#if you change your mind you can unblock later

[fall-and-shadows]

If you struggle on here, I recommend being liberal with the blocking. There's no reason to be miserable on anonymous social media

[from-the-coffee-shop-in-edoras]

It’s time! I have unblocked the tags, seen the movie, and have thoughts about War of the Rohirrim!

There are some extremely generalized thoughts here, and then more specific and detailed thoughts are below the cut to shield them from those who want to avoid all discussion of plot. Also, I have literally *just* seen it, and it’s a lot to take in what with visuals, story, music, etc. So I reserve my right to change my mind later!

I liked it! I thought it was fun and engaging, and getting to revisit treasured sentimental things like the visuals of Meduseld or the Rohan theme from the original LOTR score are just like cheat codes to my heart.

It has canon deviations. In some cases, I can see why they wanted to make changes for purposes of effective movie storytelling (changing the location of certain events, for example). In others, I think it was probably just a desire to throw in something that folks will recognize from the movies/books even though the story didn’t need it. It doesn’t upset me, but your personal mileage might vary.

There’s been a lot of attention paid to Héra as the main character, but there are other cool women characters that have been added as well. That being said, I think the movie is still a little confused/confusing in what it thinks about the role of women in Rohirrim society and leadership. And, you know, Tolkien was confusing about it, too, which is why we are still having the “what really is a shield maiden?” discussion in 2024. But it’s notable to me nonetheless.

I went to an AMC but, alas, they did not have the war hammer popcorn buckets. ☹️

More specific opinions, kind of firehose style:

I liked Héra a lot and the old lady from the Hornburg, but I really liked Olwyn! I wish they would have made her Helm’s wife/Héra’s mom so that we could have avoided the Dead Mom trope. That would have also explained how/why Olwyn was wielding such significant authority/command over the defense of Edoras and the Hornburg even though she was positioned solely as someone in service to Héra.

They went WAY easy on Helm in the opening sequence with Freca. I can understand why — they don’t want to make Helm unlikeable right from the jump — but Helm of the books was more of an instigator of that mess than Freca (Helm swung first!!!) and he was a much bigger dick about it. I think it would have been interesting to see the other iteration, which would have been a more complex, nuanced take on Helm and given him even more chance for emotional growth.

That being said, I really liked how they handled the whole “Helm wanders off into the snow each night and scares the shit out of Wulf’s army” stuff. I thought it was really cool and very effective. Two thumbs up.

I was very appreciative that they made the Dunlending general who was aiding Wulf (Tragg? I think? Nope, Targg!) a real person — smart, strategic, not bloodthirsty, with real humanity — rather than the one dimensional “savage wild man” stereotype that has so often been the Dunlendings’ narrative fate.

OKAY Fréaláf!!! Loved that guy. Handsome, noble, loyal, progressive, showing up on the ridge with the ringing of horns just in time to turn the tide of a battle. Legend.

Miranda Otto says in the opening narration that you won’t hear about Héra in the histories and legends from that time (which you’ve gotta say, right, since she’s an invented character that is literally not in any of the histories and legends!). But I wish they had followed up on that directly at the end with a more concrete explanation for WHY she’s not remembered. Fréaláf loved her and respected her! He wouldn’t have erased her from the story even if she had ridden off to some uncertain adventure with Gandalf and never returned again! So I was left a little bit wondering still, “what happened???”

EDITING TO ADD: I cannot believe I forgot to say how glad I was that the movie seemed not to care about Héra’s romantic life at all. She says very clearly that she’s not interested in getting married, and of course Wulf doesn’t like that. But we don’t spend time delving into what she actually means or why she feels that way and we don’t have her reach some weird heteronormative realization along the way that she DOES want a man even if it’s not Wulf. It’s just stated and then we move on. Maybe she’s a lesbian, maybe she’s aro/ace, maybe she just has other priorities and concerns right now. Whatever her deal is, the movie is content to let it be without drama or judgment. And I liked that.

Stopping there because this could get quite long and I’m still thinking things over, but that’s my start!

[justastraymoa]

Unwilling Alpha

Chapter 5

Masterlist

Taglist

✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️

The rest of the promised week with Stray Kids and the decision that will change everyone's lives.

Warnings ⚠️ swears, abo dynamics, mentions of slave trade, mentions of rape, mentions of abuse, mentions of death, fear, manipulation.

Nothing within reflects anyone or anything irl

Exhausted, I managed to sleep through the night.  It was a knock on my door that ended up waking me.

“Breakfast is almost ready.”  Hyunjin said when I bid him enter.

I nodded, yawning, and stretching, curling backwards in my bed.  “Okay, thanks.  I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

“By the way you talk in your sleep.”

Freezing I squinted at him.  I had never been told that before, but I’ve not slept in front of anyone but them and Chan on the plane for many years.  “What did I say?”  I kind of dreaded the answer.

He shrugged, still standing in the doorway.  “We didn’t realize you were asleep at first.  You just talked to us like normal.”  He half smiled, trying not to laugh.  “Then you started talking about maroon summer storms and dark warm wood.  Apparently, we smell good.”

I slapped my hand over my eyes.  “Never mind.  I’m staying here.  Forever.”

“Aww, it was cute!  Bin even blushed.”

“You are horrible.”

Hyunjin laughed and stepped further into the room to sway my exposed foot.  “Don’t worry.  You smell good too.  Like flowers, a cold winter breeze, and the pages of a new book.”  He sounded wistful and when I looked, his eyes were glazed and far away.

He shook his head and cleared his throat, turning to leave.  “Nice blue panties.”  He called as he shut the door.

Looking down I realized my blanket had moved when I stretched, revealing my panties and entire left leg.  I hadn’t even felt the cold breeze.

Groaning in embarrassment I flung the blanket the rest of the way off and rolled off my mattress to get dressed and face the day.

They were all sitting at the table again when I joined them 10 minutes later.  As soon as I sat I.N moved to fill my plate.  That must be his job.  As youngest maybe?  I don’t know.

“Ayen, wait.”  Lee Know ordered before a single drop of food touched my plate.  Confused, I.N still listened, putting down the utensils and sitting back in his chair.  “Yesterday when we did this you didn’t seem happy.  Do you want us to keep filling your plate and waiting?”

I was brought up short at the question.  “Aren’t your instincts telling you to?”

“Yes, but they tell us a lot of things until we learn what you prefer.  Right now, they are kind of on the default setting.”  He started to explain.  “The other Alphas liked it when we did this, so we didn’t think to ask you.  But like I said yesterday, you aren’t like the other Alphas.”

I smiled way to brightly for this early in the morning.  But I was happy.  They were starting to try and get to know me now instead of ignoring me and assuming what I wanted based on instincts and their experience with other Alphas.

“Thank you.  For asking.  Seriously, it makes me very happy that you did.”  I watched Lee Know turn pink before continuing.  “And no, I don’t like this.  It makes me feel used.  I don’t mind if you want to wait until we are all sitting to eat, but I would rather you not wait for me to be served and start eating before you do.”

“We can do that.”  Everyone nodded in agreement.

Then, a bit haltingly – like he was arguing with himself – Lee Know took a scoop of eggs and then ate a bite.  Everyone followed with varying degrees of struggle.

“Don’t worry.  It will get easier as our instincts adjust to your preferences.”  Chan soothed when he saw I looked worried.

I just nodded and started getting my own food.  As we ate various Omegas added food to my plate, but they did it with each other too, so I was fine with it.  In fact, I joined in.  The first time I added food to I.Ns plate he about exploded in glee.

“JYP texted me.  You still haven’t unblocked him.  He’s worried.”  Chan said as he pulled me away from the table so I wouldn’t help clean.

“Oh yeah!”  I had fallen asleep last night with my phone still trapped.

Taking out my phone I immediately unblocked the number so I wouldn’t forget again.

JYPs reply was almost immediate.  What Chan said must’ve been true.  He had to be worried if he was so quick to reply to me.

“He okay now?”  Chan asked.

I looked up from my phone and realized he had led me to his room.  His scent saturated every corner.  And it was surprisingly clean.  Neat and organized.  I always thought when he wasn’t on live or camera in here it would be a bit messy.  A typical bedroom type of messy.

“So, what are you up to today?”  I asked sitting in his desk chair.

Chan fell back on his bed, bouncing slightly.  “I’m scheduled for a live shortly and I wanna work on some songs, but nothing other than that.”

I smiled evilly.  “I’m so going to watch your live in the other room and troll you so hard!”

“I’ll troll you right back, watch me!”

I scoffed.  “You won’t even know which ones me.”

“I’ll just troll all the trolls then.”

“Good luck with that.”  I nearly ran from the room.  “Guys!  Guys!  Help me troll Chan on his live!”  I shouted, running towards the living room.

“Way ahead of you.”  I.N replied.  He was sitting on the floor in the living room, laptop sat on the seat of the couch.

“I will cancel my live!”  Chan threatened from his room.

“No, you won’t.  You will make STAY sad!”  I pointed out.

“They’ll get over it!”

“This is why you aren’t my bias; you flake!”

“HA!  I’m on to you!  I am your bias don’t lie!”

“You.  Wish.”

“You argue like you’ve been married 30 years.”  Hyunjin said as he joined I.N and me in the living room.

“Backup has arrived!”  Changbin called holding his phone above his head and folding into a chair.

“You’re outnumbered Bang!”  I cackled, giddy.

Despite his threat Chan did go live a short time later.  And I immediately began my trolling session by commenting on several of his more iconic embarrassing quotes and asking him to do those annoying things all fans ask idols that embarrass them.  I even caps locked aggressive compliments and pick up lines.  He was so red and flustered the entire time.  And the others joined in, making him worse.

Truth be told I had not had so much fun in a very long time.  I.N and Changbin matched my troll comment for comment perfectly and I was smiling so hard it hurt.  Sides cramped from laughing.

Before today I had never even dared comment on a live or do anything more than send likes.  Even that made me blush and hide like the person who was live could see me.

As soon as the live ended, Chan came running from his room and tackled me, pinning me and tickling my sides mercilessly until I.N and Changbin managed to free me, pulling me to safety as I gasped for air and Chan grabbed after me.

“You 3 are the worst!”  Chan declared.

“Oh, you loved it!”  Changbin argued cradling my upper half in his arms.  I was still out of breath from the tickle attack.

“Turds.”

I snorted at the weak comeback.

“I’m honestly not sure who is corrupting who here.”  Hyunjin mused from his spot.  He was failing to hide his amusement at our antics.

“I think there is a healthy amount of corrupting all around.”  I mused poking at him with my foot and giggling when he swatted it away.

“You are all equally awful.”  Lee Know shook his head at us, but he couldn’t stop the small smile on his lips.  I stuck my tongue out at him.

“You are all so loud!”  Han complained from his room.  “How is anyone supposed to get any work done?”

I groaned.  “You are on hiatus!  Stop working!”

“Never!”

Shaking my head I relaxed into Changbins arms, looking up at him.  I was trying very hard not to fangirl over any of them holding me or touching me, but damn did my heart race every time.

Momentarily I wondered if I was truly crazy.  Here I was in the position of 10 entire lifetimes.  I had the opportunity to be a part of Stray Kids.  Id practically have saved them if I stayed.

And I would have so many adventures.  See so many places.  Meet so many people.  And do such amazing things!  But only if I gave up everything I currently am.  Everything I worked for nearly all my life for.  It felt like such a huge loss either way.

“You smell sad again.”  Changbin observed.

I shook my head.  “Sorry.  I was in my thoughts.”  I took a deep breath to shake my melancholy.  Then I squinted and poked at Changbins chin.  “You know, this isn’t your best angle.”

Lee Know snorted and Changbin rolled his eyes and dumped me onto the floor unceremoniously.  I squeaked in protest.

“Who looks good at that angle?”

I shrugged.  Chances are there was someone, but I couldn’t say who.

“Speaking of looking good – are you going to do a photoshoot with us?”  I.N asked.

“Sure, if you want.  I have enough gear to get decent photos.  Nothing like your normal photos, of course.  I’m not as professional as the photographers you usually deal with.”  I answered as I crawled my way onto the couch next to Hyunjin.

And that’s how I spent the next several hours taking various photos of every Omega but Seungmin.

Seungmin had refused to leave his room unless he had to – claiming he was too busy to socialize.

But the rest of us had a blast.  Taking photos, solo and group, in nearly every room of the house.  They even changed outfits several times.  It had been a while since I had had so much fun doing my job.  I loved my job and enjoyed it, this just emphasized how much I truly loved being behind a camera.

It also emphasized exactly how much I’d be giving up if I stayed.

That night, after dinner, I hooked up my laptop to the TV and the 7 Omegas gathered to watch me edit their chosen photos.  Then they each posted the photos on their accounts.  I made sure to heart each post.

“Which ones your account?”  Felix asked showing me his phone so I could point my account out.

“It’s this one.”  I clicked the profile.  “Yah_its_y/n.  But you can’t follow me.  Everyone can see who you follow.”

“We won’t.  We just wanna stalk your page.”  Felix promised.  I rolled my eyes.  It was only fair though since I regularly stalked theirs.

My profile was boring anyway.  There weren’t even a lot of selfies.  It was mostly my photography and videography.

While they went through my profile I caught up on news and updates on Stray Kids.  I was several days behind on the gossip and fan made edits.

There were no posts on the new pictures they posted.  But they were just posted, give STAY 5 minutes to gush over them, edit them, then repost them.  It would be fun to see the edits they made to my photos.  I’m looking forward to seeing all the cool versions they come up with.

I was also checking to make sure my existence hadn’t been discovered.  There was the ever-ticking countdown for when Stray Kids either had to be bonded or dissolve forever.

I stared at the countdown for several minutes, not really seeing the numbers.  Instead, I was imagining a life with no new Stray Kids songs or content.  No more watching these 8 amazing people grow and make the world a brighter, better place.

How different my daily life would be without them.  Sure, there would be fanfictions and edits of old content for a while, but that would eventually peter out.  People – fans – would mourn and heal before moving on to the next group.  Just like with the groups this happened to before.  It was a never-ending saga.

I must have been giving off sad chemo signals again because Felix crawled into my lap and nuzzled under my chin, pulling me from my thoughts.

“Signing I started to run my fingers through his hair.  “Sorry.  In my thoughts again.”

“So not happy thoughts, then.”  Chan stated with a twist of his lips.

I shrugged a shoulder.  “Not every thought can be happy.”

On day 4 we played board games.  Monopoly got a little crazy.  Lee Know ended up owning most of the board and the money.  Then he became a mob boss/loan shark when we landed on his property.  That man did not play when it came time to collect either.

Chan had to finally call the game before we killed each other.  Tempers got a little heated.  Monopoly is a dangerous game.

Everyone ignored the fact that Seungmin yet again spent the day in his room.

I was a little confused on why JYP or Chan hadn’t tried to talk me into staying and bonding Stray Kids.  I expected some sort of campaign or negotiations, but besides texting to check in, JYP was quiet and absent.  And Chan avoided mentioning anything beyond tomorrow.

Yes.  Tomorrow afternoon Chan would escort me back to the airport.  I had already taken my suppressant with dinner so I would be safe from exposure by tomorrow afternoon for the flight.

The room filled with sadness at the subtle reminder, but no one brought it up.

That night, as everyone was asleep, I was woken up when someone crawled into the bed with me and wrapped themselves around my sleep soft body, hiding their face in my neck.

Hot steel and fresh water filled my nose, confusing me.  Freeing an arm I cautiously rubbed at Sungmin’s back.  He trembled slightly and something warm and wet hit my neck.

“Seungmin?”  I asked, worried.  Maybe I should get Chan.  Did Seungmin sleepwalk?  Can you cry when you sleepwalk?

He gasped out a soft sob.  “Please.  Please don’t go.  Don’t leave us.”  He begged.

I didn’t respond.  I didn’t need to.  We both knew I had to leave.  Instead, I held him tightly and soothed a hand up and down his back as he cried silently.

The next morning, as I packed and said goodbye, there wasn’t a single dry eye.  Even Lee Know had to leave the room several times only to come back looking suspiciously puffy around the eyes.

And I sobbed the entire time, heart breaking for so many reasons.

But this was the best decision for me.  For my future.  My life.  This pain would fade eventually.  To a dull ache I would grow accustomed to and live with.

And so, with one final tear-filled wave to JYP and Chan, I boarded my plane and flew home.  Back to my normal life I worked so hard for.

✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️

Unwilling Alpha Taglist: @xxeiraxx @hanniemylovelyquokka @breadedloafs @songleepark @f1ln4dr3cl16mv33 @hyunjinhoexxx @kayleefriedchicken @vietjeb @hityoulikebahng @juju-227592 @ionlyeverwantedtobeyourequal @royal-shinigami @bangchansfavoritenoona @straykidslvr @bookswillfindyouaway @h0rnyp0t @Svmmerstime @jennibahng

[joelsbunny]

Tunnel Vision ~ König x Fem!Reader

Headache/Heartache ~ Part 4 of the Tunnel Vision series

Summary: You haven't run into the tall, silent König very often during your time in Taskforce 141, so when he starts showing up around every corner, you cant decide if it's for the better or worse.

(lots of fluff, no use of "y/n", slowburn, smut later on ;D)

As my eyes open, something bright forces them shut again. I rub my fists over my face and try again, realizing as the world comes into focus that I never turned my lights off. I shield my eyes with my palm and pull back the covers to see last night’s outfit. The memory seeps back into me sourly like a spilled drink. A glance at my phone reveals that it’s too early to be awake, but too late to go back to sleep. I glare at my half-drunk tea for a moment, then pick it up and open my door to return to where it all started. I watch my feet carry me to the kitchen where I catch a figure already occupying the microwave from the corner of my eye. I lean against the door and stare at the ground in a haze. My thoughts are racing so fast my vision feels blurry. All the things I wish I’d done last night and what I wish I hadn’t. I see two feet stop in front of mine and look dazedly down at them before I realize I’m blocking the doorway. 

“I-I’m sorry,” I say, just as I look up into König’s face and jump a little. His blue eyes meet mine, narrow and concerned. 

“Are you alright?” He asks, carrying a small tan sack. I open my mouth absurdly for a moment, words suddenly failing me. 

“Fine. I’m fine,” I eventually choke out. The sight of him, the root of my troubling night, startles me more than I anticipated. Though I move aside to unblock the door, he remains fixed in front of me, looking uneasy. 

“Are you sure? You look exhausted,” He puts a hand on my shoulder, I assume at first to comfort me, but he guides me gently to a chair. I let him lead me and sink into the seat, still clutching my cold cup of tea. 

“Yeah, uh… weird night.” I shake my head a little, as if the gears in my mind will fall back into place. His eyes sweep me and I can almost hear him registering that I didn’t change clothes. He ducks low and swiftly removes the mug from my hand, ignoring my weak attempt to resist. He moves to the sink and dumps the tea out. I watch him, bewildered, as he moves back to the kettle and refills it with hot water. Is he seriously making me tea…? He gingerly plucks an Earl gray bag from its box and drops it in, depositing the warm mug back into my cupped hands. He slowly lowers himself into the chair beside me and folds his arms. I feel oddly like a schoolgirl sitting across the desk from the principal. 

“Do you want to talk about it? Or just drink?” His voice is low and comforting, sending a thrill through my chest when he talks again. I avoid his question, playing absently with the string of the teabag and point at the sack he’s still gripping. 

“What’s that?” I ask, and he looks down at his hands in surprise. 

“It’s a… um, heating pad.” He responds sheepishly and presses the warm sack to my knee to demonstrate. I nod slowly. A headache is threatening to overtake the left side of my head and I press my knuckles against my temple. “Optics?” His voice grows even softer. 

“Headache,” I respond curtly. “I’m fine.”

“You say that a lot,” he responds, with a hint of a smile beneath his concerned tone. 

“Because I am.” I insist, meeting his eyes. “I don’t know why everyone’s worried about me suddenly,” I add, a hint of leftover bitterness from last night weaving into my voice. König sits back slightly, looking confused and concerned. “Sorry,” I sigh and let my head fall into my hand. My thoughts are confused, bleeding into each other and making my head throb angrily. The man in front of me watches me thoughtfully for a moment. 

“Drink,” he urges, poking my mug encouragingly. As I watch his hand retract I notice an unnatural redness around his knuckles that makes me hesitate. He gives me a steely glance so I reluctantly put the drink to my lips and sip. Admittedly, the almost painfully hot sensation sliding down my throat eases the tension in my neck and shoulders. König’s clinical stare doesn’t falter when I meet his eyes over the rim of the mug. 

“You keep helping me. It’s like you’re waiting to be a gentleman around every corner,” I point out shrewdly. 

“I like helping!” König raises his hands in surrender. “So sue me.”

“Do I owe you my firstborn now? Is that what’s happening?” My temple throbs again, but the pain melts almost immediately as König chuckles. I smile a little watching the fabric of his mask flutter against his mouth. 

“Rumplestiltskin is German, I’m Austrian,” he corrects me good-naturedly. 

“So what do I owe you then?” I feel strangely elated as he imparts this fact.

“Nothing,” he responds and I can hear him grinning. “That’s why Austrians are better.” I nod in understanding and take another sip of the tea. My smile falters and I press my hand against the side of my tender head but my warm palm brings no relief. König reaches out and pulls my hand from the side of my face, pressing the heating pad into my fist. “That might help,” he suggests, the playfulness in his voice melting with a sigh. 

“Thanks,” I mutter and gratefully press the hot sack against my temple. 

“So, are you gonna tell me what’s wrong?” he asks, his masked head cocking expectantly. I heave a deep breath, half exasperated, half grateful. 

“If I do, will you tell me why you’re awake so early?” I offer, and he chuckles again. 

“Okay, deal,” he runs a hand down his face and shakes his head a little.

“Ghost gave me a hard time last night,” I admit. Though true, I’m avoiding most of the details that truly brought me here this early. I see the front of his eyebrows draw together. 

“Why?” he presses, but I’m eager to back away from this subject. 

“Hey, remember our deal,” I give him a stern glance and he huffs again, putting two fingers to his temple. 

“You don’t make things easy, do you?” he asks, but I can hear his invisible grin. 

“You agreed to the deal!” I remind him in mock-offense. He nods and holds up his hands in surrender. 

“Fine,” he laughs. “I had a bad dream and woke up early. Alright?” My smile fades slightly.

“And the heating pad…?” I ask, my voice gentler. He returns my scolding stare and folds his reddened hand out of sight. 

“A deal’s a deal… If you want the answer to that, you’ll have to answer my question too.” he admonishes me, but his tone remains light. 

“He was worried about you walking me home. Your turn,” I push these words out as quickly as I can, ignoring the troubled look appearing in his eyes. He looks pensive for a moment but seems to decide not to press further.

“I tend to be a… uh, violent sleeper,” he laughs shortly and raises his hand to inspect the blossoming bruises before tucking it away again. “When I have nightmares, anyway. Sort of like a dog,” he says casually, but his eyes are blankly examining the ceiling. When he looks back down, he seems surprised to see me smiling at him. “What?” he asks, puzzled. 

“Just that this is the most I’ve ever heard you talk,” He chuckles softly as I speak. Every new thing I learn about him feels like a gift I get to cup in my hands, the warmth spreading through my arms to my chest. I try to suppress the odd dizzy feeling that accompanies his voice and laugh, but it’s difficult to ignore when he’s within my arm’s reach. 

“That’s a good thing?” He asks with a bashful laugh. The first rays of sunlight are catching the icy flecks in his eyes and it makes my breath catch halfway up my throat. I open my mouth, but quickly close it when we’re joined by a third figure in the doorway. The silhouette makes my stomach freeze, but as the man steps out of the glare of sunlight, I feel myself sigh in relief. Just Roach. 

“Opt- oh, hi König,” Roach shoots me a quizzical look but appears to reserve judgment when he notices the heating pad pressed against my head. “This is convenient, actually. I came to tell you we have a briefing today; 141 and KorTac,” he informs us as he shuffles to the coffee machine. 

“Together?” König sounds doubtful, but Roach nods. 

“Yep. At 0900,” he taps the counter impatiently while the Keurig buzzes. “Headache, Optics?” he adds with a sidelong glance at me. 

“Yeah… maybe too many drinks last night,” I reply, and while possible, I doubt it’s the reason for my tender head. Roach snorts with an almost-sympathetic look at me. 

“Lightweight,” he pats me roughly on the shoulder and turns to leave, followed by my resentful stare. “See you lot at nine.” his voice calls while he rounds the corner and disappears. 

“I seem to recall you having one drink,” König says in a low voice and stands from his chair. I feel a sudden and surprising jolt at this signal of his departure. I stand abruptly too, feeling very muddled all at once. He looks surprised at my quick movement as I hand his heating pad back to him. 

“Sorry. Your knuckles need this more than I do,” I murmur, feeling his thumb brush the back of my hand as he reaches out to take it. 

“I gave it to you for a reason,” he responds, not retracting his hand immediately. A warm shock sizzles through my arm, but becomes heavy when he finally pulls his hand away holding the sack. If I could ignore these oddly pleasing sensations before, it is becoming much harder to do so. I can’t explain why the excitement of his touch makes me so afraid, why his soft eyes make me want to give in and run away all at once. Any more of these encounters, and I worry I may not be able to run when I need to. My chest feels chilly from the inside out, pierced only by his warm gaze. 

“See you at the briefing, then,” I breathe, eager to pull away from these suddenly confusing feelings. His eyes are still wide in surprise, but he blinks slowly and nods. 

“Right. See you,” his voice is hardly more than a whisper. The warmth where his thumb grazed me is still buzzing as I turn and walk, directionless, from the kitchen where he still stands. 

[m0ri4rtyssh1fting]

MY SHIFTING JOURNEY

For those who don't know me hi, I'm Elisabeth and this is my blog about shifting. The purpose of this blog is to share my journey and avoid misinformation, also accompanying you on your journey!

Now let's talk about my journey, how it started and how it's going.

I learned about shifting in 2020, on shiftok, when there was still a lot of misinformation about it. I immediately became interested in the topic and made my first attempts to shift in a DR of Harry Potter. I remember that I mainly used the raven method with special subliminals for my DR. After a while the first breaks began, because I tried to shift every night and this took a lot of energy from me.

I realized later that I needed to reprogram my mindset, and it was the best choice I could have made. This has changed my perspective on shifting a lot and I still recommend it to beginners today.

During my breaks I started to become better informed, study the information we have and started to understand what was holding me back from shifting (mainly mental blocks). It happened to me that I wanted to shift, but was blocked and at that moment I understood that I had to take my journey back into control, so I forced myself to unblock myself, because I knew I wanted it. And guess what? I had my first two shifting symptoms (to be differentiated from the symptoms of body falling asleep, a distinction I may make a post on) three years after the first attempt. This motivated me a lot because it showed me for the first time the progress that was taking place in my journey.

The first time I had a symptom it happened like this: I had just woken up and it was morning, there was a lot of light in my room and my mother had to tell me some things, so after listening to her I got back into bed to sleep again. I remember thinking "I'll try to shift later" and then I just let my mind wander over my thoughts until I lost control of them. I only realize now that I had some sort of REM activation. At a certain point, however, while I was thinking and my body was falling asleep again, I started to feel dizzy, while I saw colored lights (I think this was the result of my thoughts) and I started thinking "fuck I'm shifting!" and repeating these phrases to myself in distraught while I continued to feel symptoms. Out of emotion I decided to open my eyes so as not to shift and I got up in my CR. All of this happened while there were noises in the room, lights, and even my mother going back and forth. I was in a simple comfortable position. This experience totally freed me from the fear that the external environment could influence my shifting experience. The reality is that the only thing that matters is really us.

Some little informations about my routine etc

DRs: just Hogwarts for now, the same since I began my journey.

Scripts: I started with a paper one but now I use the Lifa App on the play store.

Methods: at the moment I'm trying one that I heard explained by a shiftoker which involves a meditation of about 10 minutes, then a sort of countdown from 100 to 0 with affirmations, and finally the use of the 5 senses to perceive the room (and focus only on that and not on the entire DR) where you want to wake up. I also want to try REM activation.

That's it, if you have any questions you can comment or leave them in the box, even write them to me in dm. Soon I will post explanations of some methods or some things that have been useful so far in my journey. Good luck shifters, trust yourselves!

[gothsuguru]

i am going feral over this and idk where it even came from but????? this might even be ooc but i HAVE to tell someone about it or i'll go insane!!!!!

imagine? suguru?? in his slump and really sad and just angry and depressed era and idk he's become borderline toxic while dating you [reader] and POTENTIALLY cheats on you oh god i can't imagine that sweet man doing it BUT BARE WITH ME!!

ur ass leaves him of course maybe even ghosts him when u find out and he is devastated and shoko/satoru give him shit and no one wants to indulge him in anything about you

then a few years later ur back? maybe u even unblock him because u've moved on and all and he's trying so hard to win u back but u always say once a cheater always a cheater but over the years he's gotten his shit together and he knows what he did and he's willing to take every precaution possible so that u never have doubts! AND HE's 100% changed! but ur so hurt!!!!!

AND IDK WHERE IT GOES BUT IN SOME SCENARIOS IN MY HEAD! u guys end up sleeping together!!!!!!! but u do not want to go further into anything emotional and he just wants to be so close to u that he doesn't even care if he's just a part of ur roster.

AH! IDK THIS IDEA MIGHT NOT EVEN MAKE ANY SENSE LOL BUT I JUST HAD TO GET IT ALL OUT!

ANOTHER ONE OF MY GUILTY PLEASURE FICS ARE ONES OF SUGURU REGRETTING & WALLOWING IN SHAME/GUILT AFTER CHEATING ON READER AND READER NOT FORGIVING HIM 🤭🤭🤭 women who ARE angry and STAY angry my BELOVEDS!!!!

but omfg… I SEE THE VISION omfg why do i kinda wanna write this now (since it’s your idea i won’t don’t worry! i’m NAWT an idea stealer!)

ALSO! i feel like i can see suguru being somewhat of a cheater just because he in canon is a Betrayer… he’s devoted in certain lights he’s scummy in others and in this case i can see him being a toxic “bf” and cheating on reader and then vomiting with guilt </3 ALSO YESSSSSSSS SHOKO & SATORU BEING ON YOUR SIDE AND NOT ENTERTAINING SUGURU!!!!! i think satoru especially would be disgusted w suguru… maybe satoru used to have a latent crush on you or smthn and now he’s like? i didn’t go after reader bc of THIS fucking fool and THIS is what he does to reader???

AND YES!!!! even if suguru has genuinely changed, i PERSONALLY would never forgive him + would pray on his downfall + would break everything in his house and also his bones in a fit of rage 🩷 but reader is better than me ig 🙄 so them unblocking him in a way of moving on does make sense! it’s like… he’s not even on their radar anymore!

OOOH AND THAT LAST PART… maybe it’s bc i’m a Certified Hater™️ and have extreme pride and it’s informing the way i would see reader but i don’t think i can see reader sleeping w him 😭 but i do see where you’re coming from, it’d be delicious to see that for reader it’s just a physical thing w no emotional attachment and for suguru it’s So Much More… it’s emotional to him! i also think suguru would be like “i’ll take what i can get” but i can’t even grant him that bc he’s gotta suffer hehehehehe

it’d be so fun to see reader get w someone like toji and reader + toji genuinely hit it off and suguru sees them one day and he’s like oh i fucking hate my life… well… DESERVED! SUFFER BITCH!

anyways omg your Mind anon……. Your Mind…. it’s so deliciously evil i’m in love <333

[ravennaortiz]

Not A Devil

Chapter 15 of Countdown. This Chapter starts a couple days after the beginning of the last chapter and before Zobelles daughter is killed.

As always this is an 18+ only story. This story is AU based and not your typical Sons of Anarchy story. Some readers may find some plot lines and changes to some characters to be problematic please read at your discretion. This story also time jumps heavily so keep this in mind as you read!

Warnings: General themes of the show such as violence, drugs, swearing etc, minor age gap, minor smut in later chapters.

Tag List @fleureeee

"Coco.... can we talk outside?" asked Rocky as she approached the table where he was sitting with Angel and EZ. Coco nodded as he took in the nervous energy emanating from her.

"Wassup?" asked Coco once the two of them were standing out by the bikes. "Promise you won't be mad?" asked Rocky as she shifted from foot to foot nervously, keeping her eyes on the ground. "I'll attempt to not be, no guarantees" replied Coco his eyes on her.

"I....have been taunting Clay. I unblocked his number and I'm pretty sure he has Polly and is trying to frame....Juice and Half" confessed Rocky as tears started to well in her eyes.

Coco was silent for a few moments as he considered what he should say.

"Shit. Okay. Why would he not frame Jax?" questioned Coco.

Rocky sighed before looking up at him with tears falling down her cheeks. "Because I let my anger get the best of me and kinda told him I was in love with them. Will you help me make sure they stay safe? I lied when I said I didn't know where they were." continued to confess Rocky as she cried.

Coco pulled Rocky into a hug feeling bad for her. "Its okay. We can fix this. I'll talk to Bishop. I'm sure he would let them stay here but obviously under a lockdown type thing given the circumstances. No more lies though okay?" soothed Coco as he comforted her. Rocky simply nodded her acknowledgement.

***

Bishop sat leaned back in his chair in Templo facing Rocky and Coco. He was contemplating what the best course of action would be. "I wish you hadn't started down this path but what is done is done" stated Bishop finally making Rocky look up at him with her tear streaked face.

"This is fixable but I must have full compliance not just from you but from them. There cannot be anymore deceit or conspiring. I also expect them to help out around the scrapyard and earn their keep." continued Bishop as he leaned forward on the table.

"I promise we all will be on our best behavior" stated Rocky as she smiled in relieve at Bishops words.

"Thank you Coco" murmured Rocky as they walked out of Templo together. "No problem, you made a mistake. Seriously though don't ever risk your safety like that again." replied Coco sternly.

***

Three months later. Day after Zobelles daughters head is delivered.

To say he was angry and disappointed in Rocky was an understatement as Jax slammed his SUV into park in front of the Mayans Clubhouse. "Jax" called Chibs as he and Opie hurriedly followed him as he stormed inside.

Jax ignored the curious looks of the Mayans as he booked it for Templo where he could see Bishop and Rocky. "What the fuck Rockette?" snapped Jax angrily as he flung the door open making her jump.

"I " started Rocky before Jax cut her off.

"Shut up. I don't want to hear lies! After" started to yell Jax before he was cut off by a voice behind him.

"Don't tell her to shut up" growled Half-Sack as he shoved his way into the room followed by Juice, Chibs and Opie. Jax looked from them to Bishop as he tried to process what was happening.

"I think we all have a lot to discuss" stated Bishop as he gestured for everyone to sit.

Return to Chapter List

[kseniyache]

41. Plance

Also, I missed you! 😭💖🥰

Hi!

Thank you so much! I thought that nobody actually noticed my disappearance. But I'm glad I was wrong. Thanks for your request — you unblocked my love for fanfiction and Voltron ships. Plance was one of my fav. Always will be. My sweet children. Here a piece for your request — a human AU.

“Do you know who I saw today?” Shay got down to business without preamble.

She came at Hunk’s work place for literally fifteen minutes to drink coffee and run away further.

“Who?” Hunk lovingly slipped Shay new profiteroles and listened with half an ear.

“Pidge and Lance!”

“So what?” Hunk shrugged his shoulders. “They hang out together all the time.”

“Oh, no, it was different.”

“Why?” Hunk didn't understand. “They're friends. We often hang with them too.”

“Yeah, but I'm afraid they wouldn't be happy to see us today,” Shay chuckled, hiding her smile behind a cup of coffee.

“Why not?”

Shay leaned over and beckoned Hunk to her, and then in a whisper, as if it was the greatest secret, said, “They were kissing.”

“Pidge and Lance?” Hunk's eyes widened. “It can't be! They're… they're…”

“Friends. I know. But, apparently, friendship has reached a new level. It’s amazing! We can go on double dates.”

“But we're-” Hunk began, but stopped, trying to remember if there was anything strange in Pidge and Lance’s behavior, but nothing came to mind. “I just can’t believe it.”

“I knew,” Shay shrugged and put a new profiterole in her mouth. “Sooner or later something had to change between them.”

“But they're friends! It violates every meaning of friendship! If we follow this logic, then Lance could kiss Keith, and Keith could kiss Shiro. We are all friends, one big company.”

“Honey,” Shay covered Hunk's hand with her own, “calm down. You just didn't notice, but I saw how Lance looks at her, and how Pidge reacts to him.”

Hunk was not fully convinced, but he trusted his girlfriend in amorous matters. Maybe he just didn't notice…

Literally that same evening, Hunk made sure that Shay was right.

The coffee shop was getting ready to close, Hunk turned off the main light and was putting things in order in the room when he was attracted by movement outside the window. It was raining. Suddenly under the streetlamp, which was located just next to the entrance to the coffee shop, a couple stopped. They kissed passionately under the umbrella. The girl was petite, and she had to reach out to her boyfriend, who leaned towards her, pressing her with one hand and holding the umbrella firmly with the other.

Hunk chuckled and turned away when recognition suddenly shot through him like an electric current. He turned to the window again. The kissers were still there, they didn't break away from each other. Hunk took a few quiet steps toward the door. The couple couldn't see him, but he could make out their faces perfectly in the light of the lantern. “Oh. My. God! It's Lance and… and Pidge!”

Then Lance broke away from Pidge's lips, they laughed at something and went their way hand in hand, leaving Hunk alone to digest what he saw.

[burgycreeper405-blog]

a messy rant talk cuz am angy

bruh, osc twitter is so fnckin toxic like, they just gave me extreme trust issues that i just start to not follow or even interact with anyone outside of my friend circle immediately even if they art is cool and chet cuz whenever i interact with anyone (like follow, reply or somthin) they will go and block me bcuz someone tells them that i did something bad without even knowing what it is, yet they believe them like they know me better

and the only thing i did was ship knife and mic, ive known that the siblings hc is everywhere and i asked allot of times why its so popular, yet no one is telling me so i did my own search about it but noooo they be harassing and spamming me in quote retweets and calling me out and chet for an info that a newcomer wouldnt know instead of just dm-ing me,, they fr had to tell the public about it

like bro, i just joined not even a year in, just a month in, yet they harassing me like ive been here since day one

and might i let you know that the “proof” they be spamming me is almost a decade old, like, they didnt even ask the person if theyre still okay with it or not, a friend of mine has to ask them about it and guess what, he doesnt even mind it anymore

and then them saying “we reached out to burgy but they did nothing” like??? did my thread that i did and deleting the microknife art mean nothing?? even if the person said that its not even a big deal anymore?? yall need to get more info than just info that’s decades ago cuz like, you do know people change right?

and just cuz i posted that thread a day late cuz like bro, i was tryna write it as clear as possible yet that is nothing to you???

like yeah, i blocked some people but they were spamming and harrassing the frick out of me and chet like dude, i get it, your proof is a decade old, try and see if its still accurate sheesh, shut up, i have never blocked anyone unless theyre being annoying, and thats what i did, i unblocked them a few days later

and now its about the GKGG au??? like bro, it’s an au, obviously its different from canon, and now bcuz of that, my friend has to do an explanation about it here even if it’s so obviously obvious (they even explained there on twitter that the backstory is different from canon, but i guess they don’t know how to read)

haysst

i am so glad that i decide to just keave twitter, ive been wanting to leave twitter since a long time ago cuz i dont even know what to do with it than just like my friends’ & brother’s post and funny retweets and CoryxKenshin says to follow him on twitter/hj

and now, i finally dumped that bird app on the trash cuz, my dash was so full of osc people that i dont even want to interact cuz my gosh, every week is just full of callouts and stuff,and like, they just be bringing up old drama, like even if the person theyre calling out is trying to change and chet or just even the drama was like months or years ago, they be bringing it up like its nothing, like the person didnt apologized and stuff, and what’s worse, people believes the one who did the callout post, they didnt look if what theyre saying is true or not like dude, whats worse is if it’s a fresh wound and the person is trying to change, but i guess the osc twitter doesnt understand the word “sorry” even if you did a whole essay about how sorry you are, it’s like they dont even wait for the other half side of the story bro

two months in knowing and drawing ii and the osc twitter was so toxic like bro, i dont think i can handle years being there, let alone just a month like sheesh

aight

here’s a old random sketch of Katie and a oc named Erick from my tlm superhero au as a, i dunno, a thank you i guess? if you took the time to read all dat, i dunno

i wanna draw more of them,,

[dont-telljasmine]

So I need some input/advise if you wouldn’t mind please 💕. So basically I was talking to this guy for over a year long distance, he lives in Miami and we’ve met 4 times in person. We would talk consistently, he told me how he wanted a relationship, for me to move there, have kids with him and all that but every time I’ve gone there something happened (him leaving me unexpectedly, him not being able to see me for very long telling me it was because he was taking care of his grandpa who he lived with) anyway but he kept in contact all this time and was just about to go see him again in 2 days and I received a call from a Miami phone number which I thought was weird so answered it and it was a girl and she goes “hi I received a phone call from this phone number” and I was like “no I didn’t call you” then she hangs up abruptly...then she calls back like 2 minutes later and then says she actually saw my phone number on her boyfriends phone and wondered how I knew her boyfriend...we continued to talk she at first told me they were together for a year and then she changed it for some reason to 3 years over text after I sent her the proof and everything of our texts and she was nice and respectful and not mad at me at all and after sending her all the texts to confirm she told me they broke up...he blocked me after I called him as he was on the way back to see her and I was like “you have a girlfriend” and then he goes “you had a dating app and hangs up and blocks me”...I did have a dating app and he went through my phone last time I was there and saw it and was upset and said “it broke him”. We weren’t ever official and like I said every time I went there he would leave me. Anyway, I have tried to call him from a private number many times because he blocked me and he’s been so hurtful. He unblocked me and said to “stop texting him, to move on, how he’s blocking me, how it’s clearly over, to stop being obsessed and to find someone else” why is he saying this when I was supposed to go there 2 days after the girlfriend called me?? Like they broke up and now he’s saying he doesn’t want to see me? I don’t understand...he’s also done this a lot with me where he’ll say bye or it’s done, block me and always come back. So our relationship has been challenging to say the least. But doesn’t it mean something that he’s kept in contact with me this long? At first, I thought he just wanted to hookup but he kept on talking to me and wanting me to go see him...for over a year. Why would he do this when he’s had a girlfriend of 3 years and she said they basically were living together. I don’t understand. Any input?

I want to start by saying that I’m so sorry you’ve had to experience this. It’s not easy finding out that someone that you care for and trust has been sharing their energy with someone else.

It’s a hard pill to swallow, but when the red flags are there, they’re there. The worst thing you can do is ignore them. Seeing a guy 4 times out of a year is not Princess treatment. A man who’s invested in the connection craves your time and attention. YOU ARE THE PRIZE.

When a man tells you things like “stop texting” “just move on” it’s SO hard, but DO IT. Not because he told you to do it, but because any man that is YOUR man would never tell you to do that. Talking to you for a year, but she was able to get his phone and find your number? She’s a lot closer and deeper with him than you think. She’s use to this. She should only be able to come to you as a woman ONCE before you let her have him. Let her deal with him lying, cheating, being sneaky, finding texts, and DMs.

Move on babes!

For me personally… I don’t block. I let the embarrassment of you working up the courage to send me a text or call me. Just for me not to answer or respond. I LOVE the feeling.

Find you a man who wants to see you multiple times a week, who takes you on dates, sends you money for no reason. Just cause he likes you. Who’s showing you off, bringing you around his friends (this is very important. If you aren’t meeting people in his circle… you’re not that important and this is not progressing) get to know him in person. NEVER let a man put you in a text/phone-lationship. Find your Empress Energy as I like to call it. Research what it means to be in your goodness or empress of energy. You’ll never let a unsure man waste your time again.

I hope this helps

-xoxo

[wagroup]

Ever wondered what truly happens when you block someone on WhatsApp? We’ve all been there – a frustrating conversation, unwanted messages, or maybe just a need for some space. Hitting that “block” button feels powerful, but what’s actually going on behind the scenes? This blog post will dive deep into the effects of blocking someone on WhatsApp, clearing up any confusion and answering all your burning questions. We’ll explore everything from what the blocked person sees to the implications for your own WhatsApp experience. Get ready to become a WhatsApp blocking expert!

What Happens When You Block Someone on WhatsApp: A Deep Dive

Let’s start with the basics. Blocking someone on WhatsApp is a pretty straightforward action, but the consequences are far-reaching. It’s a tool to manage your digital interactions and reclaim control over your messaging experience. But understanding exactly what happens is key to using this feature effectively.

What the Blocked Person Sees

So, what does the person on the receiving end experience? This is probably the most common question people have. The short answer is: they won’t know immediately that they’ve been blocked. There’s no notification popping up saying, “You’ve been blocked!” Instead, the changes are subtle but significant.

Messages: Any messages they send to you after you block them will never reach you. They’ll simply remain unsent on their end. They might see one or two checkmarks (depending on their privacy settings), but these won’t change to the familiar double blue checkmarks indicating delivery and read receipts. This is a key indicator that something’s amiss.

Calls: Similar to messages, any calls they make to you will go straight to voicemail. They won’t hear a busy signal or a ringing tone; it will be as if you’re unavailable.

Status Updates: You’ll disappear from their view. They won’t be able to see your status updates, even if they’ve previously viewed them.

Profile Picture: Your profile picture will also vanish from their view. They’ll see a default profile picture instead.

Last Seen: Your “last seen” timestamp will no longer be visible to them. This information, which usually shows when you were last online, will be hidden.

Group Chats: This is a little more nuanced. If you’re both in a group chat, they can still see your messages within that group. However, you won’t be able to see their messages. They can still contact you through the group chat, but you won’t receive those messages.

It’s important to note that the blocked person won’t receive any notification that they’ve been blocked. They might suspect something is wrong if their messages aren’t being delivered, but there’s no direct confirmation.

What You See (The Blocker’s Perspective)

From your perspective, the changes are equally clear. You’ll have successfully silenced that particular contact.

No Messages: You won’t receive any messages from the blocked person.

No Calls: You won’t receive any calls from the blocked person.

No Updates: You won’t see any status updates or profile picture changes from the blocked person.

Control: You regain control over your WhatsApp experience, free from unwanted contact.

The Implications of Blocking Someone

Blocking someone on WhatsApp isn’t just about silencing a single conversation; it has broader implications.

Privacy: Blocking is a powerful privacy tool. It helps you manage who can contact you and what information they can see about you.

Safety: In situations of harassment or abuse, blocking is a crucial safety measure. It can help protect you from unwanted attention.

Relationship Dynamics: Blocking someone can significantly impact your relationship with that person. It’s a strong action that should be considered carefully.

Unblocking: You can always unblock someone later if you change your mind. This will restore your communication with them as if nothing happened.

Beyond the Basics: Advanced Considerations

Now that we’ve covered the fundamentals, let’s delve into some more intricate aspects of blocking on WhatsApp.

Blocking and Group Chats: The Nuances

As mentioned earlier, blocking someone doesn’t remove them from group chats you both share. However, it does significantly limit your interaction. You won’t receive their messages, and they won’t receive yours (outside of the group chat). This can be a useful tool if you want to remain in a group chat for other reasons but need to avoid direct contact with a specific individual.

Blocking and WhatsApp Groups: Admin Privileges

If you’re a group admin and you block a member, they’ll still be in the group. However, they won’t be able to see your messages, and you won’t see theirs. Their ability to participate in the group will be significantly limited. You might consider removing them from the group entirely for a cleaner separation.

Blocking and Multiple Devices

Blocking someone on one device will block them on all your linked devices. The block applies across your WhatsApp account, ensuring consistent control regardless of which device you’re using.

Blocking and Business Accounts

Blocking a business account works the same way as blocking a personal account. You won’t receive messages, calls, or see their updates. This can be particularly useful if you’re receiving unwanted marketing messages or spam.

Alternatives to Blocking: Muting and Archiving

Before resorting to blocking, consider these less drastic options:

Muting: Muting a chat silences notifications without blocking the person. You’ll still receive their messages, but you won’t be alerted to them.

Archiving: Archiving a chat moves it out of your main chat list, keeping it out of sight without blocking the person. You can easily unarchive it later.

When to Block Someone on WhatsApp

Blocking should be a deliberate decision. Consider blocking someone if:

Harassment or Abuse: You’re experiencing harassment, bullying, or any form of abuse.

Unwanted Contact: You’re receiving unwanted messages or calls from someone you don’t want to communicate with.

Privacy Concerns: You want to protect your privacy and limit who can see your information.

Toxic Relationships: You need to create distance from a toxic or negative relationship.

Summary: Mastering WhatsApp Blocking

Blocking someone on WhatsApp is a powerful tool for managing your digital interactions and protecting your privacy. It prevents messages and calls from reaching you, hides your profile information, and provides a sense of control. While it’s a significant action, it’s reversible, and understanding its implications is crucial for using it effectively. Remember to consider alternatives like muting or archiving before resorting to blocking, and always prioritize your safety and well-being.

So, what are your experiences with blocking on WhatsApp? Have you found it to be a helpful tool? Share your thoughts and tips in the comments below! And don’t forget to share this post with your friends who might find it useful. Let’s help each other navigate the world of WhatsApp with confidence!

[newmannoble]

Overcoming Writer’s Block: Practical Strategies for Creative Flow

Writer’s block is a common challenge that plagues both seasoned writers and beginners. It can be frustrating and demoralizing, but fortunately, there are effective strategies to overcome this creative hurdle and restore your creative flow. Here are some practical tips to help you get back on track.

Establish a Writing Routine

Consistency is key to overcoming writer’s block. Set a regular writing schedule and stick to it. Whether it’s early in the morning, during lunch breaks, or late at night, find a time that works best for you and make it a habit. Routine can help condition your mind to expect and embrace the creative process at specific times.

Create a Conducive Writing Environment

Your surroundings can significantly impact your creativity. Choose a quiet, comfortable, and distraction-free space dedicated to writing. This could be a home office, a cozy corner in your living room, or a favorite café. Having a designated writing space helps signal to your brain that it’s time to focus and be productive.

Break Down the Task

Facing a large writing project can be overwhelming and may contribute to writer’s block. Break down your task into smaller, manageable sections. Focus on completing one paragraph, one page, or one chapter at a time. Setting smaller goals can make the process feel less daunting and more achievable, giving you a sense of progress and accomplishment.

Free Writing

Free writing is a powerful technique to overcome writer’s block. Set a timer for 10 to 15 minutes and write whatever comes to mind without worrying about grammar, punctuation, or coherence. The goal is to keep the pen moving or fingers typing. This exercise can help unlock your creativity and often leads to new ideas and inspiration.

Change Your Scenery

Sometimes, a change of scenery can do wonders for your creativity. If you’re feeling stuck, try writing in a different location. This could be a park, a library, or a different room in your house. A new environment can provide fresh perspectives and help stimulate your imagination.

Engage in Other Creative Activities

Engaging in other creative activities, such as drawing, painting, or playing a musical instrument, can help stimulate your brain and overcome writer’s block. These activities can activate different parts of your brain, inspire new ideas, and reignite your creative spark.

Read and Seek Inspiration

Reading books, articles, or poetry can inspire and generate new ideas. Exploring different genres or subjects can also offer fresh perspectives and insights that can help unblock one’s creativity. Consuming other forms of art, such as watching movies, visiting museums, or listening to music, can also serve as a source of inspiration.

Set Realistic Expectations

Perfectionism can be a significant barrier to creative flow. Set realistic expectations and allow yourself to write imperfectly. Remember, the first draft doesn’t have to be perfect. Give yourself permission to write poorly initially and focus on getting your ideas down on paper. You can always revise and improve later.

Practice Mindfulness and Relaxation Techniques

Stress and anxiety can exacerbate writer’s block. Practicing mindfulness and relaxation techniques such as meditation, deep breathing exercises, or yoga can help calm your mind and reduce anxiety. A relaxed mind is more conducive to creativity and free thinking.

Seek Feedback and Support

Sharing your work with trusted friends, family, or writing groups can provide valuable feedback and support. Sometimes, discussing your ideas with others can help clarify your thoughts and provide new insights. Don’t hesitate to seek help and encouragement from your writing community.

In conclusion, overcoming writer’s block requires patience, persistence, and a willingness to experiment with different strategies. By establishing a routine, creating a conducive environment, breaking down tasks, and seeking inspiration, you can overcome writer’s block and restore your creative flow. Remember, every writer experiences blocks, but with the right approach, you can move past them and continue your creative journey.

[divine555]

So I need some input/advise if you wouldn’t mind please 💕. So basically I was talking to this guy for over a year long distance, he lives in Miami and we’ve met 4 times in person. We would talk consistently, he told me how he wanted a relationship, for me to move there, have kids with him and all that but every time I’ve gone there something happened (him leaving me unexpectedly, him not being able to see me for very long telling me it was because he was taking care of his grandpa who he lived with) anyway but he kept in contact all this time and was just about to go see him again in 2 days and I received a call from a Miami phone number which I thought was weird so answered it and it was a girl and she goes “hi I received a phone call from this phone number” and I was like “no I didn’t call you” then she hangs up abruptly...then she calls back like 2 minutes later and then says she actually saw my phone number on her boyfriends phone and wondered how I knew her boyfriend...we continued to talk she at first told me they were together for a year and then she changed it for some reason to 3 years over text after I sent her the proof and everything of our texts and she was nice and respectful and not mad at me at all and after sending her all the texts to confirm she told me they broke up...he blocked me after I called him as he was on the way back to see her and I was like “you have a girlfriend” and then he goes “you had a dating app and hangs up and blocks me”...I did have a dating app and he went through my phone last time I was there and saw it and was upset and said “it broke him”. We weren’t ever official and like I said every time I went there he would leave me. Anyway, I have tried to call him from a private number many times because he blocked me and he’s been so hurtful. He unblocked me and said to “stop texting him, to move on, how he’s blocking me, how it’s clearly over, to stop being obsessed and to find someone else” why is he saying this when I was supposed to go there 2 days after the girlfriend called me?? Like they broke up and now he’s saying he doesn’t want to see me? I don’t understand...he’s also done this a lot with me where he’ll say bye or it’s done, block me and always come back. So our relationship has been challenging to say the least. But doesn’t it mean something that he’s kept in contact with me this long? At first, I thought he just wanted to hookup but he kept on talking to me and wanting me to go see him...for over a year. Why would he do this when he’s had a girlfriend of 3 years and she said they basically were living together. I don’t understand. Any input?

It seems like he could be keeping you around because he knows you’ll put up with the stuff that he has put you through. I can see he’s manipulative and that he tries to make it seem like things are your fault. None of this is your fault however, and if a man genuinely cares and wants to see you he wouldn’t be making excuses, even if he is taking care of his grandfather.

My advice would be to let him go. It may be difficult at first because of the attachment you have to him but in the long run it’ll be so much better for you. A quote that has helped me with relationships that don’t serve me anymore is “when one door closes a better one opens”. You will attract someone who is more fit for the person you are now if you release him. You are divine and a blessing on this earth. There are people that you haven’t met yet that would go miles to see you and treat you like a goddess.

If he is genuinely meant to be in your life he will come back to you. Do not chase him, call him, or text him, as this will only push him away from you more. If you message me personally I can give you some tips on how to detach and heal from this situation. 🦋❤️

[zachsgamejournal]

PLAYING: Sable

To quote one of the best Star Wars movies of all time, "Now this is pod racing!"

I saw a screenshot of Sable, and it was the character riding a hover-bike through a vast desert with an 80's cartoon vibe and I knew I was going to love the game. What I saw in the early screenshots and videos and is what I expected and what I'm getting: a peaceful, but emotional exploration-heavy adventure game. It's exactly the type of game I love and this is hitting all the notes perfectly.

The game is reminding me of both Wavetale and AER. Also a little bit of Roki, Borderlands, and Omno--but never mind, we're getting distracted. The Wavetale involves a spirited character traveling around a unique, open, post-apocalyptic world. And similar to such, involves some platforming!! Aer comes in the form of simple but effective graphics, "flying" to destinations, and exploring mysterious temples and zones.

I love it!

So, the beginning of the game has it "praying" at a temple. Sable, our main character is a woman--which after playing something a little more male-centric like KOTOR is nice--and she lives a village of nice people who are also mostly women. Cool.

Everyone wears masks. I assume that's an art decision to avoid making and animating faces. But they make the masks story relevant, so no worries--we'll pretend not to notice. Sable is about to start her..."Gliding"? She basically wonders around trying to figure out what she wants to be/do with the rest of her life. Sounds a lot like what college kinda is, but totally should be. Or really, what one's 20s should be: a chance to explore, make mistakes, and gain worldly knowledge/wisdom.

But first, she needs a bike. They give you a clunker. Partly as a joke and story element, but I suspect it also makes you appreciate your decent bike later. You're tasked with exploring some zones to find parts to your bike. One part is stolen and hidden by a local trouble maker, but we learn that she was really just nervous about the change brought about Sable's leaving. She may never see Sable again and that's a lot to contend with.

Interestingly, the game is really hooked into its emotions. Every character interaction has a blend of excitement and sorrow for the journey. This is an important step for Sable's culture, but also a scary and sad one--as you miss people as they go off to find their place in the world, and you may never see them again.

I think this works--because many games/movies/books make the adventure a bad thing. Take Lord of the Rings, Frodo wants to live a life of peace in Hobbiton. It's against his wishes to set out on a journey across the country to drop a ring off with the elves. And then it's against his will to commit to carrying that ring to a volcano deep within the territory of a magical and powerful enemy. So there's this weird conflict where in order to have adventure and fun, we must almost endure pain and horror. Sable says fuck that. Adventure is good! Exploring is good! Doesn't mean it's not sad to be away from your friends, but it's not something to be feared or done out of fear.

The game is relaxing. I've moved from the starting area, which is about as big as opening World of Warcraft areas (and if you know me, I love any time a game gives me WoW vibes). Now I'm in a larger area. The game has "towns" wherein one can claim quests. Usually it's go here and get this, but some have some interesting elements: such as using seeds to lure and catch beetles, or using a puffy thing to convince a giant beetle to unblock a tunnel. The game isn't original, but it's good. Like a Cohen Brother's movie, it's using the tried and true methods of game design to make an interesting and unique experience.

There's no fighting, so far, and I appreciate that. Fighting is boring. It's just an excuse to slow you down or insert drama when one has no creativity. But my favorite part of 3D adventure games going back to Mario 64 is the exploring. Sure, combat can be fun sometimes, but I can be entertained for hours just exploring. Like WoW, I love seeing this cool world the developers crafted. And I'm inconvenienced by all the mobs I have to cut through to do so. I'd be just as happy to play WoW with no combat. Wouldn't fit well with the title I guess.

Sable is exactly what I needed though. i tried to play Jak & Daxter for my family recently and no one was into it. For my wife, there isn't enough story. Sure, they gave you mission objectives at the towns, but once you're out in the world it's just exploring (which I love). With Zelda games, there tends to be a bit more story happening mid dungeon and exploration. Or clever puzzles to overcome. But also--the game is pretty cynical. It was made by unconsciously sexist men thinking that being mean and grumpy was funny. And in truth, i found it funny when I was younger. Now I find it cringe and uninteresting. I still love Jak, but it's not the "story" experience I want nor what I want to expose my kids to. Sable is much more interesting, and it's possible my family would dig it too.

But Sable is just for me right now. We still haven't beaten Kingdom Hearts and need to get back on that program. And i'm really enjoying Sable. I have many games I hope to get through--but I'm going to try to take my time with Sable and play it my own pace.

[autisticrosewilson]

The best part about working the night shift is that she can play whatever she wants over the speakers. Regardless of what her fellow employee thinks of it.

"Your music taste is ass." Volans, because he's decided to show up tonight, complains from somewhere behind her.

"Nah," the doors chime as someone enters, "I stole my music taste from my dad, so his music taste is ass." Greta corrects.

"Fuck." Volans huffs, and she hears the sound of him rooting around in the register, annoyed and resigned.

Are they getting robbed? It's like the second time this month. Not cool.

And her taser is in her purse, which is in her locker. Doubly not cool.

She doesn't get further than contemplating the switchblade in her boot before the perpetrator rounds the corner of the drink aisle where she was wiping down the counter.

"oh," she blinks, takes in the distinct armor but lack of (drawn) weapon, "hey D." She moves out of the way of the coffee machine. "You gotta wait a minute for me to restock the cups." She informs him.

He nods, silently, and she can feel his gaze more intently than usual when she turns back to the front counter.

"Those new?" He calls just as she's about to leave his line of sight. She glances down when he points, blinking down at the thrifted cowboy boots she'd taken the liberty of bedazzling.

She preens, doing a little half twirl that better shows off the stars and makes her skirt swish. "Yup, did the pattern myself." She informs him gleefully.

"Hn." Is the only response she gets, but she doesn't let it get to her. She wouldn't have made it this far if she lost her nerve over silent dismissal.

She skips off over to her confounded coworker, who absently hands her the paper cups. "Who's your friend...?" Volans trails off, standing on his tip toes to see over the shelves.

Greta can see him just fine, but then she's taller than average even for a guy. "That's Deathstroke. I call him D. He likes large black coffees with 13 espresso shots." She explains.

"...13? Literally who needs that much?" His face scrunches, mostly in disgust.

"I dunno, pretty sure he has superpowers or somethin' though so maybe that's why." She shrugs as she tears open the plastic

"Maybe." Volans concedes, resting his chin on his palm as he watches her head back to the hot drinks.

Greta stacks them in their piles, biggest to smallest, and then steps out of the way to grab the broom leaning against the wall nearby.

It's silent for a moment before the ad changes to one of the songs on her ✨Cuntry Music💅 playlist and she grins, humming quietly to the Jonny Cash song.

"Next song is my choice." Volans complains.

She hums louder, politely choosing to ignore him.

"They're...neat." Deathstroke speaks up.

Greta blinks, taking a moment to figure out what he's referring to before it clicks. "Uh, thanks." She smiles at him awkwardly.

He does this sometimes, gives her almost-compliments and does subtle-enough-check-ins and she's never quite sure how to handle it. She doesn't think it's flirting, at least she hopes not. It just reminds her...

It makes her itch to pick up her phone. Makes her long to unblock the number she couldn't bring herself to delete.

He probably wouldn't even answer, it would just be her and his voicemail. He probably hasn't even changed it since she left.

...But maybe he has. It's been so long since she's heard from anyone back home.

The song ends, and there is nothing left to sweep. She blinks up at Volans when he teases her about something or other, probably another dig at her playlist. "Huh? Uh, yeah." She laughs it off, trying to shake off the lingering urge to just grab her phone and call the house phone. See who picks up and deal with the consequences later.

"You good...?" Volans studies her, concern evident in the lines of his face.

"Yeah, he just reminded me of somethin' is all. Don't mind me." She assures him, looking around. Deathstroke is gone already, she expected as much.

Volans nods slowly. "If you say so." He allows her to avoid the question, something she's immensely grateful for.

"So what song 're ya playin' that's so much better 'n mine?" She drawls sarcastically.

"Greta, princess, you're gonna fuckin love white girl music."

It's been exactly 25 minutes since she clocked in for work. Which means that it's 10 minutes until her first regular will show up, and 15 until her favorite regular will show up.

The man who walks through the door is neither of these people, for all that he is kind of a regular. Deathstroke the Terminator, someone she'd only ever heard about in stories until she started working the night shift last month. He's not as heroic as the legends made him seem, but the world is rarely so ideal a place.

Greta is not disappointed, she does not need heroes anymore.

She watches idly as he fills a large paper cup with black coffee and an ungodly amount of espresso, more than she's probably allowed to let him take legally. Not that she's going to tell fucking Deathstroke how he should make his coffee.

The smell reminds her of muted arguments and tense breakfasts.

She drags her attention from the seam of her acrylics when he awkwardly places the cup in front of her. "You move real quiet for someone in bulky metal armor." She comments without thinking. She scans the cup but doesn't bother adding all the espresso to the total.

He slides her a fifty. "You should pay better attention to your surroundings." He advises. His voice is too gruff to be natural, like he's trying to disguise it.

"You should invest in a voice changer instead of fuckin up your throat." She retorts, methodically going through the register for the extra change.

The fabric of his mask shifts like he's smiling but she can't quite tell. He blocks her from sliding the rest of the money to his side of the counter. "Noted. And keep the change."

Well, she's not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, and it allows her the simple joy of shoving it in her bra. An uncomfortable experience. How do other girls do this? Maybe it's just because she's wearing a push up.

She hears Deathstroke snort before he turns and is gone in a few quick strides. The squeal of tires on asphalt heralds the blue Honda Civic that skids to a stop in front of the store. She glances at her watch, one of the few things she's kept from Before.

Right on time.

[dawn-the-rithmatist]

A little long thing on censorship and boundaries on the internet

Okay prefacing this by saying this post is only written for tumblr and ao3. If you go beyond those I have no knowledge for you unfortunately, but maybe people can chime in in the notes.

Starting off, each person is responsible for controlling their own internet experience. We’re lucky that tumblr does not have an algorithm that forces unexpected things onto your dash (aside from blazed posts and based on your likes, but more on that later). You are in complete control of the content that appears on your dash, based on who you follow. Likewise, on ao3 you’re able to filter searches so you see what you want to see, and no one is making you click on the things you don’t. No one owes you anything with their content, aside from the ability to avoid it if you choose.

Follow up, you are responsible for making your content avoidable for people who don’t want to see it. If you’re writing the kinkiest fic out there, that’s fine. That’s yours to write and share as you wish. But you’re responsible for tagging it so that people who aren’t after that kind of material don’t see it if they want to. That way you get people who are happy to see/read your works, and people aren’t confronted with 50 Shades of Gray when they were really just looking for some PG hand holding.

Basic tags for those who aren’t used to tagging systems are whether it’s NSFW, any particular kinks, and any potential triggers (things like gore, underage, no con, suicide- if there’s an archive warning for it on ao3, it’s probably something you should tag so people can avoid it). Make sure that you spell the thing out without typos or euphemisms or @ny w31Rd $tuff that would lead to it NOT being filtered. (We don’t Unalive here, we kill, and Unalive will show up even when kill has been filtered out.)

What if someone I follow reblogs something that I don’t want to see or find problematic? If it’s something specific you’re trying to avoid, tumblr has tag filtering. You can block tags related to that thing, and it won’t show up on your dash uncensored. In case you ever want to see what’s behind that censor in spite of the tag, you’ll have the option to view it anyway- you won’t miss that the post exists entirely. If it’s something that hasn’t been tagged, it might be a good idea to (kindly!! Respectfully!!) request that the person tag it appropriately. If they refuse, you might want to unfollow them so you don’t have to see it anymore.

I unfollowed someone whose content bothered me, but my mutuals keep reblogging it so I still see it on my dash. You can block them! Then reblogs won’t show up on your dash, no matter how many mutuals reblog it. Blocking someone does nothing to them- try not to see it as something aggressive or offensive. You have the right to control what you see online, and blocking is a way to do that more effectively. You can always unblock them later if you change your mind!

Things from people I don’t follow keep showing up on my dash. This could be a couple of things. If it says “based on your likes!” or “tags you follow”, that’s something you can disable in settings (I can edit this post later with the exact locations) and tumblr won’t show you those anymore. That said, those are still subject to tag filtering, so that’s also a good approach if you don’t want those things to go away completely.

Now that blazed posts are around, there’s a chance you might get something you don’t like through that, but I’m not sure if there’s a way to filter those out. I haven’t seen a blazed post from tags I block yet, so… so far so good? If anyone knows, please chime in!!

Some content shouldn’t exist online, even if it can be blocked/filtered/avoided. This is the most important point on this post. I do think that some things shouldn’t exist online. My mother also thinks some things shouldn’t exist online. However, we don’t agree on what those things are, and we both agree that there are some cases where we would make exceptions to our rules. If we start purging content that we don’t agree with, it’s going to become a question of who is disagreeing with the content. Gotta be honest folks, in that scenario, I’m pretty sure the voices that get listened to will be straight, cis, and white.

TL;DR: Internet freedom disappears when we allow censorship, but we do still need to protect each others’ boundaries when we’re online. The best way to do that is to tag your content (no tag limits on tumblr or ao3, so don’t hold back! Only the first five count for searches on tumblr but the rest can be used for filtering blocked tags), block and filter things you don’t want to interact with, and unfollow or block people who you can’t trust to respect boundaries.

PLEASE reblog this post and add on anything you think is relevant, because this feels more relevant than ever right now <3 thanks friends