#why should i be motivated to make any of my processes faster when the only reward will be even more even harder tasks

[cuubism]

the problem with workplaces being obsessed with "efficiency" is it's never used to reduce anyone's workload, just to replace busywork with new even more mentally draining tasks

[my-darling-boy]

It’s horrible how my design course has killed my enjoyment in creativity because all they want is finished pieces founded in nothing but a spontaneous mark just to hang at some concrete art gallery or to sell to some “join our revolution” comfy business-casual company with a prison cell wellness room. I’m not saying that it’s “not art” —cos that’s a different post altogether— it’s that the ethos behind this particular formula for art education is ruining the way we think about creation.

Design courses (and other art courses I’ve heard?) are no longer teaching artists or designers techniques, drawing skills, art fundamentals and allowing them to find their own voice so much as they are only instructing how to tic boxes alongside pushing corporate and classist motivated style/methodology bias aimed at producing workers, not creatives, not to mention providing Adobe with endless funds for their despicable scam programs. That’s it. My creativity is only a means to money for them, and if they can extract the process of creation from me without the complex creative intimacy involved in it, they know they can churn out products and services faster and it’s concerning some lecturers don’t seem to be aware this is what they’re teaching? Like they’re buying into industry propaganda?

And the whole time it’s sold to you like you can be some trailblazer when the irony is they’re usually either prepping you for cubicle work or for some misguided high horse creative team pumping out design solutions completely divorced from the reality. I’m tired of all the talks about sustainability in a vacuum with no conversation about nuanced designs that factor in broader social and economic perspectives which lack thereof is leading to sustainable products being sold at a price only able to be afforded by wealthier people who are causing said economic and social problems and contributing to the rapid obsoletion of trades and crafts. Lecturers and speakers don’t seem to think that’s any of our concern and should just worry about producing the design for the hypothetical Bluetooth powered organic hairbrush or using the twigs to make the pattern for the £85 fabric square.

Like? Can I please make something that actually resonates with people outside the circle jerk of egotistical creatives and corporations? Something charming and maybe idk something that doesn’t make me want to tear my miserable portfolio in half with my teeth? And they’re like Mm nope sorry it has to be an extreme close up of a mark making abstract leaf you made from a recycled trash bag inspired by a stalled urban space which we will force you to price at £100 during your exhibition 5 people will bother to attend and no you’re not allowed any other style cos this isn’t the Dark Ages :///

I think the worst thing my lecturer ever said was, while looking around the room of our class work reduced down to a series of cubes and splatters and abstract typography, “Wow, I love how you can’t tell what anyone’s [main artist discipline] is!” Like awww conformity at the expense of a person’s individuality to make pieces for airport hallways and rich people’s living rooms wow so cool heehee like girl that’s not good?? Why on Earth are you complimenting us for that? Like I get it, I thought this course would boost skillset as an illustrator (as we were told), turns out the degree is really not for me, fair enough to anyone thinking that, but forcing students to produce modern abstract art because you think it’s the ONLY Logical Pathway for the future of design, judging them intensely for doing a different style, and thinking producing financially inaccessible art + design is the solution to things like climate change and community severance is an objectively bad take.

[crazycurly-77]

The bet - Chapter 4

Gibbs and you stormed into the house at gunpoint with him yelling “NCIS! Federal Agents!” 

The surprise effect was yours. Warren sat on his couch watching TV and eating chips as the both of you walked in. Immediately he held his hands up in surrender and Gibbs handcuffed him, telling him his rights. 

You brought him to the NCIS headquarters and placed him directly into one of the interrogation rooms. Then you walked into the adjacent observation room and waited for Gibbs to begin. As was his habit he let the suspect wait and went for a fresh coffee. 

Meanwhile Tony and Tim came, stood beside you and waited, too.

“Hey, you got him! Good job. Hope the boss will grill him.” Tony greeted you. Tim was still halfway sleeping. 

“Yeah, but I'm curious about his motive.” you mused. Then the survey began as Gibbs entered the interrogation room. 

He sat down on the chair opposite from Warren with his notepad and the file in his hands and stared at him without saying a word. The suspect began slightly to squirm and became more and more nervous. 

After a while without any word and not making any move Gibbs asked him “why did you kill two navy soldiers and tried to kill an admiral?”

Warren looked up at him shocked “what, he's not dead?!” 

Gibbs only watched him and waited. Then he stood up, went around the table, bent down to him and said “No, he's alive. He's well and he will be happy to see you rot in Leavenworth.”

That freaked Warren out. He jumped up from his chair shouting “they deserved it! All of them!! Yes, I did it and I'm not finished!! Because of them my father nearly never was home! They have to pay for that!”

He tried to attack Gibbs, but Gibbs was faster and pinned him on the floor. Tony ran into the room to help him and handcuff Warren. 

As he was secured they got up and Gibbs spat “take him away.”

Tim came too and helped Tony take him to the brig. You stood there and watched the scene and were bare of words. You couldn't believe how someone can hate so much that he wants to destroy the life of foreign people. 

Suddenly you were spoken to “penny for your thoughts.” You winced and let the papers you were holding fall to the floor. Immediately you bent down to hastily pick them up and you were joined by Gibbs who was the one that scared you. 

“I didn't want to scare you, but you seemed lost in your thoughts.” he said with a slightly guilty tone as he helped you. “Yeah, yeah, I was lost in my thoughts.” you answered distractedly, collected the last documents and stood up. 

He stood too and gave you the rest of the papers. Leaning into you, he laid his hand on your shoulder, looked intensively at you and asked “what's up?” 

Still startled you only shook your head, but said nothing. He sighed, took your chin into his hand and turned your head to look up at him. Then he asked softly “Y/N, what's up?” 

You tried to think, but it simply was not possible. Feeling him so near once again and him being so soft and caring and without any inner walls adding to the observation of the perpetrator…it was too much to process. 

You stood there and looked into his wonderful blue eyes as he was looking into yours. 

“Tell me. I feel there is something wrong.” he whispered to you. You were lost. Lost in his deep blue eyes. But his closeness calmed you down and soothed you. How should you answer anything that doesn't sound stupid? You tried “I'm shocked.”

“About what?” 

“About Warren. How can someone be so full of hate that he destroys the life of so many innocent people? I don't understand,” you breathed. 

He laughed briefly “that's the abyss of the human being and it's good that you don't understand. Stay like that.”

The only thing you could do was nodding your consent which made him smile softly, whispering “that's good.”

You felt chosen that he let down all his defense walls when the two of you were alone. Standing there you stared into each other's eyes. Mesmerized, you both began to close the little gap that was between you. Slowly, but continuously each of you leaned to the other. Both your hearts were bumping madly and you were afraid that the other would step back. 

“In a few seconds I will finally know how it feels kissing him. Yes! Yes! Yes!” Was all you were able to think. You felt his breath on your lips and you closed your eyes awaiting to feel his lips on yours and then…he leaned back and cleared his throat. 

Irritated you opened your eyes to see what's the matter, but he only mumbled 

“You've got some lint there,” and stroke over your shoulder. 

You stared at him dumbfounded “what?”, but Gibbs just smiled sadly at you. Then he turned around and left the room, leaving you to stay there and not understanding anything.

(To be continued...1 more chapter to go)

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Here you will find the other chapters of this story and the other stories I've written to date.

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Tags: @ilovemark1951, @hobby27, @ladyzombiielove

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[three--rings]

okay so i’m gonna talk about the build thing. 

I’m not going to get into the whole thing and what I think tho.  Like, I have a lot of thoughts.  But the thing is that I don’t KNOW anything.  I don’t know these people.  I can’t speak to them in any way. 

We have literally ZERO facts.  There is not a single fact that we, the public, have received that has any evidence behind it.  We have a bunch of one-sided claims and... some messages?  And some faked photo “evidence” from pinterest.

We don’t have any basis for making a judgement on anything solid whatsoever.  The only people who can do that are first of all police and legal proceedings, which I very much doubt are going to actually come to pass, and if they did would take absolutely forever to shuffle out.

And secondly BOC as an employer.  Which is where we can expect some kind of eventual decision, whatever it may be.

But what has truly upset me since this broke, besides just the natural grief of the situation, is the fandom response.  It’s been truly horrendous. 

The reaction which I expect from a fandom to this kind of news is shock, upset, grief, confusion, bargaining, etc.  And support of each other as we wait for the full fallout.

Instead I’ve seen celebration, I-told-you-so’s, endless attacks on people who refuse to immediately renounce their support of build, or who are at all measured or hesitant in their response.  Calls to reject not only the actor but the ship, the fandom, the production company.  Comparisons to other actors to highlight how their fave could never.  Finger pointing in every possible direction.

In other words, the fandom eating itself alive.  And is it maybe a small minority of people being toxic and most people being silent?  Yeah, it always is.  But it’s so fucking painful to me and to the fandom as a whole. 

Callout culture has reached a point where when anything happens the only performatively pure action to take is to immediately and loudly cut yourself off publicly from anyone at all likely to be tainted in accusation.  Which is exactly why people with bad motives can use accusations to inflict harm on people they want to hurt. 

I’ve seen over and over people being angry and upset that things aren’t moving faster with this situation, that there hasn’t been more statements and official shit done and like, it’s been less than two days?  On a weekend?  Do you really want the official procedures of ANY employer to work so fast that someone is fired within hours of anyone saying something bad about them, because that’s what people are literally calling for. 

I know it sounds like I’m taking one side here, but honestly I’m not.  No I don’t want the accusations to be true, because NO ONE should want them to be true.  But I can’t speak to their truth at all, because I have no basis to do so.  Except that what has been produced so far has been show NOT to be true (the photographs).  But there’s plenty of toxicity to go around in this situation.

What I want is for the actual truth to be known and acted on appropriately.  That doesn’t need to involve dragging facts out onto twitter or into the public eye, either.  The fandom isn’t judge and jury.  Victims shouldn’t be paraded through the virtual town square to be ripped apart. 

People are mourning right now.  What I’m mourning is the loss of a fandom that wasn’t as divisive and at each other’s throats as my last two.  Where I could just go to enjoy stuff without constant infighting.  Well, guess that’s fucking over. 

People are reliving their own abuse.  I know I am. 

STOP ATTACKING FELLOW FANS.  STOP ATTACKING PEOPLE MOURNING.

How individual fans respond to this isn’t any of your fucking business.  People are allowed to wait to see what happens before making judgments.  People are allowed time and space to process.  Shut the fuck up already.

[kikiswriting7]

Take a Chance ✵ JJK ✵ MYG - 2

✵ Pairing: Yoongi x Reader x Jungkook

✵Summary: Y/N just move across the world to start her University. She is paired with a roommate who is complete social butterfly and makes a bet, Y/N needs to take more chances. And at the hint of her new found friend, her social and romantic life take a dramatic turn.

✵Tags/Warnings: Smut, College AU, red flag, sexual tension. angst, dirty talking, drinking, friends with benefits, full of cliches, friends to lover, temptation

✵Notes: Hi Guys this is chapter 2! Smaller chapter this one but just felt like the right place to end it. Hopefully I can put out something else again soon! Thank you to whoever took their time to read it! Let me know what you guys think so far! Its very motivating and it might help figure out where to take some things hahah anyway....

lots of love, Kiki

CHAPTER 2 - STARLIGHT

Friday flew by like it was on fast-forward. Between binge-watching some new show on Streaming and sneaking in daytime naps, the day just slipped away before I knew it. It was a decent distraction from thinking about Jungkook and the upcoming get-together tomorrow. I can't say I was nervous, but I definitely wasn't thrilled either. I just don’t want to miss out on any potential friendships, specially as we are all just starting university. Plus, it was kind of a relief that Yoongi hadn't reached out again. But in the long run, I’m  not sure if that was a blessing or a curse. We hadn't really talked much, but his presence in my mind was getting as big as Jungkook's, despite our limited interactions.

Even though I was nursing a hangover, I'm definitely more of a night owl. So, when I finally heard Gabi retreat to her room late into the evening, I took it as my cue to escape the confines of my dark cave,  in search of something to eat. As I reached the kitchen in the dim light, the glow from the fridge was the only thing illuminating the room.

But, of course, there was nothing to eat. I had planned to do my weekly shopping this afternoon, but my not-so-healthy hangover coping mechanisms got in the way. My options are either starve until morning or make a quick run to the late-night shop that was a couple of blocks from the aparmtent. I guess my stomach made the decision for me. With hunger gnawing at my insides, I grabbed a jacket and shoes to tame the gremlin monster within.

February nights were always chilly, and tonight was no exception. As I made my way quickly to the night shop, I could see my breath forming puffs of vapor in the cold air. The neon sign declaring "OPEN!" in bright letters was a welcome sight in the darkness, the only sign of life at this hour. Inside, I quickly gathered what I deem essentials: ramen, cheese, chocolate, and a few candies. Balancing everything in my arms, I cursed myself for not grabbing a basket on my way in.

The last item on my list was chilling behind the glass door of the fridge. Great, how the hell am I going to reach that? Just as I pondered my options, and thinking how I should be recruited for the circus with my balancing skills, someone stepped in front of me. Perfect timing! "Hey, excuse me, could you grab the one on the top row for me?" I asked, only for my voice to falter when I realized it was Yoongi.

Oh God.

Obviously, he had to catch me in raccoon mode, scavenging for snacks at night. Just perfect. But to my surprise, he smiled softly, effortlessly grabbing the soda for me. He breezed past me like I was a wisp of smoke and headed to the cashier. It took me a moment to shake off my dumbfoundedness and follow him to the register.

Yoongi had already bought cigarettes from the cashier and was on his way out without saying much. I hastily dumped my items on the counter, tapping my foot impatiently as the old man processed my purchase, as if it would make him do it any faster. Why did Yoongi leave without saying anything? Was him walking me home just a courtesy? Does he think I’m annoying? Than why did he text me? Or bring me hangover medicine?

Once the transaction was done, I practically threw my card at the machine and rushed outside. The cold air hit me like a slap in the face, but it was the smell of cigarettes that brought me back to reality. Yoongi was leaning against the wall, seemingly unfazed by the cold. "Took you long enough. I almost finished my cigarette," he remarked, taking one last drag.

"Just making sure my raccoon tendencies were satisfied," I replied, cringing internally at my own words. Yeah, maybe I should join the circus, but as a clown instead.

Did he just laugh? "Let's go, I'll walk you back," he said, tossing the cigarette butt and offering his arm. Shivering, I took it, feeling the warmth of his hand emediatly envelop mine. We walked in silence, the only sound being our footsteps echoing in the night.

“Thanks for walking me back, even though you didn't have to," I said, pulling away as we reached the apartment building, the warmer spot on my side suddenly feeling more empty without his touch.

"Don't mention it. I live just a block away.” He motions to the end of the street “It's on the way," he replied casually, giving me a small smile.

"Good night, Yoongi," I said with a small smile, unlocking the door.

As I step inside, I hear him call out, "Wait! You forgot something." Oh, what did I do now? I turn to see him holding out a can. "Cheers. Good night," he says, giving me a side smile before disappearing into the night.

Despite the chill in the air, my heart felt warm. Maybe there was more to Yoongi than meets the eye, even if we barely exchanged words.

As I slowly emerge from the depths of sleep, my face feels puffy, undoubtedly a consequence of the late-night binge I indulged in to quiet the restless beast within. Groaning, I peel my eyes open, , the sounds of chatter and music drift in from outside my room, beckoning me to join the waking world. Still groggy, I reach for my phone to check the time, only to find a spam of unread messages from Gabi and Eli in a new group chat.

Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I open the thread unread messages in a new group chat with Gabi and Eli. My thumb hovered over the screen. They were going back and forth with outfit ideas, and Gabi had apparently summoned our other friend over for a get-ready session. Ah, so that explains the commotion outside

Taking my time, I will eventually emerge from my room. Today, I didn't linger in bed as long as I usually do on my days off, but I also didn't feel compelled to rush out the door any faster than necessary. I opt for a nice and long shower, I focus on washing away the lingering scent of smoke that clung to my hair from standing near Yoongi while he smoked last night, even if only briefly.

With my earphones in, I manage to finish styling my hair and applying makeup within a reasonable timeframe. I settle on a pair of black jeans and a cozy black sweater, striking a balance between not looking like a complete slob and not appearing to put in too much effort for him. After all, I'm doing this for my friends, not for Jungkook.

Just as I put the finishing touches on my appearance, my phone screen lights up with a message from Jungkook, his number still unceremoniously saved as digits I haven't mustered the courage to add to my contacts.

"Hey, I'll be there in about 10 minutes. Bringing some beers and chips," 

the text buzzes on my phone.

"Ok,"

 "I will let the girls know,"

I add before slipping my phone back into my pocket.

With a sigh, I rise from my bed, knowing it's time to join the party already underway in our living room. Eli and Gabi are probably impatiently waiting for me.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty," Eli's voice greets me as I enter, a mischievous glint in her eye.

"I was honestly starting to worry you forgot about us!" Gabi chimes in, her expression a mix of mock, and amusement.

"How could I forget when you guys have been screaming since 3 in the afternoon?" I retort, flopping down onto the couch beside Gabi and reaching for her cup of wine. I take a sip, grimacing at the taste. I guess we're not drinking for the flavor.

"Jungkook is arriving in about 10 minutes. He just texted me," I inform them casually.

Their reaction is immediate, a chorus of excited squeals that make me roll my eyes.

They both look stunning, dressed as if they're ready to hit the club. Eli's in a short black dress that accentuates her figure, paired with tights and I am guessing, th unfamiliar pair of boots by the door. Her makeup is flawless, making her stand out even more. Gabi, on the other hand, rocks a more casual club look with cargo pants and a cropped long-sleeved shirt that somehow manages to make her look taller. And then there's me, dressed like I'm about to run errands, in black trousers and a sweater.

"I honestly don't understand what you guys see in him. Why all this commotion? He's just a guy," I remark, trying to sound nonchalant.

"My dearest friend," Gabi says, snatching her cup back from my hand, "I think you need a new pair of eyes if you don't think he's hot."

"Also, I heard he's a really sweet guy," Eli adds with a shy smile.

As if on cue to prevent me from saying anything else, the doorbell rings.

Okay, let the games begin.

Gabi springs from her seat like a coiled spring, rushing to the door as if staying outside for more than two seconds might spell disaster. "JungKook, it's so nice that you came!" she practically shrieks, enveloping the waiting man in a hug. He responds with a brief pat on her back before she releases him. "Please come in, and welcome to our humble abode."

He steps inside, taking in the modest living room, which consists of two couches, a coffee table, and a TV. Despite our attempts at decoration, with nice lamps and Gabi's fairy lights, some of the lights were already falling off. Gabi gestures for him to join us, and he makes his way over, greeting both Eli and me.

The atmosphere is palpably awkward, and I'm already counting down the minutes until this evening is over. Time to employ my expertise: finding an excuse to leave, even if just for a few moments. "I'll go get a drink for myself in the kitchen," I announce, not wanting to draw too much attention as Gabi engages in small talk about his day and the aftermath of Thursday's party.

Just as I'm about to reach the haven of the kitchen, I hear Jungkook rise from his seat. "Oh, I completely forgot! I brought chips and beer. Let me go grab them and put some beers in the fridge." Just my luck.

"No worries! It's the door that Y/N just went through," Gabi directs him, returning to her conversation with Eli about some troublesome teacher they both had.

I manage to grab a new glass from the cupboard when I hear Jungkook approach from behind. "Hey," I manage, awkwardness oozing from my every word.

"Hey!" He smiles, his eyes bright and lively, a far diferent from the subdued party on Thursday. "Uh, I was wondering, where can I leave this stuff?" He gestures towards the packages of chips and the pack of beer.

"Oh! Yeah, of course! You can leave them in the freezer right there to make them colder faster for you!" I point to the fridge at the opposite end of the kitchen. He moves with such confidence, it's almost... captivating. I catch myself staring for a moment too long.

When he's finished putting everything away, I notice he left one beer out from his pack. "Oh, wait before you open that," I say, swiftly stepping in front of him to open the fridge again. "You can take one of these; they're already cold." I grab one of the beers and the bottle of wine we already had chilling in the fridge, handing him the new can.

We're closer than I'd like again. How is it that I've found myself in this situation for the second time in under a week?

"Guys, why's it taking so long?!" Gabi's voice pierces through the awkward silence from the living room.

I seize the opportunity to make a quick exit. Grabbing two bowls and splitting the chips between them, only to have Jungkook follow right behind. In the living room I find Gabi and Eli sitting comfortably around the cofee table.

"Okay, so," Gabi starts, gesturing for us to take our seats opposite each other, "Eli and I checked out the parties downtown, but they're all lame. We figured we could just hang here and have some drinks instead."

"Ah, that's a shame," Jungkook pouts slightly. "Maybe we could go for a walk to the beach later? It's such nice weather outside."

I doubt a February night beach trip would be ideal, but I nod along. "Yeah, some fresh air sounds good," rolling my eyes inwardly at Eli's suggestion. Of course she would think so.

As the night wears on, we chat about our first week of classes and play some silly drinking games Gabi found online. After a couple of hours laughing and enjoying the company,  the drinks disappear faster than I expected, and soon Jungkook stands up, suggesting the beach stroll.

"Time for that beach walk," he says, offering a hand to Eli and Gabi. With a almost no effort, they're off the couch. When he extends his hand to me, I take it, surprised by his strength. My heart flutters, but I push the feeling aside. Eli clearly has a thing for him, and I can't afford to catch any sort of feelings. It just rather unfortunate – for me- that he is in fact a sight for sore eyes.

“Are you ok, B?” Eli asks from the front door. Earlier during the game, she decided that Bestie was too long of a nickname and that B it was.

 The question makes JungKook look back wide eyed to check. As Eli mentioned earlier, yeah, he seems like a sweet guy. I hope it works out between them.

“Oh don’t worry! I was just looking for my phone” and I lift the device on my hand and make my way to join them.

Jungkook was right—the weather is surprisingly pleasant for February. The full moon casts a soft glow over the streets as we make our way to the beach, laughter and chatter filling the air.

"Are they always this energetic?" Jungkook asks with a bunny smile, nodding towards Gabi and Eli.

"Yep," I reply with a chuckle. "Just don't ever give them any caffeine, or we'll never hear the end of it."

He laughs and watches as the girls tumble onto the sand, already deep in conversation. As we walk along the shore, he casually compliments my outfit.

"I thought I was underdressed," I joke, glancing down at our matching attire.

"Well, then I’m glad ewe're in the same boat then," he grins, and we continue our wobbly trek across the sand, joining Gabi and Eli in their laughter-filled oasis.

“Agreed” He laughs and continues to look at the two people party the girls are making while they reach the sand and make their way to a spot closer to the water.

Deciding to sit next to Gabi feels like the safest bet, especially since JungKook has been hitting it off with Eli all night. I settle down in the sand beside my shivering roommate, wrapping my arms around her to offer some warmth.

But my plans are interrupted when JungKook unexpectedly plops down beside me. I shoot Gabi a questioning look, but she just shrugs and lies back, pulling Eli and me down with her.

As we all lie there in silence, listening to the soothing sounds of the sea, JungKook breaks the quiet by pointing to the sky. "See that star over there?" he asks, his voice soft.

I turn to him, surprised by the sudden question. "What?" I inquire, following his gaze.

"That one," he repeats, leaning closer to me. When I look up, I notice a star shining brighter, as if responding to the tip of his finger point it at it.

"Oh, yeah, I think I see it," I murmur, pointing to the same star. He takes my hand, guiding it along a line of stars.

"Along with that one," he says, tracing the constellation. "That's Orion."

“What? I cannot see it! Where is it?”My attention snaps back to reality when Gabi interrupts, completely missing the celestial lesson. I drop JungKook's hand, and our shoulders brush as I turn to her, trying to redirect her gaze to the stars.

“Girl I think you are delusional��� she laughs looking back at Eli, who is now dead quiet closer to her “I don’t see shit” she giggles again

"Gabi, pay attention," I joke, lightly tapping her arm. "See those stars there? Connect them with these."

Her eyes light up with understanding. "Oh my God, that's so cool!" she exclaims, giving me an excited slap on the arm. "JK, how the hell do you know this stuff?" she asks, turning to JungKook with curiosity

"Ah, I was in the Navy before university, it was mandatory and I thought it would be better to be done with it sooner rather than later” " JungKook admits, his gaze still fixed on the night sky, lost in memories.

"Wow, I didn't know you were in the military! That's impressive," Gabi says, propping herself up on her elbows to get a better look at him. "How did you like it?"

"It was fun, got to see some cool places, but I'm glad it's over now," he replies, seemingly willing to share but cutting off any further probing from Gabi before she can start.

"I'm getting really cold, guys," Eli announces, sitting up. "Can we go now?" She doesn't sound upset, but her tone lacks the earlier cheer.

"Yeah, I'm freezing too," Gabi agrees, pulling Eli to her feet and starting to walk. JungKook and I follow suit, trailing behind them.

As we make our way back, the alcohol hits me harder than I realized, and I nearly stumble on the sidewalk. JungKook's hand tightens around mine, steadying me.

"Jungkook..." I begin, but he interrupts.

"First of all, don't call me by my full name unless you're mad. We're friends, right? JK or something else is fine," he says, brushing sand off my coat and tugging me along

"JungKo—" I start again, but he stops and raises an eyebrow.

“Kook, I will be fine you don’t have to hold my hand” he continues walking when he’s pleased to hear that I called him by a nickname.

“Dice, I'm not letting go until we're home. Last thing I feel like doing is to drag your drunk ass to the ER, after face planting on the hard floor." he quips, continuing to walk.

I sigh, accepting his grip as we slowly make our way back. Despite my inebriation, it's oddly pleasant. We chat about our shared love for trashy TV dramas, realizing we're both hooked on a show that's ending soon..

"Ugh, that sucks," I grumble, frustrated by the finale approaching. "I was really one of the best ones out there right now”

"Yeah, it's a bummer," JungKook agrees, squeezing my hand reassuringly. "But hey, maybe we can find another show to watch together."

I smile at the suggestion, grateful for his attempt to lift the mood despite my drunken state. "Yeah, that sounds nice."

As we enter the warmth of the apartment, the cozy atmosphere envelops us, contrasting with the chill of the night outside. Gabi and Eli are already in the living room, engrossed in conversation. I take a seat on the couch, sinking into the cushions with a relieved sigh. JungKook settles beside me, and I shoot him a grateful smile.

"Thanks for not letting me face-plant on the sidewalk," I say to JungKook, feeling a tinge of embarrassment at my clumsiness.

He chuckles softly, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "No problem, Dice. Friends look out for each other, right?"

His words warm me from the inside out, and I nod in agreement, appreciating his easygoing nature and the way he effortlessly makes me forget about whatver is going on around me. But maybe that’s just the liquor talking.

Settling into the couch, I feel a sense of contentment wash over me. Despite the alcohol-induced haze clouding my thoughts, I'm surrounded by the comforting presence of my new friends, and all I can think right now is how resting my eyes would be amazing.

Gabi and Eli's conversation fades into the background as I lean back against the cushions, letting the fatigue of the evening wash over me. The events of the night replay in my mind like scenes from a movie, each moment etched vividly in my memory.

Lost in thought, I barely register Gabi's voice as she breaks the silence, her words pulling me back to the present. "So, what's the plan for tomorrow?" she asks, her eyes alight with excitement.

I glance around the room, meeting JungKook's gaze briefly before turning back to Gabi. "I don't know about you guys, but I could definitely use a lazy day," I say with a yawn, feeling the exhaustion of the week catching up to me.

Jungkook nods in agreement, a smile playing on his lips. "Sounds good to me. We can order takeout and binge-watch some more TV shows," he suggests.

The prospect of a lazy day spent with friends brings a smile to my face, and I nod. "yeah that could be nice” I say, feeling a sense of anticipation building in the pit of my stomach.

I hear them talking and I notice Eli is already retreating to Gabi’s room with her. I feel quite far gone but I can’t help but feel myself being caried into a much comfier setting and being enveloped by warm fabric before completely drifting off to sleep. Maybe I am dreaming already.   Previous ✧ Next

TAGLIST

[wolfisland]

weight talk

ed brain wants me to talk about how much weight ive lost every time the topic comes up because i do very much still link my self worth to my weight and its something im ACTIVELY deprogramming, because not only is it damaging but its at odds with the standards i hold others to - i dont view other people as lesser for their weight, why should i subject myself to that?

like im one of those people who is in exactly the perfect position to actually have a view from both sides here. i went from being so obese it was legitimately killing me, both physically and psychologically, to just like barely overweight.

its something that i have to sort of accept about myself in the sense that i wouldve died had i not lost the weight, but also the weight loss did not actually make my body better in an objective sense. i avoided a much more painful death and existence that carried so much shame and insecurity because of how much fatphobia had whittled down my self esteem, and my already existing health issues were heavily exacerbated. like in many ways the weight loss was good for me, there are so many more things i can do now and thats good, but i also shouldnt have had to lose any of that weight to deserve respect from peers and medical professionals. i shouldnt have had to lose that weight to lessen any psychological distress. i shouldve been allowed to just live, and also eat and sleep and exist free of shame just because of my body.

its very surreal coming from that perspective of relatively sudden and drastic weight loss because its like there are positives but also many negatives that i wasnt briefed on or prepared for because it was just assumed all of the future trauma and stress and illness was worth it as long as i could be ✨skinny✨, and that my priority should be being ✨skinny✨

like i cant use part of my stomach. i cant digest my food correctly. i have new allergies that could kill me. i went from one ed to another and had body dysmorphia so severe that i couldnt recognize my own reflection for the better part of two years. i absorb and process alcohol and most drugs faster and am so much more at risk of addiction for this very reason. my fucking teeth are weak. my body hurts just as much as it did before, just in different ways now.

these are all BAD things. but theyre seen as worth it because at least the number on the scale is smaller and i can wear crop tops now, i guess. its worth it because now people ogle me and buy me drinks at bars. like what?

i cant honestly say i regret the surgery. i dont. im acutely aware that it saved my life and while the confidence boost that came from it didnt come from actual self acceptance for a very long time but rather my ed being validated and external praise being heaped on me, that confidence did help me unpack a lot of other issues which DID eventually lead me to accepting that my self worth should never have been tied to my body.

but i do regret that it wasnt motivated simply by preserving my physical health and prolonging my life when my ed was killing me, but rather because i hated myself because other people hated my body. thats fucked up

also im never gonna be ✨skinny✨ and frankly id look fucking scary if i was. god wanted me to have a tummy and im never fucking getting rid of it

[crackedpumpkin]

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

oh.

oh you BITCH.

i did not see this tbh you absolute fucker. Is this revenge for the innocent instrumental mix up because it is very effective.

✨️: Give yourself and your writing a compliment

Honestly though looking back from where I started and where I am now, I think I've improved loads as a writer and in general.

Tbh i started writing as an outlet for like my emotions, and it's like the safest bubble for my imagination lmao. when i was going thru some hard times writing was what helped me. And when I broke up with my ex, i processed thru it by writing this stupidly angsty oneshot thing that somehow people liked and followed me because of it?? ill never understand tumblr humans (hypocrite alert💀💀💀)

I can honestly say that i never expected to be where i am now with people that genuinely enjoy what i write, and its just such an euphoric rush every time i get reminded. im not a drug dealer by any means, but if other writers feel the same way i do when i get a comment or reblog i will gladly deal out lethal dosages of such ecstasy

for legal reasons this is only a half joke.

It makes me so happy and motivated to write even more, and now i have at least 5 different fics in the works already lmaooo :")

(Just a little side note tho; both the rise leo apocalypse au fic and miles morales fic will be released on the 1st of May okay byeeeee)

im honestly so grateful we started talking, and getting to know people like ginny, unknown, dork, sofa etc etc (its 2am and im tired ok this is why i should never answer things at 2am i cannot for the life of me remember names much less my own) has changed my life for the better.

Because I need an ego boost for myself rn, i like to think that i can be rather humourous at times, especially in some of my writing :) i still have such a long way to go before i can even scratch the surface of talented and amazing writers like @marwhoa @morning-sun-brah @afreakingdork @tmntxthings @hitechlatte and of course, you, you incredible, show-stopping stinker 💜

stay hydrated and safe or your ass is gonna shrivel and die faster than you can say TTLP.

[takeariskao3]

Any tips on writing Ginny? I only wrote one fic and that was years ago. I would like to write more of her but I don’t know if I’ll have her characterization on point?

You write her amazing, and it’s something that I admire about you, also something that I get intimidated by because your Ginny is so well written and her humor and total BAMF attitude (more of a lifestyle if I’m being honest) is just so freaking amazing

. Plus, your moodboards and the brilliant details when you create the Daily Prophets is incredible. I literally have no words in how much I love them. I know I read a fic that you’ve written, not sure of the name. It’s when Harry is trying to finish a photography project and he has an entire file dedicated to Ginny? Correct me if I’m wrong.

That is insanely beautiful, plus I loved the messages back and forth from the golden trio and Ginny, also I believe Luna and Neville? I definitely have to go back and read it again. (Also, love the Romione moments, it was so fun to read)

How long did it take to create such story? I’m trying to get my hand in uploading images on ao3 but every time it just doesn’t seem to work. It’s always just a box with a question mark inside. 😞😞 oh the annoying pain, do you by chance have any tips or tricks to do that?

I hope you have a great day, if not hopefully it gets better!

goshhhhh this message is so nice. i'm over here speechless which is why this has taken me so long to reply... get ready, this is a long one.

okay, so... tips for writing ginny... i can only speak for myself and *my* ginny. she is not one singular thing, right? but she does have a singular motivator? at least, in my own headcanons. and that is the need/desire for independence. this is somewhat informed by trauma with tom's diary, and also everything we know about her from the limited textual evidence. this then informs her base fears, which in my opinion are others having power over her and/or her being dependent on someone else. and i think this core characteristic of hers not only results in her attitude and BAMF moments, but also her deepest, most anguish inducing plotlines. and in my opinion, that's what makes ginny interesting. she is brave, and competent, and clever, and hot-headed. and she's also crippled in her emotional attachments because of what happened to her as a child. she is the poster child of trust issues. again these are all of my own thoughts about her as a character, i don't have some secret formula for getting in her head necessarily. it's just independence. does her actions in the story feel like ginny searching for or obtaining her own independence, and then i use the plot to throw everything i've got at her in an attempt to prevent that. like a refining fire if you will.

sorry ginny. love you.

my daily prophet articles are entirely the result of my high school journalism class. i'm also a big fan of epistolary storytelling and i love plugging easter eggs into the articles to see what dots people connect. the epistolary fic i wrote with harry & the gang is confessions should be better planned! it's one of my favs. it didn't take a ton of time to put together, i actually like epistolary (text fics) because I can write them so much faster than traditional storytelling. the upload process is pretty straightforward and i feel like i sort of have my homegrown way of doing it that doesn't use an ao3 workskin. but i start by uploading my images in my tumblr drafts (lol) > open image in new tab > copy the url > go back to ao3 > click insert image > paste the url into the editor > change the dimensions to what you want > save. then i add a space before the pic, then click the center align button in the text editor to center the image in the page. and that's it! that's what i do. for the actual text i just play around with the formatting and the alignments until i feel like everything is in a spot that makes sense.

i haven't had a stellar day (viral conjunctivitis from daycare) but this message made it so much better <33

[kenthenugget]

How Batching Comics Saved My Life

Jesus its been...quite a while since I last posted onto any of my tumblr accounts. Its not that I didn't forget that I had an account here, its just that I've been busy with school and my drawing Crescent Blue. Meaning any free time I have is limited which results in me neglecting like half of my socials. Comics and college has made doing social media difficult. That and I wasn't sure how to handle 2 out of the 3 tumblr blogs I have. But I've thought that I had use this specific blog for text blog posts, along with drawings I'm working on and stuff like that. Most of it will be a lot of writing type stuff like this so this should be fun. Anyways, onto the topic I wanted to talk about.

I've been drawing Crescent Blue for coming on 4 years now. And those 4 years were spent drawing its first Chapter. Its overly long chapter. I have realized the mistake I made back when I was prepping to draw it back in 2019, where 16 year old me who had never drawn a comic at this scale decided to go out adapting the opening chapter draft which was written to be the length of a double length tv show pilot (because that's how wrote scripts back in the day) without realizing the implications of how many pages I would have to draw, and that maybe I should've done more prep work to make sure I wouldn't be working on it well into college. Because I probably would've gotten burnt out with it after being stuck on it for so long. And that would end up happening when 2021 rolled around. Thanks to mental health struggles I faced through out 2020, which lowered my tolerance to drawing comics which I didn't enjoy, I had drawn a total of 28 pages by going into the new year. Feeling ashamed of that pace, I managed to motivate myself and make it a new years goal to devote more time to my comic and get faster in order to complete my first chapter. This manifested in a couple of ways, from illustrating backgrounds in graphite as to avoid inking them and potentially screwing them up, to manning up and move to drawing it digitally as opposed to traditionally (I did not have access to photoshop or a good drawing tablet when I had started so I did what I had always done and use paper, pencils and inking pens/brushes. However, I would get my XP Pen Artist 12 for my 17th birthday 2 months later, and I would be able to use photoshop at home by early 2020). But what I mostly did was focus on drawing pages more, moving onto the next one after finishing the last one without taking a break. Basically muscling my way through with the expectation that I would eventually get faster. This did not work, and here's why.

This one by one approach isnt bad on paper, and there are plenty of artists out there that drawing comics this way and don't have any issues. For me, the issue I found with this process was that it didnt lend itself very well to spend. Not all pages are created equal, taking longer or shorter to complete depending on the complexity of the drawing. In my experience, there were pages that took only a couple of hours to complete, and others that took days to get done, and this isn't factoring in stuff like school. This aspect brings up the problem with me muscling through pages. There are times where I dont want to work on my comic, and often times after I would finish a page, I wouldn't have enough motivation to get to the next one. But in my attempt to not spend years drawing my first chapter, I would force myself to draw pages even when I didn't want to. This results in numerous cases of burnout and art block, which can cripple you and slow you down, defeating the point of muscling through it all. One notable instance of this I can remember happened in February last year.

By July of 2022, I would've been drawing Chapter 1 for 3 years and as my new years resolution, I wanted to get it done by that time. I had made great progress in 2021, catching up to page 75 by the time of new years, and I felt confident in my ability to get it done that year. That hope was shattered when I did what I had done with one of my pages and complete a future page ahead of time. Said page was the last post I made on this blog which I've actually completed a few weeks ago. The numbering for that page is 148 (was probably lower last year as I did end up adding pages during that time thanks to rewrites). And at that time, I had just passed the 80th page mark. It was then that I realized the implications of what I needed to do in order to get Chapter 1 done that year. I would've had to draw more than double the amount of pages I had drawn in 2021, and given the way I was drawing comic pages at the time, I knew deep down that wouldn't be possible. But not wanting to admit it, I tried muscling through the pages I was working on, hoping that if I pushed myself beyond my limit I would miraculously become faster and more efficient. But that didn't happen. The stress caused by my realization and the refusal to accept it caused me to become more and more agitated, which caused me to make errors and not draw as well as I would've wanted. Said agitation also clouded my thoughts and made drawing more and more difficult as soon as I knew it. I had burned myself out.

I think I've done a good job at laying out why this method didn't work for me, and if I was still drawing comics this way, I would not be finishing my first Chapter this year. And at this point, I would like to take a moment to shout out @the-underground-beauty. If it hadn't been for her, I not have found out about batching and I wouldn't have been even close to ending this long ass chapter. I was in a discord call with them and other art friends I knew, and I talking about ways of becoming faster at completing pages. They explained that they batched multiple pages instead of drawing them one by one like I had. Like, you would do the layouts for one page, then you would do the layouts for the next page, same goes for sketching and inking. This makes it so that instead of dumping all of your energy into one page, you're spreading that work into multiple pages and thus, become more efficient. Now you might be wondering how this would be better than my old method. Wouldn't working on multiple pages at the same time instead of going one by one be worse? In my experience, it's the complete opposite.

Along with the upsides I've mentioned above, its also very flexible in regards to inking/coloring. In the past, I found myself getting board with pages and wanting to move onto the next one but couldn't because I had to finish the one I was working on. I don't need to worry about that with batching. I can go in chronological order or skip pages to come back to them latter. This can be very handy when it comes to complex pages that would take a lot of time to complete. If Im not feeling up for it at that moment, I can just skip that one and come back later once I feel ready. It also points out the most time consuming part of drawing comics, sketching. Inking is one thing, but when you're doing a lot more work when doing the sketches. And depending on what the storyboards call for, the sketching process for a given page can take a pretty long time and a lot of energy. But with the batching process, the energy I would've spent finishing said page with inking and shading/coloring can be better spent on other pages. This means that I would need to worry a whole lot when inking as most of the hard work was done prior.

Batching also helps with putting what you're working on into perspective. Throughout most of my time drawing my comic, I found it difficult to view the pages I'm working on as being apart of a much larger story, rather than on a page by page basis. I would spend so much time on them that I would view the page I was working on as being its own separate thing, unrelated to the pages that came before or after. Batching, in a way, solved this issue, because now that Im working on a part all at once instead of going page by page, it helped me view what I'm working on as being pieces of a story, rather than being their own thing. I felt that the pages I was batching had more unity to them than the ones before it. Its difficult for me to describe this feelings, because I would always get it when finishing a part and rereading it. Pages that would take weeks to complete took more a couple of minutes to read, despite the specific pages taking so much time to finish. I haven't had that feeling after adopting batching as my new method of drawing comics, since every page all at once.

But how has it worked in practice? Well to see if batching was effective or not, I decided to batch the remaining six pages of what would by episode 7 on CB's tapas page. I got those done in a week. And 2 months later in May, I began work on pages 95 through 105 and this was the true test to to see if batching could really be effective for an entire part. I got it done with in a month. The after that wasn't as successful, but I mostly contribute it to external factors that had nothing to do with batching. At the start of this year, I decided to ditch the part by part method and go at the remaining 67 pages of Chapter 1 all at once. At the time of writing this, I'm still not finished with this Chapter yet but I don't expect it to be for quite long. I anticipate on wrapping it all up around June of this year. So with all this being said, I think I can conclude that batching comics has been way more effective in terms of speed. Over a 100 pages over the course of one year, way more than I had in the past with the old method. If I hadn't switched up the way I had been drawing comics back in March of last year, I don't think I would've come this far! Now I am aware that batching might not work for other artists, and that's fine. But if you are in a place like I was and want to get pages done quicker, I suggest giving it a try and see if it works for you or not :)

[aguatofana00]

I Stagnated In My 20s. Here's What I Did To Get Out Of The Muck.

Avoid the mistakes I made to cultivate your purpose faster.

In my 20s, after losing my first real job and failing to complete my degree, I was stuck. I languished underneath the weight of my failures, disappointment and depression permeating every thought that I had. I thought I was a loser. A failure. And nothing could change that.

But as I detailed in my previous essay, that changed when I was exposed to self-improvement and productivity content during COVID-19. I consumed any and all information that would get me out of my pit of despair. I wanted to change. And I realized that the only way I could change and embrace the woman that I wanted to be, I needed to find purpose. My why. The very thing that would motivate me to wake up and work on myself.

It was difficult. It's still difficult. But if you don't have a purpose, if you don't have your why, then this article can help you to determine your purpose and get out of the muck of stagnation.

Purpose is developed and cultivated

The first thing to understand about purpose is that it is developed and cultivated. Not found. "Finding" your purpose is a misnomer that will leave you floundering as it did for me when I was in my 20s. I thought I found my purpose out of high school. That my purpose in life was to graduate college, get a good job, buy my own house, etc., etc. I was never more wrong.

Purpose is the product of a culmination of life experiences. My struggles and failures in my 20s were important in developing and understanding what I wanted to do with my life. What I wanted to work towards. I didn't want to waste another second not working towards my goals and aspirations.

The best time to figure out what your purpose is in your 20s, when you are barely an adult but no longer a child. But you can start anytime in your life. Here are the steps that you can take.

Start with identifying your core values

To develop and cultivate your purpose, begin with being honest with yourself. On a piece of paper, write down five words that you wish to live by. Five values you want to live by. Then, in the morning, write down how you will live by those values. And every night, reflect on if you did live by those values.

The point of this exercise is establish guiding principles that you can look back to and ask if you are living up to those standards. Reflection and iteration is key. Throw out what you find yourself not living by and keep what you are living by.

For me, my current five core values are: honesty, community, knowledge, grit, and creativity. Every day, I live by these values. I ask myself, every morning, how I can live by these values. And then, every night, I reflect on if I did live by these values. Was I honest with myself and those around me? Did I contribute and connect with my various communities? Did I learn something new today or add to my knowledge? Did I persevere and work through something difficult? Did I engage with my creativity? These are questions that I seek to answer to cut the chaff.

Again, reflection and iteration, every day, is key. It's a life-long process. What matters is that you are living with intentionality.

Tend to your passions and hobbies

Identifying your core values should lead to your passions. The hobbies that you like to do in your free time without any expectation of monetary gain. Hobbies and passions are what make life worth living, so it shouldn't be a surprise that tending to these things can develop a purpose in your life. Even if it's just for thirty minutes a day, feed that passion.

For example, my core value of creativity works with my passion for writing, illustration, and design. I make sure that every day I tend to my creativity by indulging in one of these passions, no matter how busy I am. By the end of the day, I didn't waste any time. I spent every minute either doing what needs to be done to keep myself alive and well, or feeding my passions.

Whatever your passions are, whatever gives meaning to your life and satisfaction, feed that passion and hobby. Take pleasure in the small things.

Connect with others

Once you find your passions, being able to connect with others becomes a lot easier. Find community where you share a common interest. Engage with other people where you already have something to talk about. Where conversation can flow without a hitch and ideas can be bounced off one another and the tricks of the trade can be shared.

My core value of grit led me to seek other women who were also interested in pushing themselves beyond what they thought they were capable of. Who sought excellence in all areas of their life. I found a community of women who would hold me accountable. And that, in turn, stoked my motivation and desire to keep feeding my passions and thus live up to my values.

Even if it's online, find community where your passions lie. Common interest will keep the momentum going and develop your purpose.

In summary

If you follow these steps, your purpose will come to light. It isn't easy. It will take some time. But anything as important as your purpose in life is worth it's weight in effort and time. Be patient with yourself. And don't be afraid to iterate over and over again until you find the reason why you get out of bed every day.

[sam-the-friendly-ghost]

Sam's Chats to the Void: ADHD

Disclaimer: This is about when my ADHD gets weird not like anything backed up by research, so PLEASE DON'T TAKE ANY OF THIS SERIOUSLY.

This one is very silly.

ADHD is WHACK. It's so funny to me how it's a disability, but not, but totally is.

I can go do whatever I want, but sometimes I just can't. This is sometimes due to deppresion meeting ADHD deppresive episodes, but also sometimes I'm doing just fine, and I can't anyways.

I have to charge my headphones. My headphones are next to me less than 5 inches from the charger, and I CAN'T DO IT. Me writing this is also me yelling at myself to JUST DO IT ALREADY IT'S BEEN 2 HOURS.

The rest of the day I've been doing super good. I MADE A FULL BREAKFAST WITHOUT EVEN NEEDING MY MEDS. I have been on top of everything, but charging some headphones, impossible.

This isn't the weirdest thing though. Sometimes my brain will just restart on me. Just like a computer any unsaved files are lost, but since it closes all the tabs I have had open for too long it starts running faster too.

What i think is the funniest thing though is how I always get motivation to create when I should be doing other things. Everyone who creates will understand the pain of getting brilliant ideas only when falling asleep, but for some reason I get mine when i have migraines.

To be fair I have migraines on an almost daily basis, but that doesn't explain why the rule is "the more pain I'm in, the better my ideas."

Another thing I've done because I have migraines, and ADHD that makes me get bored really quickly. I am pretty good at using my phone with my eyes closed using the blind person features. I can hardly understand what people are saying because of potential auditory processing problems, but I've learned how to navigate my phone by hearing verbal feedback from my phone.

Like why am I like this. It's so annoying it's funny. I make my life infinitely harder, but better at the same time.

Also my favourite part of being neurodivergent is messingwith them just slightly. I'll start navigating my phone to send them a text while staring at them just to confuse them. I'll tell them a fun fact that makes them rightfully question my sanity (ex: if vampires were real they would have to pee so much they would never be able to leave the bathroom to hunt, and therefore die out.)

Anyways here's the quick and silly ADHD themed chat with the void. Have fun, be cool, confuse people by being neurodivergent.

[meowk9]

How to Train Your Dog to Heel: Tips and Techniques

If you're a dog owner, you know that dogs are full of energy and love to play. However, when you're out for a walk, it's important that your dog understands the "heel" command. Training your dog to heel will not only make your walks more enjoyable, but it will also keep your dog safe. In this article, Meowk9 will go over some tips and techniques on how to train your dog to heel, including the benefits of the "heel" command, how to start training, and troubleshooting common problems.

Benefits of the "Heel" Command

Before we dive into training techniques, it's important to understand why the "heel" command is important. When your dog heels, they walk closely by your side, with their head even with your knee. This position allows you to control your dog's movements and keep them safe from any potential hazards on your walk. Additionally, training your dog to heel will help them learn impulse control and build a stronger bond with you.

Starting the Training

To start training your dog to heel, you'll need a few things: a leash, a collar or harness, and some treats. Begin by putting your dog on a leash and taking them to a quiet, distraction-free area. Start walking forward, with your dog on your left side. Hold a treat in your left hand and keep it close to your body. When your dog starts to pull ahead, gently pull back on the leash and say "heel." As soon as your dog is back by your side, reward them with a treat and lots of praise. Repeat this process, gradually increasing the amount of time your dog stays by your side before receiving a reward. It's important to note that training your dog to heel will take time and patience. You should also vary your training locations to help your dog generalize the behavior.

Troubleshooting Common Problems

If you're having trouble getting your dog to heel, there are a few things you can try. First, make sure that you're using high-value treats that your dog loves. You can also try changing your pace, walking faster or slower, to keep your dog engaged. Another common problem is when your dog starts to pull on the leash. To address this, stop walking and wait for your dog to come back to your side. When they do, reward them with a treat and start walking again. It's important to be consistent with this, so your dog learns that pulling on the leash won't get them anywhere.

Incorporating Play into Your Training

Training your dog to heel doesn't have to be all work and no play. You can incorporate fun games into your training to keep your dog engaged and motivated. For example, you can play "red light, green light" by stopping and starting as you walk, rewarding your dog when they stop with you. Another game you can play is "find it," where you toss a treat a short distance away and let your dog go get it. When they come back to your side, reward them with another treat and continue walking.

Conclusion

Training your dog to heel takes time and patience, but it's an important command to teach. Not only will it make your walks safer and more enjoyable, but it will also help your dog learn impulse control and build a stronger bond with you. Remember to use high-value treats, be consistent, and incorporate play into your training to keep your dog engaged and motivated.

FAQs

What is the best age to start training my dog to heel?You can start training your dog to heel as early as 12 weeks old.Can I train my dog to heel without treats?While treats are an effective training tool, you can train your dog to heel without treats by using praise and positive reinforcement.My dog keeps pulling on the leash, what can I do?When your dog pulls on the leash, stop walking and wait for your dog to come back to your side. Reward them with a treat and start walking again. Consistency is key to teaching your dog that pulling won't get them anywhere.How long does it take to train a dog to heel?Training time varies for each dog, but it can take a few weeks to several months to train your dog to heel consistently.Can I train my dog to heel without a leash?It's important to train your dog to heel on a leash first, for safety reasons. Once your dog has mastered heeling on a leash, you can start practicing off-leash in a safe, enclosed area. Watch Now: If Your Dog Could Text, They Would Say This https://youtu.be/aQIGhjKsmBw Read the full article

[moonlit-imagines]

Misbehavior (Part 1)

Jason Todd x batkid!reader

warnings:

a/n: tysm anon!!

prompt: anonymous: “Hello Lacey! Hope your doing great! Could I please request a bat family x batsis!reader where the reader is Kind of the middle child (I was thinking older than Damian but younger than Tim) and she’s always forgotten and in the back. Maybe some scenarios can be that no one listens when she talks or they forget to invite her to do stuff. So then one day she acts up in school like maybe punching someone for no good reason because she’s craving attention but instead of Bruce showing up to get her Jason shows up and he sees that she’s actually really sad and starts to question her until she tells him everything and maybe spills some tears and it ends with just Jason comforting her and cheering her up. Just some soft Jason for my soul! Also have a great day and I hope that you feel better and more motivated now after your break! 😘”

part 2

No matter what you did, none of your deeds went unnoticed. Good or bad.

You always heard how Dick was so independent, the one everyone should use as an example.

You always heard how Barbara could do it all, she never failed to impress.

You always heard how Jason was reckless, someone who needed to get his act together.

You always heard how Tim was such a prodigy, he was one of a kind.

You always heard how Steph was so determined, she had such amazing goals.

You always heard that Cass was perfect, they’d never change a thing about her.

You always heard that Duke was so strong, he’d never give up no matter what stood in his way.

You always heard that Damian was dangerous, a kid that needed to be guided.

But what about you? What did they hear about you? Nothing. No one ever spoke of you, they didn’t have the time. It seemed as if you were just unimpressive, there wasn’t one thing that needed to be mentioned. Stuck in the middle of a bunch of bats and birds, no way to stand out in the crowd.

Maybe not in a mask or a cowl, a dress or a suit, behind a computer or among the darkness, but there was one place you couldn’t be ignored...

You sat at your desk, picking at old tape with the tip of your fingernail. The teacher had nothing interesting to say, so what was the point of being here? What made Gotham Academy so special that you just had to attend this place?

The uniform was overkill, the classes went nowhere, the students were too preppy, and you didn’t have a single thing in common with anyone here.

Anger was starting to bubble inside you as you continued your internal self-loathing. Your mind was only focused on the negative, but it was shifting from school back to home.

No one was ever there for you, not even on patrol. You’d called for backup several times on missions and nearly lost it all when you had to go in alone. If it were anyone else, a teammate would have met them in a heartbeat.

Your plans were always overshadowed whenever you tried to set up a mission or even just a day off. You wanted cookies? Too bad, Tim wants brownies. You wanted to watch a movie? Too bad, everyone chose a TV show. It was the little things that irked you the most. Half the time, you never even got the memo.

And what about when you all come back from patrol with all sorts of injuries and Alfred comes to patch you up? Well, not you. He’ll run to check on cuts and scrapes. Meanwhile, you had a broken wrist and a black eye.

You’d finally run out of things to pick at around your desk which resorted in you tapping instead. There was a brief bit of zoning out as you remembered the time that Damian’s plan for evading Killer Croc’s attack was to push you in the way. Or the time that Jason hid his guns in your bed for reasons he didn’t care to explain. Or when Dick drank the last of the milk and didn’t tell you until after you poured your cereal. Or when Tim told you that you weren’t fit for the mission he had been planning. Or when Bruce blatantly ignored the story you told out of pure excitement, giving you nothing but a “sounds like you had fun.”

While you were in a horrible daze, you felt a hand on your shoulder that snapped you out of it faster than the Barry Allen. Without even evaluating the situation, your reflexes caused you to turn and twist your classmates arm backwards as he screamed.

“Hey! Stop, ow, that hurts! Stop! Stop it!” You processed his words too late and knew exactly what was coming next.

“Y/N L/N!” You teacher shouted as you drew your hand back. “Dean’s office. Right now.” Her sharp voice sent a chill down your spine, not even the Joker could do that. You’d be able to explain the situation pretty easily, you just didn’t want to make it worse. But there was one ankle that sent you off the edge. Another student tripped you on your way through the aisles, and that student caught a fist to the face. The audience gasped and shouting from your teacher ensued, but you didn’t listen, you’d take the punishment at this point. So you walked right out and headed for the dean’s office without so much as a hall pass.

“Mx. l/n? What’s this about?” Dean Williams was surprised to say the least, you’d never been sent in for discipline before. Was there a certain way to do this?

“Well, I zoned out and some kid behind me grabbed my shoulder, I accidentally twisted his arm.” You retold your story, the abridged version. “But on my way out I punched a kid in the face because he tripped me. That one’s on me.”

“...Well,” the dean frowned at his obligations, but had to go through with some kind of punishment, “I’m going to have to suspend you for physical contact with a student. I’ll call your father to come pick you up.” You shrugged and slouched back in your chair, giving up on any hope of talking your way out of this. It might as well just happen. You listened to the clicking of the buttons on the dean’s phone as he typed in the Wayne Manor phone number, obviously reaching Alfred almost immediately.

“Wayne Manor.” You eard his faint voice through the speaker.

“Hello, this is Dean Williams from Gotham Academy, may I speak to Mr. Wayne? I have his child in my office.” Your dean explained over the phone, peeking back at your for a split second. You were completely unbothered, it was baffling.

“Is it Damian?” You heard him ask, causing an involuntary eye roll.

“Y/N, actually.” There was a long pause before someone else picked up the phone. “Mr. Wayne, this is Dean Williams at Gotham Academy. I have y/n sitting across from me right now, they seemed to have gotten themself into a physical altercation with two separate students, I have no choice but to suspend them.” You heard a deep sigh over the phone, then the handheld piece was handed to you.

“Bruce?” You asked.

“Really? Fighting at school?” He sounded unimpressed. Nothing new, even when you do something new.

“Something like that. Whoops.” He hung up on you right after that, so you handed the phone back and told your dean, “Guess they’ll get me soon.”

“You call your father by his first name?” Dean Williams had nosily questioned.

“I’m adopted.” He obviously didn’t know you as well as your more troublesome sibling, it was time he just minded his business.

After a good thirty minutes of silent waiting while listening to keyboard clacking and papers flipping by the front desk, the office door opened, and to your surprise, it was one of your brothers.

“I���m here for y/n.” He mumbled, signing the piece of paper and showing his ID.

“Alright, Mr. Harper, I just have to check some paperwork really quick...” The receptionist went into your file and checked for your emergency contacts. “You’re all set. Now, y/n has been suspended for two weeks. I suggest you get to the bottom of their little ‘outburst’ before they’re able to come back to school.” It actually pissed Jason off to hear her say that.

“I’ll keep that in mind.” His sarcasm wasn’t subtle. “Come on, kid.” Your brother gripped your arm and led you out of the office, noticing your bitter expression that he couldn’t even rationalize. Was that normal? “So what happened. Bruce just told me to come get you.”

“Of course he did.” You rolled your eyes on the brink of tears, he didn’t even come to get you himself. Jason opened the car door for you and nudged you inside, slamming it once you were clear.

“You better have a good reason,” he warned as he started the engine, “I was in the middle of a poker game.”

“Oh, yeah, ‘cause I’m such an inconvenience.” You were starting to remind him of himself. That was never a good thing.

“Okay, my bad. I didn’t mean it like that.” Jason began speeding down the block, you’d never once seen him obey a speed limit. You’d think someone with a fake ID and a death certificate would want to avoid any run-ins with the cops, but Gotham was just one of those cities.

“Yeah, right.” You reached for the radio knobs and felt Jason’s hand wrap around your wrist.

“No music until you explain yourself.” You fell back into your seat to pout, muttering some curses under your breath. “I won’t tell Bruce or anyone. I swear.”

“I just zoned out. Reflexes.” You bluntly replied.

“What?” He still didn’t have any context to go off of.

“I twisted someone’s arm backwards. Honest mistake.” Jason knew there was more to this story. “But on my way out of the classroom, I punched this kid who tried to trip me. That was on him.”

“As much as I condone payback, you can’t do that at school.” He sighed. “You’ve never been sent home before. That I know of. So why now?”

“Yeah, you know, maybe that’s the issue? You couldn’t tell me if I’ve ever gotten in trouble before. None of you could. You couldn’t tell me a definitive thing about me. When’s my birthday, Jason?” He was at a loss for words. “That’s what I thought.”

“So this was all for attention?” Jason asked. “There’s a hell of a lot of better ways to go about that.”

“Tried them all, this one barely even worked.” You replied with a crack in your voice. “How come none of you care about me? Why am I always looked over? I’m just like the rest of you. I put on that stupid suit every night and kick ass, I get my job done, I get good grades, I’m resourceful, I’m special—” You’d let that last one slip in your rant to your older brother, it shocked him so bad he stopped the car.

“I know what you mean.” Jason stared straight ahead at the empty road. “I felt the same way when I came back. After everyone was used to me being back, it was like nothing ever happened. Bruce just went back to calling me careless, irresponsible.”

“At least you get noticed, Jason. Your identifiable.” You turned to him with a pained look and he risked his confidence to look you in the eye. Once he did, he couldn’t look away. It hurt him to see someone so familiar to himself have tears running down their face because they felt forgotten. No kid should ever have to feel like that. That was why Bruce took him in. That was how Jason became Robin.

“Fuck this.” Jason hit the gas and turned the car around. “We’re getting ice cream. Do you like ice cream? That’s a serious question.”

“I...I guess.” You were somewhat confused by his sudden literal change in direction.

“Good. You’re my kid for today, all my attention goes to you. I’m sure Bruce won’t notice if you’re gone for a few hours.” Jason’s jaw dropped at his last comment. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

“No, you’re right and you should say it.”

taglist: @thatwaspossession // @ravenmoore14 // @thisetaernallove // @kinoko-kai //

[defdaily]

‪[TRANSLATION] Arena Homme+ Magazine April 2021 Issue featuring JAY B

Translated by defdaily.

JAY B is free and starting again from scratch. That is what JAY B has in mind. GOT7’s leader announced that he would be leaving JYPE as the group stays together. JAY B is preparing to debut as a solo musician while planning to also release mixtapes and hold exhibitions as Def. We had a chat with JAY B, who has gained more freedom and strength, at the swimming pool about courage, depression, literature and aspirations.

Did you come here alone?

Yes. I took a taxi here. I was the type to go around freely even when I was in JYPE but catching the taxi to work this time around felt new.

All GOT7 members decided to leave JYP but stay together as a group. As a leader, you needed to make a decision, right?

Although we ended up leaving JYPE, we wanted to continue as GOT7. We all agreed to leave [JYPE] and try it between ourselves.The product made from me taking responsibility/taking charge was the single 'Encore’ that was released not too long ago. I was involved in the whole process with a new record label. I was happy to see a good response [to the single]. It was lacking in some areas but I was just very proud that we were able to show a different step. Since we showed through this single that “we did not disband”, what’s next is more important. When we left JYPE, Director Jung Wook mentioned "Your role as a leader starts now." I'm realizing it now.

”I wanted to learn everything about the process of releasing an album and how difficult it is. I wanted to start again from scratch.”

Your role as a leader actually starts now.

I used to find the role of a leader burdensome at times but now I feel a greater sense of responsibility. While supporting each person’s journey, I thought I needed to be the one to step up once we got back together. We also talk regularly in our group chat. Not long ago, Jackson went to China. When Mark went to the USA, I could see him off but when Jackson was leaving, we couldn’t be together because of a schedule. So I told him to have a safe flight, apologised for not being able to see him off and thanked him too. He replied saying he’ll take care and be back.

What motivated you to leave the large agency you've been working with for a long time?

The thought came to mind suddenly as we were promoting as GOT7. Am I taking all these benefits I get for granted? When a schedule is released I just do it, and when they ask me to confirm things I do, but what kind of long process has it gone through before it came to me? Who sends a request and how is it processed? Why am I only waiting until it reaches me and simply watching it unfold? I wanted to be directly involved in that process. I wanted to learn everything about the process of releasing an album and how difficult it is. I want to be humble and start from the bottom again.

Didn't you need the courage?

Of course I did. I was also afraid. My position has risen to all the way up here, but when it comes to my actual knowledge, I think I'm only down there. I was afraid that the difference would feel too big once I left the company. But I think I would have been more afraid if I stayed at JYPE. Since that difference would have grown bigger and bigger. My real self is here, so I should face it head-on a little faster. That's what I thought.

As JAY B or as Def. who releases mixtapes and holds exhibitions, you must have had the desire to do something new.

I want to do research and build it up step by step without haste. JAY B will show hip hop and RnB music that appeals to the general public and Def. will do activities that Def. wants to do. It could be mixtapes or exhibitions, or other different kinds of fictions. Def. is the nickname I used as a bboy before I became a trainee. It’s like air floating about freely. It could be house or soul or acoustic or even modern rock. In a way, you can say that Def. is close to my “main self” but since I debuted as JAY B, I’ll also show a devoted side of myself through JAY B. I want to be a person who can do both what he has to do and what he wants to do freely.

Listening to your mixtapes, and hearing that you like the styles of D’Angelo and Ray Charles, you seem to be attached to the Southern US rhythm and blues and soul music.

I do like them a lot. I like the entire hip-hop culture that originated from there. That culture also includes DJing, graffiti and even bboying. Since I started as a bboy, I would look up older videos to watch, study the culture and also look into what each dance move symbolizes, with my bboying crew and that's how I became fascinated. What captivated me the most was their obstinacy. I felt respect towards the conviction and obstinacy they carried with their culture.

Is that mood still incorporated in your music and dance?

Yes. For example, I don’t think choreography is dance. I think dancing is when music plays and you like the rhythm and start humming and bobbing your head and moving your body. I think dancing is a free act you do out of enjoyment.

What was the reason you joined an idol group after starting out as a bboy?

I gained an interest in music too, not just dancing. When I was young, I listened to D’Angelo’s music and wanted to become a singer like him. But I was rebellious when I first joined JYPE. Haha. I was even suspended for a month once as a trainee. I definitely said hello but they said I didn’t so they said "If you're going to be stubborn, then go home" and me with my young heart replied “Then I shall head home.” and left. Then I met up with my bboying crew after a long time, and in just a few months it turned into a different world. The crew members were above me and I was worried because I could feel myself far away by myself. Should I go back to bboying? Should I continue as a trainee? In the end, I wanted to do my very best in whatever I chose so I decided to focus on becoming a singer. Since I wanted to do music, it was a choice I made with no regrets.

You started as a dancer and ended up as a main vocalist. What was music to you back then?

It was a challenge. Trainees are divided into singing and dancing. I joined as a dancer but what I wanted to do was become a singer and not just do dance. But since I was put into the dancing division, I worked even harder with singing to break that prejudice. I often felt defeated. I still feel defeated with singing. Haha. But music is about endless research. Now it’s more about research than studying.

You grew up as an only child to your parents who did farming?

I was an ordinary kid. I enjoyed Haruki’s Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage and thought the “colourless” kid was just like me. I was a calm kid who helped his parents with their farm work. I don’t know if it’s because I don’t have any older siblings but they said I used to talk to myself a lot. My mother said there was a way she would know if I was home or not. If I was home, she would hear me talk to myself and be like “Oh really?” “Yes really” haha.

It’s extraordinary to read Haruki at that age.

There was an older friend that I knew and he was really cool. He looked really cool reading on the bus with his legs crossed. He said “Hey, Read a book and build up some knowledge.” As I was trying to be cool like him, I gained a favourite author and started reading more since I enjoyed it.

What kind of books do you like?

When I was a teenager I often read Kafka On The Shore. It felt like Kafka was just like me, and so while reading it, I even cried. The style of Murakami Radio was also interesting. The ending phrase “But I like that more…” was very witty. I’m collecting books from secondhand bookstores from authors who won the Young Author awards. I like Lee Jang-wook's short story Byeon Hee-bong. The main character knows the actor Byun Hee-bong, but the world doesn't know him. He would ask "Don't you know Byun Hee-bong from the movie The Host?" But no one knows. I like stories that don’t intend to be funny but they end up making me giggle.

What do you read these days?

I try to read poetry. I purchased and read the first volume that appeared on Moonji’s Poetry Collection, but it has too many Hanja characters. Haha. I started with Munhwak’s Poetry Collection. I have volumes 1 to 85. I also read poet Park Joon's collection of poems and poet Lee Eun-gyu's Affectionate Name. I even underlined and wrote things down.

Among the idols and musicians I’ve met, I think you are the most extensive reader.

We went on tours often and we would have a lot of time in my hotel room. When I went out I took pictures and when I stayed in my hotel room I read books. When I go on an overseas tour, I pack around 30 books in my suitcase. Then I bring back the books that left an impression on me, and those that didn’t sometimes I dispose of them there. These days, I look for independent publications too. I often look for independent publishing bookstores in Nakseongdae or Haebangchon. There are many books that contain honest stories that are not refined, and the power of those sentences is great.

How does reading influence your work?

The poetic expressions with poetic license help when writing lyrics. You read a new sentence and think “What is this expressing?” You receive inspiration from that image being expressed in a new way. I think of lyrics as poetry too. There are times I write how I feel honestly, but when I want to include a certain meaning I’d want to write the lyrics like poetry.

In your photo exhibition <ALONE> last year, you took pictures of objects and signs in the middle of the road.

Wouldn't it feel very lonely if you think about it from an object’s point of view? The camera captures just an instance but the object will stay there. I think each person has an insatiable loneliness. I like the artist Seonglib’s works, and I feel loneliness in his drawings. I don't know why I keep talking about loneliness, I guess I’m familiar with loneliness.

Seems like you take more pictures of objects and landscapes than people.

I don’t really like taking pictures of people. You can clearly see a person’s emotions in their eyes. I prefer hiding things rather than revealing them too much. I prefer objects, backgrounds, and natural objects rather than subjects that openly express 'It's me!'. Tranquil things, I like when you go past something and go “that’s how it was.” I try my best since my job requires being presented to people but that’s also how I am.

Who do you like as a movie director?

I like Woody Allen’s directing. My favourite is Match Point. It's a love story that goes beyond taboos, and it's electrifying. The face of the actor who secretly asks the reunited lover to give him her number remains in my memory for a long time. How could he direct such a real-looking, raw look in their eyes? When I was a theater and film major, I used to take directing classes rather than acting. If I were to direct a film, I would like to shoot an eccentric witty romantic comedy like Love Fiction directed by Jeon Gye-soo.

Are you self-conscious as an artist?

I’m interested in a variety of genres, and interact with crews often, but I think goofing off just because they are an artist is an arrogant attitude. Everyone is their own artist, no matter what they do, right? I'm not trying to be pretentious, I just think there's a difference in expression, and people who work in the office are also doing their own art. That’s why I’m a little shy about the title “artist.” Is there a need to be puffed up with pride because I’m an artist? I’m just a person.

While filming for “What's in my bag” and revealed your medications for depression and panic disorder. When did you face your depression?

I didn’t know I had depression. I thought I was being weak for a short while and let it pass. But on an occasion I got examined and found out I had depression. They asked how I lived by without going to the psychiatrist. I said I just thought I was the type to feel blue. Haha. I’m the type that doesn’t show [what is wrong] but they said I was in a state where I needed treatment. After going to counselling and taking medications, I’m much better now.

“I just wanted to talk about it. It may not show, but depression is both a common and dangerous illness.”

I think you’re cool for having the courage to talk about this.

I got diagnosed and looked at the people around me. There are friends who are ashamed of it and try to hide it, and there are friends who talk about it as if it’s insignificant. I just wanted to talk about it. It may not show, but it’s both a common and dangerous illness. A mental illness is an illness too. Among my fans, or those who read this interview, if there is someone who feels depressed, don’t be ashamed of it and I hope you receive treatment and overcome it. It’s not an embarrassing thing and it doesn’t need to be hidden. And I was filming content where I show what’s inside my bag; I can’t lie. I wish everyone would be healthy.

Are you bad at lying?

Yes. If I have to tell a lie, I think it’s just better to not say anything. Since I’m the type that’s honest and straightforward, I also don’t like beating around the bush.

Can you share a way one can take a step forward towards recovering from depression?

Look at the world in a broad view. Know that there are many places you haven’t been to yet and there are many things you haven’t felt yet. It's also good to take a walk and go off your usual route and take a path you've never been on. Small adventures can also be of great help. Just by leaving the house you’re already halfway there. I think there are more ways you can refresh yourself outside rather than inside. Also, I thought I was an honest person but after being diagnosed with depression, I thought I should be more honest with myself and more faithful to myself. At times like this, think of yourself before others.

What do you believe in?

I just believe in god. I don’t have a religion. I don’t know what kind of existence god is but I do believe that there is a god. When I’m thankful or am having a hard time, I pray. “Thank you.” “Please let me get through this wisely.”

What is the greatest motivation that moves you?

As long as I’m alive, I want to continue doing work that will leave a message. I believe that there is no next life. I think I should live this time diligently to the fullest. To have no regrets.

Translated by defdaily.

[myrulia]

omg hi >_<

i just saw your prompt event, congrats on the 600, you deserve more <3

could i possibly get 14? whatever genre you want, go all out, thank you so much :)

.｡.:*✧Prompt 14: "I dream of you almost every night, hopefully I don't wake up this time."

.｡.:*✧Warnings: Yandere themes, abduction, shibari

╰╴⇢｡.:*✧A/N: I'm just accepting one follower at a time, 600 is still a lot!

Every night, he would follow you.

Every night, he would put you out of harm's way from the shadows.

Every night, he desired you dearly.

Kokushibou, or better known as the Upper Moon One, has harbored feelings for you since he first saw you in your village one night, you walking without a care in the world despite other worldly creatures such as himself having the advantage. You were a human as well, so it was naturally wrong for a demon to develop feelings for the one thing he eats, no?

Of course, the demon has taken this into consideration, but each time he thinks of your face, a nostalgic wave hits him hard in the head, causing his senses to be knocked off for just a bit. Due to you being the cause of this, he wanted to get to the bottom of it as much as possible. 

This proved to be rather difficult.

Over time, the more he tried to figure out reasons as to why he felt this way when he saw your face, and everytime he would come in dangerous proximity with you, his feelings developed more and more to a feral lust of love. Love for you.

The day he found out about this was the day he was just a few feet away from you. Him being in a dark alley, and you walking down the pathway beside it. He got such a picture perfect view of your face and the warming smell of your scent that his addiction to you in general grew even more.

Kokushibou is indeed an honest man and will not deny that he has feelings for you, so now in that same realization, he also believes that you belong to him for those reasons.

He had watched over you so much and protected you without you knowing knowing he felt a sense of entitlement to having you - after all, he did do all of this when he is a man-eating creature bound to the night. He immediately thought that these sacrifices he made towards his goal was all the reason that he should achieve it.

The days that he spent without you near him made the male grow restless in his own skin as his mind wavered to you each and every time he tried to meditate for peace and resolve, but this also failed.

So without a second thought, tonight was the night that he would make you his, whether there were others there or not, his goal shall be achieved. 

He traveled swiftly so that the mission he set his eyes on since the beginning would finally come to an end before the sun rose, giving him a limited amount of hours of leisure time. So with that, it only motivates Kokushibou to move faster. 

Before he knew it he found himself in the same alleyway where he got the first full glimpse of your face, giving him that same warm - almost human like feeling within his undead heart. Just like before, as if the moment was replaying all over again, there you were walking down the same path, yet this time, you stopped.

You stopped and stared.

Kokushibou expected a scream of terror, but instead he was met with your dumbfounded expression.

`` Who are you? ``

You asked with such gentleness, moving closer towards the mysterious figure who was just as dumbfounded as you were, but something inside his nervous system edged him forward, his hand raising to touch you.

`` Who are you talking to, [Y/N]-san? ``

Before the demon could process his next choice of actions, his own body betrayed him by pulling you into the alleyway with him and into his chest. Your face only grew in more confusion, but a large hand covered your mouth before you could give voice to the situation.

`` [Y/N]-san? [Y/N]-sannn?? ``

The stranger's voice called out, but with no response, the human simply turned around in the opposite direction and went about their night as if nothing happened. Pulling his hand away slowly as said person leaves, Kokushibou turns his head and tilts his chin down to get a better look at your state, only to find you staring at his facial features with such enticement and curiosity in your eyes.

Seeing you in such ways sent the demon's feelings in disarray once more. It was as if he was in the past again, because standing before him, from over 400 years ago, was his former human wife. He looked around, lost in his own memory before your voice called out to him, bringing him from the small flashback.

`` Sir, do I know yo- hey wait! ``

Suddenly you were thrown over Kokushibou's shoulder and felt the chilled wind on your face as you moved with such speed out of the village that you were left utterly astonished. Yes, you did know that demons exist and their natural diet is humans, but something told you this one was different - and you were always raised to trust your judgement.

Although curiosity does kill the cat.

`` Where are you taking me? Who are you and why are you abducting me?! ``

`` We will be home soon. ``

That was all that came from the demon's lips, and just like that you found yourself in a massive building with rooms and staircases coming from every direction. Your eyes tripled in size, being truly taken aback by your new surroundings and how it seemed impossible to be true.

Kokushibou opened a door to a certain room in what he knew was the Infinity Fortress, setting you down on your bottom - but being quick in his moments he tied you up with a specific type of shibari you have not seen before. It was the type you had seen samurai use in the books provided by your caregivers, but the one before you looked nothing of the samurai you saw in your books.

The thing before you was unmistakably a demon.

A man eating-demon that now had you as its prey.

Beads of sweat formed on your forehead, doubting your judgement and kind spirit from the very beginning and even allowing yourself to become so easy of a target. You pushed yourself by your feet until your back hit a wall, skin trembling in fear at what your future holds. Kokushibou merely took slow strides in your direction, kneeling down and using his index finger to lift your chin up so he could examine your face better.

`` It is no mistake, you are meant to be here, my love from so long ago. ``

You jerked your head back, lips trembling to get any sort of words out, but as you got a visible view of the demon's fangs, worry set in your bones.

`` I have no cl..clue what you speak of, but we have not met before. ``

Kokushibou tilted his head ever so slightly to the side, moving so that his much bigger form was looming over your own.

`` You in this time period may not remember, but you from the past does. You have always been mine, and this has sealed it. Our fates tie together, my dear. ``

You had no idea what the man before you spoke of, but you too felt a nostalgic feeling as he grew closer and closer, although the fear that latched onto your nervous system would not let go.

Your breath hitched in your throat as his hand touched your cheek, your gazes never daring to tear away from each other. With your hands tied it was not like you could escape so easily, as well as your legs being tied together so that you could not run either. You were helpless and out of control of your situation, tears pricking your eyes at this fact.

`` I dream of you almost every night, hopefully I don't wake up this time. We will now be together again, my love, and nothing can change that. ``

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇

[xenia-cenia]

Xiao x Fem!Reader - Fall

A/N-I’m back and finally writing the scene I’ve planned for him for weeks, shoutout to riko on youtube for making genshin playlists which are carrying my motivation

You guys: please xenia make the characters have happier backstories

Me: haha traumatic childhoods go brrrr

Trigger/Content Warnings: implied suicidal thoughts, spider mention, kidnapping, trauma, death of minor characters 

Word Count: 1,669

Request: No

Summary: flying love confession but more dramatic this time

Stars fell from the sky and landed in his palm. His eyes glimmered in the infinite darkness. How long has he been in this void, the only light being the falling stars? The only sound being death thralls and screams for help?

Xiao was tired.

He wanted to be better, but he was tired.

Stars fell from the sky and struck through his ribs. They ripped his heart in two and pierced his lungs. Xiao was tired.

Xiao was tired.

He wanted to shut his eyes and see all of his friends again, to apologize to the lives he stole and hold himself tightly. He wanted to save himself. He wanted to be better.

Xiao wanted to sleep.

Stars fall from the sky and land in his hand. For the first time in centuries, he holds them to his eye and gazes into their lives. It was to satisfy his curiosity. A quick peek into them, then he’ll never look again. He promised himself this a million times.

Stars fall from the sky and show him something beautiful. Lights, cheers, and smiles. Xiao was tired. Xiao wanted to be better. Xiao wanted to be in the stars. He wanted to hold the stars and keep them safe.

Stars fall from his hands and shatter against the ground.

Xiao was tired.

“XIAO!” A panicked voice drew Xiao from his thoughts. How long has he been standing at this balcony? The sun had long since set. He gave himself half a second to think it over before grabbing his polearm and heading to the scared person.

He burst through the door, heavy breaths filling his chest as he surveyed the room. “(Y/N)?” Xiao called into the seemingly empty room.

“X-Xiao!” Your muffled voice came from under a blanket. You flipped the sheets down and looked at him with the biggest puppy eyes he’d ever seen, “There’s a... a spider.”

His shoulders relaxed and he sighed, “Where?” With a shaky finger, you pointed on the ground by Xiao's foot. Without a second of hesitation, he stomped on it and turned to leave, “Mortals fear the most common of things...”

“Wait!” You called. “Xiao!”

“What is it now?”

“I’m kinda freaked out...” You twiddled your thumbs over the blanket, “Can I sit with you on the balcony?”

Xiao grunted in response, stepping out of the way and holding the door open for you with an expectant yet frustrated look on his face. “I don’t want to talk.”

“That’s fine.” You nervously smiled and followed him onto the balcony. He walked to the edge and leaned on the railing, his eyes slightly widening as he gazed at the stars.

You followed loosely behind, always being sure to keep distance, and looked at the pools of water below Wangshu Inn. Twirls of water lapping against the shores, flickering flames fading into the sand, a serene peacefulness as you gazed into a world you’d never know.

Cool winds grazed your face, you shut your eyes and took a deep breath.

“Stop.”

“What?” You opened your eyes when you heard Xiao's stern voice, his eyes were half-closed with a glint of anger, it wasn’t until you felt the railing biting into your ribs that you knew what was happening.

“If you keep leaning like that, you’ll fall. And you can’t rely on me to catch you.”

You straightened your posture and sighed, “I’m sorry, I-”

He grunted and turned back to the stars. With a slight tilt of your head, you could almost imagine how many stars the adepti has seen through his life. Hundreds? Thousands? Did they shine brilliantly in his memory, or were they dimmed like todays were?

“Do you think the stars listen?” You asked without thinking.

He left his hand on the railing and turned to you, confusion lacing his expression, “What are you talking about?”

You paid his silent judgment no mind and continued, “The stars. Do you think they hear us? When we wish and cry and pray, do they listen?”

“The stars don’t listen, adepti do.”

A sad smile flickered on your lips as you reached your fingers towards the stars, “You’ve always been so hard to talk to, Xiao.”

“Don’t talk like you know me.”

“Sorry, sorry. I just want to blabber, honestly. Do you mind listening?”

He grunted softly, “Mortals and their...” he sighed, “Fine.”

You gripped the railing and took a deep breath, “When I was a kid, I was always terrified of the adepti.” You laughed uncomfortably as Xiao stiffened, “I know it’s not... well, it’s not what you really want to hear, is it? I wouldn’t want to hear that. But, I remember I was, ahhh, 12? 13? I was young. I was very young when it happened.”

Xiao turned away from you, his fingers digging into his arms as he bit his lip.

“I was taken hostage. I don’t remember most of it. But, I... I remember when they took me.” Your voice quivered, “They killed my parents in front of me. It was my fault, y’know. My parents were already unconscious and if I came willingly, they would have survived. I have no family left, and part of me is thankful. I don’t think I could look any of them in the eyes and explain what happened that night. How their baby girl killed them.”

“Did you turn the blade on them?”

“Xiao, I-”

“Did you turn the blade on them? If not, it wasn’t your fault. You said yourself, you were a child. Would you blame a child for the failings of adults?”

“...no.”

“Then why are you blaming yourself?”

You sighed, “Xiao, you’re a... you’re a really nice guy.”

He flinched, “You should sleep. Mortals have weaker bodies.”

“O... okay. Goodnight, Xiao.” You called after him as he walked away. After he left your eyesight, you looked back towards the water, sighed, and went to bed.

You spent hours tossing and turning in your bed. In frustration, you leaped out of bed and walked down Wangshu Inn, stopping only at the shoreline so you could dip your toes in the water and relax.

With the splashing waves and your pounding heart, you couldn’t hear the footsteps crunch on the sand behind you. You hadn’t had the time to process what was happening until you felt yourself lose consciousness.

Dripping water.

Flickering candles.

Harsh wind.

You opened your bleary eyes and pulled yourself up. Where were you? What happened? The room you woke up in was small, with one bed, a door, and a window. With shaky steps, you walked to the door and pulled.

A sharp blast of electricity ran through your palms, you recoiled in pain and took a step backward as tears began to blot your vision. With an angry growl, you glared at the door and stumbled over to the window.

You felt your eyes widen as you looked down. Miles of bricks and dirt leading to ground you couldn’t see.

The door behind you opened, you spun and saw a woman with white hair and piercing blue eyes. She looked you up and down, her eyes scanning you in a way that gave you chills, and smiled sweetly.

“Welcome, dear.”

“Wh...what?”

“Do you know how hard you are to track down? Years and you seem to escape our grasp each time. It’s quite tiring, dear, I was just about ready to give up.”

“Years?” You echoed in a breathy voice.

“Years.” She confirmed. “Truly, I don’t know why we keep going after you. But the Princess gets what she wants. Ah, how she’s wanted you to join us for years.”

“What Princess?”

“Oh.” Her eyes flared, “The Princess of the Abyss.”

“I-I have no idea...”

“What I’m talking about? They never do.” She stalked towards you, “Even now, I can sense the power inside of you.”

You pressed yourself against the window and felt your heart rate increase.

“I wonder what lies below your skin. What oozes from your veins.” She hummed, her voice low as she spoke, “I’d love to see.”

“I...” Your throat was dry as you attempted to reply. She stepped towards you, her arms on either side of your head, a polite smile on her lips. “I don’t...”

“It’s quite beautiful outside, isn’t it?” She pointed behind you and gazed at the night sky. “I’ve always thought the night was a bit boring, however, tonight seems to shine.” She leaned down and whispered into your ear, “I wonder if your fear is what makes them so brilliant?”

“Th... them?”

She laughed suddenly and loudly as she pulled away, “Oh, the stars of course!”

“The stars...” your voice fell quiet.

The woman crossed the room and smiled at you, “Well, darling, you should rest. You have a very busy day tomorrow.” She grabbed the door and grinned as electricity pulsed through her skin, a bounce in her step as she opened the door and left you alone.

You turned towards the window and took a deep breath. You pulled yourself onto the ledge and stood up. Slowly and shakily, you turned to face the window, clasped your hands in front of your chest, and let yourself fall.

“Xiao,” you whispered as you fell. “I hope you were lying.”

Stars fall from the sky and grab his attention. He breaks into a sprint and is long gone before anyone can recognize what happened.

Xiao was tired.

Xiao wanted to be faster, but he was tired.

Stars fall from the sky and cry.

Stars fall from the sky and talk to him on his lonely nights.

Stars fall from the sky and smile.

Stars fall from the sky and trust him.

Stars fall from the sky and call him good.

Xiao was tired.

Xiao wanted to save the stars. Xiao wanted to be better than he ever was.

Stars fall from the sky and Xiao hears himself scream.

Stars fall from the sky and he prays that he’s fast enough.

Stars fall from the sky and he takes heavy breaths.

Stars fall from the sky and land in his arms.

Xiao was fast enough.

“You idiot.” He growled as he landed, his hands curling around you, “What happened?!”

You laughed nervously and threw your arms around him in a tight hug. “You caught me.”

“It’s my duty.” He hadn’t realized he was hugging you back until his hands connected with the soft clothes you were wearing. “I’ll...” he stopped himself. Was he really about to say that? No. 

You pulled away from the hug and swiped your thumb under his eyes, “Please, don’t cry.” You spoke in a trembling voice.

“What? I’m not-” he shifted your weight to one arm and felt his eyes. “Oh.”

As Xiao gazes into your smile, his heart rate settles and he couldn’t deny the sense of calm. “I’ll always catch you if you fall.”

Stars landed in his arms and blush.

Stars landed in his arms and say ‘I love you.’

Xiao was awake.

Xiao was fast enough.

Xiao was good enough.

Xiao was enough.

Xiao smiled softly, “Mortals... always so dramatic.” He leaned forward and kissed your forehead, “I could get used to it.”