch is a liar and you know it!"

Seungcheol sighed in exasperation, "No one believes he did Yexi, we can't just swear he'd never do something like that and the public will believe us. Not when so many people are getting busted for bullying. The company has to take a take a thorough approach with this to make sure there is no room left for people to question that Mingyu is innocent."

Yexi was still so wrapped up in her anger that she didn't hear some of the members come up behind her to keep an eye on the situation between the two of them. It was rare that the two fought, but when they did it usually got heated pretty quickly.

"You're just letting netizens crucify Mingyu because you're a coward!" She accused.

"Yexi!" Joshua scolded, "Cheol is doing his best. He was at the company for hours with Mingyu."

Yexi turned to Joshua, "This is bullshit and you know it. I can't just sit by and watch people spread lies about him."

"Let the company handle it." Joshua pleaded.

"I'll pull you from activities if I have to Yex. Don't force my hand in this."

Yexi scoffed and turned to look at him, "So now you grow a backbone? Do whatever you want, but I refuse to sit by and let this continue."

Without giving Seungcheol a chance to answer she turned and left his room making her way out of the apartment and down the few flights of stairs to her own. Could she have handled the confrontation better? Probably. Will she heed his advice? Absolutely not. Once in her room she text her manager asking if she could do a live today because she missed Carats.

A knock on her bedroom door caused her to glare at it, "Go away!"

The person on the other side of the door ignored her and opened the door anyways, "Don't be a brat." he scolded.

Yexi rolled her eyes at Minghao's comment, "Did our oh so magnificent leader call you to try and talk to me?"

He sighed at her comment, "No it was Shua Hyung actually. He was worried you would do something stupid and end up getting in trouble with the company, but speaking of Hyung don't you think you're being a little unfair?"

Yexi averted her eyes, "He's being spineless and letting the company do whatever they want instead of protecting Mingyu."

"Have you even talked to Mingyu about what the company is doing or are you assuming based on the statement the company made to the public?" Minghao sat down beside her and tried to get her to look at him, "I know you're protective of all of us but you need to have all the facts before you start trying to crucify the person who sat beside Mingyu through his meeting with the company."

It was the first bit of guilt that Yexi had felt since reading the company's statement regarding the accusations, "Well he didn't fight hard enough." Yexi mumbled refusing to acknowledge that what Minghao was saying made sense.

"Hey." Minghao nudged her and waited for her to look at him before continuing, "In all the years you've known hyung has he ever not given his all when it comes to us?"

Silence hung in the air before Yexi relented, "No." she mumbled.

"Then why would you assume that he would start now?"

"But he--"

"Stop. You just don't want to admit that you realize you're in the wrong."

With that comment the guilt overflowed within Yexi and she could feel her eyes burning with the threat of tears, "He's gonna hate me."

"No he's not."

"I yelled at him."

"You aren't the first." he reminded her while pulling out his phone and sending a quick message before slipping it back in his pocket.

Silence hung between them for a while, "Can I be alone for a while?" Yexi whispered.

Minghao nodded and stroked her hair, "Don't hole yourself up out of guilt and make sure you talk to hyung, the longer you put it off the worse you'll feel."

Yexi nodded and Minghao left her to her thoughts. Sometimes she hated how well Minghao knew her because she knew that he was right, the longer she went without talking to Seungcheol to clear the air, the longer the guilt would eat at her. Yexi chewed on her bottom lip while deep in thought wondering how to handle everything. She had never blown up at Seungcheol like that and she didn't know how to navigate the issue and she was embarrassed of her behavior so she didn't want to talk to her members about it. There was only one person she could think of that knew him well enough to help her. She pulled out her phone and held down seven on her speed dial and brought it to her ear.

"Yexi-ya." the familiar sweet tone filled her ears.

Yexi couldn't fight the hot tears that fell, "Eomma."

Yexi could hear Mrs. Choi excuse herself from whoever she was talking to, "What's wrong honey?"

"I messed up and I'm scared Oppa won't forgive me."

"What could you possibly do that would make Seungcheol not forgive you?"

Yexi wiped at her tears and tried to muffle her sniffle, "Someone accused Mingyu Oppa of sexual harassment and I yelled at Oppa saying that he wasn't protecting Mingyu and was being a....coward." her cheeks flushed in shame.

The sigh his mother gave was the final blow and Yexi burst out into tears, "Yexi-ya you out of everyone knows how much all of you mean to him and I know there is no way that he wouldn't do everything he could to help Mingyu. You are fiercely protective of the people you love and that is something we all love about you, but it can also make yourself short sighted. I can hear it in your voice that you feel guilty, and what was said was definitely unfair to Seungcheol but even with those words he would never hate you and he has probably already forgiven you."

It took a moment for Yexi to calm down before she could say anything, "I know I made a mistake and my words were harsh and I wish I could take them back but--"

"You still can." she interrupted, "I'm sure everyone is dealing with their emotions about this so if anything don't you think everyone would be more understanding than usual?"

Yexi sniffled, "Do you really think so?"

"They all love you sweetheart and everyone makes mistakes, friends and family fight all the time. Seungcheol knows the true you and I know for a fact that he would never hold a moment of anger over you. I think if you talk to him about it he will have already forgiven you. He's probably more worried about you than he is mad at you Yexi. You two have been close for a long time, do you honestly think that he would stay mad at you over this?"

She shook her head and then remembered that his mom couldn't see her, "No."

"My suggestion is to take a few minutes to calm down and then go talk to him, okay?"

"Okay. I'm sorry I interrupted your day with this."

"I always have time for my kids. Call me if you need me, okay?"

"Thanks Eomma." Yexi hung up after hearing a quick goodbye.

Yexi took a few minutes to fully calm down before shooting Seungcheol a text asking if they could talk. It only took a moment for him to respond that he'd come to her dorm. She moved to the living room and waited for him to arrive. At the sound of the keypad she felt her pulse sky rocket and she couldn't force herself to look up when he entered. He hadn't even said a word before Yexi burst into tears feeling overwhelming guilt.

Seungcheol quickly made his way over to her and crouched down in front of her, "Hey hey hey. Why are you crying? No crying."

"I'm s-sorry I yelled at you." he sighed at took her face in his hands and started wiping away her tears with the pad of his thumb.

"I'm more worried about you, are you okay?" The confirmation of what his mom said only made her cry harder. It took awhile for her to calm down so the two could actually talk.

"I'm okay. I talked to Eisa and Eomma."

"You talked to Eomma?"

Yexi nodded, "I was worried you wouldn't forgive me." she mumbled.

"Princess, there is nothing in this would that would make me not forgive you for anything you might do. Everyone's emotions were running rampant. I shouldn't have threatened to pull you from activities, so if anything we're both at fault. Plus, there's nothing to forgive."

Yexi threw herself around Seungcheol and squeezed him tightly, "No more fighting."

Seungcheol chuckled and squeezed her back, "No more fighting."

Taglist: @multiplums @giverosespls @sunflower-0180 @smoooore @kimhyejin3108 @enhacolor @wcsterias