#me@me do your tag system ho

[dustofthedailylife]

You were not supposed to hear that...yet

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Pairing: Alhaitham x (gn!) Reader

Summary: Alhaitham reveals a secret about the inner workings of his heart to his friends over a cup of wine and in between some banter. However, he did not expect it would go this wrong...

Tags: Fluff, crack, comfort, teasing, consumption of alcohol (by characters), the whole 4ggravate crew is here, friendly banter between friends, a small sprinkle of angst because reader is insecure (but it's unjustified)

A/N: Dust posting a new fic?! Not an April Fool's joke, despite the date! Finally felt inspired and well enough again to finish this fic that has been rotting in my WIPs forever. I hope you like it. And feel free to hit me up with asks and reblogs - it'd motivate me greatly after my long break 🥺

The usual friend group of Cyno, Kaveh, Tighnari, and him - Alhaitham, was sitting at the Tavern. A gathering like it happened almost every weekend at this point.

The wine bottle on the table had been emptied around two or three times already when Kaveh ordered a new one yet again. At this point, Alhaitham had actually lost count of how many glasses of wine he'd already had, too. But one thing was for certain, he could feel the alcohol in his system and the warm blood that was rushing to his cheeks. All things considered though, despite feeling a little tipsy from the intoxication, he was still able to think clearly.

"Let me guess I'm the one who will have to end up covering your bill again?" He took sarcastic a jab at Kaveh. 

The man in question just squinted his eyes and glared daggers at him before opening his mouth in an attempt to protest before it was quickly shot down by Tighnari's hand covering it.

Alhaitham leisurely leaned back in his chair smirking to himself, training his focus back onto the TCG cards in his hands and considering his next turn of action in the game he was playing against Cyno.

"What, am I just supposed to take it all the time and be quiet?!" Kaveh retorted, directed at Tighnari. The fox's ears were beginning to droop lower and lower as his expression became more and more deadpan.

"You all know as well as I do that if [Y/N] was here he wouldn't be acting like this. He would be on his best behavior and pay for the drinks without so much as complaining or being so cocky."

"By the way," Tighnari attempted to divert the attention away from Kaveh's ranting. "Where are they? Didn't you say they wanted to stop by the Tavern as well today, Alhaitham?"

Alhaitham played his round, throwing his card Cyno's way before looking up at Tighnari again.

"They mentioned it but I suppose something must've come up instead. I will ask tomorrow."

"Isn't it strange?" Kaveh addressed the others. "Whenever it involves [Y/N] he graciously offers himself up to talk to them and seek them out but whenever someone else is looking for him he is nowhere to be found."

"Maybe you just can't find me because I simply don't have anything to discuss with you." Alhaitham threw another jab at Kaveh with a smirk, which was promptly followed by a light punch against his bicep by the blonde architect.

"What? I constantly have to talk to you already when we're at ho-"

"SHHH! Don't say that out loud." Kaveh hissed, quickly covering Alhaitham's mouth in panic, since he didn’t want him to spell out that they were currently living together. “It's embarrassing enough that I currently have no other choice, no need to add to my misery.”

A witty quip was burning at the tip of Alhaitham's tongue after Kaveh's remark yet again, but he decided to swallow it. He didn't want to upset him too much, especially since he knew he'd had it rough lately. Even if it would've been said in jest, there was no need to add insult to injury. Instead, he simply resorted to taking another sip of his wine with a low chuckle and a glance in the blonde architect’s direction.

“Aaaaanyway…”, Tighnari cleared his throat, addressing Alhaitham once more. “What is it between [Y/N] and you anyway? You've become quite close haven't you?”

“That's an understatement.” Kaveh groaned, dropping his head on his folded arms on the table dramatically. “He can't stop talking about them. Day in and day out it’s [Y/N]-this, [Y/N]-that.”

“We started working on a project about six months ago. Things are progressing quite smoothly if I do say so myself. Certainly makes things easier if you're working with someone who is both hardworking and intelligent in every way. I’ve been lucky to have been assigned to the project with them.” Alhaitham answered Tighnari’s question rationally while ignoring Kaveh’s dramatic display.

“Here he goes again.” Kaveh huffed, directing his comment at Cyno and Tighnari. “Whenever he talks about them you hear nothing but praises.”

“If someone is doing a great job, is it not logical to give them the credit they deserve?” Alhaitham added matter of factly.

“No… I mean yes, but no. It's just not something I'd see you doing. It’s so out of character.” Kaveh huffed. “And before you say anything, yes, maybe I just don't know that side of you because I don't give you any reason to praise me. No need to add that, thank you.”

Kaveh poked his tongue out at Alhaitham before taking a big sip from his wine.

“Why, if you want to be praised you just need to say so, Kaveh. I think you're quite brilliant - your shortcomings aside.” He just had to add that last bit. Kaveh was just way too easy to tease. And what would this friend group be without the playful banter and jabs at each other?

Kaveh choked on the drink immediately and slammed his cup down onto the table with a loud clang. A fire burned behind his crimson eyes when he spoke next.

“This is exactly what I meant, thanks for proving my point!”

Kaveh looked at Cyno and Tighnari gesturing in the direction of Alhaitham with a move that said “Do you see what I mean now?”.

Tighnari just facepalmed and shook his head.

“And what is your point exactly?” Cyno inquired, playing a card from his hand.

“Did you not listen to what he said?” Kaveh gasped.

“Not really,” Cyno admitted honestly, his eyes trained back on the cards in his hands.

“It's the fact that he can praise others too, but never without also pointing out their faults in the same sentence. Did no one ever notice that? However, he never does that when it's [Y/N].” Kaveh explained.

“And?” Tighnari and Cyno replied in unison, looking puzzled as to where Kaveh wanted to go with this.

Kaveh put his head in his hand and groaned in frustration. “Sometimes you all make me feel like I am surrounded by idiots.”

Now everyone raised their eyebrows at him.

“You're all so clueless… anyway.” He sighed dramatically and accusingly pointed a finger at Alhaitham. “This guy. This admittedly handsome but blockheaded, know-it-all, stoic, annoying-”

“Get to the point.” Alhaitham chided, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Fine, fine." Kaveh spread his arms like he was holding a presentation and Alhaitham his canvas.

“This guy's right here, as alien as it may sound – has fallen in love.” 

“You're in love?!” Cyno exclaimed his eyes widening. “With who?!”

Tighnari rolled his eyes, knowing full well Cyno hadn't listed at all the past ten minutes because he had been so absorbed in his cards, and gently slapped the back of his head.

“[Y/N], of course!” The Forest Ranger exclaimed with a huff.

Cyno, now rubbing the back of his head just ushered a “Wait really?” while Kaveh and Tighnari just curiously began eyeing Alhaitham in the hope of seeing any type of confirmation on his face. However, it stayed as unreadable as ever.

He nonchalantly took another sip of wine from his cup while leisurely looking back and forth between the cards on the table and the ones in his hand before playing another turn as if this conversation just now hadn't happened.

“So!?” Kaveh asked, almost hysterically at this point. “Do you intend to enlighten us?”

Just how had he gotten into this situation now? Alhaitham suppressed a sigh before turning to Cyno: “Your turn. Two of your cards are down.”

“Archons!” Cyno cussed, immediately attempting to go back to study his cards but a fist slammed the table harshly, drawing all attention to it.

Tighnari flinched in shock and Cyno, too seemed to be pulled back to reality. Kaveh’s hand was trembling slightly, visibly agitated.

“Stop changing the subject, Alhaitham. The more you keep avoiding answering the question the more I think I am right in my assumptions.”

Alhaitham pinched the bridge of his nose beginning to truly feel a little stressed by Kaveh’s insistance. The man was truly too nosy for his good.

“Kaveh, just let it be if he doesn’t-” Tighnari began before being cut off by Alhaitham.

“And what if you are right? What then, Kaveh?”

Everyone at the table fell silent and everyone was staring at him with a mix of disbelief and shock.

He hadn't planned to reveal any of this yet, especially since he feared they would try to become his wingman. Which, admittedly, may be a nice gesture on paper but with them it could only end in disaster. Plus he would prefer to deal with his feelings alone first and think them through thoroughly, before talking about them with anyone. Besides, it should be you, if anyone, who should hear about them first - alas he was too deep into this now to weasel his way out.

“What?!” Kaveh’s mouth hung open in shock.

“So it is true then?” Cyno inquired, putting the card in his hand down on the table, now suddenly fully hooked on the tea that was being spilled.

“Hold on. Pause.” Kaveh sat upright, before quickly gazing over Alhaitham’s shoulder. “So you-”

“For Archon’s sake.” Alhaitham was beginning to get annoyed because he didn't know how much clearer he had to become for them to get it. “Yes - I’ve been in love with them. For a while now-”

“Alhaitham-” Kaveh tried to interject.

“No, don't interrupt me now, you pestered me about it for the past twenty minutes now you'll have to listen. I have never met anyone who is so hardworking, intelligent, and stunning in any way. Of course, I would be infatuated with a person like them. It would be hard not to fall for them.”

“Uhm Alhai–” Kaveh laughed awkwardly before being interrupted by Alhaitham’s ongoing monologue once more.

“At first I wasn't sure about it but I am now. I am thinking about them first thing in the morning and last thing when I go to sleep - unless you're hammering away on some project again that keeps me awake, Kaveh.”

Kaveh waved for him to shut up already but Alhaitham didn't let that bother him. If he wanted the full story with all the details - he'd get it. He hoped that would get this discussion out of the way once and for all.

“And guess what? They even remembered how I liked my coffee just after I told them once and gifted me a book that I had been trying to find for weeks. So yes, Kaveh. I love [Y/N]. There, does that suffice now, or?”

Kaveh let out a squeal as soon as Alhaitham had stopped speaking but upon further inspection of his expression, it hadn't been one of excitement but rather pure terror and awkwardness. 

“Alhaitham…” Cyno and Tighnari said in unison and he only then noticed as well how their gaze was trained on a spot behind him.

“What?” Alhaitham inquired, curling a brow up in confusion before all three men pointed their fingers at something behind him.

When he turned his head around to look at what they were trying to show him, he felt his heart drop to his stomach for the first time in ages.

To his utter shock, you were standing right behind him. Or rather, you were frozen in place, your hand still half lifted in greeting as if you had just been about to greet the lot of them. Your mouth was slightly open in shock still and your pupils were but the size of pinpricks and transfixed on Alhaitham.

And judging by your reaction you must've heard every last word he had said.

“I-I…” You started stammering, clearly confused about what you had just heard. “I uh-, I'll head back home.”

You abruptly turned around on your heel and marched straight out the Tavern door you had just come through as if someone was chasing you.

Alhaitham hadn't moved a muscle ever since he had spotted you standing behind him and he looked like he was frozen in place. Everyone at the table had fallen so silent, one would've been able to hear a needle drop.

Alhaitham's eyes were still fixed on the door you had left through. The little bell that chimed every time the Tavern door hit it on the way in or out was still dangling lightly from the impact. But the movement was dying down slowly but surely - just like Alhaitham, who felt like someone had dropped a boulder on his chest.

You were not supposed to hear that, yet.

“You uh…, Alhaitham you should probably follow them.” Tighnari was the first to speak again. He awkwardly scratched behind his ears. Cyno hummed in agreement while Kaveh just sat there with his mouth wide open.

Alhaitham exhaled in frustration, unable to properly place his emotions. But they were somewhere between unsettled, nervous, and discomforted.

When he got up it felt like someone had tied heavy iron blocks to his ankles that were weighing him down.

“Yeah, I guess I do,”  Alhaitham muttered before marching off.

When you stormed outside the Tavern the cool evening breeze gnawed at your skin and made goosebumps erupt all over. Although you weren't quite sure if it was the temperature or your emotional turmoil at play here.

There was no way Alhaitham had just said that and actually meant it. He wouldn't be the type of man to flat-out admit that he had feelings for anyone. Or would he? He had been talking to his closest friends after all.

You were questioning your sense of reality and thought you must've fabricated it all in your mind. Or maybe you misheard what he said and he was talking about something else entirely.

But no, he said your name, and the others looked panicked when you entered the tavern and approached the table.

As you rushed through the streets of Sumeru City the chilly wind kept whipping in your face. Not even you knew where you were going at this point. You simply went where your feet were carrying you.

But eventually, you realized you had run up the Akademiya and to the blue-green mosaic pavilion that glistened in the last rays of sunlight. The spot at which you and Alhaitham often spent your lunch break together. 

You sunk down on the bench exhaustedly and stared holes in the ground.

No way.

There was just no way.

Alhaitham. The man you had fallen for so hard that he had begun to occupy every waking thought you had. That man was supposed to have feelings for you and had just flat-out admitted it?

No, this simply had to be a dream. A bad joke. Or maybe even a bet between the group that they orchestrated to prank you.

You could feel your heart thumping in your head and it felt like your head was swimming. It was as if you had downed an entire bottle of wine by yourself, but you were as sober as one could be.

Yes, that had to be it. It was a bet between the boys over one too many cups of wine and they had all acted their parts out flawlessly.

You got up again walking to the railing, overlooking Sumeru city that shone majestically in the last remaining rays of sunshine that the day had to offer. Another gush of wind blew your way, making tears well up in your eyes. Although it may have also been your emotions who were to blame for that instead.

You inhaled deeply. Once. Twice. But nothing seemed to help calming the rapidly beating heart in your chest.

In your daze, you completely missed how someone had quietly come up to the pavilion as well.

Alhaitham leaned against the railing himself, looking over the city in silence, too. He was clearly ringing for words. Although you assumed the wrong reason for his struggle.

“Look,” you began, trying your hardest to suppress the tremble in your voice. “If you came here to apologize - please, spare me your words.”

He looked at you opening his mouth before closing it again right after with a silent nod. His cheeks were dusted in a light pink shade - you assumed it was caused by the alcohol he had downed at the tavern with the others.

“I hope that we can go back to normal tomorrow and just finish our project. I’d prefer if we kept our distance after that. I think it’s for the best” The words left your mouth at normal speed, but it felt like you had to force every single one out. They felt tenacious, like old chewing gum that you tried to pull out from in between your teeth.

“I understand.” He stated calmly before retraining his gaze back into the distance. 

You both kept standing next to each other in silence for a long while before you decided to confront him about it directly. You eventually decided it was for the best if you got things off your chest now so that you could get over him quickly. Ripping it off like a band-aid would hopefully give you the relief you so desperately craved right now.

“You know,” you began. “I don’t know who came up with the idea and I also don’t care, no need to tell me. But you guys should never do this to anyone again because you never know how much it might end up hurting someone else’s feelings.”

Alhaitham stood upright and turned to face you directly. He crossed his arms over his chest and slightly cocked his head like he always did when he was thinking about something you said.

After a momentary pause, he asked: “What do you mean?”

“I mean that you shouldn’t toy with someone’s feelings as a prank. It’s never actually funny for anyone but the people who orchestrate such a prank. No matter if the other person reciprocates the feelings or whether they believe the statement, they always end up being the one who is being ridiculed.” You explained as rationally as possible, which was a stark contrast to the tempest that was raging both inside of your heart and mind.

“Especially when the person hoped to hear those exact words for the longest time, too…” You added. It wasn't more than an utterance under your breath - so quietly it was barely audible. But Alhaitham heard nonetheless.

“But I meant everything I said.” He stated matter of factly, seemingly catching on to the fact that you must’ve assumed the wrong things about the whole situation.

“What?! Alhaitham, please, there is no need to add insult to injury. You had your fun now–”

“No.” He gently took your hands in his, exhaling heavily. “Archons, you weren’t supposed to find out like this.”

He rarely swore which made the impact of his words even stronger.

“I wanted to tell you face to face and was waiting for the right moment to do so. But, just know that every word you heard and everything I said back at the tavern was the truth. No bet or scheme made me say it. Not that anyone would be able to make me say these things in the first place.” He sighed once more, giving your hands an emphasizing squeeze. “I meant it.”

“You did?”

“Every word.”

You felt the blood rush to your face and immediately lowered your gaze in an attempt to hide your flusteredness.

“Had I known this would happen, I would’ve told you everything right from the start. I don’t like how this went now but–”, he moved his hands up to cup your face. His beautiful turquoise eyes trained on no one but you. 

“I’m absolutely certain I like you. You drive me crazy. And I love and hate how much you occupy every waking thought of mine because I can’t focus on anything when you’re around. And when you’re not, you’re still always on my mind. So please – be mine.”

Do not repost, copy, translate or edit - © dustofthedailylife || reblogs, comments, and asks about Genshin or my fics are always greatly appreciated and motivate me! Maple dividers are mine - do not copy.

[thefrontmanscockwarmer]

Enough

Player 001 x reader [SMUT]

Masterlist <- Comment on this post to be added to the tag list

Brat reader, brat tamer Young il

“I fucking hate it here” you declared to the group of guys you hung with. Gi Hun looked at you, while Jung Bae voiced his agreement, Dae Ho… well, Dae Ho stuffed his face.

(Y/n), it’s honestly not as bad as it -“ young il began.

“Are you fucking stupid?” You looked at him in disbelief. His eyes widened as you spoke to him in such a disrespectful manner, “seriously, Young il? “Not as bad”?! We could’ve fucking died, last game… don’t you remember?” You tapped your temple.

“Well, we didn’t die” he said, his voice small. He didn’t know what to do; scold you for how you spoke, or kiss you for it.

“No maybe not. But seriously? What about next game, huh? What about the game after that?” You questioned him. You stood, getting in his face as he sat. “Are you dense?”

“That’s enough, (y/n)” he said calmly. He loved seeing you riled up, it excited him. You were a hot head, could be a problem, but he could handle problems quite well.

“Obviously not. Because your moronic ass thinks it’s “not as bad”” you mocked him. The other men had excused themselves, you were in the midst of an explosion and they didn’t want to get hit by the shrapnel.

“(Y/n)” he said again. “I said that’s enough.”

“You don’t understand what enough is” you replied, your voice escalating. “You seem to think that just because they feed up, and give us beds, and clothes, I’m wearing a 3 day old blood stained shirt” you tensed thinking about it.

“Enough!” he said, standing he got in your face. “You think I like being here? No. But I’m trying to make them beat of it. You think I don’t have something to go back to? I do. I have parents and a fucking brother. You think I don’t know how you fucking feel? I do. I don’t want to be in here either” he said. “But if you think for a single second I’ll sit down and let you talk to me like I’m a fucking idiot, you’re so fucking out of your mind.”

You were backed against the wall. Your lips just barely touching his. The air between you too was thick with sexual tension, as the air around you always was. You took a breath, gearing yourself up for more argument.

“Shut up” he said. “I don’t want to hear talk of it anymore” you obeyed quietly. You shrunk, the weight of his presence was heavy. You pouted and walked away, knocking his shoulder with yours. The PA system warned that you had 5 minutes before bed time. You chose to lay down as far from Young il as you could.

He looked at you, you were so mad at him. Yeah, everything was going according to plan but you were so fucking angry it turned him on.

He awaited the dead of night, when he was sure every player was asleep. He found his way to you.

“(Y/n)” he said quietly .

“Don’t fucking talk to me” you said. He smiled, his cock jumped. God how he loved a fucking challenge.

“Don’t give me attitude” he replied, moving your body to be in bed with you.

“Get out of my bed” you say. “Before I pummel your fucking face in”

“Wow, such fighting words for a princess” he answers, wrapping his arms around you.

“Young il”

“Yes, princess?”

“Get your dick off my ass” you spit. “I can feel it.”

“My god, you’re so sharp. What will make you feel better hm?” He pondered.

“Getting the fuck out of here” you answer curtly. You weren’t going to lie to yourself, the way he was diffusing you right now was intoxicating. Young il was intoxicating, he was like a drug. You loved fighting with him, always pushing buttons to get him to tower over you, just so you could weasel your way out. You knew exactly where this was going to go.

“No, you’re tense. I can feel it.” He remarked. “You’re so frustrated, aren’t you?” He coaxed. He knew he found your sweet spot as you leaned your body against him.

“Maybe.” You say, not willing to admit that you wanted him. His hand snaked down your pants, your breath getting caught in your throat. His fingers brushed your clit. “Please” you pleaded breathlessly.

“Oh? Do you want something from me?” He asked. You hummed your response. “Well, just as well, I need to know what you want, angel. I can’t read your mind”

“Touch me… please” you asked quietly. Arousal coating your voice.

“Aw, you said “please”” he chuckled. “I guess I have to give in since you’re being so sweet” he circled your clit softly with his fingers. “Such a sweet little girl” he whispered tauntingly in your ear.

“Shut up” you said. He motions stopped.

“I’m sorry, you said stop?” He asked, you groan in frustration, bucking your hips against his hand.

“No, i said “shut up”” you repeated, his hand stayed frozen in place as you moved against it, seeking friction. A wicked grin spread across his face.

“Oh, i see” he roughly inserted 2 fingers in side of you. You whimper quietly. “Is this what you wanted angel? To be wrapped around my fingers and whimpering like the little depraved girl i know you are?” You bit your tongue, any wrong words could stop this in an instance.

“Yes daddy” you breathe out heavily. He looked down on you, his cock straining in his pants.

“Can I use your pussy, please?” He asked, not really a question but more of a warning on what he’s going to do. You nodded feebly.

“I can’t hear you” he responded patiently.

“Yes. Please” With a swift, almost violent motion, he pulled out his cock and spun you around to face the wall, pressing your front against the railing surrounding your bed.

“Wait we have to be quiet” you exclaim

“Shh, no one will care. Now, bend over and present yourself to me like a good little slut." Young il replied. His hands roughly palmed your ass, spreading your cheeks wide as he aligned his rigid member with your dripping entrance once more. With a harsh thrust, he buried himself balls-deep inside you, his pubic bone grinding against your clit. “That's it, take my cock like you were made for it,"

A sinful moan slips from your lips as you take his cock gratefully

“Please Young il, use me” you begged. Young il's grip on your hips tightened as he began to piston in and out of you with brutal force, each savage thrust jolting you forward against the railing.

"You want it rough, huh? You want to be used like a cheap whore?" His words were punctuated by the lewd slap of skin on skin, the sound echoing through the quiet room. Young il reached around to fondle your breasts, pinching and tugging at your nipples as he drove into you relentlessly.

"Yeah, that's it, moan for me," he snarled, his pace increasing until the stairs creaked under the force of his thrusts.* "Let them hear what a filthy slut you are for me. Begging to be fucked, screaming my name..."

He brought his palm crashing down across your ass, the sharp sting making you yelp and arch your back into him. He repeated the blow again and again, each slap marking your ass with his possession.

“You like that, you dirty little cumslut?” He spat, he breathing ragged with lust. “You want Dady to claim every inch of you?” His fingers delved down between your thighs roughly circling your clit furiously at your clit as he continued to pound into you. The combined sensations sent shockwaves of pleasure coursing through your body, pushing you closer to the edge.

“Come on, (y/n), I can feel you tightening around me” Young il growled, his thrusts growing erratic. “Give it to me, let go and soak my cock with your juices” he begged.

“Oh, Young il, I’m going to cum.” I say as i try my best to keep quiet. My feeble attempt at not possibly drawing anymore attention to your bed. His grip on your hips tightened, his fingers digging into your soft skin as he felt your inner muscle start to spasm around his cock. “That’s it, cum for Mr, (y/n). Milk my dick dry with that sweet little cunt”

His own release was imminent, the pressure building at the base of his spine. With a final and brutal thrust. Young il buried himself to the hilt inside you, his cock pulsating as he spilled his cum deep within your quivering depths.

“Fuuuck, (y/n)” he groaned. “Take it all” As the tremors of your orgasm subsided, Young il slowly withdrew from your spent body, his softening cock slipp`I``no free with a wet pop.

“Holy shit” you gasped as he collapsed beside you.

“Yeah?” He chuckled, cradling you in his arms. “I hope your attitude is gone now”

“Well, i think it’s subsided for now” i agree curling into him. Sighing with contentment. A big yawn left your tiny body.

Taglist

@christinamadsen @sebbymybaby21 @nakiio5775 @xcinnamonmalfoyx @watasinekoru @player279achlys @galaxygurlll @angelofthorr

[dawnisatotalqueen]

you would bet on it? // min ho x reader

character: min ho

show: xo kitty

tags: frenemies to lovers, gender neutral reader, work place romance

warnings: maybe ooc?? i don't think so but yk, cursing, might have done some heavy self inserting oops

Kitty peaked around a corner, her head darting right and left before she proceeded down an alleyway.

It was just her luck that three boys were standing at a nearby building when they saw her sneaking around. Min ho raised a brow. “What on Earth is she doing?” His words caught Q and Dae’s attention, and they both turned around to watch.

“Maybe she’s just.. Meeting someone?” Dae chuckled nervously, trying to think of a perfectly logical and ethical reason Kitty was sneaking through an alleyway.

Min ho raised a brow. “Or buying drugs. We should follow her.”

Q shook his head, snickering lightly. “You just wanna follow her because you’re nosy.”

Min ho raised his hands in defense. “Sue me– Now let’s go.” He pivoted, going down the same alleway Kitty went down. Dae and Q shared a look before following him.

Kitty walked along for a while, much to two of the boys’ relief, exiting the alley after a short time and heading a way that was much more normal. She was acting oddly suspicious, though.

After some time, she arrived in front of…

A restaurant?

The three boys looked at each other with confused faces before continuing to the entrance.

Kitty walked inside, waiting up at the host stand for a second before you approached her with a grin. “Kitty! Good to see you, you can–” You paused immediately when spotting a very, very amused Min ho.

“You work at a restaurant, seriously?” He chuckled, raising a brow down at you.

Kitty whipped her head around, “Wh– Did you– You followed me?!”

Q and Dae quickly went in upon the realization that Min ho had blown their cover, Dae walking to the other side of Kitty. “We were just worried– You were acting really suspiciously–”

“We thought you could’ve been buying drugs.” Min ho grinned.

Kitty gawked at him. “What– That’s so stupid–”

You cleared your throat, crossing your arms. “What the hell are you guys doing here–” Before you could properly question the boys, you spotted your manager walking over. You blew out an irritated breath before putting on a fake smile. “How many in your party tonight?”

Min ho was loving this way too much. “Oh, just the four of us.” You so desperately wanted to wipe the smug look off of his face, but alas… You did value your job.

“Great!” You spoke through clenched teeth, grabbing four menus from behind you. “You can follow me right this way.” You took them to a section belonging to a server who had just arrived, so it was completely empty. After they sat down and you advertised your company’s rewards system with very red cheeks, your manager finally stopped watching you. Immediately upon their eyes being taken off of you, you exploded. “What the hell are you guys doing here?!”

“Kitty was acting weird. We swear we didn’t know she was coming here.” Q explained, chuckling nervously. He didn’t particularly like the idea of two of his best friends being upset with him over one of Min ho’s dumb ideas.

Min ho leaned back in his seat. “And I’m glad we did. Otherwise, we never would’ve learned of this little secret.” He motioned to your uniform, which caused your cheeks to go redder.

“Well, I’m sorry but not all of us can go through life completely supported by our ‘Mummy’s’.” You mimicked his accent toward the end, huffing. “Some of us actually have to support ourselves.”

Min ho rolled his eyes. “Right, like it’s so hard.”

You gawked at him. “Min ho, you would not survive a customer service job. Honestly, I would bet on it.”

This intrigued him, and he quickly leaned forward in his seat, turning to face you. “Oh, you would bet on it? Really?”

“Mhm. You would not survive in the restaurant industry.”

Min ho hummed. “Well, if you’re so confident, then let’s bet.”

“Fine. If I win?”

“I’ll do anything you ask of me. No objections.”

“Hm.. Okay. And if you win?”

“Same thing. Whatever I ask of you. Zero objections.”

Though you didn’t like the idea of Min ho being able to hold something over your head, you were confident enough that you felt comfortable despite the stakes. After a moment, you spoke. “Fine. Deal.”

Min ho grinned. “Deal. I’m looking forward to winning this bet.”

“In your dreams.” You rolled your eyes at him, backing away to finally allow the server to do their job. On your way out of the section, you caught Kitty who mouthed a “Sorry”. You shook your head, waving your hand at her in dismissal. Really, Kitty had done you a favor. Now you had the chance to one up Min ho.

After further discussion over text, you spoke to your manager about a friend who wanted to come in for an interview. Lucky for you, your shop was severely understaffed due to a mass of server’s quitting, so the manager didn’t hesitate to hire Min ho.

His first day was an absolute wreck.

He spilled a salsa bowl on him, which to anyone else would be a mere inconvenience, but to Min ho, it was the end of the world.

“I just bought these pants!! They're designer!!"

You shrugged. “It’s your own fault. Maybe you shouldn’t be so clumsy.” You were admittedly being hypocritical as you had broken and spilled your fair share of things on especially busy nights where you had to help.

“I hate you.”

You grew very familiar with those 3 words the more you worked with Min ho. His first few weeks, he let everything get to him. The customers, the messes, the way he smelled after work. Restaurant smell. You’d grown accustomed to it, so you hadn’t even considered that to be something that would’ve bothered him.

Much to your surprise though, he was very good at the customer service aspect. In some ways, it made sense. He had a way with acting charming, and he was fluent in Korean, which helped with the locals. He also only kept his complaints to when the two of you would be walking to the dorms together once you got off.

The thing that surprised you most, though, was how much you enjoyed spending time with him. You were used to server’s coming up and talking to you on slower days, the host stand often being a hangout place. You assumed Min ho picked up on it as he had suddenly begun hanging around there, too, when his section was deserted.

He waited for you after work. Even when he had been cut and could’ve gone home earlier. He excused it that you shouldn’t be walking alone at night. You didn’t really care about his motives, but you appreciated it. It was a nice gesture.

After 2 months, he still didn’t quit. You were beginning to worry he’d want to cash in his prize for the bet since it seemed like he had no intentions of losing. What would he make you do? The options were endless. You still had a slight hope that you could win but…

At the same time, you didn’t. You liked working with him more than you thought you would, it would be a little disappointing if he quit.

One night, though, his unwillingness to quit was really proven.

He had scheduled a date a few weeks in advance with some famous girl or something, you weren’t sure. But, he had also forgotten that he had a shift that same night.

He was up by the host stand, talking with you when he felt his phone buzz. He looked around to ensure your manager wasn’t near before he picked up.

“Hello?” After a few seconds his eyes widened. “That was tonight? Oh– I’m so sorry I must’ve forgotten, I–” He was cut off and a few more seconds passed where you heard muffled speaking through the phone. “I’m at work. Wait– Oh.” He said your restaurant’s address before he was hung up on. He blinked for a moment before putting his phone away.

You raised a brow. “What was that?”

He ran a hand through his hair. “I forgot I had a date tonight.”

“Oh. Well, if you need I’m sure one of the other servers could cover for you, I mean, even I can–”

“No!” You paused, blinking up at him. He shook his head. “No. What if we get busy? The dinner rush hasn’t even come in yet! I can’t desert you like that.”

You felt a blush creeping up your neck. He couldn’t desert you like that?

Before you could question his wording, a very pretty girl walked up to the two of you, clearing her throat. “Min ho, are you ready to go?”

The girl rolled her eyes, pulling out a small mirror and lip gloss. “Yeah, and? You don’t need a job, Min ho. We can just leave. It doesn’t matter.”

Min ho looked over. “What? I told you I was at work–”

He shook his head. “But it does. It’s a responsibility.”

The girl glanced at him before putting away her things, grinning. “Responsibility? When did you get so mature? It’s hot.. But seriously. Let’s go.”

Min ho groaned, a hand going over his face. “I already said–”

Before you could stop yourself, the words were already leaving your mouth. “I think he already said he wasn’t going.”

The girl looked at you, scoffing. “And you are?”

Min ho stepped in front of you, crossing his arms. “They’re my coworker and friend. Plus, they’re right. I told you I couldn’t go already.”

The girl clenched her fists before putting her hands on her hips. She stared at the two of you for a second before huffing. “Fine. Fine! I’ll leave. But I’m texting you later to reschedule.” She glared at you, then turned around, heading back out.

You looked between him and her figure, which disappeared into a car.

There’s one thing she said that you agreed with.

This new maturity was hot.

A few hours later, the two of you were walking back to the dorms together. You sighed dramatically. “Y’know what– Fine. Fine!”

He raised a brow. “What are you on about?”

“Fine, you win.” You stopped walking. “You win the bet.”

He stared at you for a second before his brows raised. “Oh. Right. That.”

“Don’t tell me you forgot.”

He shrugged, his hands going to his pockets. “I guess I did. But, hey. I told you I could do it.” His nonchalant expression turned into a grin.

You rolled your eyes. “Well..”

“Well?”

“What do you want? I agreed to do anything you wanted. No objections.”

He thought to himself for a second. “Hm… I’ll need to think on it.” He kept walking.

You gawked at him, whining and following him. “Min ho– That’s not fair! Now I’m gonna have to walk on eggshells!”

“Ooh well.”

The two of you continued your walk, and you continued to pester him to no avail. By the time you got home, Kitty had retreated to her room, so you went to yours. You got ready for bed, flopping down with a hum. You grabbed your phone off your bedside table when you saw a text from Min ho.

min ho: okay, i’ve made up my mind.

min ho: i want..

Min ho: a date.

Min ho: this friday. i’ll pick you up at 6.

Wait.

WHAT?!

[kayfabe-is-king]

Here’s the thing about Wrestle Dynasty. I was not happy. But my spidey senses (now calmed down after a night of sleep and back and forth discussions with the BFF) say as a New Japan fan, I wasn’t meant to like it. And that, upon reflection, is a good thing.

There is an inherent and fundamental difference between New Japan and AEW. NJPW is about the mechanics and love of technical wrestling. Antonio Inoki believed in the fighting spirit and passing that on to the next generation. The entire Young Lion system is a testament to how important the technical and cultural aspects of Japanese wrestling is to the organization.

It is actually sometimes hard for me to go from deep diving into a New Japan month long tournament to watching AEW. While storyline is important in New Japan, it’s handled much differently than in AEW. Winning and losing isn’t as important as how well you perform in a match. How much your fighting spirit is evident and connects with the audience. It’s a different mindset from AEW, so my brain sometimes hiccups adjusting back to AEW after tournaments like Best of the Super Juniors (one of my absolute favorite tournaments), New Japan Cup or the G1.

As much as I adore AEW for giving me back my love of wrestling, New Japan is incredibly special to me. Back during NWA/WCW’s time, there was a strong partnership between them and New Japan. One of NJPWs legends - Jushin Thunder Liger - was a massive WCW fan favorite. I got peaks of Japanese wrestling and loved it. Inoki himself put together shows with other countries and welcomed partnerships with them.

But it was damn near impossible to watch New Japan shows not affiliated with WCW back then. Unless you had a source who could tape shows and send them to you (why do you think Eddie Kingston had so many wrestling tapes), there wasn’t another way to watch it. This was pre-internet. So when I came back to pro-wrestling with the start of AEW and found that New Japan had a streaming service?! I could not sign up fast enough.

Not only was I now able to watch shows live, I could binge their back catalog. And that cemented my allegiance to New Japan. If push came to shove and I was only allowed to watch one promotion for the rest of my life (why this would be a scenario is beyond me but I digress), it would be NJPW. I’d miss the fuck out of my favorites in AEW but at heart, I will always love the honor and traditions of wrestling that New Japan holds dear.

So when New Japan kept taking loss and loss last night, I reacted exactly how they wanted - protective of New Japan and angry at AEW for invading it. When Will, Jay and Okada left for AEW, there was a lot of talk about New Japan being over. That all its best stars were now gone and this was the start of their decline. They did have to rebuild and reconsider their future. But I think this is now the culmination of that.

Chris Charlton (the British commentator) has always been the one to throw small digs at AEW. Nothing of significance and it’s always been rooted in his pride for New Japan and British wrestling. But last night he was dialed to 11 with his anger towards AEW. Me and my best friend both commented on that. And Chris has always been one of their best resources for building and selling a storyline. His indignation was meant to stoke the flames of protectiveness for New Japan fans. Having Rocky Romero there as his devil’s advocate was another brilliant move.

Nick and Matt never take a belt for ego. So for them to win the tag belts is clearly because of the narrative. And once again, I reacted exactly how they wanted me to - angry and protective of New Japan.

Having Gabe, Dan and Clark - members of a faction created solely to buck New Japan’s status quo - be so damn gung ho and proud to fight for and represent New Japan was a surprise. I seriously thought at one point, Clark would tear his shirt off to reveal the New Japan logo tattooed on his chest. That’s how amped they were that match. And the Japanese fans fed off of that and gave their love back ten fold. Kenny technically won that match but Gabe and New Japan came out the victor. And if you have any doubt about it, the fact that Kenny was almost completely forgotten by the audience and commentary team after his hand was raised should squash it.

My two cents theory is this will serve as the groundwork for and driving force behind Forbidden Door. New Japan fighting back against AEW and standing up for Inoki’s fighting spirit. And since this year it’s on “neutral” ground (not America and not Japan), the stage is set for an epic showdown.

But I still believe with my whole chest Mina should have won.

[brb-on-a-quest]

The Toxic relationship between America and England As Told by Me Which Will Have Many Questionable Oversimplifications Due To the Lack of Time I Currently Have Before My Last Final Paper For A Different Class is Due: a story told by me. Tagging @igotthisaccountunderduress bc she asked for this specifically and now must suffer the consequences

Source: My history notes and a chat where I have infodumped all this to my best friend who has somehow still put up with all of my ramblings. If people would like I can and will make a series out of this with more actual research because Damn History is so much more interesting when it's not for the grade and stress and finals (like I love the tea, love the reciepts, but to memorize all of it on top of other things? *stress ensues*

((Under cut))

There was a war. There have been many wars. But during this period of like literally forever ago England, Spain, and France really just couldn't stop bickering at each other like siblings. This became more problematic when Spain started getting Colonies in this New World after the whole Christopher Columbus shenanigans (Fun fact: Isabel and Ferdinand really only sponsored like 20% or 30% of Columbus' original costs; Columbus still had to like find the other major chunk of it through sponsorships and donations). But anyway Columbus Task Failed Successfully and discovers Not India/Spice Islands but ~a whole new world~ (so many more shenanigans with that Columbus had to straight up lie to his crew multiple times to stop mutinies from happening I want to read his diaries at some point bc the more things I hear the more intrigued I get). But anyway Spain gets a lot of shiny new income in plenty of resources, spices, diseases, tomatoes, chocolate, etc.

England and France get jealous. France is like "omg I want some" and they go to Not The Spice Islands via the fabled "Northwest Passage" and get to canada and make bank off fur trading. England however in true Chaotic Sibling Fashion originally goes "why would I need to go over to America when I can just steal from France and Spain"

and thus PIRACYYYYYYY yo ho ho ho and a bottle of rum for meeeee

Spain and France are (unsurprisingly) Not Cool with this whole "sharing is caring" attitude of England and again more wars start. England in the meantime decides it wants to get its stuff together and allows the prototypes of corporations called Joint Stock Companies (basically a bunch of people would share the risks and the reward of running a business) that lead to the Virginia Colony. There were also people who were cashing in royal debts in exchange for land in the new world (the Calverts who started Maryland who wanted to Bring Back The Feudal system and that went so well for them *cough cough*/sarcasm) and a bunch of people who wanted to ability to Practice Their Religion Better than Other People (there was religious persecution when Queen Elizabeth was reigning during the Great Migration of people to America but from my understanding it was more like she didn't care what you did if you were loyal to England but also that is literally only from my professor and I have heard conflicting stories with other professors soooooo take this with a heavy grain of salt).

Anyway now with income coming in from the Americas both Spain and France and England are doing relatively well for themselves. And then guess what happens. Ah yes, more jealous and fighting. In this case, it's over the Ohio Valley Area because both countries wanted to expand their holdings in the new World. Basically this area touched Canada and France is like "C’est à moi" and England's like "GET YOUR TOASTY BAGUETTES AWAY FROM MY LAND" This leads to what we call here the French and Indian War (also called the Seven Years War in Europe I think, a lot of wars have American Names vs European names). Despite being called "The French and Indian War" here, it was fought by England and their Indian Allies and French and their Indian allies. England wins but at what cost?

The cost is money. It's always money. Now everyone has super heavy debt as a sum of like four(five?) wars that are fought in this period of time. England is now trying to raise funds to help get themselves out of the mess they put themselves into. Their solution: make America Pay Rent. Kind of a "we fought this war for *you* actually now give us money for it.

Note: they were only trying to raise part of the money for it via Direct Taxes which are taxes added on top of the price (which btdubs they were paying taxes to England already they were pay just English Version of Taxes which are built into the price so you don't know how much if it is taxes. They were fine with that. They just didn't want extra taxes. So this made them reevaluate their whole relationship with England. It didn't also help that England was starting to revoke some of the major perks like support past the appalachian mountain range, and among other things).

this tulmultuous period can be summed up with (an overgeneralization):

England: *tries to control America over much by being like 'you have to pay taxes on this this and this*

America: fine *just doesn't buy anything from England period until England recants and is like fine you don't have to pay this tax*

England: *plays the jealous girlfriend card* "you can only trade with England!!! No one else!!!

America, the two-timer: *increases smuggling* Also radical terrorists//the sons of liberty start crying for independence (Takes a Long Time For anyone to Listen to them Because Why Would They Rebellion is a stupid idea)

The East India Company thing was such a whole thing that kinda highlights this to an extreme. East India Company was part of the joint stock company that was about to go under because they had taken loans from like literally almost every bank in England. Which if they failed would be REALLY bad news for England. So in an attempt to lower cost, England told East India company that they could bring their tea from india to America directly instead of having to go through british ports as was custom. America took one look at the now So much Cheaper Tea and was like "mmmm sus" and didn't buy it in favor of dutch tea so RIP east India Company. Also Terrorist Group from before burned several of the ships while being disguised as Indians (no one was buying it) and that's what we call the boston tea party. England shut down Boston as they should and basically war ideas were spreading really quickly through new england and further onward (south was less so but they came around).

Anyway. I realize this comes off as very-anti American and it's really not meant to be, both countries were really annoying to each other throughout this whole process. But yeh then theirs gunshots and a declaration of independence and then we barely win by the skin of our teeth (that's mainly bc british merchants were like stop this we can't make money if you're fighting with our best customers at the end) and things get only stranger from there. First modern Democratic Republic so things were bound to get...very wonky.

[ysabelmystic]

15 Questions 15 Mutuals

(Starting a new post because the chain was getting long af)

The rules are: Answer the 15 questions and tag 15 of your mutuals.

Tagged by @joethebeau (thank you!)

Are you named after anyone?

No but my parents definitely got carried away with name meanings so my given name means something like "Wisdom Reborn". Truly had a lot of expectations to subvert from birth.

2. When was the last time you cried?

A few days ago because I watched Helluva Boss S2 E6 and it hit something in me in a way I can't really explain.

3. Do you have kids?

No and I never will. At least not biologically. Now if I ever end up in a poly situation where everyone's gung-ho about adopting and we have enough of a "village" support system we'll talk.

4. What sports do you play/have played?

I played basketball and soccer as a kid. The basketball I was good at because I was comparatively short and my entire job was basically to tackle people without getting fouled. The soccer I was horrible at and only played because my dad forced me. Then I did a bit of weightlifting during my BA but now I am a lazy/sleepy couch potato.

5. Do you use sarcasm?

To the point where I have to clarify to my friends that I'm not serious at least once during every conversation.

6. What's the first thing you notice about people?

I don't know... the vibes?

7. What's your eye color?

Base color is a kind of gray-green. About a third of my right eye is brown with gold on the edges. The left has a spot of brown surrounded by gold.

8. Scary movies or Happy endings

Both

9. Any talents?

Uh. Writing? I guess? Drawing? People think I'm funny and I try to be funny on purpose a lot so I think the 60-80% silliness success rate makes me decent at being funny. Being loud...?

10. Where were you born?

USA. Could be worse but it is not a good time.

11. What are your hobbies?

Writing, drawing, watching documentaries, reading, meteorology...

12. Do you have any pets?

Two dogs: Luna (pit shepherd mix) and Eggsy (rat terrier). They are anxious and traumatized and have to take meds for it.

13. How tall are you?

5'6" and I would've been taller if my mom hadn't forced the whole household to join her on a dairy-free diet when I was like 8-10.

14. Favorite subject in school

English or science- depends on who's teaching it tbh

15. Dream Job?

Court Jester. I was born in the wrong generation.

That or professional storm chaser.

Tagging: @caffeine-or-death @fizzybugpop @fyodorkitkat @daz4i @aroacesigma @vikkerli @cosmere-cat @kandrakelsier @hexusproductions @stop-that-llama @iratherouge @f0r3v3r-f4ng1rl1ng @cannibalilly @engiiiiiii @jinxedlucky

[ezdeth-polo]

Howdy-ho! My name is Ezdeth, and this here's my blog! It's main use is for hype and reaching out to people, so stay tuned for that.

A handful of you may recognize me from the various books I've written, and the more unfortunate umong you may have encountered some books of a more... supernatural nature. For that, I apologize. My ex was a real work when we were together and tampered with a few copies. Most should be out of circulation by now but do be cautious.

Tag system now, let's go:

#excerpts are pages other articles originating from my catalog, may they spark your curiosity!

#research, #interviews, #investigations, and #interrogations are my attempts to collect information for my upcoming book 'Odyssey: a Guide for Timeskips, Universal Hitchhikers, and other such Travelers' (Title subject to change)

For the more meta of you, you may find records of my physical interactions under #field work

Below will be tags used for the folks I encounter, be they in person or on here:

[scentedluminarysoul]

On the topic of censorship and this post:

I don't remember exact details, but something like 20 years ago, a German yaoi fanfiction site got sued. I think a parent saw their teen reading smut or something, and it got blown up to a pedophilia issue.

The site, which had very explicit warnings and a pretty good tagging system and etiquette, very dedicated mods, was forced to only show fics rated adult (yk, 'lemon' fics as it were) from 10pm to 6am, to prevent minors from accessing

Obviously a huge blow to the traffic. Idk if the mods did it or not, but explicit fics just started disappearing, getting deleted, and the site went completely bust shortly after

A huge site for mlm fics, gone. Because of censorship "to protect the children' because 'pedo icky'

If you're in favor of censorship of 'pedophilia', people will always use that to hurt queer communities

Baby queers, I BEG of you. We've been around this specific block so many times

If you don't like something THAT'S FINE AND VALID

But what it isn't is a moral issue just because you find it ick

I personally find A/B/O to be really gross and problematic. What do I do about it? Simple: I don't engage in it. The end. I avoid reading about it and trust people to tag it properly. Yes, sometimes it won't be ragged and it'll spring up and surprise me. Has happened in the past. But so what.

Sometimes you are confronted with things you find uncomfortable. It's unavoidable, actually. You need to learn how deal with it.

I closed the fic and that was that. I didn't start a petition to ban it forever yes I whined about improperly tagged fics on this here webbed site. But I what I didn't do was harass the author. A fellow human who made a mistake. They're completely entitled to write whatever the fuck they want to write

Anyway, rant over

Censorship bad

To repeat the point from the other post:

"I don't think anyone should be allowed to read or write this because it is disgusting to me" is authoritarian.

Edit: pertaining specifically to "pedophilia bad", how would even start defining it? What age of consent would you go by? For the whole internet? 16? 17? 18? 19? 20? 21? 2-fucking5???

Because ho BOY have you SEEN this here webbed site?

People will say it's "pedophilia" if people are different heights. If one partner is petite. If the age difference is more than 5 years even if both are adults. If they engage in consensual kinks. Size kinks. Role play. People believe in the 25 immature brain bullshit for real and see everyone below it as children unable to consent. I've talked to people who think asexuals, adhd-ers and autists can't consent. It's a fucking mess.

And that's not even getting into fiction, where adults with adult minds can look like children. And if you say surely that's pedophilia because they have small bodies, possibly underdeveloped, then I want to ask you: what's your opinion on little people? Disabled folks of sound mind with less developed bodies? Flatchested women? Men with small dicks?

Like, have you EVER even properly thought about consent at all? Like really? Who can give it and what it means? Because I have. Thanks to fiction, where I can do so safely.

Everyone has different icks they'll pretend are universal moral issues and definitely pedophilia. This is why you don't start with censorship in the first place.

If you think something should be banned because you, personally, feel disgusted by it:

Congrats. That's how every bigot operates. That's how TERFs work. You really wanna be that?

[ltwharfy]

WIP Game

Thanks for tagging me, @daddygrandpaandthebeaver!

Rules: In a new post, list the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them and then post a little snippet of it or tell them something about it. And then tag as many people as you have WIPs.

So, be prepared to laugh about how I organize my writing on my computer. Why my system is this stupid is probably a result of my fic writing starting as a lark that I didn't think I'd be doing much of, but I don't have separate files for my fics. I have one Word document called "stories" that currently contains every fic I've published as well as my two actual WIPs. I also have another file called "story ideas" which is basically titles and one sentence descriptions for stories I might write.

Since I've already talked a little bit about both of the actual WIPs, I will also list the titles from the "story ideas" as well, bringing the total to 30, I think. I don't even know if I know 30 people on here who are fic writers. But I will tag some Burger Fic writers who weren't tagged in the post that tagged me: @babsvibes @jimmyjrsmusoems @br1ghtestlight @sailoreuterpe @nixknacks0-0 @devilh0rnsinc and anyone else who may see this and want to join in!

The Actual WIPs:

"She Fell in Love with the Drummer"

"Dating Advice From Mr. 'I'd Let That Dump Me'"

The story ideas (this are listed in the order they are in the document which is mostly the order I came up with them in except when it's not):

“Attaboy, Rudes!”

“Workers of the Wharf, Unite!”

“We Drive Through the City Like Explorers Going Sixty-Five”

“Hey Ho, Rock ‘N’ Roll Deliver Me From Nowhere"

“I’m No Princess and You Don’t Care"

“The Best of Valen-times”

“Lady Burger and the Alley Rascals”

“Zen and the Art of Being Mort”

Untitled Rudlee Idea (this is a specific idea, just without a title)

“Born to (Not) Run"

“And I’ve Never Been So Careful to Talk to Anyone”

“Speechless"

“Breathe”

"Ain’t It Funny How Some Things Don’t Change”

Untitled Zeke and Rudy playing basketball story

“The Hurt Gets Worse and the Heart Gets Harder"

“The Spy Who Was Roommates With Me”

“Here’s Looking at You, Trev"

“The Start of Something Big”

“The One Where Trev and Mickey Become Friends with Nat and They Discuss Lizards and the Movie ‘Big’ Starring Thomas Hanks”

"Crow No You Didn't!"

“I Will Go With You to Your Favorite Shows”

“I Will Scratch Your Back Where You Can’t Reach"

“And Hold You When You Fall Asleep"

“If We Show Up Late, I’ll Take the Blame"

“And Drive You Home in the Pouring Rain"

 “I’ll Hold Your Hand When We Get Old”

[heartbrake-hotel]

TIME FOR A WIP TAG GAME 💫

rules: in a new post, post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them and then post a little snippet of it or tell them something about it! and then tag as many people as you have WIPs.

oh nooo exposed by smitty for my ridiculous doc names.. how could you DO this to meee 😭 dfghs but thanks for the tag darlin @prompted-wordsmith.!!

(tagged on my main but i thought i'd go ahead and post here instead... if i posted all of my wips for every fandom, we'd be here a month 🤭)

my naming conventions are notably all either coded nonsense only comprehensible to me, or song lyrics that are not, in fact, from the song i Actually titled the fic with.! it got so ridiculous i made a spreadsheet to keep track of their shorthand names, their Real Actual Titles, and their summaries. just so i could always find right what i was looking for. i love to cross-reference ! three cheers for color-coding ! 🎉 luckily for me, said doc came in veryyy handy when it came to copy/pasting for this tag game 😂😂

daddy? sorry, da-

i get no help around this goddamn house

this is the Real t&s

he was the congregations vagrant

cry about it, fucker

the saints we see are all made of gold

all the small things

lover's lover's alibi

he's the one to call (dr. feelgood)

my middle name is miseryyy

ho ho hopefully

this is NOT feederism it is cARETAKING

who do you love

what breed is he just a little guy

toxic las vegas

achy breaky head

catch a falling star💫

being weird together is a love language

oscars flop era

9 to 5

go out by the oak leaf

motorpsyche 🏍️

ive beaten the orange camaro

ginger snapped 🐺

vacation all ive ever wanted

polk salad booty is this anything

some of these have been in the works for YEARS, like.. since the movie actually came out.. i started writing two days after i got home from the theater the first time oOP look y'all know me alright the likelihood any of these will actually make it to posting on this blog is,, uh. Slim !! ngl it's pretty slim. i have wips from over a decade ago that STILL don't feel done enough to publish 🙈 but these in particular are very near and dear to my heart and i'd love to gauge y'all's interest anyway.! so fire away, ask me anything, i love to talk and am always down to gush 👍

tagging: @whositmcwhatsit, @thatbanditqueen, @be-my-ally, @mooodyblue, @vintagepresley, @floralcyanide, @whatstruthgottodowithit,@dreamingofep, @ooihcnoiwlerh, @suraemoon, @vintageshanny, uhhh i panicked at the length of this list and don't know who else writes around here and is left to tag, but pleaseeee take this as an open invitation to join in if you want!! i'd love to see everyone's systems 🥰🥰 and of course no pressure if you don't 👌

[an-unholy-devotion-and-desire]

💘 call me Roman, Fiifi , Afia or Cupid ~ !! 💘

💫 she / he / fae / mink + any 💫 Alter/Part - Co-host of a system !

HOWDY! - im an alter n co-host 4 our system @infin8drip (main blog) - im a cherubim + succubus hybrid but i dont rly claim my more "corrupted" side of the spectrum or wtvr, im jus a zesty rebellious stupid ho LMAO (lightheartedly jokin dont take this srs pls i just play 2 much ). i do have shiftable forms that more "simpler" 4 others in the headspace, typically i look like this :p (warnin, this is the host old art n it's an old ass "selfies" of me in the middle, i will update the this lol also i typically like messin around w/ my hair. )

- (ALL art by this sytem) - tw warnin 4 the n slur up ahead on the 3rd pic (i can reclaim it.)

- i'm an OCtive + Mixoject of multiple sources! ( sources; The other host OC, Cupid, Angels, Cherubim (Media & biblical accurate), Lola Bunny , Minerva Mink) - My system job resume includes: internal self helper, sexual protector, ADHD, BPD, NPD, OCPD, hypersexual symptom holder - i'm mentally (i say 'mentally' bc truely i'm ageless but im an adult) early 30 yr old, in a 25yr old body ✌🏾 how do u do c: - I am nonhuman and may interact with nonhuman/alterhuman posts! i identify as ! : - pangenderfaer - Etherio/Etho/nonhuman boy - pan gaybian, - stemmetwink !(mostly femme) - turigirl ! - i'm wlw, wlm , mlm, nblm , nblw , nblnb !! - i'm partnered x10 /r & /qpr <3 ; by members in our/my system, n' our/my 2 system partners, so pls don't be fuckin weird ! c:

body wise also:

. - parent . - blk/indigenous (afro american geechee + blackfoot cherokee/creek/seminole) . - anemic . - intersex . - transneumascfem FTM Panfluid Maverique Boi . - C-DID . - got zat ✨ AuDHD ✨ . - OCD . - BP type i w/ psychotic features . - We have the deluxe, Cluster B special bein BPD, NPD w/ traits of ASPD, with a side of Cluster C's AVPD and OCPD, topped w/ traits of StPD 👨🏾‍🍳 🤌🏾 . - dancin w/ an unspecified ED

this blog's purpose is 2 just b my side of the internet, essentially. i reblog anythin angelcore, lovecore, coquette, 420 , fashion, early y2k, creepy cute, celebs, shows i like, shit from my culture, while talkin' abt social justices in my respected intersections! occasionally will sketch here 2 n show off my art :p tws: spirituality , suggestive content n probs +18 content under cuts , talks of trauma and ventin, hypersexuality n the highs n lows of it :')) , PDA ( i like gushin abt my boos <33 ) , possible religious imagery n weed mention. anythin else i haven't mentioned will still b tagged accordingly!

☝🏾 💢 ☝🏾 💢 ☝🏾 💢 ☝🏾 💢 ☝🏾 💢☝🏾 💢☝🏾 💢 ☝🏾 💢☝🏾 💢 ☝🏾 💢 ☝🏾 ☝🏾 💢TAPS SCREEN☝🏾 💢☝🏾 💢☝🏾 💢 ☝🏾 💢 ☝🏾 💢 ☝🏾 💢 ☝🏾 💢☝🏾 💢☝🏾 💢☝🏾 💢 ☝🏾 💢 ☝🏾 💢 ☝🏾 💢 ☝🏾 💢☝🏾 💢☝🏾 💢☝🏾 💢☝🏾 💢☝🏾 💢☝🏾 💢

BYF: - I reclaim the slurs/terms: nigga, retard, dyke, bulldyke, fag, sambo - speak in aave / ebonics unintentionally and intentionally. -I am a full time parent along side my partners, part time worker (soon will be attending college), trying to get support my partners/family out of a tough spot, so I'm always busy or stressed in some form. -Unless youre close to me and/or partners, do not call me "sis" or "shawty" even jokingly. that goes for the whole collective :/ THIS BLOG IS 18+ this is a no minor zone 4 my comfortability here! I block ageless blogs n anyone i think is weird or off puttin 4 me. Me n the block button r the realest definition of "bros b4 hoes" frfr

☝🏾 💢 ☝🏾 💢 ☝🏾 💢 ☝🏾 💢 ☝🏾 💢☝🏾 💢☝🏾 💢 ☝🏾 💢☝🏾 💢 ☝🏾 💢 ☝🏾 ☝🏾 💢TAPS SCREEN☝🏾 💢☝🏾 💢☝🏾 💢 ☝🏾 💢 ☝🏾 💢 ☝🏾 💢 ☝🏾 💢☝🏾 💢☝🏾 💢☝🏾 💢 ☝🏾 💢 ☝🏾 💢 ☝🏾 💢 ☝🏾 💢☝🏾 💢☝🏾 💢☝🏾 💢☝🏾 💢☝🏾 💢☝🏾 💢

DNI: PRO ZIONISTS, ANTISEMETIC, ANTIBLACK, ANTI NATIVE, ENDOS, PROSHIPPERS/COMSHIPPERS, DDLG/AGE KINK, RADQUEER , SAFEQUEERS, Labeled "DA/IRL" ( RECOVERING D-MISID's ARE FINE ) , OMEGAVERSE, TRANSID, ANTI-OTHERKIN/THERIAN, RTCA, ANTI RECOVERY BLOGS OF ANY KIND, TERFS, ANTI XENOGENDERS/NEOS, ANTI- MSPEC LESBIANS/GAYS, ANTI GOOD FAITH IDs ARE NOT WELCOME, . . Nor will I engage in discourse w/ it, unless its somethin i feel like I need 2 drop my two sense on somethin that i feel nobody may not have not touched on, or someone i care abt is publically involved. Other than that, i h8 gettin into discourse when the general public has already have made multiple points 2 counter a lot of misinformation w/ fax + its not always good for my health, nor the system's

Tag list:

# . 💘  .  | Preachin n servin the word   ( Spiritual uplifting talks)

# . 💘  .  | Divine creations ( Art or edits )

# . 💘  .  | Zealous Rebellion and Resistance ( Social activism ) # . 💘  .  | I'll just take the 85 2 Africa  ( Black excellence, Black Pride, Black history , anything blk related tbh ) # . 💘  .  | Before Genesis… ( Exomemories if i ever decide 2 talk abt them ) # . 💘  .  | Sorrows of the fallen ( Vents ) # . 💘  .  | Pierced by Cupid's Arrow <3 ( Partners tag <33 ) # . 💘  .  | Not safe 4 mortals ( NSFT )

# . 💘  .  | Sins of Wrath ( RANTS ) 

# . 💘  .  | Sins of Envy ( Narc lows vents ) # . 💘  .  | Sins of Greed ( Hoarding vents & talks , mentions ) # . 💘  .  | Sins of Lust (  Hypersexuality, Lewd talk, also NSFT ) # . 💘  .  | Sins of Pride ( me havin a narc high ) # . 💘  .  | Sins of Gluttony ( Hyperfixation tag ) # . 💘  .  | Sins of Sloth (Recreational talks; Weed and alcohol mentions )

graphics by: @/willsgraphics @/silkholland @/anitalenia @/dollywons userboxes by @/killerssideblog @/sysboxes

[knightofhylia]

Your conlang seems very interesting! Care to infodump a bit, if you want? (I'm genuine) (I'm a language nerd)

It is still in it's infancy so it's a hot mess right now, but I'd love tell y'all about it! It's a mix of all my random amateur language studies and just straight up 'the ghosts told me this word' lol

It's called Akelkiahn, as it is the language of the people of Akelkiah (basically my religions avalon, eden, etc). It's shorthand is AKL. I do have a baby blog @akelkiah where I plan to post in the language and about the culture and shit! I mostly use it as a tag system and when I write spells!

I generated it using vulgarlang.com and have been working at nitpicking the words and shit for a few years. I use IPA reader for pronounciations.I chose Hebrew as the base phonetics because when I have HEARD the language in my dreams and from the spirits it sounded similar, and I figured it was a good start as I would be adding on a LOT of dialects.,the only word I really remember hearing in my dreams was 'kipahnu' which meant 'little rebel', and they also said 'shamat' meant baby. Each of dialect is separated by colour (this diagram is old and messy I made it in like 5 min. names at the bottom are the deities)

I don't have a script yet and idk anything about lingustics terms or anything so I'll give a little demo of some phrases and break it down.I was a DINGUS and did not save the grammar rules.... so if it's wrong.... let me live.

To cut down on using pronouns over and over, you can mark things by using the last few letters added on to the word. For plurals you just repeat the last letter or syllable. to NEGATE a word, you write or say it backwards. Examples:

petz ge ta'shatohkh (you are sunshine, KH added here makes it MY sunshine, using the pronoun for me- BOKH) bokh ho ta'shatohkh (Me only sunshine with possessive KH) petz gish mefu'avkh (you make happyME. the other way to say this would be petz gish bokh mefu'av) av tmimm ge zmuv (when skies are grey. The word for sky is tmim, extra M makes it skies)

An example using you pronouns petz:

You have snake scales covering your eyes is a phrase to mean 'you are getting in the way of yourself' boftz malmosh ture' eden meyy (haveYOU snake scales cover up eyes)

Another example is basically the YOLO of the AKL world 'Everything is Nothing' can be translated as two ways:

Zif la paf (literal, everything is nothing) = Zif la fiz (everything is not everything)

also something funny that they told me was being called a chicken (shagufos) in AKL culture is NOT meaning you are scared or skittish, it means you talk too much about yourself, (me me me translation to bokh bokh bokh, sounding like a chicken).

I think the best translation is still the name for the 7 Sisters, the main deities..... is 'dad boy' which is honestly a great gender to have and very fitting for them.

I'm always down to talk about Aklekiahn stuff I'm just nervous about talking about the aliens in my head. lol! If you like any words or ideas feel free to use them, this is a language that is meant to be adapted!

((((((((someday I hope to do this with Hylian, so keep an eye out for that lolol)))))))

[doublegoblin]

This or That

Thank ya @gummybugg for the tag !

It's been a while since I've done one of these and there are some different questions so I'll be answering for myself on this one.

As far as who else to tag, @asterhaze @randomstupidchaos @princessw0lf @angie-j-kay and anyone else whom'st've the desire to join in the fun!

historical or futuristic

Between the two I enjoy the aesthetic more. When it comes to futuristic I feel that sometimes the descriptions and setting can get a bit muddy and bloated with stuff. Idk just vibes too.

the opening or closing chapter

I can't really recall what I put last time and I am too lazy to double check. But, as I've been working more and more on longer WIPS I've come to really enjoy the concept of that final chapter. Putting everything in its place and tying it off with a happy little bow. Carrot on a stick kind of mentality.

light+fluffy or dark+gritty

Despite the content that I typically write, I don't typically like to engage with bummer stuff. Also in my experience, dark and gritty is usually just a shorthand for making everyone bastards. Real big oh ho ho we people are just a bad day away from tribalism like bro, gtfo with that shit. Not to say it isn't valid, just not what I want to engage with.

animal companion or found family

Both are equally good, but, just vibes?

horror or romance

Despite what I said two questions up, I do enjoy me a good spoopin'. Not too much like blood and gore, but like, the tingle at the back of your neck kind of horror. Don't put a bomb under a table and have the viscera go everywhere, tell me a bomb is under the table and then nothing else. Plus, I'm an edgy bitch who enjoys edgy monsters.

hard magic system or soft magic system

I'm a nerd who enjoys rules and regulating things. Maybe there is some neurospicyness to it, idk. Hard magic lets you have a problem and find fun ways to use those same problems and maybe come up with a unique solution. Or better yet, find some loops holes that still make it "technically" correct.

standalone or series

This was a toughy, but just once again comes down to vibes. What it came down to was me splitting some hairs. If a work follows the same storyline but just over multiple iterations (i.e. the original Percy Jackson series) I still consider it a standalone. A series takes place in the same universe but different stories are told in that same universe (think more spin offs or side stories, once again Percy Jackson). Does this actually make sense? Not really. But, these are my vibes.

one project at a time or always juggling 2+

I want it to be this way, but my WIPs disagree with me. Though I tend to only focus heavily on one for an extended time before jumping to the other (usually a chapter or so).

one award winner or one bestseller

You could make the argument that a bestseller is also an award winner, but, when it comes down to it I'd rather have my stuff reach the most amount of people who want to engage with it on its own merits rather than because it has a fancy qualifier.

For stuff I engage with, I truly don't give a shit about either. I am a slop enjoyer.

fantasy or sci-fi

Same kind of answer as the first question.

Unrelated I do have strong feelings and opinions on the color use in sci-fi. Technology with a Black/Green color scheme is NOT the same as Black/Red and I will die on this arbitrary hill.

character description or setting description

I hate writing character descriptions.

first draft or final draft

It is that primordial marble block, just begging to be sculpted into something. And with every sculpture, you don't start off with smooth features, you have to beat the rough shape out and then gentle shape it. I really enjoy the hammering.

love triangle in everything or no romantic arcs

Between the two, give me nothing. Also with a love triangle (which is hardly ever an actual triangle more of a horseshoe of conflict) you will always, and I mean ALWAYS, have people adamant the wrong choice was made.

Also another quick aside (and I know this isn't the case in every situation but I can only engage with so much media) the choices for the "triangle" are just like pallete swaps of each other. Also it seems that no matter who the center object picks, there doesn't seem to be any bad blood or long term consequences, the unpicked option usually gets a "runner up" prize anway.

constant sandstorm or rainstorm

In a perfect world where the weather doesn't matter, this 100%. Like have you seen the vibetastic photos of inside a sandstorm? The auburn hues, the occasional static discharges, the dim but still useful light? Pure vibes.

Maybe it's also because I live in an area that gets plenty of rain, and the idea of something new is exciting.

[cleverhottubmiracle]

The first time the factory doors open, it kind of feels like you’re in an airport, except there are no signs directing you where to go and no gate numbers. Somehow, everyone else knows exactly where to go, and you’re the only one lost. When most people think of a factory, they think of sewing, but there is SO much more going on than just that. Today I will take you on a factory tour and explain exactly how clothes are made, from fabric to garment. And here is the best part. Every factory by default, needs to do the same 7 steps. I am going to teach you how to spot if a factory does them well and makes a quality product, or is cutting corners.   BUT BEFORE WE GET STARTED... I love helping startup brand founders succeed, so I created a bunch of free guides that will help you with your business. They won’t be free forever, so make sure to grab them while you can. Here’s what you’ll learn in this guide to how clothes are made… A quick story about my first time in a factory seeing how clothes are made Going with the flow Fabric and materials checking Cutting Sewing Quality assurance Pressing Packing Logistics Additional resources My first time in a fast-fashion factory Factories are exciting, not only because it’s where a design comes to life, but because of the energy. The first time I walked into a fast fashion factory in the Philippines will forever be one of my fashion core memories. Lady Gaga was blasting. Fabrics, bins, and people were whizzing past me. And rows and rows of sewers (we're talking longer than a city block) sat sewing as fast as they could under a tin roof. The energy was Mad Max meets night club meets office cubicles. Something you need to experience to truly understand - it’s an intensive process.  Now, your first visit to a factory might not be this massive (we were producing millions of units of clothing in this factory), but I promise you will feel the crazy raw energy of the people behind the clothing being made in whatever factory you end up in. Anyway, let’s dive into the details of what is going on . . .  HOW CLOTHES ARE MADE, THE FASHION FACTORY WORKFLOW  The first thing you need to understand is that a manufacturing garment factory is a lot like a living and breathing organism. You can think of it like the human body with things constantly going in, coming out, and moving all around. There are a million little things happening that all work together toward the same goal – making clothing. I have been in hundreds of factories, and they are all more or less set up the same way. But there is one key difference between smaller workshops and the big guys that are doing high-volume orders. And that is the entrance and exit. Factories operate like a river, meaning they only flow one way. So much so that many factories even have arrows drawn on the floors and only allow workers (and visitors) to travel in one direction. Big factories have the space to have a more linear flow with an entrance and exit on separate ends of the building. Fabrics and raw materials enter on one side, and garments leave on the other. Really big factories might even have two entrances (one for people and one for deliveries of fabric, trim, tags, etc).  But with a smaller factory (like the kind most startup fashion brands find themselves in), there is only one entrance/exit. Everything is coming and going through one door. So the flow is more of a circle than a straight line. And that is why things can feel even more hectic. This is why newbies often think larger factories are more professional when that is not always the case. They just have more space and a different organizational system. This article is mostly going to focus on how small factories operate. STEP #1 - FABRIC AND RAW MATERIALS CHECKING The first step in how clothes are made is an inspection. (Spoiler it's also one of the last steps too). Before a factory can start cutting and sewing your fabric, they need to do a fabric check. Many new fashion brands forget this step because, honestly, they don’t even know they need it. But it’s crucial. Here’s why. Let’s pretend you get your finished garment in the mail and there are stains on the fabric. You will most likely call your factory in a panic, demanding to know what happened (and asking for some money back for the damages).  Nine times out of 10, the factory will say, “We got the fabric that way. Go talk to your fabric supplier.” So you’ll call your fabric supplier and say, “Hey, what the heck happened?” And, you know what they’re going to tell you? “We shipped perfect textiles. The garment factory did the damage.” And round and round you’ll go. Never getting a straight answer and never getting compensated for the damaged products. So, to avoid all of this, fabric inspection is the first step that will create accountability. As soon as the fabric enters the factory, it is checked. And if there are damages, the fabric supplier is alerted immediately, so the fabric can be returned or fixed before it is cut and sewn.  STEP #2 - CUTTING  Once the fabric passes inspection, it moves onto the cutting area. BTW, most sustainable fashion startup newbies find this step in how clothes are made the most interesting.  First, the factory unrolls the fabric and stacks it in layers on a long table, usually about the length of a tennis court. They then place the paper patterns (fyi, pattern making is done during the development process) on top of the stacks of fabrics. And, lastly, they trace the patterns onto the fabric with either chalk or a special pen that will disappear with water. After all of that, it's time for cutting. But not with scissors. With a chainsaw. Yup – you read that correctly.  It’s pretty cool to watch. You can catch a glimpse of it in this video I created of the entire garment manufacturing process for my client, My Little Belleville. STEP #3 - SEWING Once all the pattern pieces are cut, they are sewn together. Now, just watching someone sew can be quite boring (even though it could be argued it is the most important step, becuase it's quite literally how clothes are made).  But, here is where it becomes interesting. Each member of a sewing line is responsible for one part of the garment. Meaning, one person sews the body, another the sleeves, another the neckline, another might put on the labels and tags, etc. As you walk down the line, you can literally watch the garment come alive from a stack of cut fabric pieces to wearable clothing. It’s basically the evolution of a garment in real-time. STEP #4 - QUALITY CONTROL My family works in real estate. And whenever my dad considers buying a property, he spends about 90% of his time inspecting the basement. While other buyers are inspecting the crown molding and deciding if they want carpet or hardwood floors, we are underground because that is where big expensive things tend to go wrong. I take a similar approach when interviewing factories and deciding if I want to give them my client's apparel production orders. I generally spend the most time in the QA department. This is a real trick of the trade. Rookies will spend their time in the sewing room, but fashion experts know it’s all about quality assurance. IMO this is the most important step. It’s what will make or break your brand.  Here’s why… Mistakes happen during garment production. That is just part of the fashion process. If you think working with a good factory means everything comes out perfectly, well, that’s just not how it works in real life.  In real life, needles break and get stuck in the clothing seams. In real life, sometimes the color on the sleeve of a shirt doesn’t quite match with the body . . . or a size medium gets labeled a size large. What’s important is catching and correcting these mistakes. Because errors are inevitable, a good factory with a good quality assurance program might even produce extra garments to ensure quality in the fulfillment of your order. Why? This is actually one of my favorite secrets to share when teaching people about how clothing is made... Factories know that while clothing manufacturing is imperfect, their clients expect perfection. So, they plan for about 5% in damages. Meaning five of the shirts will not be perfect and will be tossed even before they get to the customer. (FYI this is high level, and most people in the fashion industry don’t even know this).  So, say you order 100 shirts from a factory. A good factory with a good quality assurance program will probably make about 105 shirts.  Kind of wasteful, huh? This is the hypocrisy in sustainable and ethical fashion. Most small brands don’t even know this waste is happening. They spend so much time focusing on getting the “perfect” product, they never bother to ask how it's possible. STEP #5 - PRESSING Next up is pressing. This step will totally transform a garment. I like to think of it like a bad 90s rom-com makeover (like in She’s All That or The Princess Diaries) where all of a sudden the girl is gorgeous because she took off her glasses and straightened her hair. We can unpack that another day. Anyway . . . When a garment is complete and comes off the sewing machine, it is crumply, frumpy, and looks like something you would find in a bargain bin in the basement of a department store. The ironing and pressing are what bring it to life.  Pro tip - Not all fabric pressing is equal. A lot of factories, in an effort to save time, will lay the garment flat and just iron over the top of it. This is terrible. The right way to iron a garment is to open and press each seam individually. It takes probably five times longer, but when a customer tries on that garment for the first time, they will feel the difference in quality and fit. STEP #6 - PACKING After propper garment pressing, it's time for packing. First in a poly bag, then into a shipping carton. This step isn’t a ton of fun or very exciting. When the packing is done, the brand will get something called a packing list. A packing list is what it sounds like  – a list of each carton and what styles and sizes are in each box. This is important because sometimes what you order is not what ships. For example, back to those 100 shirts. Maybe the factory was only able to create 99 perfect shirts. In that case, you only pay for the 99 shirts that get shipped. It is important to always compare your initial PO (purchase order) to your shipping docs to make sure you are being charged for the correct quantities.  STEP #7 - LOGISTICS + EXIT This photo was taken when I was working in the Philippines. While the workers wait to load the cartons onto the truck, they hang out and play games underneath in the shade. They even set up hammocks like this one sometimes!  Lastly, we have logistics at the exit. This is where garment manufacturers stack up all the boxes with the clothing production order, and ships them out. Now, here is something to know about shipping. The keyword you need to know is port city. Port cities are cities where goods enter and exit. If a factory is not located in a port city, your order will need to be shipped domestically to the port before it can be shipped internationally.  For example, Jaipur is not a port city. So any clothing manufactured in Jaipur must be shipped to Delhi first. Then it can ship internationally. If you want to learn more about manufacturing in Jaipur, check out this article.  This is important to know for two reasons.  The first is tracking. A factory might tell you your goods have shipped but not provide a tracking number. When this happens, brands often think the factory is lying. But what this usually means is that the goods first ship locally to the port city, where they’ll need to clear customs. Once they clear customs, only then will they get an international tracking number. The second reason is timing. Having a two-step shipping process takes more time. So this is time that needs to be factored into your timeline. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES How to find custom clothing manufacturers for startups Should I hire a manufacturing consultant to source and develop my clothing line? A Look Behind The Seams of an Italian garment factory WHAT DO YOU THINK? Do you feel better prepared for your first factory visit now that you understand the process of getting clothes made? Let me know in the comments any other questions you might have about how factories work and how clothing is made. Don’t be shy, it’s a complex process, but I’m here to help answer your questions. Source link

[norajworld]

The first time the factory doors open, it kind of feels like you’re in an airport, except there are no signs directing you where to go and no gate numbers. Somehow, everyone else knows exactly where to go, and you’re the only one lost. When most people think of a factory, they think of sewing, but there is SO much more going on than just that. Today I will take you on a factory tour and explain exactly how clothes are made, from fabric to garment. And here is the best part. Every factory by default, needs to do the same 7 steps. I am going to teach you how to spot if a factory does them well and makes a quality product, or is cutting corners.   BUT BEFORE WE GET STARTED... I love helping startup brand founders succeed, so I created a bunch of free guides that will help you with your business. They won’t be free forever, so make sure to grab them while you can. Here’s what you’ll learn in this guide to how clothes are made… A quick story about my first time in a factory seeing how clothes are made Going with the flow Fabric and materials checking Cutting Sewing Quality assurance Pressing Packing Logistics Additional resources My first time in a fast-fashion factory Factories are exciting, not only because it’s where a design comes to life, but because of the energy. The first time I walked into a fast fashion factory in the Philippines will forever be one of my fashion core memories. Lady Gaga was blasting. Fabrics, bins, and people were whizzing past me. And rows and rows of sewers (we're talking longer than a city block) sat sewing as fast as they could under a tin roof. The energy was Mad Max meets night club meets office cubicles. Something you need to experience to truly understand - it’s an intensive process.  Now, your first visit to a factory might not be this massive (we were producing millions of units of clothing in this factory), but I promise you will feel the crazy raw energy of the people behind the clothing being made in whatever factory you end up in. Anyway, let’s dive into the details of what is going on . . .  HOW CLOTHES ARE MADE, THE FASHION FACTORY WORKFLOW  The first thing you need to understand is that a manufacturing garment factory is a lot like a living and breathing organism. You can think of it like the human body with things constantly going in, coming out, and moving all around. There are a million little things happening that all work together toward the same goal – making clothing. I have been in hundreds of factories, and they are all more or less set up the same way. But there is one key difference between smaller workshops and the big guys that are doing high-volume orders. And that is the entrance and exit. Factories operate like a river, meaning they only flow one way. So much so that many factories even have arrows drawn on the floors and only allow workers (and visitors) to travel in one direction. Big factories have the space to have a more linear flow with an entrance and exit on separate ends of the building. Fabrics and raw materials enter on one side, and garments leave on the other. Really big factories might even have two entrances (one for people and one for deliveries of fabric, trim, tags, etc).  But with a smaller factory (like the kind most startup fashion brands find themselves in), there is only one entrance/exit. Everything is coming and going through one door. So the flow is more of a circle than a straight line. And that is why things can feel even more hectic. This is why newbies often think larger factories are more professional when that is not always the case. They just have more space and a different organizational system. This article is mostly going to focus on how small factories operate. STEP #1 - FABRIC AND RAW MATERIALS CHECKING The first step in how clothes are made is an inspection. (Spoiler it's also one of the last steps too). Before a factory can start cutting and sewing your fabric, they need to do a fabric check. Many new fashion brands forget this step because, honestly, they don’t even know they need it. But it’s crucial. Here’s why. Let’s pretend you get your finished garment in the mail and there are stains on the fabric. You will most likely call your factory in a panic, demanding to know what happened (and asking for some money back for the damages).  Nine times out of 10, the factory will say, “We got the fabric that way. Go talk to your fabric supplier.” So you’ll call your fabric supplier and say, “Hey, what the heck happened?” And, you know what they’re going to tell you? “We shipped perfect textiles. The garment factory did the damage.” And round and round you’ll go. Never getting a straight answer and never getting compensated for the damaged products. So, to avoid all of this, fabric inspection is the first step that will create accountability. As soon as the fabric enters the factory, it is checked. And if there are damages, the fabric supplier is alerted immediately, so the fabric can be returned or fixed before it is cut and sewn.  STEP #2 - CUTTING  Once the fabric passes inspection, it moves onto the cutting area. BTW, most sustainable fashion startup newbies find this step in how clothes are made the most interesting.  First, the factory unrolls the fabric and stacks it in layers on a long table, usually about the length of a tennis court. They then place the paper patterns (fyi, pattern making is done during the development process) on top of the stacks of fabrics. And, lastly, they trace the patterns onto the fabric with either chalk or a special pen that will disappear with water. After all of that, it's time for cutting. But not with scissors. With a chainsaw. Yup – you read that correctly.  It’s pretty cool to watch. You can catch a glimpse of it in this video I created of the entire garment manufacturing process for my client, My Little Belleville. STEP #3 - SEWING Once all the pattern pieces are cut, they are sewn together. Now, just watching someone sew can be quite boring (even though it could be argued it is the most important step, becuase it's quite literally how clothes are made).  But, here is where it becomes interesting. Each member of a sewing line is responsible for one part of the garment. Meaning, one person sews the body, another the sleeves, another the neckline, another might put on the labels and tags, etc. As you walk down the line, you can literally watch the garment come alive from a stack of cut fabric pieces to wearable clothing. It’s basically the evolution of a garment in real-time. STEP #4 - QUALITY CONTROL My family works in real estate. And whenever my dad considers buying a property, he spends about 90% of his time inspecting the basement. While other buyers are inspecting the crown molding and deciding if they want carpet or hardwood floors, we are underground because that is where big expensive things tend to go wrong. I take a similar approach when interviewing factories and deciding if I want to give them my client's apparel production orders. I generally spend the most time in the QA department. This is a real trick of the trade. Rookies will spend their time in the sewing room, but fashion experts know it’s all about quality assurance. IMO this is the most important step. It’s what will make or break your brand.  Here’s why… Mistakes happen during garment production. That is just part of the fashion process. If you think working with a good factory means everything comes out perfectly, well, that’s just not how it works in real life.  In real life, needles break and get stuck in the clothing seams. In real life, sometimes the color on the sleeve of a shirt doesn’t quite match with the body . . . or a size medium gets labeled a size large. What’s important is catching and correcting these mistakes. Because errors are inevitable, a good factory with a good quality assurance program might even produce extra garments to ensure quality in the fulfillment of your order. Why? This is actually one of my favorite secrets to share when teaching people about how clothing is made... Factories know that while clothing manufacturing is imperfect, their clients expect perfection. So, they plan for about 5% in damages. Meaning five of the shirts will not be perfect and will be tossed even before they get to the customer. (FYI this is high level, and most people in the fashion industry don’t even know this).  So, say you order 100 shirts from a factory. A good factory with a good quality assurance program will probably make about 105 shirts.  Kind of wasteful, huh? This is the hypocrisy in sustainable and ethical fashion. Most small brands don’t even know this waste is happening. They spend so much time focusing on getting the “perfect” product, they never bother to ask how it's possible. STEP #5 - PRESSING Next up is pressing. This step will totally transform a garment. I like to think of it like a bad 90s rom-com makeover (like in She’s All That or The Princess Diaries) where all of a sudden the girl is gorgeous because she took off her glasses and straightened her hair. We can unpack that another day. Anyway . . . When a garment is complete and comes off the sewing machine, it is crumply, frumpy, and looks like something you would find in a bargain bin in the basement of a department store. The ironing and pressing are what bring it to life.  Pro tip - Not all fabric pressing is equal. A lot of factories, in an effort to save time, will lay the garment flat and just iron over the top of it. This is terrible. The right way to iron a garment is to open and press each seam individually. It takes probably five times longer, but when a customer tries on that garment for the first time, they will feel the difference in quality and fit. STEP #6 - PACKING After propper garment pressing, it's time for packing. First in a poly bag, then into a shipping carton. This step isn’t a ton of fun or very exciting. When the packing is done, the brand will get something called a packing list. A packing list is what it sounds like  – a list of each carton and what styles and sizes are in each box. This is important because sometimes what you order is not what ships. For example, back to those 100 shirts. Maybe the factory was only able to create 99 perfect shirts. In that case, you only pay for the 99 shirts that get shipped. It is important to always compare your initial PO (purchase order) to your shipping docs to make sure you are being charged for the correct quantities.  STEP #7 - LOGISTICS + EXIT This photo was taken when I was working in the Philippines. While the workers wait to load the cartons onto the truck, they hang out and play games underneath in the shade. They even set up hammocks like this one sometimes!  Lastly, we have logistics at the exit. This is where garment manufacturers stack up all the boxes with the clothing production order, and ships them out. Now, here is something to know about shipping. The keyword you need to know is port city. Port cities are cities where goods enter and exit. If a factory is not located in a port city, your order will need to be shipped domestically to the port before it can be shipped internationally.  For example, Jaipur is not a port city. So any clothing manufactured in Jaipur must be shipped to Delhi first. Then it can ship internationally. If you want to learn more about manufacturing in Jaipur, check out this article.  This is important to know for two reasons.  The first is tracking. A factory might tell you your goods have shipped but not provide a tracking number. When this happens, brands often think the factory is lying. But what this usually means is that the goods first ship locally to the port city, where they’ll need to clear customs. Once they clear customs, only then will they get an international tracking number. The second reason is timing. Having a two-step shipping process takes more time. So this is time that needs to be factored into your timeline. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES How to find custom clothing manufacturers for startups Should I hire a manufacturing consultant to source and develop my clothing line? A Look Behind The Seams of an Italian garment factory WHAT DO YOU THINK? Do you feel better prepared for your first factory visit now that you understand the process of getting clothes made? Let me know in the comments any other questions you might have about how factories work and how clothing is made. Don’t be shy, it’s a complex process, but I’m here to help answer your questions. Source link

[ellajme0]

The first time the factory doors open, it kind of feels like you’re in an airport, except there are no signs directing you where to go and no gate numbers. Somehow, everyone else knows exactly where to go, and you’re the only one lost. When most people think of a factory, they think of sewing, but there is SO much more going on than just that. Today I will take you on a factory tour and explain exactly how clothes are made, from fabric to garment. And here is the best part. Every factory by default, needs to do the same 7 steps. I am going to teach you how to spot if a factory does them well and makes a quality product, or is cutting corners.   BUT BEFORE WE GET STARTED... I love helping startup brand founders succeed, so I created a bunch of free guides that will help you with your business. They won’t be free forever, so make sure to grab them while you can. Here’s what you’ll learn in this guide to how clothes are made… A quick story about my first time in a factory seeing how clothes are made Going with the flow Fabric and materials checking Cutting Sewing Quality assurance Pressing Packing Logistics Additional resources My first time in a fast-fashion factory Factories are exciting, not only because it’s where a design comes to life, but because of the energy. The first time I walked into a fast fashion factory in the Philippines will forever be one of my fashion core memories. Lady Gaga was blasting. Fabrics, bins, and people were whizzing past me. And rows and rows of sewers (we're talking longer than a city block) sat sewing as fast as they could under a tin roof. The energy was Mad Max meets night club meets office cubicles. Something you need to experience to truly understand - it’s an intensive process.  Now, your first visit to a factory might not be this massive (we were producing millions of units of clothing in this factory), but I promise you will feel the crazy raw energy of the people behind the clothing being made in whatever factory you end up in. Anyway, let’s dive into the details of what is going on . . .  HOW CLOTHES ARE MADE, THE FASHION FACTORY WORKFLOW  The first thing you need to understand is that a manufacturing garment factory is a lot like a living and breathing organism. You can think of it like the human body with things constantly going in, coming out, and moving all around. There are a million little things happening that all work together toward the same goal – making clothing. I have been in hundreds of factories, and they are all more or less set up the same way. But there is one key difference between smaller workshops and the big guys that are doing high-volume orders. And that is the entrance and exit. Factories operate like a river, meaning they only flow one way. So much so that many factories even have arrows drawn on the floors and only allow workers (and visitors) to travel in one direction. Big factories have the space to have a more linear flow with an entrance and exit on separate ends of the building. Fabrics and raw materials enter on one side, and garments leave on the other. Really big factories might even have two entrances (one for people and one for deliveries of fabric, trim, tags, etc).  But with a smaller factory (like the kind most startup fashion brands find themselves in), there is only one entrance/exit. Everything is coming and going through one door. So the flow is more of a circle than a straight line. And that is why things can feel even more hectic. This is why newbies often think larger factories are more professional when that is not always the case. They just have more space and a different organizational system. This article is mostly going to focus on how small factories operate. STEP #1 - FABRIC AND RAW MATERIALS CHECKING The first step in how clothes are made is an inspection. (Spoiler it's also one of the last steps too). Before a factory can start cutting and sewing your fabric, they need to do a fabric check. Many new fashion brands forget this step because, honestly, they don’t even know they need it. But it’s crucial. Here’s why. Let’s pretend you get your finished garment in the mail and there are stains on the fabric. You will most likely call your factory in a panic, demanding to know what happened (and asking for some money back for the damages).  Nine times out of 10, the factory will say, “We got the fabric that way. Go talk to your fabric supplier.” So you’ll call your fabric supplier and say, “Hey, what the heck happened?” And, you know what they’re going to tell you? “We shipped perfect textiles. The garment factory did the damage.” And round and round you’ll go. Never getting a straight answer and never getting compensated for the damaged products. So, to avoid all of this, fabric inspection is the first step that will create accountability. As soon as the fabric enters the factory, it is checked. And if there are damages, the fabric supplier is alerted immediately, so the fabric can be returned or fixed before it is cut and sewn.  STEP #2 - CUTTING  Once the fabric passes inspection, it moves onto the cutting area. BTW, most sustainable fashion startup newbies find this step in how clothes are made the most interesting.  First, the factory unrolls the fabric and stacks it in layers on a long table, usually about the length of a tennis court. They then place the paper patterns (fyi, pattern making is done during the development process) on top of the stacks of fabrics. And, lastly, they trace the patterns onto the fabric with either chalk or a special pen that will disappear with water. After all of that, it's time for cutting. But not with scissors. With a chainsaw. Yup – you read that correctly.  It’s pretty cool to watch. You can catch a glimpse of it in this video I created of the entire garment manufacturing process for my client, My Little Belleville. STEP #3 - SEWING Once all the pattern pieces are cut, they are sewn together. Now, just watching someone sew can be quite boring (even though it could be argued it is the most important step, becuase it's quite literally how clothes are made).  But, here is where it becomes interesting. Each member of a sewing line is responsible for one part of the garment. Meaning, one person sews the body, another the sleeves, another the neckline, another might put on the labels and tags, etc. As you walk down the line, you can literally watch the garment come alive from a stack of cut fabric pieces to wearable clothing. It’s basically the evolution of a garment in real-time. STEP #4 - QUALITY CONTROL My family works in real estate. And whenever my dad considers buying a property, he spends about 90% of his time inspecting the basement. While other buyers are inspecting the crown molding and deciding if they want carpet or hardwood floors, we are underground because that is where big expensive things tend to go wrong. I take a similar approach when interviewing factories and deciding if I want to give them my client's apparel production orders. I generally spend the most time in the QA department. This is a real trick of the trade. Rookies will spend their time in the sewing room, but fashion experts know it’s all about quality assurance. IMO this is the most important step. It’s what will make or break your brand.  Here’s why… Mistakes happen during garment production. That is just part of the fashion process. If you think working with a good factory means everything comes out perfectly, well, that’s just not how it works in real life.  In real life, needles break and get stuck in the clothing seams. In real life, sometimes the color on the sleeve of a shirt doesn’t quite match with the body . . . or a size medium gets labeled a size large. What’s important is catching and correcting these mistakes. Because errors are inevitable, a good factory with a good quality assurance program might even produce extra garments to ensure quality in the fulfillment of your order. Why? This is actually one of my favorite secrets to share when teaching people about how clothing is made... Factories know that while clothing manufacturing is imperfect, their clients expect perfection. So, they plan for about 5% in damages. Meaning five of the shirts will not be perfect and will be tossed even before they get to the customer. (FYI this is high level, and most people in the fashion industry don’t even know this).  So, say you order 100 shirts from a factory. A good factory with a good quality assurance program will probably make about 105 shirts.  Kind of wasteful, huh? This is the hypocrisy in sustainable and ethical fashion. Most small brands don’t even know this waste is happening. They spend so much time focusing on getting the “perfect” product, they never bother to ask how it's possible. STEP #5 - PRESSING Next up is pressing. This step will totally transform a garment. I like to think of it like a bad 90s rom-com makeover (like in She’s All That or The Princess Diaries) where all of a sudden the girl is gorgeous because she took off her glasses and straightened her hair. We can unpack that another day. Anyway . . . When a garment is complete and comes off the sewing machine, it is crumply, frumpy, and looks like something you would find in a bargain bin in the basement of a department store. The ironing and pressing are what bring it to life.  Pro tip - Not all fabric pressing is equal. A lot of factories, in an effort to save time, will lay the garment flat and just iron over the top of it. This is terrible. The right way to iron a garment is to open and press each seam individually. It takes probably five times longer, but when a customer tries on that garment for the first time, they will feel the difference in quality and fit. STEP #6 - PACKING After propper garment pressing, it's time for packing. First in a poly bag, then into a shipping carton. This step isn’t a ton of fun or very exciting. When the packing is done, the brand will get something called a packing list. A packing list is what it sounds like  – a list of each carton and what styles and sizes are in each box. This is important because sometimes what you order is not what ships. For example, back to those 100 shirts. Maybe the factory was only able to create 99 perfect shirts. In that case, you only pay for the 99 shirts that get shipped. It is important to always compare your initial PO (purchase order) to your shipping docs to make sure you are being charged for the correct quantities.  STEP #7 - LOGISTICS + EXIT This photo was taken when I was working in the Philippines. While the workers wait to load the cartons onto the truck, they hang out and play games underneath in the shade. They even set up hammocks like this one sometimes!  Lastly, we have logistics at the exit. This is where garment manufacturers stack up all the boxes with the clothing production order, and ships them out. Now, here is something to know about shipping. The keyword you need to know is port city. Port cities are cities where goods enter and exit. If a factory is not located in a port city, your order will need to be shipped domestically to the port before it can be shipped internationally.  For example, Jaipur is not a port city. So any clothing manufactured in Jaipur must be shipped to Delhi first. Then it can ship internationally. If you want to learn more about manufacturing in Jaipur, check out this article.  This is important to know for two reasons.  The first is tracking. A factory might tell you your goods have shipped but not provide a tracking number. When this happens, brands often think the factory is lying. But what this usually means is that the goods first ship locally to the port city, where they’ll need to clear customs. Once they clear customs, only then will they get an international tracking number. The second reason is timing. Having a two-step shipping process takes more time. So this is time that needs to be factored into your timeline. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES How to find custom clothing manufacturers for startups Should I hire a manufacturing consultant to source and develop my clothing line? A Look Behind The Seams of an Italian garment factory WHAT DO YOU THINK? Do you feel better prepared for your first factory visit now that you understand the process of getting clothes made? Let me know in the comments any other questions you might have about how factories work and how clothing is made. Don’t be shy, it’s a complex process, but I’m here to help answer your questions. Source link