#organizational workshop

[solhwellnessapp]

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[softinvasions]

D. S. Stylus ◇ 20s ◇ disabled "artist" & "poet" ◇ she/he/it

support me on patreon // promo me if you like ♡

[nyancrimew]

chat u gotta wish me some luck for this week, i have 5 full days of stressful work ahead including somehow preparing a workshop im giving on friday evening while also grinding out full days of other work and some things for that friday event still arent clear at all on an organizational level im so fucking stressed lmao

[eyelessfaces]

just in case

poe dameron x reader

summary: while fiddling with bb–8's memory, you stumble onto an audio message– poe's prerecorded goodbyes.

based on @ivystoryweaver's headcanon on this post! thank you for allowing me to write something about it!

warnings: angst, mentions of death and war

tags: gn!reader, hurt/comfort, fluff, kissing, poe being an absolute sap

word count: 2.6k

masterlist | taglist | ao3

updates blog: @eyelessupdates

He can’t help the fond smile growing over his face at the sight of you, deeply focused on the repair project in front of you before his knuckles hit against the doorframe a couple times, catching your attention. 

Your gaze meets Poe’s as he steps into your workshop, your expression of concentration quickly giving way to an easy smile when you see him, closely followed by BB–8. 

Poe greets you with a kiss, his hand lingering at your side when he pulls away. 

“What’s bringing you here, handsome?” you ask, shifting to put away the tool you still have in hand. “Hey Beebs,” you smile as you glance down at the droid that greets you back. 

Poe gazes down at his droid, his look shifting back at you. “Could you take a look at him whenever you got the time?” he asks, a small, defeated sigh escaping his mouth. 

“What’s up?” you question, crossing your arms and raising an eyebrow at him. It hadn’t been that long since you last checked up on the droid.

“I think there’s something up with his memory, he’s been acting a little forgetful lately” Poe explains; you can see the concern in his eyes, can hear the worry in his voice.

“Okay, I’ll see what I can do.” Poe nods, pinching his lips into a quiet smile as he looks down at the droid. “Hey, you don’t have to worry'' you reassure him, resting a hand over his arm. “It’s nothing too serious usually. Nothing I can’t fix.” He nods again, knowing he can trust you with this, knowing you're as good at this as he is at flying. 

“I’ll take care of him as soon as I’m done with that” you point back to the mess of scavenged parts resting over your workbench.

“Thank you sweetheart,” he says, cupping the back of your head and leaning in to leave a quick kiss on your forehead. “I’d stay with you and tell you about my day, but I have my last meeting of the day in about less than five minutes.” he shrugs, starting to walk backwards to exit the room.

“Sure, don’t worry.” you smile. “Come over when you’re done” 

As promised, the minute you’re done repairing the project you were working on, you lower your workbench to BB-8’s level, letting him roll onto the surface before you adjust it to your level so you can examine him. 

“Hey buddy. memory issues huh?” you coo, grabbing your tools, gathering everything you need to check up on him. He responds with upset beeps, his upper part sagging in defeat. 

“That's okay. Happens to the best of us,” you reassure him, setting to work on diagnosing the problem. “So since it seems to be a memory issue, I’m gonna have to look through your data” you explain, opening his access panels. 

It doesn’t take long for you to identify the issue: a few corrupted memory files. It’s a relief to see it's nothing severe, just a bit of corrupted data that needs to be cleaned and restructured. “Hah, found the problem,” you say, beginning the delicate process of correcting the corrupted files. “Looks like some of your memory files got a bit jumbled. Should be fine once we get that sorted out, there shouldn’t be any problem.” you explain. “You know, Poe always gets so worried about you.” you say, trying to keep the droid calm as your fingers work through the wires and circuits. BB–8 emits a series of grateful beeps, and you smile, focusing back on the task at hand. 

As you work on fixing him, BB–8 chirps curiously, his dome turning to watch you. You explain each step in simple terms, trying to distract him and make it the least stressful possible for him. “I’m working through your memory module. Some of these files are corrupted, so I’m cleaning them up and re-organizing everything. Just like tidying up a messy room.”

BB-8 responds with a relieved series of beeps, and you chuckle. “Yeah, I know it’s not fun for you to have me mess with your memory stuff, but I’ll have you be back to your old self in no time.” 

As you carefully rework BB–8’s memory files, you fumble slightly with a delicate wire, causing a brief short circuit – the droid jerks and beeps erratically before suddenly playing a vocal message. You reach to stop it, assuming it’s a manufactured error message you’ve triggered, but you freeze when you recognize Poe’s voice. “Hey baby,” Poe’s voice crackles through BB–8’s speakers, startling you. You frown, confused, ready to stop the audio message. “If you’re hearing this, it’s probably because something happened and I’m not around anymore.” Your heart properly skips a beat. “I’m sorry I’m leaving you like this,” he sighs softly. “Damn it’s weird talking like this when I’m still here,” he chuckles. You step back, driven by morbid curiosity, firmly intending to listen to the rest of it. 

“But you know, with everything that’s been happening lately and that’s gonna happen, you never know what’s next.” 

He sounds tired. You bite down onto your lip, a soft frown forming over your face and your gaze lost as the recording continues. “I could die in two weeks or in twenty years from the moment I’m recording this, so it’s pretty strange. I just… I love you so much. I wanted you to hear it from me one last time.” 

Your lips curl into a weak smile, tears welling up in your eyes. It’s stupid. He’s still here. It’s just a recording in case he dies.

But somehow, you can’t help it. Not with the prospect that you could listen to it again one day, in the context it was intended to be listened to.

“You’ve always been supportive of my bullshit, no matter what, and you were always there for me no matter how stupid I got, so it’s only fair I thank you one last time. I really hope we got to enjoy our time together” 

You pause the audio message, running your hand over your face, sighing deeply. You want to stop there and not listen to the entirety of it, on one hand because you aren't even supposed to hear it or know of its existence in the first place, and most of all because you’re not sure you can handle it – but your curiosity gets the best of you, and you let it go on.

“It’s stupid that I want to cry, because I’m still here” he chuckles. “You know, I’m recording this because I couldn’t sleep.” he declares. You can hear the soft strain in his voice, you can imagine him and his tired eyes, his hair slightly mussed from tossing and turning like he always does when he’s restless.

He sighs deeply before he speaks again. “I uh… Today’s mission went awful. I could have died and I didn’t even tell you” his voice drops with the weight of his words, he pauses for a second, and the knot inside your throat tightens.  

“You’re sleeping in the next room. You know, you looked so peaceful when I got out of bed that I didn't want to bother you by kissing your forehead, but I did it anyway because I remembered I might not be able to do it forever”

You can’t help it, it’s over for you. Tears roll down your cheeks on their own, the back of your hand suppressing your sniffles and the soft laugh you huff out at his way of always saying things that will get you.

BB-8’s upper part shifts, and he emits a soft, sympathetic whirr, trying to console you.

“I’ve left this message with BB-8 because I know he’s always with you if he’s not with me. Take care of him for me, will you? And take care of yourself. You’re stronger than you know, and you’ll get through this. I love you. So much. More than you know. Which is why I’m gonna cut the recording and get back to bed to hold you tight while I can” 

Your heart tightens inside your chest. You slowly shake your head, tears forced out of you when your eyes fall shut.

“Alright, okay, bye sweetheart. I love you.” 

The recording cuts, ending with a click, leaving you in a stunned silence. BB turns to you, beeping sadly, and you give him a weak smile before wiping the tears over your cheeks with the tips of your fingers. 

You huff out a heavy breath, one that you didn’t even realize was smothering your chest, and force yourself to finish taking care of BB–8 despite everything. 

You’re still sobbing when Poe comes in again. 

He finds you, full on tearing up, not even hiding it – which he finds strange, because you usually turn around and pretend to look for something to quickly dry your tears, and proceed to poorly try to deny you’ve been crying just to avoid worrying him. 

And the context he’s facing quickly leads him to assume something is wrong with BB-8, something you couldn’t manage to fix and now blame yourself for – BB–8 is quick to deny with appalled beeps, so Poe really doesn’t have any idea what he’s dealing with. 

When you pull him near and hug him tight, gripping his hair, longing to be as close to him as possible, he’s still as confused, but he’s swift to take action and hold you even tighter.

His embrace is warm, comforting, his touch delicate as his hand appeasingly rubs over your shoulder, and you progressively manage to calm down and quiet your sobs. “What’s going on babe” he quietly asks, trying to not pounce on you. His fingers carefully lift your chin up, taking care of clearing the tears from your face, his eyes searching yours intensely as he waits for your answer.

You sigh softly, your breath still ragged from sobbing. “I was working on Beebs and I found your…” you pause, realizing you’re not even sure what to call it. You're not even sure you want to say it out loud, to say it's a goodbye message. “I found your recording– I didn't mean to, it just–”

“Oh,” his face drops in saddened surprise, immediately understanding what you’re talking about. “Oh baby” he sighs, shaking his head as he pulls you back into his arms. You weren't supposed to know about this, even less hear it fully, not until he died, that is. “I didn’t want to scare or worry you. I’m sorry you had to hear that– it was just… a precaution.” he murmurs as you cling to him, the remnants of your tears dampening his shirt.

“I know,” you whisper, your voice weak and muffled against his chest. “I just– It was hard to hear. I don’t want to think about losing you”

“I don’t want to think about leaving you either,” he says softly, pulling back just enough to look at your face again. His thumb brushes away the last of your tears when you look at him, his gaze over you filled with a mix of sorrow and unwavering love that you manage to feel just by looking into his dark, warm eyes. “But I need you to know how much you mean to me, no matter what happens”

“Poe,” you scoff-whine. “I know. You’re pretty transparent about it already” you grin. 

When he’s not saying it explicitly, he always has a hand on you, always at least leaves a kiss over your cheek or forehead when he’s not full-on kissing you, and always makes sure to bring you back those jogan fruit cakes you like from Coruscant when he has to go there, and just the way he looks at you has you aware that he loves you, so he really doesn’t need to do that much, but he’s Poe Dameron, so it’s a prerogative.

“I happen to be a very romantic man” he jokes, smiling when he sees you chuckle and shake your head the way you do when he pulls stupid lines. “I just wanted you to hear it from me one last time sweetheart.”

“You and your dramatic flair” you tease lightly, gripping onto his jacket as you let out a soft groan. “You couldn’t just leave a normal message, could you?”

“You know, subtlety isn’t my strong suit” he grins, pressing a soft kiss to your temple. “But seriously, I’m sorry you had to hear it like this. It was meant for dramatic times, not when I was about to ask you if you wanted to get dinner off base like now.”

You snort up a laugh, your arms wrapping around his neck. “You do owe me dinner after that.” 

“I know, right?” he scoffs, an amused smile over his face. “And it means I get to spend more of my alive time with you, so–” he teases, his fingers gently rubbing your back. “Stop that, it’s not funny” you frown, playfully hitting his chest with the back of your hand. “–Plenty of time to remind you that I love you” his hand squeezes yours gently.

You pull him closer, pressing your lips to his in a kiss that is both tender and intense, slow at first but deepening when the fear, the relief, the overwhelming love you feel for him step at the front of your mind. His hand moves from your hip to cup your face, his thumb caressing the skin of your cheeks rough from the tears.

When you break apart, your foreheads are still linked, his fingers gently tracing your face, your breaths mingling. “I’m joking about this, but I promise I’ll do my best for you to not have to listen to this recording again anytime soon.” 

“Mh, hope ‘anytime soon’ means a few decades at least”

“I promise. I love you too much to leave you like this. And I know I’ll look sexy when my hair turns gray” he adds with a playful smile.

You laugh, the sound breaking the lingering tension and bringing a sense of normalcy back. “Oh, definitely” you grin, raking your fingers through his curls. “Most handsome silver fox in the galaxy.” 

Poe smiles, kissing you again, softly. You can very clearly feel BB–8’s presence when you pull away, his needy beeps attesting of his need for attention.

“Yeah, alright buddy” you sigh, turning back to the droid to finish up his repair.

“So he’s okay?” Poe asks, approaching the workbench. 

“He’s all fine, good as new” you smile. “Hey, try running a diagnostic”

The droid runs his internal check, beeping happily once he’s done and everything seems to be alright.

“See?” you turn to Poe. “All good.” you grin at him, glad to have something concrete to smile about after that emotional rollercoaster you went through.  

“Thank you, really. I knew you’d fix him up” Poe declares, smiling as he watches BB roll off the workbench and onto the floor, navigating around your feet. “And I was serious about that dinner, by the way,” he says, watching you putting away your tools and tidying up your workbench. “We could both use a break.”

“Yeah,” you agree, scoffing. 

Poe’s hand finds yours as you turn the light off and leave the workshop, your fingers tangling as you walk through the corridors of the base, finding your way out. 

“Hey,” Poe calls, pulling you closer as you walk. You hum, looking at him, noticing the slight hint of worry in his eyes. “You really think I’d look hot with gray hair?”

You scoff, shaking your head. “Absolutely baby”

A content smile grows over his face, and he nods. “Cool.”

—

any and every comment/reblog is greatly appreciated!!

star wars taglist:

@lockleysgrl @my-secret-shame-but-fanfiction @alexxavicry @mystinky-butt @anightshift

@whatthefishh @dameronshandholder @campingwiththecharmings @mintgreen24 @spider-starry

@jakecockley @cocodiem @spxctorsslxt @friedwings @luxisluxurious

@stvnnie @dowbastan @il0vebeingdelulu @hammerhead96 @pigeonmama

[onepiece-writting-forest]

omg i love your work so much! if your free can you do a fluff scenario of kid where his s/o gives him a ton of cute magnets for his arm and he shows them off like tattoos? 🥰🥰🥰

Character: Eustass Kid Content: s/o giving him magnets for his robotic arm a.n.: I really love this idea and I do love Kid. Hope you enjoy!

Kid was engrossed in his workshop as usual, tinkering away at the scattered items on his cluttered table. Screws, metal scraps, and tools lay in disarray, which he periodically shoved from left to right to create a bit of workspace. Despite the apparent chaos, he had his own unique organizational system, that made sense, only to him. Occasionally, you could hear him mutter curses under his breath, as you watched him from the doorway quietly.

His massive form sat at a well-worn workbench, which had clearly seen better days. The wood bore scratches, burn marks, and a missing corner—hastily patched with a piece of metal Kid had slammed against it. After all, it was a workbench, meant to look used, or so he told himself.

The small light aimed at the bench exaggerated his already bulky form. His foot tapped to the rhythm of the music playing in the background as he continued to tinker. He was so absorbed in his work that he didn’t notice your approach.

With your hands in your pockets, secretly holding the little gifts you had gathered, you leaned over his shoulder to see what his calloused hands were creating. Despite their rough appearance, Kid was deft when handling delicate metal parts. You kept quiet, a small amused smile forming on your lips as you wondered how long it would take for him to notice your presence.

Your breath brushed his shoulder, causing him to pause momentarily before resuming his work. He acknowledged your presence with a grunt, "What ya need?"

For Kid, that was quite polite. Anyone else would likely have faced a flying screwdriver or a loud rebuke for interrupting him. But you, you could bother him anytime. Even if he reacted this way, you knew you were welcome.

"Nothing, just curious," you answered innocently—perhaps too innocently. Kid knew you well and sensed you were up to something. He cocked his head towards you, raising an eyebrow, but before he could make a snarky comment, you pulled your hand out of your pocket and let the magnet fall onto his robotic arm. It adhered instantly.

Kid frowned, examining the small, punk-themed magnet now adorning his prosthetic. Placing his tools on the bench, he turned his metal arm for a better look. It was a small magnet, just his style.

"Where’d you get that—Hey!" You interrupted him by placing another magnet on his arm. He didn’t know you’d been collecting these during your travels. Each time you saw a fitting one, you’d buy it, waiting until you had a good collection to surprise him.

With a low hum, Kid turned towards you, still seated on his stool. This was new. He had never considered decorating his arm, which he saw as a weapon rather than a canvas for aesthetics. Your captain spread his legs, leaning back against the workbench, eyes shifting from his robotic arm to you. "What's this all about, huh?"

You stood between his legs, shrugging nonchalantly with a small smile. "It's like having tattoos. You can change them, too. Thought it was a cool idea. Do you like it?"

Kid might be rough around the edges, but he wouldn’t decline a gift from you, even the oddest one. And this? It looked kinda cool. A confident grin spread across his face as he examined the magnets. Most fit his style, though some were cuter, making his grin falter. He groaned in annoyance.

"Y/N, come on. What is this? I can't be running around like this!" He ripped off a magnet featuring a kitten with big eyes and "Anarchy" written below. Clearly, you’d picked it to tease him. Kid was about to discard it, but you snatched it back and reattached it to his arm.

"It's a gift! It’s not that bad. A real man can wear anything, right?." You taunted with a grin, pinching his cheek gently. Kid pulled his face away, rubbing the spot. You always knew what to say to him to make Kid agree. Going after his manhood usually worked. "...you're lucky I like you, Y/N."

He sighed in defeat, giving you a kiss to thank you for the magnets. He liked most of the them, even if a few were embarrassing. But they were from you, and that made them special. You’d clearly put a lot of thought into this, buying so many and especially picking out specific ones which fit his style.

Later that day, Kid kept all the magnets on his robotic arm. His crew commented, mostly positively, but when they saw the "Anarchy Kitten," they burst out laughing, knowing you’d done it on purpose. To their dismay, Kid discovered he could use the magnets as projectiles, slamming them into their faces and easily retrieving them with his power. With a smug grin, he realized the magnets were more useful than he’d thought.

Kid not only kept every magnet you bought but wore them like a badge of honor. Kitten or not, he looked sick with them.

[Click here for more Kid content!]

[agirlandherkinks]

Control Variables: Part 1 (Hypno, Expansion)

[Ally's Notes: The hypno and expansion bits come in the next part, this ended up being way bigger than I expected so I split it up] [I'd describe as weird corporate science-experiment-soft-non-con with a fun latexy skinsuit involved :3]

"HINATA! Where the FUCK did you put the hydraulic pump?!?"

An indignant voice barged into your consciousness, waking you up.

You were... somewhere? You opened your eyes, but only blackness greeted you. Were you in bed? Some kind of weight was pulling down on your head, so you must be upright. A helmet? You felt so, so tired and relaxed and comfy, the kind of grogginess that comes from sleeping 11 hours in a row. A harried voice with a strong accent (Japan, maybe?) barked back, making you wince.

"Well maybe YOU shouldn't decide to rearrange the workshop half an hour before a subject intake Lucinda! I have a perfect organizational system, if you would just. Stop... messing with the natural order of things... please?"

The voice trailed off until it was almost inaudible, and you realized that your ears felt muffled by something. Maybe you had a headset on? But why would you go to sleep wearing one of those? You attempted to bring your hand up to feel what it was, but with a gasp of surprise, found that you were tied up. Panic began to pierce your sleep-addled mind as you struggled against your bonds, your two captors seemingly oblivious as they argued. Panting from exertion (and embarrassingly, slight arousal), you stopped and took stock of your situation.

You were being held upright, against some sort of cushioned plank. Cold metal cords snaked tightly around your wrists and ankles, holding you spreadeagled and helpless. You could feel the cool breeze of an air conditioner caress your chin, arms, and legs, bringing up goosebumps. Your torso was covered in a clingy material, maybe some kind of wet latex? Your throat felt ever so slightly constricted, as if a wide metal collar wrapped around it. And with a start of outrage and fear, you realized you could feel cold air brushing against your pussy, nipples, and the side of your waist. There were windows in those areas! Were you in some sort of sex dungeon?!? Desperation overrode your self-control as you began thrashing against your restraints, yelling out against the slim chance someone could hear.

"Oh shit, she's come out of it-" Lucinda yelped. "Hinata! Get your sorry ass to that computer, or I will fucking end your career when the yearly peer review comes round! Ok, ok. Ok. Actually. Hinata, this development may be to our advantage. Begin recording."

Silence reigned for a few seconds, then bright light filled your vision as someone pulled your headset off. Blinking in pain as your eyes adjusted, you began to take in the space around you. If it was a sex dungeon, it had to be the weirdest one you'd ever seen. Pipes, wrenches, bolts and wiring filled the space around you, half of them not even connected to the convoluted machinery that surrounded you. Swinging your head around revealed no exit door, but you took in a few important details. A tank of fluid with a few... hoses, attached? Some devices that looked an awful lot like sex toys sat on the table next to them. On the far side of the room a reedy, anxious-looking man stood furiously tapping at a terminal, looking half-swallowed by an oversized lab coat. And uncomfortably close to your face, an immaculately preened woman with golden-red hair, clinically dead eyes, and an inexplicable boob window in her own lab coat stood smiling. It was a wide smile, very toothy, obviously meant to be reassuring. It put you in mind of a shark.

"Oh my goodness dear, we didn't realize you had woken up!" Her voice was chirpy and sweet, completely at odds with the fire-breathing she displayed earlier. "I'm so sorry for the distress you must be feeling. You see, subjects here are normally kept unconscious for the full duration of testing."

"T-testing?" You stammered, mouth feeling dry.

"Oh, do you not remember coming here? Many subjects have the same experience when interviewed afterwards, so that shows your procedure is still going to plan." Was her smile even wider now? "My name is Lucinda, that... gentleman over there is Hinata, and this is an R&D lab of BrainBlender Industries."

"That freaky sex toy company?!" you blurted, feeling your cheeks flare with heat. You had volunteered to test sex products? With THIS company?!?

"Not just sex toys," Lucinda cheerfully replied, smile now threatening to escape the bounds of her face. She clearly knew about the wild rumors surrounding BrainBlender. "We also produce recreational gear, leisurewear, and technology at the absolute cutting-edge of communication, biology, and psychology. We employ the finest minds for our development teams, and are absolutely stringent in the safety protocols of our testing sessions. And do try to relax. I'm sure you at least remember how much you're being paid for this."

The protests bubbling in your throat died as a 5-digit figure flashed out of your memory. Who could turn that down?

"Exactly!" she crowed, reading the expression on your face.

"Hey, so uh, what was the t-test going to be?" You stammered with embarrassment as you asked the question, having looked down and seen how stiff your nipples really were in the open air. You did have to admit though, the strange one-piece you wore was quite fetching. The material was a shimmery rose-gold with rose-red highlights running along its seams. It clung to your waist, hips, and admittedly quite small breasts in a way that made you feel sexy even while spreadeagled in a lab. And the way those windows curved around your nipples, they seemed to form the outline of cute little hearts. If you still weren't so mortified at waking up in a corporate sex dungeon, you probably would have giggled.

"Sorry sweetie, but we're conducting blind trials here. We'll start getting you back under in a minute." The redhead's cooed, corporate smile now unsettlingly authentic in response to your discomfort. "You see, we have to test your body's response to stimuli under completely controlled conditions. Otherwise, your expectations might change the way you process the input you're going receive."

"And speaking of input..." Lucinda produced a small device from her pocket, briefly holding it up to the light for inspection. Some sort of key? She began to dictate, completely ignoring your apprehension as she brought it towards your neck. "Test B279, new variation Delta. Variables of initial subject lucidity and individuality now left uncontrolled, to explore the effects of pleasure and conditioning on subject psyche in greater detail." You tried to shy back, but she continued inexorably forward, dictating over the top of your protests. One hand held the collar of your suit, and she began to sliiide the device into an opening within it. "First element of the conversion process: Initiated."

"Wait no no no n-" Click.

You gasped in euphoria as near-orgasmic levels of pleasure began coursing through your body, pulsing outwards from your neck to the rest of your torso. Biting your lip and arching your back, you couldn't decide whether to moan, giggle, or cry. Every inch of skin that touched your outfit blazed with pleasure, as if it was making your whole torse just as sensitive as your G-spot. Your self-restraint began to crumble as you started instinctively humping and twisting in place. You desperately needed to touch yourself, but all you could do was slide your ass and back against the plank. It felt gooooood.

"As planned and... visibly evident, the inserted module is circulating dopamine and oxytocin throughout the membrane of the pleasure-suit. The hormones are then transferred into the subject via contact with the skin." Through half-lidded eyes, you saw Lucinda circle behind you. "What is interesting is that this process appears to be causing the subject's skin to act as a primary erogenous zone. Note the elicited moans whenever it makes contact with the support plank."

She moved back to your side, and you heard the sound of a rubber glove being stretched over a hand. "Hypothesis 1: Sexual sensitivity increases exponentially with the skin's proximity to the suit." A firm hand gripped your ankle, and you whined in frustration as the plank moved away, leaving you held in the air. "Observe how the subject seems to attain no relief from contact with skin in its extremities. But here..." The hand crept up to your shin, and you shivered. "Subject's reaction is in line with a typical response to contact with the inner thigh. And speaking of-" Lucinda's musings were cut off by your moan as she squeezed your thigh. "Similar response to a tug of the nipple in an average female-" She cut off with a yelp as your hips unconsciously ground against her face. The brief contact made you moan even harder, feeling like someone had turned up a vibrator inside of you. "Subject rapidly losing composure, on the verge of a first orgasm. Two more samples required." And without warning, she slapped your ass.

Your vision went white as you screamed in pleasure. You didn't care about being recorded, or watched. You were in heaven and needed more. Warm fluid ran down your thighs, pussy leaking as you approached climax. You wanted them to do things to you, needed them to do things to you. Bucking blindly, you screamed for them to keep going, to use you.

"Okkkk, subject exhibiting drastically altered behaviour and desires in response to artificial hormone circulation. Compliance is reinforced by pleasure and dopamine. Device will replace dopamine with serotonin and melatonin soon, so I am taking the final sample before subject loses consciousness." A hand grasped your exposed waist, holding you still and sending waves of euphoria through your shaking body. You felt your insides tighten. Keep going so close so close so so so so so so s-

"Beginning vaginal stimulation."

A finger entered your pussy, and ever so gently prodded your clitoris.

With a wild shriek you snapped your head back and came. And came. And kept cumming. It felt like ten orgasms at once, all stacking and intensifying on top of each other. You squirted and squirted and sprayed, soaking your legs and the floor and an indignant Lucinda in your messy cum as you writhed and convulsed in the air. It was better than anything you had ever felt before. You didn't want to stop. You couldn't stop. You... you... couldn't stop...

So tired...

A beep sounded from the device in your collar, and darkness claimed you even as your body continued to twist in climax.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

PART 2: COMING SOONISH TY FOR UR PATIENCE <333

[thydungeongal]

Heya! Your blog has been super eye opening and helped me actually voice a lot of my frustrations with 5e and dnd in general. Over the last 7 years I've been workshopping an original fantasy setting (originally for dnd) which I was trying to port to Pathfinder 2e since they share a lot of cosmology and general flavor text, which I'd borrowed from liberally. Are there any games you'd recommend that better lend themselves to themes of espionage, courtly intrigue, and/or bounty hunter style combat? I'd love to introduce my friends to a new game rather than keep trudging over the ones we keep trying to beat into the desired shape. I'm just not sure how much of my setting I'll have to rewrite if we finally do broaden our horizons.

Burning Wheel is a game that lends itself well to social intrigue and meaningful combat that doesn't drag, but it's also a lot to take in. It's an extremely crunchy game and takes a lot of time investment to really click, but it has a lot of support for playing characters informed by strong beliefs getting involved in political struggles. Its implied setting is heavily Tolkienistic though, so it would probably necessitate and a setting overhaul.

Mythras is a bit more trad in structure (it has a lot of mechanical parts that should be familiar from D&D/Pathfinder) but has a lot of broad support for playing fantasy games that are a bit more grounded than D&D. It's effectively one of the later versions of RuneQuest but without the RuneQuest name and the ties to Glorantha as a setting. What Mythras lends to the above: better support for characters growing through social skill use and not just power-scaling in combat ability (like, in D&D and its clones even when you're playing a social intrigue campaign characters will still mainly grow in combat power), and it also codifies organizational attachments, character beliefs, and passions. There's also a social conflict system in the Mythras Companion.

I think of those two I would recommend the latter: Mythras is a solid base to build on and is more easily adaptable to various settings. It's also a lot easier to wrap one's head around than Burning Wheel.

[selfhelpforstudents]

Hi friends,

It's been a very great Easter weekend! <3 I've been super productive and very calm! If you're interested in my day, feel free to go to Insta. Again, my Easter to-do list (had to add some things):

University

Studying 350 flashcards of Marketing (big goal haha, big goal)

Solving six mock exams in Statistics

Finishing my work for my Academic Writing module

Organizational Things

Handing in all of my documents for my semester abroad at KEDGE Business School (Bordeaux, France)

Handing my in ERASMUS-documents for the program's scholarship

Handing in my application for BCG's APIRE Women's Workshop in Lisbon

Handing in my application for another scholarship

Preparing for therapy

Handing in my new contract for work

Volunteering/SHFS

Donating to climate NGOs and animal rescue organizations

Contacting renowned climate scientists, asking them to give a talk at my university

Answering your questions

Writing a new post about how to avoid procrastination

I hope you are all very motivated! <3 I love you a lot!

Love, Sophia

[rivensdefenseattorney]

Red Fountain Curriculum

(WIP)

Vanguard School of Combat

Departments

Military History and Strategy Department

Ancient Battles and Warfare Tactics: Study of pivotal historical battles and their strategic significance. Analysis of strategies employed by renowned military leaders.

Modern Warfare: Strategies and Evolutions: Exploration of modern warfare tactics, including guerrilla warfare and asymmetric conflicts. Case studies on recent military operations.

Tactical Combat Department

Close-Quarters Combat Techniques: Training in hand-to-hand combat, grappling, and defensive tactics. Practical sessions and sparring exercises.

Weapon Proficiency and Maintenance: Mastery and maintenance of various combat weapons. Workshops on weapon crafting and enhancements.

Survival Tactics and Freelance Operations Department

Adaptability in Challenging Environments: Training in survival skills in diverse environments (wilderness, urban, etc.).Field exercises emphasizing adaptability and resourcefulness.

Freelance Combat Strategies: Understanding the dynamics and strategies of freelance operations. Scenario-based simulations for independent contracting roles.

Identification of Magical Flora - Beneficial and Hazardous: Identification and study of magical flora, focusing on their potential uses, properties, and dangers. Practical sessions on harvesting and utilizing beneficial magical plants and avoiding hazardous ones.

Navigating Independent Contracting Roles: Exploration of various independent contracting roles such as guild work, solo contracts, and team-based contracts. Case studies and simulations to understand the dynamics and responsibilities of each role.

Combat Psychology and Ethical Warfare Department

Psychological Aspects of Combat: Study of the psychological impacts in combat situations. Methods to handle stress, fear, and decision-making under pressure.

Ethical Decision-Making in Warfare: Ethical considerations and dilemmas in combat scenarios. Debates and discussions on moral choices in warfare.

Field Operations and Simulation Department

Practical Combat Scenarios: Simulation exercises mimicking real combat situations. Team-based scenarios testing strategy, communication, and leadership.

Medical Training and Combat First Aid: Training in providing first aid and medical assistance in combat situations. Simulated medical emergencies and treatments.

Navigation Techniques in Diverse Environments: Practical training in navigation using magical and conventional tools in varied environments. Simulated exercises in finding paths, mapping territories, and using magical navigation aids.

Advanced Field Navigation and Dimensional Travel: Understanding navigation in different dimensions and planes, including dimensional gateways and portals. Simulation exercises involving navigation across multiple dimensions.

Strategic Leadership and Organization Department

Leadership Development in Combat Scenarios: Training in command structures, leadership roles, and decision-making. Practical leadership exercises in simulated combat scenarios.

Organizational Tactics and Logistics: Understanding logistics in combat, resource management, and operational planning. Case studies on effective and failed logistical operations.

Arcane School of Magic

Departments

Magical Theory and History Department

History of Magical Practices: Exploration of magical practices across civilizations and historical eras. Analysis of influential magical theorists and their contributions.

Theoretical Foundations of Magic: Study of magical principles, laws, and universal magical theories. Discussions on the nature and essence of magic

Spellcraft Department

Fundamentals of Spellcasting: Practical instruction in basic spellcasting techniques. Practice sessions focusing on accuracy and incantation.

Advanced Spellcasting and Rituals: Mastery of complex spell structures and ceremonial magic. Practical applications in controlled environments.

Alchemy and Potionology Department

Alchemy Principles and Applications: Understanding alchemical principles, transmutation, and elemental correspondences. Practical experimentation with basic alchemical processes.

Potion Brewing and Elixir Crafting: Hands-on brewing of magical potions and elixirs. Studying potion ingredients and their magical properties.

Magical Artifacts Department

Identification and Analysis of Magical Artifacts: Study of various magical artifacts, their origins, and functionalities. Analytical methods for artifact identification and assessment.

Creation and Enchantment of Artifacts: Practical workshops on crafting and enchanting magical artifacts. Collaborative projects to design and create enchanted items.

Mystical Creatures Department

Introduction to Behavioral Studies of Magical Creatures: Observational studies on magical creature behavior and habitats. Ethical considerations in studying and interacting with mystical creatures.

Conservation and Care of Magical Species: Methods for ethical conservation, preservation, and sustainable habitats for magical creatures. Hands-on experiences in caring for and understanding mystical creatures.

Taming and Riding of Magical Beasts: Mastery of riding and taming diverse mystical creatures. Developing rapport and control for combat and strategic advantages.

Advanced Biology and Magic of Mystical Creatures: Study of the biological traits, magical attributes, and habitats of various mystical creatures. Examination of how magic interacts with their physiology and behavior.

TechForge School of Engineering

Departments

Techno-Magic Integration and Programming

Introduction to Techno-Magic Fusion: Overview of the principles behind merging technology and magic. Exploring historical examples and contemporary advancements.

Enchanting Technologies: Understanding enchantment methods for technological applications. Practical workshops on infusing technology with magical enhancements.

Properties of Magic Metals and Alloys: Study of magical properties in various materials and alloys used in techno-magical engineering. Analysis of how different materials interact with magical enhancements.

Programming in Magical Systems: Understanding programming languages and coding specific to magical systems and technological interfaces. Hands-on coding exercises for techno-magical devices.

Aerospace Engineering and Dimensional Travel

Fundamentals of Aerodynamics: Principles of flight, airfoil design, and aircraft stability. Hands-on experiments and simulations.

Spacecraft Design and Orbital Mechanics: Design considerations for spacecraft and understanding orbital mechanics. Projects involving simulated space missions.

Advanced Aerodynamics and Interdimensional Travel: In-depth study of aerodynamic principles and their application in interdimensional and cross-dimensional travel. Theoretical discussions and simulations on dimensional travel theories.

Maintenance and Upkeep of Advanced Aircrafts: Techniques and best practices for maintaining futuristic aircraft and spacecraft. Practical sessions on diagnosing and solving maintenance issues.

Vehicle Engineering and Transportation Infrastructure

Automotive Design and Innovation: Study of vehicle dynamics, design principles, and automotive innovation. Design projects for advanced vehicle concepts.

Advanced Transportation Systems Applications: Examination of futuristic transportation systems. Prototyping and development of next-gen transportation solutions.

Interdimensional Transportation Infrastructure: Understanding the civil engineering aspects of futuristic transportation systems. Design considerations and planning for advanced transportation networks.

Maintenance and Optimization of Techno-Magic Vehicles: Techniques for maintenance and optimization of advanced futuristic vehicles. Real-world case studies on improving vehicle efficiency.

Techno-Magic Artifacts & Tools

Construction Techniques and Enchantments: Advanced methods for constructing and enchanting techno-magic artifacts. Experimentation with different enchantment techniques for varying effects.

Practical Workshop: Magical Device Design: Hands-on sessions for students to design simple magical devices. Collaborative projects incorporating magical enchantments into technological devices.

Experimental Prototyping and Testing: Hands-on experimentation and testing of innovative techno-magic concepts. Collaborative projects to prototype and test new techno-magic innovations.

Application and Deployment of Techno-Magic Artifacts: Practical application scenarios for tools and artifacts in various settings. Simulated exercises demonstrating the use of constructed techno-magic tools.

Techno-Magic Innovation & Development

Emerging Technologies in Techno-Magic Fusion: Exploring cutting-edge developments in merging technology and magic. Discussions on potential future advancements.

Ethical Considerations in Techno-Magic Integration: Discussions on the ethical implications of merging technology with magic. Case studies and debates on responsible use of techno-magic fusion.

Research Methodologies in Techno-Magic Fusion: Techniques and approaches to conducting research in techno-magic integration. Project-based learning on innovative research methodologies.

Techno-Magic Weaponry Design

Advanced Weaponry Prototyping: Designing and prototyping technologically enhanced magical weapons. Emphasis on both combat effectiveness and safety measures.

Tactical Strategies for Techno-Magic Combat: Integrating combat psychology with the design and usage of techno-magic weaponry. Simulated scenarios testing weaponry and strategy effectiveness.

Theoretical and Practical Weaponry Applications: Advanced theories and practical applications in creating combat-focused techno-magic weaponry. Simulated combat scenarios to test and refine weaponry designs.

Required Classes

Required Classes for Students of Vanguard

Introduction to Behavioral Studies of Magical Creatures

Taming and Riding of Magical Beast

Practical Combat Scenarios

Medical Training and Combat First Aid

Navigation Techniques in Diverse Environments

Advanced Field Navigation and Dimensional Travel

Weapon Proficiency and Maintenance

Close-Quarters Combat Techniques

Organizational Tactics and Logistics

Ancient Battles and Warfare Tactics

Modern Warfare: Strategies and Evolutions

Fundamentals of Aerodynamics

Ethical Decision-Making in Warfare

Theoretical Foundations of Magic

Identification of Magical Flora - Beneficial and Hazardous

Required Classes for Students of Arcane

Creation and Enchantment of Artifacts

History of Magical Practices

Fundamentals of Spellcasting

Alchemy Principles and Applications

Potion Brewing and Elixir Crafting

Identification and Analysis of Magical Artifacts

Creation and Enchantment of Artifact

Ethics and Magic

Introduction to Behavioral Studies of Magical Creatures

Identification of Magical Flora - Beneficial and Hazardous

Theoretical Foundations of Magic

Required Classes for Students of TechForge

Fundamentals of Aerodynamics

Properties of Magic Metals and Alloys

Programming in Magical Systems

Enchanting Technologies

Introduction to Techno-Magic Fusion

Advanced Aerodynamics and Interdimensional Travel

Experimental Prototyping and Testing

Ethical Considerations in Techno-Magic Integration

Navigation Techniques in Diverse Environments

Advanced Field Navigation and Dimensional Travel

Construction Techniques and Enchantments

Identification and Analysis of Magical Artifacts

Creation and Enchantment of Artifacts

Theoretical Foundations of Magic

__________________________

Winx Rewrite Master Post

Red Fountain Polytechnic

___________________________

If you went to Red Fountain what would you specialize in and/or what classes would interest you the most?

[upthewitchypunx]

I love that my body naturally craves fruit that is in season. I have been wanting pineapple and I checked and pineapple is in season. Went to the grocery store and found a perfectly ripe pineapple for half off, $1.50 for a whole pineapple! Took it home, cut it up ,and used the rind and core to make tecpache with a Thai pepper tossed in. yum!

Last night my friend took me to a mushroom growing workshop that she got free tickets to. The person leading the workshop asked what our relationship to mushroom is on a scale of 1-10. he said he was an 8, because he knew people who were 10s. Which probably scared all of us and and most people said they were 1s or 2s. I've usually stayed away from fancy mushroom because it seems like another expensive taste I did not need to have. I've stuck more to fermenting (sourdough, sauerkraut, half sour pickles, fermented hot sauces, beer, wine, cider) so this was a fun workshop to learn more how to do it myself.

The guy leading it was very very into mushrooms but not particularly organized and kept having to backtrack to explain things. That's my nightmare of teaching and why I don't. i worry about my organizational skill not meshing with the people I'm teaching and then getting really frustrated, which never actually happens, when I'm teaching informally it goes well whether it is zines or witchcraft or plants or whatever. I just freak out when people want to pay for my disorganized thoughts. Anyway, enough about me.

We pasteurized straw and packed it into buckets with oyster mushroom inoculated grains. Now I have a bucket of fungus I'm waiting to pin and sprout and whatever. He also just brought a bucket of woodchips from his yard with king stropharia (wine cap) mushrooms and just told us to take a bag home and toss in in your garden, don't eat them for more than 2 days in a row, and when you have too many, give them away to people. The wine caps seem more my speed, we'll see how it goes.

I have so many plants I want to put outside! It's still too cold at night and I'm very annoyed about it. the tomatoes in my living room are starting to put out flowers. I think I can hold off for another week.

[bitchesgetriches]

Learning To Reverse the Golden Rule

As we mentioned in our last article, Kitty and I recently taught a workshop on burnout. We did a ton of research around it. Obviously, we already knew that burnout sucks and is bad (not our hottest take, historically). But that research led us to a much deeper, scarier understanding of exactly how widespread and devastating burnout really is. It’s the difference between knowing how big a blue whale is because Google told you, and knowing how big a blue whale is because it’s rising up from the water beneath you.

The causes of burnout aren’t straightforward. A variety of cultural, organizational, and individual traits work together to burn a person out. Although bigger structural issues deserve the lion’s share of blame, individual struggles with perfectionism, breakneck compulsory productivity, and a cruel inner voice appear in story after story.

I recognize those struggles in the stories we’ve heard from readers. And from many personal friends and loved ones. And from my coblogger, Kitty.

But most especially, from myself.

Keep reading.

If you liked this article, join our Patreon!

[bfpnola]

Hey! This is @reaux07 and I just wanted to re-introduce our org! I am the current executive director of Better Future Program (BFP), a 501(c)(3) youth-run nonprofit headquartered in Bulbancha on Chahta Yakni and Chitimacha land. We envision a future in which youth are not only empowered to challenge oppressive hierarchies each day, but to create new, innovative, and inclusive frameworks of community care and intersectional justice.

Since 2016, our team has been dedicated to educating the masses on various academic subjects, mental health, and most importantly, social injustices that affect today's youth. We even offer over 3,000 free novels, movies, podcasts, and more just to fulfill this goal.

Here's the catch though! Since BFP is youth-run, many of our volunteers are students. During both the holidays and the start of each semester, we always experience a dramatic drop in participation, often meaning our workshops go from being run by 65 people to just 3 or 4. Currently, this is unsustainable for both our organization and our individual mental health. That's where YOU come in.

We need more volunteers! We'd like to not only fill up all of our leadership roles but have more than enough participants to allow each person's responsibilities to be greatly lessened. This would mean we could continue serving marginalized communities, uninterrupted, internationally, while still allowing volunteers to take breaks! We are only human. And even more so, many of us are only teens or children! We need your help.

And guess what? We have a $5,000 grant as gifted by the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana as well as nearly $600 in donations, all to go towards commissioning marginalized artists, mutual aid networks, and so on. Help us develop these plans further so we can service YOUR community today (e.g. we are currently sponsoring a chest binder drive for a local high school).

If you are interested in filling a leadership role, applying as a general volunteer (no specific responsibilities), or are simply interested in learning why we use a committee-based, horizontal organizational structure, tap here. There is something for everyone, promise!

And if you are interested in interacting with our community, our Discord server is linked here and our Linktr.ee below:

Please share to help support a Black-, woman-, queer-, disabled-, and youth-run organization!

[discountscholar]

hi! do you know what you want to do after uni is over? I’m having trouble figuring out what I want to do with my future psychology degree. I would really one day love to be a professor but I don’t know how realistic that is for me. I’m trying to find other jobs in the psychology field but I’m drawing blanks! do you have any resources or recommendations on what jobs are available for psychology majors? thank you so much!

hi there, thank you for sharing this with me. yes, i do have a good idea of the options i want to pursue after I'm done with my formal education.

it's a fairly common experience to struggle with the question of "what next?" when one talks of their future after their degree. most people i know (including yours truly) have struggled/continue to struggle with the same.

when deciding on a future job, there are certain key things you need to consider-

your skills

your strengths/weaknesses

what you want to derive out of your work

what the path to building a career in it looks like in the geographic place you want to settle in

being a professor sounds great! but if you still want to be looking for other career options within the field, that's absolutely okay. jobs available in psychology fields may look something like this-

school psychologist

clinical psychologist

industrial/organizational psychologist

counseling psychologist (this includes all the counseling subfields too)

sports psychologist

forensic psychologist

criminal psychologist

rehab psychologist

military psychologist

research/academic positions in psychology

psychology for marketing (using transferable skills here. not part of the core jobs in this field)

psychology for policy making

psychology for PR and communications

as to where i find opportunities for work in psychology-

linkedin (more like i find better opportunities for trainings and workshops here)

indeed

campus resources

network referrals

Instagram (you have to know what tags/people to follow for opportunities in your region)

twitter (i get more research info here like "call for papers" etc.)

contacting hospitals/rehab centers to see if they have vacancies for clin psy

you could also use social networking sites/blogs etc to build a nice, loyal community. it's a great way to put yourself out there and have the right people find you.

If you need me to elaborate more on any of this, please feel free to drop an ask about it! have a great time ahead! and remember- it's okay to be confused. you'll find what you like eventually!

[mysterious-moonstruck-musings]

Destiny & Deliverance: Chapter 1

Destiny & Deliverance Masterlist ||| Dieter Bravo X OFC

SUPPORT YOUR CREATORS. REBLOGGING & COMMENTS ARE APPRECIATED.

Series Rating: Explicit (18+)

Series Summary: Natalia Cohen is experiencing major life changes, beginning with leaving an emotionally abusive husband. She is learning how to navigate life on her own while dealing with high functioning anxiety, depression, and mild PTSD. Everything is looking up for her. She is a highly respected consultant for a major LA firm, has her best friend, Lauren, by her side, and is on her path to healing. Everything changes when she meets a handsome and broken stranger on a work trip. He turns out to be a well-known actor, with a heart-breaking past. They quickly develop a connection that will forever alter their lives. 

Warnings: Themes dealing with mental health, emotional trauma, alcohol use, and discussions about suicide. There will be fluff, tears, spicy language, and smut. This will be a slow burn type of story. Read at your own risk.

Chapter Quote: “Why the hell do I keep doing this to myself? I hate it.”

I sat preparing for my latest virtual meeting to discuss the final report that I had sent to the company I was currently working with. I work as a Technical and Organizational Consultant for one of the largest consulting firms in LA. While I loved what I did, I hated the people part of my job. People could be combative or downright insulting when they didn’t like what I had to say about their company or their role. For someone with high functioning anxiety, these meetings could be literal torture. After reading through my report for the third time that morning, I sat back in my chair staring at the wall, unblinking. My right hand was sitting just below my collarbone with fingers lightly tapping on the curve of my shoulder. It was one of my many nervous habits. Outwardly it just appeared that I was deep in thought. On the inside, I was working myself up to a mild internal panic attack that never had any obvious signs to the casual observer. I could feel my chest tightening and my heart was starting to pick up pace. I took a deep breath and tried to relax a little. 

My phone buzzed on the table. It was a text message from my best friend, Lauren.

LAUREN: I swear the nerve of some people. I had a lady criticizing everything I said during my stained-glass workshop this morning. Like, why are you even here if you know how to do it already?!?! Respectfully ma’am, please go back to your bridge. What a ducking troll. Anyway, long story short, I’m done early. I’ll be there soon with coffee.

LAUREN: Damn you autocorrect. Let me be angry! 

I laughed to myself. She was such a nut. 

ME: Lol! Can’t wait to hear all the gory details of how that worked out for her. Come on in. I’m about to jump on this virtual meeting so I can get yelled at. 

LAUREN: Engage bitch mode. You’ll be fine and they will regret their existence. 

ME: Don’t worry, you know my face is in perpetual bitch mode anyway and I can’t seem to fix it. At least I have that going for me. 

LAUREN: I am happy you are finally embracing it. 

I set my phone back down and joined the meeting. I could always tell who was going to be the problem as soon as we got started. This time it would be one of the division heads, Mr. Smith. He wasn’t fully engaged with the small talk and pleasantries while we waited for everyone to join. He looked agitated and fidgety. I had a feeling he would be a problem when I was on-site for the visit. He didn’t like all the questions and was reluctant to provide details on his processes. Once everyone joined, we immediately dove into the report and discussions about ways to improve the company. 

Lauren walked in just as we were getting to the part I was dreading. She set my coffee to the side of my laptop and sat opposite me at the table, scrolling through her phone. Intently listening to the drama unfold. 

Mr. Smith interrupted me as I began going over my findings for his area.

“Sorry, to interrupt…,” I could feel the tension form in my jaw. I could only imagine what my face looked like. He continued, “I don’t really think this is necessary. I’ve got everything figured out with logistics and it seems to be working pretty well. I don’t understand how making all these changes and getting some fancy software is going to do anything but cause more issues. If we are trying to save money, how is spending more money going to solve whatever perceived problems you think we have? I am not even sure why we wasted the money for you to tell us things we could have figured out ourselves.” 

I hear Lauren mutter, “oh he is about to find out” as she shakes her head from across the table. 

I took a deep breath and slowly bobbed my head up and down. Everyone on the call was completely silent. The owner of the company, Will Stevens, looked completely mortified. 

I smiled, “Mr. Smith, I don’t feel the need to explain why I’m qualified to do what I do and I’m not going to. What I will come back with are facts. This company currently has a 1.5 star rating for shipping times. When you have companies regularly shipping within 2 business days, don’t you think up to 2 weeks for your items to ship is a little excessive? That isn’t going to keep customers coming back. Furthermore, there are a high number of complaints indicating that part of your customer’s orders arrived incomplete, or no order arrived at all. There are also a high number of complaints relating to poor packaging and items arriving broken. Now, forgive me if I am wrong, but the logistics of these issues is your area, correct?” 

Mr. Smith sat there wide eyed and gave a slight nod. Clearly my point was being made. I could see Lauren in my periphery pumping her fist in the air and trying so hard to keep her laughing quiet. 

“Now, your current method of using spreadsheets in a share drive that everyone has access to is a little antiquated and doesn’t properly track orders. Not to mention the human error that goes into everyone accessing and editing that spreadsheet. That may have been doable when the company was small and just getting started, but not now. You have expanded too much. Add all that to manually requesting each shipping label online from the carrier resulting in incorrect address entry and you are failing before you even get started. If you use custom software that handles all this it will cut out a lot of the steps, increase shipping time and accuracy of orders, while also automating a lot of the steps. Therefore, increasing overall productivity and customer satisfaction and leading to more sales. This is only a small piece of the puzzle. All divisions need to be better streamlined in different ways, so they work better as a unit. Quite frankly, your division needs the most work in order for all the others to fall in line as they need to. Now, do you have any further questions you would like addressed Mr. Smith?”

Multiple staff members were clearly trying to stifle a laugh, including the business owner. Mr. Smith sat with his mouth agape for a brief moment before responding with, “No, I think that covers it.” Then he proceeded to turn off his camera and eventually left the meeting as we worked through some strategies and plans for moving forward. As soon as I logged off and closed my computer, I let out a shaky breath. I needed a drink after that one. In my mind, I immediately started running through everything I had said, second guessing myself. What if I was wrong about something? Should I have been so blunt in my response? 

Lauren pulled me out of my thoughts. “And that my dear is why you are so badass. The nerve of that guy! I bet he won’t talk down to anyone like that ever again. Maybe he can hook up with the troll lady from this morning. I think they were made for each other!” She said and laughed at her own joke. 

I stared at her for a minute. “Why the hell do I keep doing this to myself? I hate it.”

“Because you make a shit ton of money and you’re good at it.” Lauren says with conviction. 

I rub my face with both hands and look up at her through my fingers, “I don’t know what I want to do anymore. I just feel lost. I think I’m hitting my mid-life crisis. This is not where I saw myself at 38 years old.”

Lauren looked at me with concern, “you absolutely cannot be talking like that. You are my life advisor and supposed to have your shit together.” Her look quickly changed to amusement. She was trying to cheer me up. 

“I’m sure once things settle down with the divorce and everything, you’ll figure it out. You’ve just had a lot of changes recently and need time to adjust.” 

“The divorce is final. It’s done. As of Monday,” I said with a deadpan look.

“Oh. Well, that’s good! Right? Now you don’t have to have anything to do with that asshat anymore.” 

“Yeah, I guess. I just don’t know myself anymore. He really fucked me up. I don’t know how to be on my own. I mean, we had been together since college. I basically molded myself and my life around that asshole. I just don’t know where to start.” 

I got up and poured myself a very large glass of wine, which had become routine as of late. Lauren stared at me disapprovingly. 

“It’s a little early in the day for that, don't you think? Maybe stick with the coffee.” 

“Coffee doesn’t have the desired effect. Besides, I might need to lay off the caffeine. I can’t sleep as it is. I’m not even sure how I’m functional if I’m being honest. I think my anxiety may be getting worse too. I’m fairly certain I almost had an actual panic attack the other day because I couldn’t handle picking out clothes for work. Who fucking does that? I’m literally second guessing everything I do.” 

“Don’t be too hard on yourself. This is all on him. I just wished you had been open with me about the way he was treating you sooner. Maybe I could have talked some sense into you years ago. I feel like I’ve been such a shitty friend because I didn’t even realize what was actually happening. I’m sorry I didn’t.”

“Lauren, stop that. You didn’t know because I didn’t want you to. I was really good at hiding it. That part is on me.” 

Lauren had been my saving grace the last six months. We had been best friends since high school, and she was literally the only one I had left. I lost touch with most of them when I married Justin, which was by design as I realized many years later. Everyone else that came into my life after that was his friend first. They got me by default and dropped me as soon as I filed for divorce. I was starting over in all aspects of my life and it was terrifying and depressing. Luckily, I had Lauren to help me through everything and keep me sane. 

My phone rang. It was my boss, Aubrey, calling. Most likely to see how the meeting went this morning. Aubrey and I had a long history and tended to be pretty blunt with each other. She was a little older than me, but not much. I had been her TA back when she used to teach college courses. We became close and I looked to her as a mentor in my early years. I was one of the first people she brought on board when she opened her own consulting firm. 

I moved the phone to my ear as I answered. 

“Hey, I was just about to…” she cut me off before I could finish the sentence, “so I heard your meeting went well.”

It was a statement. I couldn’t read much from her tone, but I didn’t think she was mad. 

“Yeah, I mean, you know, the usual stuff. Nothing out of the ordinary.”

“I just got off the phone with Will. He says he has a job opening. He joked about hiring you full time.” 

The phone was loud enough that Lauren could hear the conversation. She started to chuckle. I rolled my eyes at her and started pacing around the kitchen. 

“Well, I’m sorry to hear he is down an employee. Did he say who?” I said with thick sarcasm. 

“A Mr. Smith I believe. Apparently, he turned in his resignation as soon as your meeting was over. He refuses to learn new software. Will said it saved him the trouble of firing his ass, so that made his day.” 

“Well, I’m happy to be of service then, I guess,” I said flatly. She laughed at my tone. 

“Well, now that you’re wrapping up that account, I would like to talk to you about the next one. I know it’s kind of last minute and completely out of your service area, but I need my best one on this. It’s a big contract and without saying too much to cause some bias inclinations on your part, they possibly have some issues that I don’t trust anyone else to handle. I need someone who won’t be bullied into submission or be afraid to say what they are thinking to the CEO.” 

“So, is the CEO on board with this? Or…? I’m not following.”

“Yes, the CEO is one hundred percent on board. He is actually an old college friend and trusts that I will send my best to handle it. He has suspicions about some things, which I have asked him to not discuss with you at all, by the way. I made it clear that you do not like knowing personal suspicions before your evaluation.” 

“Ok. This sounds like it’s gonna be a blast. That’s sarcasm by the way in case you missed it.” I sighed heavily, “So, out of my service area…where is it exactly?” 

“It’s in New York. I’ve had your flight scheduled for Sunday. First class, I might add. You will be there until the following Friday.” 

“Waaaait a minute! New York?!?! That’s WAY out of my service area and you know I hate flying. That’s literally the farthest away from where I’m currently at. No way. I’m not doing it.” 

“You took that well. Can’t wait for the updates. I’ll have the details sent over and I will talk to you next week.” Then she hung up. 

I pulled the phone away from my ear, staring at it in utter shock. “Fucking bitch. Did that really just happen?”

Lauren ran over to me with a concerned look on her face and turned me toward her, “What’s wrong?!?!”

“I guess I’m going to New York.” 

“I thought you didn’t have to go anywhere you couldn’t drive to?”

“Apparently, it’s a special account. I knew it, I am going to lose my shit.” 

“Well, maybe while you’re there, you can find a hottie to entertain you. I think getting laid would do you some good. Seriously, how long has it been?”

I gave her an annoyed look and sat back down at the table. “We are not talking about my sex life right now and that is out of the question. A man is the last thing I need right now.”

“I’m not saying you gotta keep him. It’s just for a night, or three.” She shrugged and smiled at me. 

“You are so ridiculous. As your life advisor, I totally do not approve of that type of behavior. Is that the shit you're doing these days?”

Lauren feigned shock that I would even suggest such a thing. 

“Absolutely not. I am not that type of girl. I am looking for a serious relationship. I just haven’t had any luck with that. The dating pool around here is sooo ridiculous. The last guy I thought might be decent, gave me a belt buckle as a gift on our last date. Initially I thought it was a neat and unique gift, but I think it was just his weird way of saying he wanted to get into my pants. So, I dropped him real quick.”

I gave her a blank stare for a few seconds, then doubled over in laughter. Tears started to pour out of my eyes, and I was gasping for air. Because of the serious way she said it and the look on her face, I absolutely lost it. 

Lauren stood there with her hands on her hips giving me a sour look. 

“He seriously gave you a belt buckle?!?!” I said through laughter. Once I calmed down a bit, I asked, “what the hell did it look like? I hope it was at least expensive.” 

“I don’t know. It was gold, oval, and bulky. Very tacky. Not something I would ever actually use. I don’t even wear stuff like that.” 

“Well, thanks for the laugh. I needed that,” I said as I chuckled. 

She huffed then sat back down across from me with her elbows propped on the table. 

“That’s enough about me. Back to you. Seriously, if you find a guy to waste some time with while you are there, go for it. Please don’t spend the whole week working. At least get out and explore the city or something.”

“I never have time for any of that when I am doing visits. I’ll have a lot of stuff to review. You know that. This seems like an important contract too. I need to focus. At least it will be a decent distraction and get me away from here for a bit. Maybe it will do me some good.” 

“Well, when you get back, we are doing something fun. I don’t know what, but it’s happening. I will plan a girl’s day for us.” 

“Greaaat. I can’t wait.” Lauren looked offended and I laughed. “Well, I guess our lazy Friday evening has been ruined. I need to pack and prep,” I said as I downed my glass of wine. 

“I’ll help you pack. I’ve got to make sure you’re looking hot.” 

I rolled my eyes at her as I got up and started walking to my bedroom. “Stop that shit. I’m going to work, not looking for a one-night stand.” 

Lauren followed behind me as she laughed. “Hey, you never know what destiny might bring your way. Don’t knock it.”

She spent the next several hours helping me pack and picking out my clothes for the week. I am pretty sure she snuck some unnecessary items into the suitcase, but either way, I was thankful for her help. It was less decisions I had to make and then question later. 

I spent Saturday prepping and reviewing the documents that had been sent in advance. They were pretty thorough, containing organizational charts, job descriptions, operations manuals, financial processing details…the list goes on. Pretty much anything I might need, they sent. At least they had it all on paper and I wouldn’t have to document as much during the on-site visit. That was a relief. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, so I wasn’t sure what the big deal was with this one. 

On Sunday, I was a bundle of nerves. I hardly slept any and was dreading the five-hour flight from LA to New York. I was actually wishing I had talked to my doctor about some anti-anxiety medication. She had offered it in the past, but I declined because I hate taking any kind of medications unless I absolutely had to. I have been determined to deal with things without being medicated. I also tend to have weird reactions to meds. I really could have used it at that moment though because I absolutely hate flying. I had a large glass of wine before the Uber picked me up in hopes it would help me relax. I’m not sure it made much of an impact. I was a hot mess throughout the whole boarding process. A/N: Don't worry, Dieter makes an appearance in the next chapter.

NEXT CHAPTER

[speedlimit15]

i love creating organizational systems. the target back room was my artists workshop. my aisles were so clean and each stow bin was labeled and uncluttered. when i took over supervision at the mail order pharmacy one of the first things i did was reorganize the med shelving for more efficient and natural pathing and decreased everyone’s pick times substantially. and then i did the same with the company’s internal resources webpage nightmare so it was no longer a labyrinth of broken and outdated and redundant menus and links. i KNOW i could design a universally applicable grocery store shelving system

[solar-sunnyside-up]

Just rebloged that “solarpunk community center” art and now I’m thinking a Solarpunk Community Center. Like, how cool would it be? I wonder what they would have inside? Definitely some eco friendly arts and crafts inside. Maybe some stuff to make paper? For people who want to like, restock the paper used for the arts and crafts (maybe there’s an area where people can bring in their paper scraps and they use that to make the new paper?) maybe a little area for workshops to cycle throughout the week/month like in a library. I can totally see a day where someone comes in to teach people how to make paint and ink from plants and rocks (mostly paint from rocks). Maybe they would also have some toys made out of cloth and wood for the younger kids and like, maybe a little daycare like area? Board games for the older kids and adults, an area to work on computers and study, maybe an area that’s like a lounge/commons room? And definitely an area to fix things, like your clothes and electronics. Maybe they even have a little kitchen area for people to come and go with food and drinks. Idk I never actually been to a community center before 😅

Oh totally!! I think a community hub becomes something entirely different we see all over the place once most places becomes third spaces.

Like they could be a cafe/public kitchen/food distribution space, they could just be a neighborhood library with all the organizational stuff. It could be an event center. It's amazing to think about!

The community center near me, which is actually holding a vollunteer thank you tea today (but it's-35 and I don't wanna take a baby in that) but here's some of the services they already do so you should find the nearest community center and see what they got:

Little library/pantry/blockbuster outside

Fresh veg/fruit drop off is boxes for 35$ from local farmers

Game night - weekly until end of winter (mostly board games)

Movie nights - adult and kid ones (with snacks)

Free ice skating/garden plot when you get a membership

Jellybean dances

It's also got a pub in the basement where they sell a local beer primarily and have pool/darts/other pub games

A shared free circular store where ppl donate stuff and anyone can come and pick up whatever (lots of books/toys/clothes but also dishes and other stuff!)

Yoga, Dodgeball, and kids music classes

And hopefully next year a communal kitchen and girl guide meetings once the halls renos are done!!