#and already trying to reduce everything outside the necessary tasks

[faeriefully]

first week of classes done… pray for me

[calebslittlecrow]

Take Action (or: why we have methods) Alrighty, so, ever noticed how we've been raised with this idea that if you want something, you gotta work for it? No shortcuts, no freebies getting handed out after a certain age - just hustle and pure grind. And the bigger the goal, the more effort you need to put in. - Want to get a good job? You really need to get those good grades. - Want to get good grades? Say goodbye to your free time, hanging out with your friends will be a distant memory and you need to study as if your life depends on it. - Want to own a house? Well, lets hope you enjoy working ridiculous hours and saving every penny for years to come. Then, you step into the wonderful world of manifestation and shifting, and suddenly people tell you - “Oh, you don’t actually have to do anything! Just trust and let it happen.” And your brain? Immediate confusion. Error message. What did you say? Just do nothing? Huh?

After spending your whole life on the effort=results train, the idea of "just trusting" and "needing to do nothing" just feels wrong, in a way. You try to shift, try to just be in the feeling of your DR, and your brain starts short-circuiting all over the place: - Am I doing this right? - Should I be doing more? - Wait... am I doing TOO much??? Send help x.x And sometimes, depending on who you ask for help with that, you will get the classic "just stop overthinking it!". Ah, yes. Never thought about that. Just... let me hit that "no overthinking" switch in the corner real quick 🙃 Well, for some that advice can help of course, but for others it is easier said than done. A Helpful Trick To Reduce Overthinking: Give Your Brain A Task

Unlearning the mindset of needing to do something? Yeah, that can take forever to change. The second kicker? A lot of people don't even realize they have this mindset. It's just that deeply embedded in the way we think that it feels incredible natural. But guess what, my besto friendo? You don't necessarily need to unlearn this mindset. You just kinda... need to put your brain at ease. Instead of forcing yourself to be suddenly okay with "doing nothing and still expect results", you can show and tell your brain: "Hey, we took action! We did the thing! That means we will shift, because action=result!"

That's why shifting methods exists (outside of giving you the feeling of being in your DR). Not because you need them to shift (spoiler alert: ya don't), but because it helps tricking your brain into feeling like it has done its job. And when your brain believes that, it relaxes instead of overanalyzing everything. If you think about it - your brain just wants to check something off a list. It doesn't even really care what the fuck you do, as long as you can say afterwards "we did it, and we will get what we want". It Isn't about the method or what makes you shift, it's about confidence and convincing yourself that it is working, no matter what. At the end of the day, your thoughts and assumptions shape your reality. Your brain doesn't make you shift, but it's like the middleman to your subconscious, which does play a role in shaping your experience. If your brain is hardwired to believe that some kind of action is necessary, then give it that. Even if it's just the tiniest, most random thing out there. Do it, and then fucking own it. Be confident (or very stubborn) in trusting that it will happen. You did something, so something has to happen in reaction to that. That is how it works, right? And if your brain starts overthinking again, just remind it that you already did the task necessary and to kindly shut up <3

(Obligatory "this doesn't apply to everyone, if it resonates great, if it doesn't, also good" °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°)

[bewiiitched]

Sex doll (chapter seven)

WARNINGS: MDI, +18, alcoholism, violence, angst, a little of power background, fluff, smut, soft!Worst!Logan, P in V, creampie, age gap (reader mid 20's)

///////

It is only the background noise that ends up waking the mutant, and at first he sits up somewhat alarmed until his gaze travels to the end of the hallway, where the light in her bedroom is on and he can only assume that she is getting ready to go to work when his gaze focuses on the clock hanging on the wall, the fact that the room is in darkness is not a problem for him, since his senses adapt to the lack of light and he ends up deciding to sit up as well.

But the sound of the shower catches his attention and he grimaces, she is running late. He realizes this, since the light begins to filter through the curtains on the terrace.

She storms out of the room, her hair still wet and her uniform half-fixed, struggling to put on her apron, she walks blindly after turning off the light in the room so as not to wake him, her hand groping for her bag that she had left on the counter but she can't find it.

"Are you looking for this?" He mumbles, throwing the bag in her direction, the lack of light makes her not react in time, and it hits her abdomen but she catches it in time before it falls to the ground. He hears her curse under her breath.

“Did I wake you up?” she asks, rubbing the sore spot as she turns on the light, watching him close his eyes with a grimace, blinded by the sudden illumination. Logan groans, trying to adjust and lies back down on the couch, his gaze traveling to her but he doesn’t answer and sees her sigh, ending up putting the necessary things in the bag.

“Are you coming over tonight?” she asks, and out of the corner of her eye she can see a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

//////////

The bar doesn't always close with him inside, sometimes he waits outside after closing time, but on this occasion, she hasn't even seen him all afternoon and it's been more than a quarter of an hour since she should have closed but there is still the same group of men who had arrived hours ago and were still getting drunk, some sitting at the bar while she was busy cleaning the tables and she had already wiped down the pool table only for them to use it again a while later.

Disguising her frustration was not an easy task, and the temptation to talk to his boss about reducing her hours was starting to sound better and better, one would think that she would have managed to control herself with months she had spent on the project, under Francis' supervision, but the reality was that everything had gone quite downhill since her desertion, trauma and containment surfacing even years later.

Logan's addition to her life had been chaotic, comforting too, but there was still a part of her that was reluctant to the closeness she was taking with him, as he had even opened up to tell her things about his past in his dimension and she had barely detailed her life.

The sound of breaking glass makes her raise her head abruptly, squeezing the cloth in her hand until her knuckles turn white and she only has to breathe slowly as her only option, out of the corner of her eye she sees the broken bottle of cheap alcohol they had ordered, and she gets up to reluctantly go get the broom and mop, she still hears them talking in a mix of screams and laughter about the situation.

It’s hard not to look at the clock as she approaches them to clean up the mess, and her patience begins to wear thin when one of them snatches the broom away from her under the pretense of cleaning up the mess, she barely has time to reprimand him under her apologies when she feels a hand on her forearm and instinctively her body tenses, holding back her powers.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart, I wouldn’t want a pretty little thing like you to get hurt.” His grip is shaky from all the alcohol in his system, but that doesn’t stop him from tightening to the point of pain as she reluctantly struggles, wrinkling her nose at the smell that could almost make her drunk as well. The laughter intensifies and she begins to see red when she feels his fingers brushing through her hair with the hand that’s not on her, her power kicking in and enhancing her reflexes along with her senses.

“Get your fucking hands off of me. ” She hisses through her teeth, and she can feel the lingering tingle of her power but they keep laughing, and in the background her phone is ringing, the call waiting to be answered, when he roughly pulls her closer, and his hand travels to her jaw trying to kiss her.

It’s not like they could register it with all they’d had to drink, but the movement is fast and her hand connects with his cheekbone with such force that his head snaps to the side and he goes back a few steps, staggering and dazed. Angered by the idea of ​​involving her powers, her breathing is labored. “Everyone out.”

It’s all she says, and the laughter stops when the rest hear him curse, the mark of her hand red and prominent on his cheek as they drag him out ignoring his tirade and insults, their gazes travel to each other, suddenly in a hurry to leave.

She hears the jingle of the bell and strides to the door locking it, a frustrated cry leaving her mouth as she grabs a bottle from the shelf and the taste of alcohol makes her shudder, the burn in her throat familiar and she can feel the tickle turning into a sharp pain, her powers begging to be released on someone other than herself and when she looks at her hands there is a persistent tremor.

Humans had never been a threat to her, not when they were so weak to pain and so susceptible to pleasure. Even most mutants eventually gave in, except for those like Wade or Logan where the temporary solution was to keep them paralyzed and even then the disadvantage of their regenerative factor was too much.

She swallows, bringing the bottle to her lips again and feels everything spinning at the thought that she could have lost control,

She is more than halfway through the bottle when her gaze travels to the clock, more than half an hour since it should have been closed and it is not until almost another half hour later that she finally arrives at the apartment after having finished cleaning completely.

(...)

The darkness welcomes her and it is not difficult for her to notice the second heartbeat in the house and its characteristic aroma when her senses are still accelerated despite her attempts to calm down she still remains in a loop, the alcohol does not do much to numb her.

Part of her hopes to get to the bedroom without waking him, trying to avoid the situation this morning, but as she slowly closes the door sideways she realizes, thanks to the moonlight that enters through the curtains, that he is quite awake.

“Damn it, Logan. ” she grunts, feeling her heart skip a beat when she sees his gaze fixed on her. But he shifts his attention to the clock on the wall and then back to her.

He doesn’t say anything because he senses her annoyance in waves, enhanced senses or not, her expression is filled with frustration and he shares it, part of him feeling responsible for not having accompanied her in whatever happened. The smell of alcohol doesn’t go unnoticed either, which adds another layer of complexity because up until now he had never smelled it on her until after the day was over, which makes his suspicion grow.

“I called you.” It’s all he says, his tone cautious as he watches her undo her apron and leave it on the chair. Her guilty look lets him know that she hadn’t even looked at her phone and he runs a hand over his face, pushing back the hair that bothers him. “Doll.”

She sees him sit up out of the corner of her eye, causing her to shudder. The smell of alcohol can be mixed with the aroma of that group of idiots, but the handprint on her forearm is still present.

“I’m fine, I was just late cleaning up.” she answers, and her tone would be enough to stop the conversation, but Logan has never doubted his senses and the way he approaches makes her curse under her breath when his hand closes on her wrist, extending the arm that was marked.

There is a low growl that makes even her recoil, and for a second he says nothing, raising his darkened and questioning gaze.

“Leave it be-” she begins, looking at him with a mixture of exasperation and tiredness.

“Fuck it. What the hell happened?” He asks, with clenched teeth and she twists her wrist, managing to get away, making him frown.

“There was this group of drunks, but I'm fine-” His gaze flickers between her and the room, lost in his annoyance and this time it's her who grabs his chin. “Logan, I'm fine. I'm just angry that the situation could have gotten out of hand.”

As if it were possible his brow furrows even more and she can see the gears in his head turning, studying the workings of her powers. His fists clench and his pupils widen, getting rid of the green in his eyes.

“Did you use your powers?” he asks, and he sees her tense, her lips turning into a thin line.

“No. I just-” she cuts himself off, swallowing. “I could have killed him. If he'd managed to kiss me, I could have killed him.”

Somehow his gaze softens he can feel her anguish and although the fact of what had happened echoes in his mind, his hand travels to her face and rests on her cheek. “But you didn't. ”

He whispers and he can hear the beginnings of a broken laugh dying down, turning into a grimace, disgust and self-loathing written all over her face.

“I never learned to control them. Shit, even using them on myself was kind of accidental...” She speaks, almost tempted to pour herself more alcohol. Still standing she watches him lean against the side of the couch.

“Ever since they activated I could never really stop them. ” She gulps, avoiding eye contact. “Physical contact was enough to harm someone.”

The information makes Logan tilt his head, his eyes narrowing in interest and she gives him a weak smile when she can see him opening his mouth to speak.

“I thought you said you needed to share fluids.”

She answers with a light hum, getting up to grab a bottle of alcohol that she finishes emptying before throwing it in the trash. “It's true in a way, the state in which my powers were developed only allowed me to stimulate the nervous system of others, but it was not something I could control, any stimulus I could inflict was like being electrocuted at high intensity. It didn't matter if it was pain or not, the nervous system couldn't handle it and went into shock, or cardiac arrest.”

She explains, and takes another sip, licking her lips with a look of concern. “I can't even control the intensity now. But the only solution I found was to suppress them. So many times that it finally affected me, and I don’t know if it was adaptation or just something meant to happen, but something changed in my nervous system. My senses, my reflexes improved, and I could even decide whether to feel pain or not. But after that, my powers only worked through the fluids. It’s the only way I found a balance.”

His gaze seems to consider the situation, and there is a hint of caution in her gaze when she sees him approach. Even when he grabs her chin and runs his thumb along her lower lip. “Kiss me.”

She doesn’t remember ever hearing him speak so softly, despite the request, she takes a step back abruptly shaking her head and looking at him with wide eyes. But she finds the edge of the counter colliding with her back. “You have no idea what you’re saying.”

Her voice comes out sharper than it should and she crosses her arms over her chest defensively, her heart hammering hard at the thought.

“The risk of your powers is no different than the one you run by being around me.” He replies, causing her to roll her eyes.

“Why? Why do you have regenerative factor? What exactly are you trying to prove?

God, you don't control them in your sleep, I can never control them. The only solution I found is to switch between stimuli and even then...”

“And you don't have one. I could have killed you any of those nights.” He growls, reaching out again and grabbing her arm, his other hand traveling to the back of her neck. “Do you trust me?”

“I trust you. But I don't trust myself the same way you do. ”

Before she finishes, his lips are on hers, and her protests are muffled, her hands traveling to his chest as they both feel the same tickle, but her hands clench into fists and her breathing pauses as his grip loosens, but still holds.

“You’re not using them.” He murmurs as she pulls away.

“That doesn’t mean I can control them. It’s not a risk to you or Wade, but the rest...”

“No one will ever get that close.” he murmurs, trying to reassure her and she doesn’t need any more words to know that he’s going to become a permanent customer. “Let’s go to sleep.”

Her doubt turns to confusion as she looks up, and her brow furrows into caution.

“I thought you said it was dangerous.”

He hums, wrapping an arm around her waist before kissing her again, pulling her closer to him as his other hand trails up her abdomen. “I changed my mind.”

Their kisses continue all the way to the bedroom, and he doesn’t bother turning on the light as he watches her slump back onto the mattress and wastes no time in grabbing her thighs. With the reminder that it’s her uniform, he reluctantly lets her strip before cornering her figure back against the mattress.

“Logan.” She pants, his caresses enough to dampen her underwear as his hands roam her body. He's being so mindful.

And unlike all the other times, there’s no rush or need, he simply takes the time to admire her even though a smile tugs at his lips when he notices the scent between her legs. “Don’t tease me…”

She whispers, but her voice loses strength as his hand cups her intimacy and he hovers over her with his nose running down her neck as he leaves a trail of kisses all the way to her ear. “We’re just getting started.”

A soft huff escapes her lips, and she wraps her arms around his neck. “I want you.”

She protests and watches as his eyes darken, it takes an effort to contain himself and remind himself that he’s decided to make her feel good first, but the way she looks at him makes his pants tighten. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Part of him has grown accustomed to her teasing and her gripping, the way they both fight for control until she’s decided it’s enough and she lets himself go. But it’s not like he can complain about the way now all that comes out of her mouth are pleas and moans.

Her legs wrap around his waist as if at any moment he might slip away while her hands are quick to undo his shirt and send it flying across the room before grabbing his face and kissing him again.

As his touch intensifies it is she who takes control of the kiss and her moans are muffled when she feels him pull her underwear aside and hears the metallic sound of the buckle, a wave of adrenaline runs through her and she lightly bites his lower lip before pulling away.

Her gaze drops, and she barely has time to see his erection still in his underwear when his lips are on her throat, by inertia raising her head back she can feel his cock resting against her inner thigh before the tip brushes her entrance, soaking in her excitement first as he moves up and down opening her lips, the touch against her clitoris causing a shiver to run through her.

“Put your hands on your head.” He murmurs, and doesn’t hide his smile as she complies, almost imagining her response if the situation were different. Despite her arousal and the way she grips him, he takes care to push in slowly in the absence of foreplay, and a moan escapes her mouth as she pulls him roughly into her, the tease on the tip of his tongue that he doesn’t quite get to say out loud.

“Logan.” She moans, relief written all over her as he shoves herself all the way in. And she doesn’t need to say anything else for him to start moving, one of his hands closing on her wrists and his thrusts soon gaining depth despite the slowness. The moans in his ear send a shiver through him and his grip tightens as he tries to hold back, every fiber of his being resisting to fuck her until she’s a senseless mess beneath him.

She’s not far off when his mouth catches her nipple and he hears her gasp, his free hand catching her other breast before pinching it, feeling it harden between his fingers, his hand squeezing it as his tongue wraps around the other.

“Please.” She moans, and the desperation in her voice makes him close his eyes, he can feel her walls clench around him and his hand moves down to her clit, his thumb making circular motions as he feels her release and bend her legs on either side of his hip. “F-Fuck, please let me come.”

There’s no part of him that wouldn’t let her do it, but he decides to shut up and his thrusts become rougher when he feels her tremble around him and he can feel his own release approaching. “Do you want it that bad?”

“Yes! ” she can feel the familiar tug in her abdomen, building up but not enough and he would continue to tease her if it weren't for how his own member was beginning to throb, not wanting to cum without feeling her.

Tightening around him, two fingers press against her clit in upward strokes as he enters her until his balls are pressed against her hip. “Come on, kid, cum for me.”

Her body inevitably tenses and he presses his lips together, swallowing his moan as her walls trap him, and he’s quick to follow, filling her while still feeling the spasms of her orgasm.

Her breathing is still labored as she feels him brush her hair away from her face, pulling out of her. “Better now?”

He whispers, and with the way he looks at her, she’s not sure whether to make the worst sexual comment that will put Wade to shame, or kiss him until he sees if he might die of asphyxiation.

“It would be better if you stayed to sleep next to me.” Is what she actually says, watching him get off of her and place himself, indeed, next to her.

//////////

Taglist: @bontensbabygirl @twinky-wink

[hollowmem]

Stand by their brother

GN! Reader and Vladimir Makarov

I decided to take on a 2 week challange that may or may not extent to a month, we will see. I will be posting everyday, a new story with a prompt I will get for that day

Day 6: Makarov sibling, who will always help their brother

The city was on edge, every street corner carrying whispers of soldiers and covert ops. Y/n moved through the shadows, blending in with the crowd, staying low. Information was everything, and they had to gather it all — names, locations, movements.

Everything pointed to one thing: Makarov was here, and he was a ghost they were hunting.

By the time the sun set, they had everything they needed. Y/n slipped through the narrow back alleys, their senses sharp, eyes scanning every corner. The abandoned church at the edge of the city — a relic of a forgotten past — was the rendezvous point. They knew it well.

Inside, the air was thick with dust, the once holy space now reduced to a shadow of its former self. It was the perfect hiding place — quiet, hidden, and forgotten. Just like Makarov liked it.

As Y/n entered, they saw him immediately.

Leaning against a cracked pillar, his presence filled the room with a kind of cold authority. Makarov. Their brother.

He straightened when he saw them, his eyes meeting theirs with that familiar sharpness. No words were necessary. They had always understood each other without speaking.

Y/n passed him the folder, their fingers brushing for just a brief second as you did. The information they'd gathered was crucial: troop movements, safehouse locations, and most importantly, intel on the Task Force 141’s movements.

"They’re tightening the noose," Y/n said quietly. "They know you’re here."

Makarov’s lips curled into a faint smile — one that never quite reached his eyes. "Let them come," he replied, voice low but confident. "They’ll find nothing."

Y/n glanced at him, trying to read his expression. "You’re taking too many risks."

He shrugged, unfazed. "I’ve always taken risks. It’s what keeps them guessing."

Y/n didn’t argue. They never did. They knew him better than anyone. The mind behind the chaos. The one who always had a plan, even when there seemed to be no way out.

But Y/n also knew how dangerous it had become. Task Force 141 was relentless. They weren’t just after him — they were after them too.

Before they could say anything else, a sharp noise cut through the air. Their heart raced as the hairs on the back of their neck stood up. Something was wrong. A footstep? A rustle of clothing? It was too faint to be a coincidence.

They both froze.

Then, the shot rang out.

The impact hit the stone wall beside them, sending debris flying. Without hesitation, Makarov grabbed their arm and pulled them low. Y/n hit the ground hard, instinctively rolling behind an old pew for cover.

From outside, they heard the muffled sound of boots on gravel — heavy, deliberate. Task Force 141.

"Move!" Makarov ordered, pulling Y/n toward a side exit.

They followed without question, their pulse pounding as they ran through the ruins of the church. Every step felt like it echoed through the night, and the air felt thick with danger. Y/n couldn’t help but feel like they were running out of time.

But Makarov was always one step ahead. He knew the city like the back of his hand. And he had an escape route ready.

The moment they stepped into the alleyway, they heard the shout too late.

"Down! Don’t move!"

Before you could react, a strong arm grabbed them from behind, pulling them into the dirt. Y/n struggled, but it was no use. The soldiers of Task Force 141 were on you, fast, efficient, and brutal.

Y/n caught one last glimpse of Makarov, already a blur of movement, disappearing into the night. He was gone, and they were left behind.

They didn’t waste any time. The ground was cold beneath you, and the harsh lights of Task Force 141’s equipment made their vision blur. Ghost, the man with the skull mask, was the first to approach them, his cold gaze never leaving their face.

"You’re going to tell us where he went," Ghost said, his voice a low growl.

Price moved in, towering over them, his jaw clenched. "Where’s Makarov?"

Y/n locked eyes with him, refusing to show any fear. "I don’t know."

Soap sneered from the side. "Cut the crap. You were with him. You’re not getting out of here until we know where he is."

Y/n swallowed hard, but their resolve didn’t waver. They didn’t know where he had gone. They hadn’t been told, and Y/n wouldn’t betray him. Not for anything.

"Where did he go?" Price pressed again, his voice more forceful now.

"I told you," Y/n said through gritted teeth. "I don’t know."

They didn’t believe them. Soap moved in closer, grabbing their jacket and yanking them forward, his eyes wild with frustration.

"Stop lying!" he snapped. "You’re wasting our time."

Y/n kept their mouth shut. They could threaten you all they wanted. Y/n would never give them Makarov’s location. Not if it meant their death.

The minutes felt like hours as they questioned them, tried to break you with threats, harsh words, and rough handling. Ghost and Soap took turns. Price stood back, watching carefully. But they gave them nothing. No slip. No crack. Just silence.

They tried everything — asking about the safehouses, about contacts, about routes. Y/n spun a web of lies, each one more elaborate than the last. They told them about old hideouts that had been abandoned for weeks, about fake escape routes that led to dead ends, about allies who were long gone.

Each lie Y/n fed them bought Makarov a little more time.

Time passed, but they didn’t break. Y/n could feel their frustration mounting, but they held their ground. Task Force 141 didn’t know the truth. They didn’t know Y/n was buying Makarov the chance to slip further away from their grasp.

And that was all that mattered.

The minutes stretched, each one a test of their patience, their resolve. The cold ground beneath Y/n seemed to seep into their bones, but Y/n barely noticed. The lights from Task Force 141’s equipment cast harsh shadows on the surrounding alley, highlighting the frustration that was mounting on their faces. They were growing impatient. Y/n were growing more determined.

Soap was the first to break. His temper had clearly run out of leash. He grabbed Y/n again, shaking them violently. "Stop lying! You think we’re gonna let you play this game forever? Where is he?"

His hands were strong, bruising. But you refused to let any sign of weakness slip through. You didn’t answer. They couldn’t.

Ghost moved in closer this time, his skull mask seemingly more menacing under the stark light. He knelt in front of you, leaning in so close you could feel his breath, cold and sharp. "You want to keep pretending you know nothing? We’ve been through this for too long. But don’t mistake this for a game."

"I don’t know where he is," Y/n said flatly, the words escaping their lips like a shield, though Y/n could feel the tension in their muscles. "And that’s the truth."

Price's jaw tightened, his eyes burning with frustration as he stood off to the side. "Time’s running out," he said, his voice steady but laced with anger. "We’ve searched every inch of this city, and you’re our only lead. You really want to die for this?"

His words hung in the air, sharp and accusing. Y/n could feel the heat of their anger, their desperation, pressing down on them. They weren’t just looking for answers anymore, they were looking for a reason to make them break. To make them talk.

But Y/n didn’t flinch. They wouldn’t give them what they wanted. Makarov was their brother, and nothing, not even death, would make them betray him.

Y/n met Price’s gaze without hesitation. "I’m not afraid of you."

For a long, tense moment, no one spoke. Soap stepped forward, his frustration boiling over. "We’ve been wasting time" He spat, his eyes wild with impatience. "You think we don’t know you’re with him? Don’t play coy. We’ve seen your kind before. You won’t get away with this."

Y/n locked eyes with him, and though the threat was real, their mind was already elsewhere. They knew the game. They had to hold out just a little longer. Every second they kept them talking was another second Makarov had to disappear into the night. Y/n weren’t about to let them take that away from him.

Ghost’s hand gripped the front of Y/n jacket, pulling them closer to him, his voice quiet but cutting. "Stop pretending you don’t know where he went. It’s not a matter of if we find him. It’s when."

Y/n felt his words pierce their resolve, but they refused to break. "You think I’m lying? Then you’re wasting your time." They could hear the calmness in Y/n's voice, though their heart was racing. "I told you — I don’t know where he is."

Price watched you closely, his eyes calculating, as if waiting for a slip, for any crack in their facade. He took a step closer, his boots scraping against the gravel, his towering frame casting a long shadow over them. "You really want to die for him?" His voice was almost a whisper now, but it cut through the air like a blade. "Because we’ll do whatever it takes to get him. And if you stand in our way, you’re not going to make it out of here."

Y/n didn’t answer. They couldn’t.

But they didn’t need to. They weren’t going to break. Y/n wasn't afraid of them. Not of their threats, not of their promises. They knew what they would do to them. Y/n knew the extent of their interrogation tactics. But they also knew that Makarov’s escape depended on your silence. Y/n would die before they let them find their brother.

[i-see-you-now-you-see-me]

Anyways, couldn’t let crazy Hendery’s personalities be the end of DYVLONY right? Here is the High Court Magistrate’s turn :)

Mending souls

(oneshot, can be read separate, included in DYVLONY series)

Pairing: Xiao Dejun (Wayv) x virgin Reader (Y/N) pseudo Anna

Word count : approx 7.5k, prepare to read under the cut

Warnings: not our shiny Xiaojun, but a bit darker version with a problematic need for all things neat, and hate for all kinds of body fluids... loss of virginity, first time sex (safe sex), some form of punishment, Xiao being a bit yandere. 

Bill.

Another bill.

Another bill.

When does this end?

You thought to yourself.

College bills won’t pay themselves and the job you’d gotten at a local pub didn’t pay much either, the tips were mainly your income. So, when a job opportunity presented itself in a form of middle- aged man, you didn’t think twice, before agreeing.

A couple of dates every week, with a random stranger, but you’ll get paid for it, sounded ok, at that time. The job description however scared you a bit.

An escort.

A man or woman who is hired to go with someone to a social event- often used from escort agency services/ a person or group accompanying another to give protection or as a courtesy.

-Prostitution? – your college roommate Lea asked.

-No, not at all, - you stated, - I don’t have to sleep with anyone for this, not unless I want to, this company guarantees that I will be safe, they always provide a driver from their own company, who is near enough next to us all the time.

-Still sounds like prostitution, - Lea was a realist, she would say it for what it is.

-I suppose it is some kind of prostitution, I will be giving my time for the other person, but it is worth it, like the man sad, I would be able to pay college tuition, and we’ll have some extra left over, maybe we can both afford something then.

Lea sighed. Her job didn’t pay much either, and you both were struggling, but this was it, a job Is still a job.

-Fine, - she stated, - just be careful, alright?

You nodded and got dressed. Tonight, you will be a dance/music major, and you will accompany a businessman to a simple dinner. Yet, when your driver reached the destination as a five- star hotel, you felt under- dressed.

-What? – you sucked in a breath, - they told me it’s a small dinner.

-It is miss, - your driver announced, - only up to fifty people.

-Fifty? – your head was spinning, yet your nerves were somehow calm. You were not Y/N tonight.

You were Anna, art student, a confident dancer, who looks gorgeous in her outfit. Your driver nodded that it was the time, and soon you were inside the hotel, greeted by an elderly man, who was your partner for the evening.

-Miss Anna, I presume, - he extended his arm to reach for your hand, and kissed the top of your palm, - you look beautiful. My name is Sir Arthur de Clemence, I am a sponsor for many students over the country, and I am trying to attach more people to my fond tonight. See all these people, - he mentioned to the hall, - they have millions to spare, and with your help, I might be able to do that.

-Yes, sir, - you nodded, - I will do my best.

He nodded and you both headed inside.

A small talk with nearly every guest was your first talk. Flashing your best smile, you turned the conversations into- how small artists help locals survive in smaller towns and so on. It really was working, and by the end of the night, Sir Clemence was able to snatch at least thirty people on his side, all thanks to you.

When driving back after the event, your phone buzzed.

Your jaw dropped. You had just earned an amount that ended with five zeros in your bank account.

You ran into your apartment to find Lea asleep on the couch.

-We did it!!! – you ran towards her and jumped on top of her.

-What a, - Lea woke up from her slumber.

-We did it!!! – you shouted again, and Lea was wide awake now. You showed her your bank statement, and you both started jumping like kids.

-Oh my god!!! Oh my god!!! – she screamed.

-We have got to celebrate this!!!- you stated, and Lea nodded.

Weeks after weeks, the money kept going, your alter ego- Anna was who ever she had to be. A pro gamer, a barista, a literature student, even a stripper once. She was someone who was fearless, who would help you get through everything. To accommodate with your changes- you wore wigs, glasses, your lipstick was different for every person you played.

And after every couple of weeks, you and Lea got to celebrate.

-Did you hear? – Lea asked you, - Wanderlust club is throwing a party, wanna go?

You nodded. It was one of the coolest clubs there was, everyone wanted to get inside, and tonight you would.

As expected, it was crowded, people dancing, chilling at the tables, you both popped a champagne, drinking it ever so slowly, to feel the bubbles sliding down your throat.

-Is this what feeling posh is like? – Lea asked, you nodded.

-It’s just the beginning, - you stated, - I will be able to pay off my loan in a couple of weeks, and then we will get yours too, - you smiled, Lea nearly cried.

-You would do that for me? – she re asked.

-Always, you are my best friend Lea, I would do anything for you.

-Ah, you are making me cry now, - you both laughed and headed to the dance floor.

One moment you were next to Lea, and the next, grinding against someone’s crotch, feeling their hands around your waist. Once turned around you noticed it was an ex-partner of yours, who you accompanied a few weeks back.

-Mr. Roger? – you asked. – what are you doing here?

-Can we speak in private? – he invited, and you followed.

Once outside, he let you to the alley behind the club.

-What is this about? – you asked, - I don’t quite understand.

-Anna, - he started, - I have missed you.

His hands went to grab onto your waist.

-Mr. Roger, you should not be here, - hell, he was not supposed to find you, all your meetings had been confidential, without your real identity and all. – you should not be seeing me like this.

-I had to find you, - he stated, - I…. have been going crazy without you.

He reached for you once again, and you stepped back.

-This is not right, - you said, - I am getting back.

As you walked, his hands grabbed you again, pressing you against his torso, you kneaded him with your elbow and tried to get out of his grasp.

-Hey, - someone shouted, - what’s going on here?

You recognized him as the bartender from the club. He had a towel on his shoulder, and he was carrying a bin bag.

-This is not your business dude, better leave, - Mr. Roger spoke.

-He is attacking me, - you said, - get me away from him and if necessary, call the police, would you?

The bartender led you inside, giving you a glass of water and a pill.

-This will reduce your dizziness from the alcohol, - he stated and you drank without hesitation.

-Tastes funny, - you said, and somehow your words were getting slurpy, as if your mouth was filled with your saliva, -what is thisssss…. – you tried to ask.

-I am sorry, - he said, - I truly am.

You had no idea what had happened. Once unconscious, your clutch-bag had been taken away from you, and you were lying next to few other unconscious bodies, waiting for couple more, so the task would be completed.

Michel sighed, rubbing his eyes. This was wrong what they were doing.

His friend Jack on the other hand, had no issues with this. His mind was blinded by the money.

-Got one? – Jack asked when stepping in the room. Michel nodded.

-Good, good, - he patted the younger’s shoulder, - two more and we are ready to go.

Soon with nine other girls you were thrown in a van and driven away, a few hours later, tied in a spaceship, to be sent elsewhere, and later on, flying through the waves of different galaxies, till you crash landed on a planet, different from your coordinates.

* Planet DYVLONY 10043567901;1102033149001*

A gun was pressed at your neck, a sharp, stinging needle pierced through your skin, an injection that made you wide awake. You woke up with a groan while breathing in. The air- unknown and different, was burning your lungs.

-Her vitals are stable, - someone shouted. You felt disoriented.

The high court magistrate Xiao Dejun was watching through the glass, how all ten girls were injected a serum, vaccine, and a microchip, to help you communicate. Your naked body were one of the final ones, and for some reason he felt like a pervert watching you like that. Your body was beautiful, your curves in all the right places.

-Sir, - Dejun’s assistant spoke, - shall we get them ready?

-Yes, please, - Xiao nodded, - I will get Detective Ten here asap.

Greeting the detective as he arrived, Dejun led him through the doors.

-Don’t think of us as uncivil, - Xiao spoke, - since we don’t know why they are here, we cannot allow them to roam free, if you know what I mean…

The doors opened and Ten arched a brow. Dejun wasn’t looking happy either, but this is what they had to do, precautions, if you will.

-Greetings aliens, - Detective stepped on a platform, and started his interrogation. Xiao knew, Ten will get answers, one way or another, he was a Detective for a reason. – Have they been on drugs?

Xiao nodded to his assistant who handed Ten a file of information.

-The lab tried to make a sample from their blood, but couldn’t, whatever it was, didn’t last long in their system.

-Long enough to transport them to this planet though, - Ten stated.

Later behind closed doors both Detective Ten and Magistrate Xiao Dejun talked about what to do next.

-What did they say? – Xiao asked.

-We were right, the girls were not meant to be here, and they all are harmless, so we need to take action now.

-I know what you mean, - Xiao agreed. – what do you think we do?

Ten sighed and bit his lip.

-We should provide them with home, someone to look after them, - he started, - I can be one, maybe you?

Xiao nodded.

-What about the members of society council?

-Maybe, - Xiao spoke, - but I want to choose.

-Choose? – Ten asked, - ahhh, I see, - he smiled, - has one of them already caught your eye? – Ten winked and giggled.

-Ha, - Dejun poked his shoulder, - it’s not like that, she just seems to be the youngest out of all of them, so, I decided to choose her.

-If that’s what you like, why not, - Ten agreed, smirking.

Once at home, Xiao pulled out your file. It contained a lot of your photos, naked and dressed, from many different angles, information that you had given them. Anna. Your fake name, but no one has to know that.

Opening one of the bedside drawers, he took out a USB, attaching it to his pc. A video started playing and Dejun bit his lip. Choosing to remake the video, he started to work on it. He even re-made the sounds. Clapping his palm onto his other hand, which was formed in a fist, he made sex-like noises, and spoke into microphone.

-Ten, you have to see this, - he spoke, in the video Anna was crawling on her knees, grabbing onto Dejuns’ trousers, touching his cock, and sucking on it afterwards. – she’s a naughty girl.

He announced in the mic, playing forward the video, he made sure, that his partner indeed looked like Anna (you) from all the angles. No one would ever know. Xiaojun remembered the mess his partner had made after the sex, how angry he got, when she smeared her secret all over his abdomen.

Anyways, she got to sit on a bag of peas (a method of punishment used in schools, a long time ago, bag of beans or peas, since small in size would poke at your knees and hurt as hell,) after that stunt. Not on his watch is anyone to make him dirty like that.

Not two days had passed, when Xiao returned to the high court to pick you up. One by one you all got split up, taken to different peoples’ homes, to be taken care of.

-Hey, Suzy, - Xiao greeted, - I am here to pick up Anna, - he smiled.

-She is ready, you just need to sign these papers, - she handed the documents to Xiao, and he filled them in, simple questions of- does your house have a spare room and if you had already purchased clothing for Anna etc. Yes. Xiao was prepared.

You were shaking. This was scary. Who are you about to get? Yet you were the one who were hoping for someone nice, so you put your façade on, bringing in the person you are playing. Anna.

-Anna, - you were greeted by a female DYVLONY, - your guardian is here to pick you up. Follow me.

Once through the door, you saw a back first. Then the brown hair, a person wearing a suit.

For some reason, the person you pictured was Mr. Roger at your first meeting, you got goosebumps all over your body, and then he turned around.

You knew the guy. High court magistrate that you had encountered many times when you had just landed. He was with you when you were being examined. Behind his stare though, there was something else, he seemed like a nice guy, so you put your thoughts aside to focus on your travel to your new home.

Xiao was driving. So, you thought, to make things not so difficult, might have a chat, a small talk, just to get you going.

-What do you do for a living? – you asked, Dejun was very focused on driving, but he gave a small smile before talking.

-I work in the High court, - he started, - I am one of the magistrates there.

-I see, - you spoke, - so you assist in cases and all that?

Xiao nodded.

-What were you on your Earth? – Dejun asked.

You thought briefly, what to tell him, you were a student and an escort? Do you really tell him?

-I was in school, actually, - you started, - but I did various side jobs.

-Like what? – he continued.

-Uhm, - you bit your lip, - I was a bartender.

-Was a bartender? – he re- asked, - and after that?

Do you tell him? He might not know what it is though, right?

-I worked as an escort, - you spoke softly, more quiet than normal.

-So, what does an escort do? – he was curious now.

-Just, you know, - you breathed in a sharp breath, - like a person to be company for another person. Simple as that.

Xiao nodded.

-And you get paid to do that? – he thought to himself, you nodded.

-Yeah, see, a lot of people are lonely like that, - you stated, trying to figure out a way to change a subject. – your car is neat, - you nearly squeaked out a random sentence. But then it really was neat, there was not a single bit of dust, the cleanest vehicle you had ever seen.

Xiao flashed a smile. He was really good- looking, it was clear as the sky.

Once parked up by his house, he led you both inside the house. It amazed you how clean it was everywhere. You left your shoes at the hallway before putting on a pair of slippers, which Xiao had given to you.

The house was small, but comfy, two floors, by the looks of it. Xiao led you to your room, but you stopped by his room seeing how it looked like. There were various toys on one of the shelves, and it looked creepy as fuck.

-This is my room, - Xiao was right beside you.

-Oh, - you snapped out of your trance, - I’m sorry, I just noticed those… - you pointed to the shelves.

-I see, - he said, - let’s go, shall we?

You nodded and followed into your room. He opened a cupboard; everything was placed in it neatly. Socks, jumpers, underwear, you name it, he had it. All stacked up elegantly, nothing hanging about.

-Thank you, - you said.

-I’ll let you settle in, - with that he left you alone, only then you could get some time to roam through the cupboards. You started doing that when you met up with your clients back on Earth, some of them had planted microphones and cameras in their hotel rooms, so it had made you a bit paranoid. You had never told Lea that. As far as she had to know, you were always safe while at your job.

Xiao walked back to his room, opening his computer, he clicked send the video, adding a thumbs up, before getting back to you. You were literally roaming through the cupboards, half of the clothing now onto the floor. Xiao found you, arms deep in the drawers.

-What on DYVLONY are you doing!? – he shouted.

You jumped, landing on your ass.

-Ouch, - you shouted, swearing a “fuck” after that.

-Nope, - Xiao announced, went straight for you, grabbing your ear, while you grabbed his hand, he pulled you up on your feet, dragging you out of your room, down the stairs. You followed him with an “ouch” after an “ouch”.

Once in the kitchen, he sat you down on a chair.

-We don’t speak like that in this house, - he said, opening one of the drawers, putting a cloth on the table, followed by a box of silver cutlery. – and we don’t throw things around like that!

He stayed quiet. You didn’t quite get what he wanted from you.

-So, - he started, - I am giving you a punishment, - your eyes widened and heart- beat went up, - you will polish this, - he mentioned to the silver cutlery. You nodded taking the cloth in your hand. One by one you took out the pieces, wiping them clean, putting them back. Really there was nothing to polish, they must have been cleaned only a couple of days before.

-This is easy, - you said.

-Ha, - Xiaojun laughed opening few more drawers where you were greeted by a few more sets of silver.

You mentally face-palmed yourself.

-You will clean ALL OF THEM, - he announced.

-I’m sorry, - you whispered.

-I know you are, - he stated, passing you more sets.

A few hours later you thought your hands were to fall off. Clean. Wipe. Polish. Your stomach rumbled. Xiaojun leaned closer, next to you ear, his breath tickling your throat.

-Hungry?

You jumped back in your chair, your nape hitting Xiaojun in the face in the process. When he grabbed his nose, you went to help him.

-I am sorry, I didn’t mean to, - you said, nearly sobbing, he was groaning in pain. When he moved his hands away from his face, you saw the blood first.

-There better be no blood, - Xiao said, your lip trembled now, teary eyes looking at him. He walked away, upstairs, probably to the bathroom, while you fell to your knees, crying. He was angry, it was frightening. Most of the times the calmest people are the most scary when it comes to things like this.

Minutes passed while you were on the floor, until you heard footsteps approaching. Xiao leaned down, putting his hand around you to help you get up.

-I’m sorry, - you sobbed.

-It’s fine, - he replied, - let’s get you something to eat.

He sat you back to the chair, and when you saw his face, there was not a glimpse of blood or anger, he looked like before, the smiling court magistrate that you met before. You wiped your eyes in the back of your hands, and the sleeves of your onesie.

Throughout the dinner, you couldn’t face him, not once you looked his way. When you finished eating, Xiao took the dishes and washed them, drying them off straight away. You looked up at him, finally. He smiled at you.

The kind of smile that makes you warm. A nice smile.

-Shall we go upstairs?

You nodded, and he led the way, but to your surprise he stopped in front of the bathroom.

-Is everything alright? – you asked when he opened the door, he didn’t respond, but mentioned for you to walk inside. You stepped inside and he followed. There was a pile of bloodied tissue in the rubbish bin that caught your attention.

The next thing you know, your face is nearly in the bloody tissues, and you are on your knees.

-Who did this? – Xiaojun asked.

You couldn’t say a word, you were in shock.

-Who did this? – he asked again, pressing your head down more towards the tissue. You started crying. – who did this? – he asked the final time.

-I’m sorry, - you sobbed.

-I am not asking you that, - he said calmly, - WHO DID THIS?

Throughout your sobs and cries, you manage to squeak a very quiet “me”. He let go of your head.

-Me, - you said one more time, the same quiet like before, - I did this…

And then it was all too much, your cries, your feelings on high alert, and then… everything went black.

*48 hours later*

Xiaojun was next to your bed, sitting on a chair. The doctor had just left, saying that you must have had a couple of rough days, that knocked you out like this.

He was scared.

He did this to you.

You looked so peaceful like this though. He must have had scared you with his behavior. He couldn’t do anything about it, that’s what he does, he had been brought up like this, and so will you. You will get used to it; he was sure about it.

There was a couple of pills that the doctor recommended, and an injection, which Xiao was against off. He would not do that to you. So, pills it were, he just needs you to wake up, and then you both could continue with your life.

He waited an hour, and one more, and then he made you soup, then he was ready to wake you. Once he walked in your room, he noticed you were sat upright, looking disoriented.

-Hey, - Xiao greeted, your body pressed back, as if to hide from him, - it’s ok, - he said, - don’t be scared, I won’t hurt you.

This time, Xiao got on his knees, leaning down, asking for your forgiveness.

-I should not have reacted like I did, and I apologize, - he said, - I am truly sorry, I will try to take care of you like I promised, if you let me…

You nodded.

He got back up, bringing you some warm soup, and giving you water to drink the pills.

-Doctor gave these for you, - he smiled while handing them to you, - they should help, for the anxiety and stress that you’ve been through.

You nodded, pretending to drink the pills. When you thought he wasn’t looking, you turned your head to spit the pills out, but Xiao’s hands got to you first, his hand clamped down on your mouth.

-Swallow, - he said. – it’s for your own good.

You nodded a “no”.

-Please, - he said, - it really is for your own good. Please?

You swallowed the tablets, not really wanting to, but it was the only option for you. Only then, Xiao let go of your face.

-I know I scared you, - he said, - if you behave, it won’t happen again, ok?

You nodded once more. God only knew what he was about to do, and you? Would play nice, not to anger him. Oh boy, was it ever that simple?

Following days, he was at home. Both of you would have breakfast, then doing house- work, you would clean, he would do the same, you would watch him rearrange his toys, and then would be lunch, and every other day you would go for walks.

On this particular day, he took you to church.

You were greeted by a smiling pastor, who seemed off.

Once you sat down in one of the isles, you listened to what pastor Kun would be talking about today.

-Family, - he said, - family is only one, the one that we had chosen before we were born. Family is our beginning, and it is also our ending. Turn to your right, - pastor preached, - are you with your loved ones? Your friends are also your family. They are the ones who make you who you are.

Your brain gears started to circulate in motion. Family. Why is Xiao like this? There is something that must have happened, it’s your task to find out.

Walking back, you looked around, smiled at the kids who ran around, a simple interaction like this made you feel welcome.

-Tell me about your family, - you said looking up at Xiao.

-There is not much to tell, - he replied, - my father was very strict, my mother was too, they both were, but thanks to them I got where I am now. I focused more on learning and knowledge than running around with friends or girlfriends.

You nodded. Strict. That’s probably not the right word.

-Who made you obsessed with cleaning? – you spat out and then shut your mouth with your hand. Xiao stopped in his tracks. He looked at you, the deep orbs searching yours, as if he was looking directly into your soul.

-Why don’t you tell me your real name? – he simply replied, starting to walk again, away from you, towards the house.

-What? – you asked, going after him, - what does that supposed to mean?

He looked at you unbothered, raising his eyebrows.

-I know you lied about that; I am not stupid you know…

-So, what!? I lied… AND? – your voice escalated, - you have no proof!

Soon you were back in the house, behind closed doors, where no one would hear you arguing.

-And that Is supposed to make It normal? – Xiao talked back at you, - proof? I have called your name, and you have not responded so many times I started to think, that something is off, until I realized, that Anna might not be your name, that you might be a traitor, who has stolen someone’s identity.

-I told you I was an escort, you know what else escorts do? – you shouted, - I transform into other personalities, turn into a different person, to earn money. One day I can be someone to seduce you, - you stepped closer, touching Xiao’s chest, - a different time I can be your worst enemy.

You stomped upstairs, going in Xiao’s room.

-What do you think you’re doing? – he asked, going after you.

-I told you, I can be whatever people wanted me to be, so which me do you want? You chose me for a reason? And what is that reason, huh?

With a swift movement, your hands threw all of his toys on the ground, like a maniac, you threw every single one of them down, Xiao was screaming, while trying to catch you.

-What are you doing!? – he shouted.

-What you gonna do about it? – you shouted back, and it was like a switch had been activated. Gone was the calm and happy Xiao from minutes ago. Next thing you knew, you were on your stomach on the ground, your face pushed down into the carpet.

-What is this behavior? – he asked, pushing your face even more, if that was even possible. Somehow you managed to turn your face at the right time, gathering your saliva, spitting him in the face. Xiao jumped back. He looked so disgusted.

-What? – you bit back, - don’t like a bit of drool? You neat freak!

You were ready to make a run for it.

-I have seen the weird things you do, - you said, - you dislike blood and other body fluids, barely manage to live through the mess in the bathroom after I have had a shower with my hair sticking everywhere… yet you drink coffee and tea that contains grains, through a straw. What does it make you? You are disgusting!

Xiao pursed his lips, calculating what he will say next.

-I think that mouth of yours needs washing with soap, - he said matter- of- factly, - everything that comes out of it, sounds like a lot of shit…

When you understood what he was about to do, it was too late, he had grabbed you, pushing you into the bathroom, down on your knees, already next to the sink. Holding you in between his legs so you wouldn’t move, his hands gathering the liquid soap, trying to get it in your mouth, you were pursing your lips, trying your best not to open your mouth. His fingers blocked your nose, and you breathed in to get air back into your lungs, and Xiao pushed the soap in your mouth.

It burned like hell, your tongue tasted the bitterness, and your mouth was burning, tears were already streaming down your face, and your face was pushed up, Xiao was looking down on you, his face happy.

-Whose fault is this? – he asked, - I wouldn’t have to do this if you were a nice girl… right?

When you were sobbing like mad, he let go, and you spat the soap out, some of it had already went down your throat. Washing your mouth, you sobbed even louder, Xiao was still having a hold on you.

-Who are you? – he asked.

-My name is Y/N, - you spoke softly, tears slipping down your face.

-My classmates called me dirty, - he said, - so my mother made sure, I was not…

Back to your feet, Xiao had washed your face, made you sit on the bean bag, while he puts his toys back into place. You were still sobbing in between, while Xiao talked.

-I did choose you, - he said, - for my own hunger and desires. I made you someone else in my mind. I thought you would be different, once you would be mine, but expectations didn’t match reality, - he looked at you, - don’t worry, I won’t give you back, I intend to make you mine…

He smiled.

-What you do is not right, - you talked quietly, - you can’t make me yours, I should do that willingly, you punishing me is not right.

Xiao let out a laugh. He walked over to you.

-That’s the only thing I know, that’s how I keep control…

-When I was Anna, that’s how I kept control.

-See, we are not so different, you and I.

The after taste from the soap still lingered in your mouth. He was right in a way, and in a normal situation you would have ran away, but not here. As an escort you had come across a lot of broken souls, people who just needed someone to talk to, near enough like a next of kin, a family member who would listen to them instead of blaming them for something.

-I’m sorry, - you whispered, - your parents had no right to do that to you. I know, me saying this won’t change nothing either, but I need you to know, you can always change, of you find the right person.

Somehow those words stayed with Xiaojun. They made him feel weird. Change? How?

Hour after hour, day after day, and he still had not found the answers he was looking for. He walked home, leaving his car by the High court. Fresh air would help him think. Passing by the church, he made a d-tour. It’s like the god himself drove him to come to confess.

Inside the church, he sat in the cabin. Pastor Kun on the other side.

-I don’t know how to change.

-Why do you need to change? – Pastor asked.

-I have hurt the person I was supposed to care for, - he breathed in, - I shouldn’t have done that… she deserves more than that.

-Now the more important question is what are you willing to do for her to change this? Don’t you think?

-I know, father, but how do I change?

-Remember, when you are a child, your parents taught you everything… this time you both have to teach each other something, starting with small things, baby steps, smaller and then bigger. Slowly, you have to accommodate each other, start with trust, continue with anger issues, and so on…

-Yes, - Xiao said, - I will make sure she is cared for, she is loved, and I will make her happy.

Pastor Kun smiled on the other side. Xiao was a tough man, but he had a heart of gold.

-Thank you, - Xiaojun said, and then he left, going back home to you.

You had just made dinner, washing a pot, when Xiao’s arms trapped you in a back hug.

-I am sorry for hurting you, - he spoke, - I will try to master my issues if you’d let me.

You touched his hands with your wet ones. Xiao cringed.

-Let’s start with this, - you said, giggling, - fluids.

-Nope, - he tried to step back, - not ready for this, - but you didn’t let him. You turned around grabbing onto him and wiping your nose in his chest. – what the hell!!!

He was getting angry, but then he tried to suppress it down, instead of bursting out in anger, his hands grabbed your bottom. You thought, you might play a little, let some of that Anna’s personality slip through. You licked your lips, and Xiao raised his eyebrows.

-No, - he warned, - whatever you are about to do, don’t… - he warned again.

-Yes, - you said back.

-No no, - he shook his head.

-Yes, I have to, - you laughed a bit, wetting your lips again, and then you did it. Your lips reached his.

A wet smooch on his lips, the wetter the better, your saliva coating his dry ones. He had closed his eyes in the process. You leaned in again, doing the same over and over again. He was cringing so badly, you actually felt bad for the guy.

God knows, what his family had pumped into his system.

-This is natural, - and then the unimaginable happened, he kissed you back, his mouth drinking from yours, and your tongue asked for entry in his mouth, now both tongues touching each other, plenty of spit shared now.

Days passed. Just like this. You- trying your best to ease Xiao into all the things he despised, some even so ridiculous, and he kept warning you, that you apparently “make him angry” all the time. But it was not it. You started to develop feelings for him in the weirdest ways possible. Somewhat like a Stockholm syndrome founds its way through someone who has been taken against their will, your body grew accustomed to his needs and his wishes. During the day he left for work, and after work, you tried to tease him with all sorts of weird crap.

This particular day you were feeling hungry for his attention. So, you did what you do best in a situation like this- cause trouble.

You went in his bedroom and swapped over a couple of books. You see, a normal person would not notice shit, but not him. Xiaojun would notice that near enough as he would walk through the door. You greeted him when he came home.

-Dinner will be ready soon, - you announced.

-Ok, I will change my clothes and I will be down soon, - he smiled, touching your head and kissing your forehead. You watched him disappear, only to see him come out, - were you in my room?

You nodded “no”.

-Are you sure? – you nodded a “yes”, not saying nothing. He looked at you suspiciously, - is there something you are not telling me?

-I don’t think so, - you said, and walked back into the kitchen.

Xiao didn’t bother changing clothes, he went straight for you, pressing you against the kitchen counter.

-What are you doing? – he asked again.

-I don’t know what do you mean? – you faked innocence. He leaned in, his lips nearly brushing against yours.

-Are you sure? – he teased you now.

-Mmh, - you nodded. He giggled letting you go.

-You are making me crazy, - he whispered.

-I love you.

The three words that you were hiding from him all this time, managed to slip passed your lips. Xiao stopped in his tracks. What did you say?

He trapped you again in his arms.

-What did you say? – he leaned closer, and you were looking everywhere but not him.

-I…, - you struggled, his hand reached for your face, and he was holding your chin up to see into his eyes, his loving eyes, how he scrunched his nose when you did something to tease him, how his eyebrows raised when you pretended to be someone else, just to see his reaction, - I love you…

He smiled with his eyes, his lips widening in a grin, he felt like a douchebag, but he knew what was next for you both, so his lips touched yours in a loving manner, starting to kiss you slowly, just barely touching your lips in the process.

You on the other hand felt like you were thirsty, and you joined in, grabbing onto Xiaojun’s body, kissing him passionately. He put your legs around his hips, taking you with him up the stairs. His lips were now attacking your neck, and grabby hands- your butt in the process.

Once on his bed, he got rid of his jacket and shirt, leaving him in a tank top, and getting back to what he was doing. You stopped in between to get rid of some of the clothing, when he had left you only in your bra and trackies, his body was on top of yours, his lips returning to yours.

-Xiao…- you whispered, he looked up, - I… I haven’t done this… with anyone…. Yet.

He didn’t look surprised. For some reason he always had assumed that you hadn’t, maybe it was just the way he saw you at first, and then, he just never bothered to ask.

-I am ok with that, - he smiled, - only if you are.

You nodded eagerly. Minutes later, he had gotten rid of your trousers, your panties on display. His arms caressed your skin, he was extra gentle and slow, to prove that you could trust him, and he would only continue if you would nod or reach for him, which you did. Your hands found themselves in his hair, pulling him closer to your own hungry body.

His hands travelled south, slipping past the waistline of your underwear, going down on your sex, you nearly bit him, since no one had touched you there, this was a new sensation, and it was making your body tingle and your heart rate going up.

-It’s ok, I just have to stretch you a bit, if that’s alright with you, - you nodded, feeling how his fingers were moving up and down on your lower lips. You knew that he is not really ok with body fluids, but for some reason he didn’t mind your wet lips nor your dripping sex.

-I should ask you the same thing, - you giggled, getting more comfortable at his touch, he smiled back.

-You might just be the reason, why it’s ok, - he replied, as simple as that.

One of his fingers found your entrance and eased its way inside, your walls snug around it. You had closed your eyes; it was making you nervous and excited. While moving one of his fingers inside your tight walls, he soon added another one. You grabbed onto his arm.

-Give me a moment, - you whispered, the feeling making your head spin, - can… can I be on top when we do this?

Xiao was surprised. Not once he had heard a request like that, but he nodded anyways, soon you had changed positions, your legs spread over his lap, his fingers working their way inside your pussy, coaxing moans from you.

-Oh, don’t stop, - you whispered, biting your lip, - please… don’t stop…

And he didn’t, he worked hard to get you to orgasm, not slowing down till you came down from your high, now completely sat on his lap. His lips found yours. Tender lips brushing yours, quiet whispers leaving his mouth to make sure you were good.

When your hands reached for his pants, it was clear that you were ok to continue, and he let you play a little bit, his hand helping you work on his member through his pants.

He moved you off his body, so he could get rid of his trousers, his dick standing proud, a happy trail towards it that you hadn’t noticed before. You gulped. How is he going to fit? Like how?

Xiao got you out of your thoughts, with his own hand, returning to his member, massaging it, you felt your throat dry out a bit. Alright, watching a porn was completely different to what was in front of you now. Then the idea of a horrible sex scene found its way to your mind, and you had to shake your head to get rid of it. No time for that bull.

He reached for you, to kiss you again, then slowly moving back to the cupboard next to his bed, taking out a condom and slowly slipping it on, then sitting back down on the bed, helping you get on top of him again. He pushed you down slightly, so your pussy lips were grinding on his naked member, sparks of pleasure went through you. You looked down and helped him position himself right under your entrance. The tip of his cock was now slowly pressing into you, your hands were on Xiao’s shoulders for stability, grabbing a bit strongly onto him now.

Xiao let you move on your own accord, watching your reaction as you sank down lower on him.

-Help me, - you whispered, and he helped to push your hips down, his dick penetrating your virgin vaginal walls, and you sank down with a hiss. A tear escaped your eyes, Xiao kissed it away, his hands caressing your sides and your back, till you nodded with a quiet “I’m ok”. The stretch was something new, a bit painful, a bit extraordinary, if you could call it that.

Xiao’s lips kissed yours, then your neck and lower to your front, just above your breasts, his hand touched one of your breasts, groping and massaging, and his lips latched onto your nipple. Your head fell back, enjoying the feeling, and your hips started to move. The burn you felt in your abdomen, was slowly fading away, your vagina pulsing around Xiao’s member, and he helped you find a rhythm. You knew, you won’t be able to keep up for much longer, but you had to make sure, you were comfortable enough to give into him completely.

He let you enjoy your ride, but then he said:

-That’s it, - and with that he flipped you over, your body under his, - you had your fun… now it’s my turn…

The lovemaking sounds were in the air, with tender kisses, slow and sensual movements, his hand touched yours, fingers entangled with yours, and his eyes searched for your eyes, the feelings felt even on a higher level. The eye contact made it even more personal, not only because this was your first time, but it was also Xiao who made it special for you.

Changing the rhythm to faster movements, coaxing more moans out of you, that he swallowed with hot kisses over your mouth, he felt you tightening around him one more time, as you orgasmed, your lips not making a single sound, only when Xiao returned to continue his pelvic thrusts to chase his own high, you moaned and screamed, driving him into oblivion, and him taking you with him, your body convulsing and turning into a hot lava, bursting at the seam, while his hot seed filled up the condom.

He held you tight against him as you both were trying to catch your breath, he pulled out slowly, earning a whine from you.

-Let’s get you cleaned up, - he said, but you didn’t allow him to move.

-Not yet, - you giggled, - stay a bit more… - your body was sweaty, and so was his, and he was not happy about it at all.

-Y/N, - he warned you.

-Yes…? – you laughed again, - too much body fluid? – you giggled, earning a sigh from Xiaojun. – if we have a bath, I will want to make you dirty again soon after that…

You said that as a fact, and Xiao shook his head.

-Ok, - he gave in, hugging you again. – but only because you asked so nicely.

-See, it’s not that bad…

-Oh, it’s bad, - he replied, - and I am still not used to this.

-But you will be…? – you smiled, kissing him.

-I will be.

[belit0]

How Could I Ever Love a Monster Like You… You Kill People

Rated: T

Pairing: [Obito / Rin] [Madara / Obito] [Kakashi / Rin]

TW: Graphical Violence

Obito’s days passed painfully slow and in an agonizing calm. Madara, although he became his savior, somehow also represented his imprisonment. He was not truly a prisoner, but if he moved, half of his body repaired by his ancestor would be mercilessly detached from him, and he did not plan to die in such a stupid way after beating the reaper face to face under that rock.

His mind wandered under the poisonous memories of a non-existent life, a life to which he could no longer return, people he could never see again, friends who came late to his liking.

Rin.

He could never confess what he felt, and now it weighed on his chest with more pressure than he felt when he was crushed to death. He felt like a coward, he acted like a coward, and just when he felt he could break that barrier and reach personal liberation, destiny invited him to the bitterest drink of his life.

He was trapped, along with an ancient Uchiha who should have been dead for a long time, but for some reason was there. Taking care of him. Allowing his life to flow before his eyes.

What was the value of breathing if every second his heart ached at the loss of all that remained with his dead body in that cave?

Probably everyone thought he was dead, Minato-Sensei was not even on the perimeter during the events. The time was one of war and darkness, the ANBU units had no time to search for the bodies of the fallen Shinobis on missions. No one would look for him, no one would return for him. Two pairs of eyes had witnessed how an enemy would collapse the rest of the rock trap on him mercilessly, extracting what was supposed to be his last breaths.

Kakashi would give the mission report as it had happened. No one would doubt his condition. No one would think of that remote possibility, in which he was breathing in a dreary subway place surrounded by strange white beings and a man centuries old.

The lack of mobility agitated his mind, forcing him to seek stimuli within his tormented consciousness so as not to go mad. If he stopped to pay attention to his surroundings, he would fall into the spiral of madness that the situation offered him. Damn it, he was just a kid. Had his training prepared him for such a contingency?

All Madara talked about was his ambitions. He used boring and difficult to understand terms to his liking, and when they had a conversation - or rather the old man would start a monologue in front of his new audience - Obito would get abstracted inside, thinking.

Thinking about Konoha. Thinking of those who did not think of him. Thinking of all the friendly faces that were left behind. Yes, maybe they were never entirely friendly, but he would give anything to see any face he knew at that moment.

But did they think of him? Did Rin think of him? Did she cry for him? What was Kakashi’s situation?

He knew that his partner would be too hard on himself, the bastard would take full responsibility for the incident. What would his sensei think when he saw his team return without one of his students? Had his sensei returned from his own mission?

He never got a chance to tell him about his newly awakened Sharingan.

He was proud of his achievement. He had protected his comrade’s life with it, and now his companion was carrying the one missing from his features. He could never tease Kakashi for having fallen at his mercy, for having allowed himself to be defended against the one he considered inferior.

He wanted to boast about how he had reached his fellow prodigy. How he acted as a pair, rather than as a nuisance to him. For the first time since they were assigned as a squad, they had worked together as a team. His chest was on fire with pride at the mere thought of it. They had protected her.

They had protected her.

Obito was never able to walk the streets of Uchiha district with his newly awakened Dōjutsu, showing his Clan the dignity of the famous legendary Kekkei Genkai shining in his eyes. Although it took him longer than other illustrious individuals in his family, he could finally be said to be worthy of the fan-shaped emblem that rested on his back.

But that was before.

Now he simply rested motionless, unable to get up from that bed, without the basic needs of human beings, not feeling hungry, not feeling thirsty, listening to how Madara constantly talked to someone called Izuna, even though no one was ever there.

If that was his new life, he didn’t want it. If this represented normality for the man who took it upon himself to save him, he wasn’t remotely interested in sharing it with him. He wanted to run away, he wanted to escape, he would crawl back to his village if necessary.

The strange white people around him became somehow familiar. Perhaps it was the fact that there was nothing to hold on to, and at least they offered talks about the outside world and the occasional bizarrely stupid conversations.

He found freshness in the daily reports that his new buddies brought to him. They explained how everything was changing on the surface, kept him abreast of village clashes, glanced at Konoha for him, provided military intelligence despite their reduced IQ, and thus Obito realized that they were more useful than they appeared.

Somehow, this helped him not to feel excluded from the world to which he once belonged. Perhaps he was basically crippled, but the new stimulation of conversations with those white beings made him want to get out of that bed, to get out of that dark subterranean place.

The time was running, the war was advancing, the villages were acting without mercy. Konoha was winning enemies quickly. He was the current bearer of a powerful Sharingan, which he shared with a prodigious teammate.  He could not spoil that undoubted talent, he had to get going.

He had to get out of there.

Madara spent most of his time sleeping, or talking to nothing, sighing old memories of centuries past. Obito was deeply disturbed by it, but that’s how senile elders were. Not to mention that he was probably older than any human body could bear.

With the help of his idiotic white friends, he managed to advance at baby steps towards recovery. It took a sickeningly great effort to get up from where his almost eternal slumber had taken place. At first, he could only do that. When he got more stability on his feet, it was time to take small steps. His legs were infinitely consumed, and that white material that completed him threatened to constantly try to take over.

It required an exhaustive use of all his strength to be able to walk correctly again. Moving freely was a lighter task. The worst had already been overcome. Recovering his fighting agility was something he achieved thanks to his deformed fellow prisoners. Little by little, he was returning to who he was before falling into that nightmare.

No, he was even better. His body was more ethereal, his mind more suspicious, his movements more accurate. He would have liked to say that it was thanks to his own merit, but he suspected that it was largely due to what Madara implanted in him so that he would not die.

He was recovered, ready. He was hungry from the outside, longing to see it, to feel it. The air on his face, the sun impacting his uneven skin, the grass on the soles of his feet, the bark of the trees on the palms of his hands. He longed to see it.

He longed to see her. He remembered her, as fresh as if it were yesterday’s event. Her eyes full of peace, of love, a sweetness that pierced whoever dared to look at her. A smile that could eradicate any negativity in his soul, that happiness he only wanted to be devoted to him. Her fragility, her beauty, the passion with which she completed her duties. The need to protect her.

The need to have her.

Eventually, his strange white friends agreed to reveal the way out for him. They had come to appreciate the boy, and to see him rot in bitterness and loneliness beside Madara, when on the surface love, youth and a future awaited him, was not something they were willing to witness.

So, in one of Obito’s insistent attempts to discover a route to his freedom, one of them guided him to it. Of course, although now he was really no longer a prisoner along with the legend of the Uchihas, the company of those beings had been present for too long, and it felt almost wrong to leave without one of them. They were harmless, and an extra protection. He had been under the facade of death for a long time to allow himself the trust in life at that moment.

Next to the one he called “Zetsu”, the young Uchiha, wearing a longer hair after so much time in confinement, set foot outside for the first time. His joy spread throughout his whole being, almost exploding inside him, inflating his chest with what he felt was fire.

He wanted to run, he wanted to feel everything around him. It seemed that years had passed since he had last wandered as a free man, and now he had a Sharingan to see everything differently. Every sensation was a new world in his brain, the slightest touch of nature to his fingertips, the sunset beating down on his face. He was a child once again.

But as soon as the previously known sensations were again assimilated and recognized in his system, Obito’s true desire fell upon his consciousness, light and happy as her laughter.

Oh, how he missed her laughter!

Without hesitation, he ran with all his impulse concentrated on advancing, sending chackra to the plants of his feet to generate more grip. Konoha. So much had happened.

How would they all look? Would they be different? Was he different? How did Rin look?

Anxiety took over his entire mind, and with a cramping smile on his face he tried to go even faster. The cloak he took from Madara’s subway hideaway fluttered violently in the air, a sign of the speed at which his body was traveling. Zetsu could barely keep up, he was not made to travel like the Shinobis, his style of transportation was to move across surfaces.

When the young Uchiha disappeared before him in a burst of joyful excitement, he knew in advance where he was going, and tracking his chakra he moved across the ground, slowly following the path that led him to the unbridled boy.

Obito was close to the village. He could feel it vibrating, he could smell it. Hundreds of memories traveled through his memory, and some tears threatened to complicate his sight. He missed that place too much, his life, his home. He could even say he missed the Clan, the Uchiha territory, helping old people who conveniently appeared when he was in too much of a hurry.

The nostalgia was too much, but the smile did not disappear from his face. Tears of emotion fell from his eyelids. At last he was home. He would see Minato-Sensei, explain to him the madness he had experienced all this time. He would see Kakashi, maybe even play a trick on him by pretending to be a ghost, or a renegade ninja. He would see Rin.

Fuck, he would finally see her. Suddenly the blood rushed up to his cheeks and he remembered how it felt to blush again. A tingling in his stomach became present. He had fantasized about this moment too many times to even remember it, but he never thought reality was so close.

And now there he was, so close to home.Coming back from the dead.

But he stopped short at a sensation that made his hair stand on end. Two chakras he knew too well. Close, very close. He was still considerably away from the main entrance to the village.

Were they training? Were they going on a mission? Were they looking for conversation without being heard by others?

Regardless of the situation, Obito could not help but redirect his course to where these two familiar prints met. After all, they were the two people he most wanted to see, and they were much closer than he could have imagined. He wanted to shout, surprise them, hug them and lay on them like a big dog receiving its owner at home after a long day.

But he had to remember that he was dead in their eyes. He had been on the other side for some while, in the dark, where the air doesn’t reach, where life no longer exists. If the voice or body of their deceased teammate suddenly appeared, after that tragic mission where they saw him being crushed by a large amount of stones, they would think that someone was ambushing them, using Genjutsu against them to lower their guard, or some transformation Jutsu. Kakashi had that way of reasoning, and Rin would follow the orders of the team leader.

He had to be cautious, he could not be hostile with his way of presenting himself to them. His story already sounded too incredible to have to face the calculated distrust of his teammate.

Back from the dead. Although he never died. Because he was saved by a man with the power to live for centuries. Who has a poisonously dangerous plan. And who should not be alive.

Yes, of course.

When he felt them really close, he descended to the ground, and chose to move that way instead of using the branches of the trees. They were still, a few meters in front of him. He masked his chakra so as not to alert the senses of Kakashi, who lived extremely alert. He could feel Rin, clear and luminous, relaxed, carefree, happy.

She was happy. And it wasn’t because of him.

Something twisted inside him, a bitter taste ran down his throat as a node formed in it.

He sneaked a few more steps until he positioned himself behind a tree. The two were in a small clearing in the forest, sitting on the grass, resting their backs on the thick trunk of a weeping willow tree. They were too close to each other. He watched, he listened.

Slowly, and in a matter of a few seconds, his heart broke into a thousand pieces. All the love he held for that beautiful young woman was now corrupted by the companion in whom he trusted. He who now hovered over her, and placed a light and sweet kiss upon her soft and pink lips. He could see how she was contaminated with betrayal, he knew about her feelings towards Rin, and yet there he was. Kissing her in front of him, unprecedented.

The image was almost romantic, except for the fact that they were being watched by a distressed spectator from the shadows.

A raw anger grew in Obito’s chest, as thicker than normal drops slipped from his one remaining eye. It was a liquid too heavy and hot to be water, but he was too deeply hurt to even question why his Sharingan was bleeding. The fire that ran through him before that image was very different from any other.

Betrayal, hatred, displeasure. His comrade was stabbing him in the back, after he had saved his life. He stole the only woman he ever cared about, the only one who could push him on when life felt too heavy to lift his head.

And he could only watch, see how they professed feelings without words, connecting their lips in a lovers’ communication.

A grunt of outrage escaped his chest before he could even think about what he was doing, and with a new unlocked eye technique of which he was not yet aware, he broke through the remaining trunks that separated him from the couple, leaving his hiding place.

His speed had increased without him wanting it, his body had a will of its own, and it seemed to converge in the pain its owner was experiencing.

When he caught up with his two teammates, it was too late for either of them to react. His surprise attack was successful, and he mercilessly grabbed Kakashi by the neck, violently lifting him off the ground. The silver-haired young man directed his gaze to his eyes, and before he could utter a word, an excessively thick branch was born from the hand of Obito holding him. It pierced his neck mercilessly, spilling the traitor’s blood all over the forest floor.

“WHY DO YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO COMPETE WITH ME?! SHE IS MINE.”

The young ninja’s life quickly left his body in the face of the brutal attack, and before throwing the body with an unknown force particularly far away, the Uchiha took the Sharingan that once belonged to him, and placed it back where it should go in the first place.

No traitor deserved such power.

“Kk-akas-shi…”

Rin, self-absorbed, looked at the pool of blood that had fallen from her partner’s body, repeating his name as if that would bring him back. The girl was on the floor, sitting, trying to get away from the scene that had unfolded beside her.

The red liquid covered her forming a strange pattern on her clothes, blood that washed over her when Obito passed through Kakashi’s neck without remorse. Scattered drops ran down her face, some in a peculiar pattern similar to tears.

“Shhhh Rin shhh, I am here, I am here to protect you, I am here to take care of you, I am here, I am back.”

The Uchiha knelt next to her, and pressed her face against his chest, generating a hug that tried to imitate containment. He wanted to let her know who he was, she had to identify him, she had to recognize him! He squeezed her tightly, holding their two bodies together with a constricting pressure.

How he missed her. How he needed her. Finally, she was in his arms.

Finally, she was his.

[sciforce]

How to Make Team Communication Effective When Working Remotely?

So, your team has fully moved to remote work. You are probably already used to working in your pajamas, having endless snacks and communicating with your colleagues via Slack or Zoom. And suddenly you find out that your work has become less effective. It’s all about the discipline, you think at first. And your team thinks the same. And your manager. And to get your work back under control you start inventing new means of communication, having more meetings and then a few more. When hearing others’ experience with home office, the most common complaint (apart from having children at home, of course) is spending too much time on meetings. What can we do not to feel drowning in them?

In this blog post, we offer some possibilities to consider that might make your communication less disruptive and help you focus on your work instead of distracting from it.

Strategy 1. Document more

It sounds counter-intuitive — no one likes spending time on documenting each step or filling in lists of specifications and instructions. However unpleasant the process may be, it will boost the company’s effectiveness: on-site, people come up to each other’s desks to ask questions or just listen to conversations. Though fast and informal, this method can lead to rumors-like communication where the truth is eventually lost. With proper documentation, the team has a single reliable source of truth for all questions.

Make documentation everyone’s responsibility

Docs as Code is the approach that is gaining momentum now. It treats documents as a part of your code, ensuring version control, cooperation with other team members — and the importance of writing documentation for everyone. Even outside IT, this approach ensures that over time, teams that own their documents grow more responsible and respectful to one another’s time, move fast by adding changes to already existing docs, and are able to communicate the knowledge effectively across teams and to newcomers.

Write handbooks

Having documentation on the project somewhere in Gitlab is good, but when you don’t have a handbook that is reliably actionable, it can feel burdensome to seek answers in a repository. Handbooks usually are more human-friendly, as people tend to trust other humans who address them directly more than abstract words written online.

Documenting all your solutions makes communication more effective for team members who join a project or conversation midstream and need to understand what steps have been taken thus far, new hires who try to catch up with the rest of the team, managers who need to track the work done, and, finally, customers who want to understand what they get.

Strategy 2. Embrace textual communication

A logical extension of documentation, text communication can feel unusual or even uncomfortable for many. In remote environments, or in teams spread across countries with different time zones, communicating through text is ideal. It prevents a vicious cycle of meetings which serve only to “bring people up to speed.” Communicating answers to problems via text makes documentation easier and more trustworthy.

Make notes

When all your meetings are moved online, it’s crucial to maintain a written account of all the words said. Try to write everything down — from meeting notes to quarterly objectives. Before meetings, the lead can create an agenda and ask participants to add items for discussion. During meetings, team members or one person in charge can write down decisions, ideas, or notes to specify who is responsible for specific tasks or to trace the chain of reasoning leading to decisions. Documenting everything makes for a stronger, more informed, more trusting, and more connected team.

Writing down things is far from exciting, but it will provide you with reference that will evolve together with your team.

Strategy 3. Switch to asynchronous communication

We all are most likely used to communicating synchronously — gathering in the same place (physical or virtual) at the same time. An asynchronous workflow allows moving forward even when other stakeholders are unavailable. Asynchronous communication, by definition, is any type of communication where one person provides information and then there is a time lag before the recipients take in the information and offer their responses. Essentially, asynchronous communication is when you send a message without expecting an immediate response. The most common example of such communication is, of course, sending an email.

The major benefit of asynchronous communication is that it relieves employees from the burden of being always online and ready to react. Constant disruption of the work with requests for immediate reaction does not allow team members to concentrate and dive into the project, increases the stress and reduces their productivity.

However, though there are many tools of asynchronous communication — Google Drive, Monday, or Asana, to name just a few, they all have one prerequisite: a standardized method of documentation. Without a corporate standard, team members will be left to determine their own methods for communicating, that will inevitably lead to chaotic document movement across teams and departments.

Strategy 4. Make meetings optional

When we all have to work from home, sitting at another meeting becomes even more frustrating than ever. The way to avoid spending time on unnecessary meetings is to make them optional to attend. It is easy to reduce the number of mandatory meetings, if every meeting has an agenda that the team can collaborate on. The simplest way is to create a Google Doc that allows the team to contribute or modify questions. When the agenda is shaped, every person can decide whether to participate, or to catch up on the outcomes afterwards.

However, it is necessary to assure that all the information will not be lost even if some team members aren’t able to join you online. For example, Loom and Zoom allow recording meetings, which is particularly useful when some of the key stakeholders are absent.

Probably, the idea of “optional meetings” is absurd to those who are used to synchronous communication, but with the team working remotely, it is handy to ask people to contribute whenever they have time — with a deadline, of course!

Strategy 5. Maintaining informal communication

When people are physically located in the same place, informal communication is natural: social connections are crucial to build trust within the organization and to encourage knowledge sharing. Moreover, if we have friends at work, we are also more satisfied with our jobs and the company. But when working remotely, it may sound intentional and fake.

Using emojis

One thing that is easily transferred from personal conversations is using emojis to express emotions. Both remote employees and managers should feel comfortable using them in everyday discourse in professional settings. When working remotely, such visual tools bring about a larger pallet of tones and emotions, creating more empathy and the feeling of human connection. On top of this, using custom emojis allows colleagues to develop their own signal language and build more ties between team members.

It goes without saying that we all have a long way to go to adapt to working from home, and the feeling of isolation from your team is only one, though crucial, side of the overall struggle we are all having. The key to quick adaptation is to adopt a strategy and to try to find order in the present-day chaos. Let’s try and clean up our communication channels — and in the next post, we’ll talk about protecting our workplace from cyberattacks.

[benoist-mcgrath]

The heat, of course, was unbearable.

The warmth alone made Lena’s skin burn and turn into a red mass as quickly as she arrives to the old mansion in Italy.

They spend 8 weeks in the Italian heat, posing as the perfect family. This summer was different, though: it was the first July that Lex didn’t come along, it was the first time their father left him in charge of LuthorCorp, the first trial to him, a challenge to seize him up.

The road is full with flowers, some of them blooming, another ones with the first signs of brown on their leaves. They travel in silence, her mother saying something here and there trying to keep appearances. Lena, however, knows the truth: Lillian Luthor wanted to stay on Metropolis with her son, she didn’t want to come to Italy, nor with her cheating husband and her adopted daughter (the one that was Lionel’s lovechild with someone else). She didn’t have another option, some magazine always made an article about their Italian holidays; if Lillian Luthor stayed on Metropolis and didn’t appear on the magazine’s cover by the September edition, people would start talking.

Appearances, everything was always reduced to what others thought of you.

“Tell me about her” Lillian whispers.

Her meaning their guest for the next six weeks.

“A journalist” her father answers “A scientist journalist”

He sounds almost proud.

Taking in summer’s guests was her parents’ way of helping young academics revise a manuscript before publication. For six weeks each summer Lena had to share the house with a total stranger. Lex used to be her buffer and accomplice but he wasn’t here and the task to entertain the guest would fall solely on her shoulders. During this time, Lena used to share her bedroom with Lex but now that he was on Metropolis, she would sleep on her grandfather’s old room and their guest would occupy Lex’s room. While they were away, her grandfather’s room became a part-time toolshed, storage room and attic where rumor had it old Louis Luthor ghost still ground his teeth in his eternal sleep.

Summer residents didn’t have to pay anything, were given the full run of the house, and could basically do anything they pleased, provided they spent an hour or so a day helping Lena’s father with his correspondence and assorted paperwork. They became part of the family, and after almost 20 years of doing this, the Luthors had gotten used to a shower of postcards and gift packages from people who were now totally devoted to their family.

At meals there were frequently two or three other guests, neighbours, sometimes colleagues, lawyers, doctors, the rich and famous who’d drop by to see Lionel’s family on their way to their own summer houses. Her father enjoyed the company, it brought him out of his usual routine: he loved nothing better than to have some precocious rising expert in a field keep the conversation going in a few languages while the hot summer sun, after a few glasses of red wine, ushered in the unavoidable afternoon torpor.

Her mother, of course, hated it.

“Her name is Kara Danvers” Lionel say, his eyes far away “She was recommend by Lex, remember?”

Kara, Lena remembers, is Clark Kent’s little cousin. Clark and Lex relationship has always been a mystery to Lena. Sometime ago she caught the mansion’s maids talking about them, speculating about the nature of their relationship.

And then, there was that time she found them in the library…

Stop.

Clark is nice and whenever he is around Lex seems to be happier.

Around midday, the house was always full of people, there was the guy that suggests going out the pool or the woman that tries to move the party to the nearest bar. Lena was eighteen, she would attend Yale next fall and, if she went her way, this would be the last summer she spends with her parents. Unlike Lex, Lena didn’t want to suffer her mother bad temper more than necessary and even though she will miss her father, Lena was sure next summer would find her anywhere but here. It wasn’t like she didn’t fit with the place, growing up with a charming brother teach her how to perform her duties as the daughter of Lionel and Lillian Luthor: she was nice with her father’s guests, trying to engaged them in conversations, often learning some things, appraising the summer’s residents and making them feel like they were welcomed every time they wanted to come back. It was exhausting but also useful for her future.

After three days there, Lena’s skin turns red and Sam starts mocking her.

“Lobster” she calls her, while they are by the pool.

Sam’s skin doesn’t turn red, of course. It becomes a beautiful and shining brown and whenever she is inside the pool, she looks like a diamond, the little drops of water making her glow.

“Shut up”

Lena wants her to disappear.

(Ok, maybe she just wants to stop feeling butterflies in her tummy when her eyes travels through Sam’s skin)

“Girls” the voice of her father brings her out of her mind and suddenly she’s there.

Tall, blonde and handsome.

“This is Kara” Lionel says but Lena already knows this.

“Hey”

Hey, the word, the voice, the attitude.

Kara doesn’t say anything else and Lena’s blood boils in her veins. Hey, it sounds harsh, curt and dismissive, spoken with the veiled indifference of people who may not care to see or hear from you again.

Hey.

She’s wearing short shorts, sunglasses and, underneath her straw hat, a bun of blonde locks. Her blouse is open two bottoms and a black bra pokes through it, a clear contrast with her golden skin. Oh no.

My mother’s gonna hate her, is the first thing she thinks.

Oh no.

Suddenly, Kara is shaking Lena’s hand, handing her a backpack and asking about the bathroom.

“Boy, that was a long trip!” she smiles and Lena wants to cry.

No, no, no.

It might have started right there and then: the blouse, the rolled-up sleeves, her ridiculous long legs, a pair of blue espadrilles and the eagerness to test the hot gravel path that led to the house, every stride already asking:

“Where is the beach?”

…

Kara didn’t look like a journalist. She looks more like the cheerleader type than the bookworm. Her golden hair is often on a ponytail but when she lets it down it takes Lena’s breath away.

A fucking jock.

The universe must be laughing of her.

Just like Clark, she seems to have an aura of easiness and everyone in the house fell in her spell very fast. Lena was thoroughly intimated, in an unapproachable kind of way.

Maybe it started soon after her arrival, during one of those lunches when Kara sat next to her and it finally dawned on Lena that, despite a light tan acquired while she travelled through Italy, the color on Kara’s palms was the same as the pale, soft skin of her throat, of the bottom of her forearms, which hadn’t really been exposed to much sun (“I don’t go outside often, Lena, Kara said one time, I love books and reading”). Private, chaste, unfledged, it told Lena things about her that she never knew to ask.

[mbti-notes]

Thanks for a great blog! Your words have helped me a lot, but there is one thing I am struggling to understand, so hope you can clarify. You often mention the importance of developing functions IN ORDER (e.g. as an INFP, I should develop Fi first, then Ne, Si and finally Te),and this makes sense in theory. In self-improvement terms, I have always tried to take the best approach for a situation and go outside my comfort zone to consciously work on skills and functions etc. (1 of ?).

[con’t: However, your advice implies a longer-term focus, and that working on a specific function is a good idea. If I understand, Te will NEVER feel as natural as Fi - like writing with your wrong hand could look nice however well it’s developed. My question is how do you know which function (of the 4 in your stack) you should currently be developing? How do you evaluate your strengths, and determine when the ‘next function’ needs development, and when would this change? You have also mentioned the negative impacts of developing functions in the WRONG ORDER. My upbringing, (and male environmental pressures) led me to suppress Fi growing up. Now I’m 32, I am reasonably balanced between my use of Fi and Te, but don’t think either of them are especially healthy in isolation. In contrast my Ne-Si feels unbalanced, and I consciously work on slowing my head down, and to stop skimming over details etc. So, on one level I feel like I should work on Si to bridge the gap to Te. However my Fi feels weaker than it should be, and while I can use Te in a positive way, I still feel like I should be more ‘effective’ in life. Sorry it was long, but theory without examples is hard for me. I am really interested in understanding more about developing functions IN ORDER, and the impact of developing in the WRONG ORDER, and how to undo damage, and where best to focus on for self-improvement. Thanks!!]

I commend your willingness to learn, because an open mind and a good attitude is half the battle. It seems you want something like step-by-step instructions, which is a reasonable request and common from Te types, but it can’t really be granted because it doesn’t fit with the reality of how the mind works. The mind is complicated and hard to understand, that’s why we’re often reduced to using metaphors or analogies. 

When you read the guides, I make a point of saying that cognitive functions aren’t skills. They aren’t something that you can improve from 1 to 10 like learning piano. This analogy doesn’t properly represent the real-life process of type development. For example, if you equate Te with “organization skill”, then you are likely to believe that if you just learn how to organize better and practice it, then Te will be “well-developed”. No. This analogy does not account for the intention behind your desire to use and develop the function. Why is it that some INFPs are good at organizing, some even run corporations and manage large groups of people, but they still frequently experience Te grip? 

You can work hard at developing Te as a “skill” all you want, and you’ll probably get better at doing your daily tasks and keeping everything running smoothly, that’s true - this is not a “bad” thing to do. However, ask yourself what really motivates your desire to build up Te in this way? If your desire stems from wanting to realize your positive potential and become a better person, i.e., self-love, then great. But if your desire actually stems from barely conscious feelings of inadequacy, self-abasement, shame, helplessness, or other negative emotions, then you probably haven’t realized that you’re in Te grip, despite whatever appearance you give off of having your life together.

Functions are tools for making sense of the world and making good decisions in life. How well you use these cognitive tools is not just a matter of skill (skill does help in small ways), it’s also a matter of whether you can properly DECODE what they’re telling you to do. Let’s say that Te is “telling you” to change careers because the career that you really want is not going to lead to great success and wealth. Should you listen? No amount of “organizing skill” is going to answer this question for you, right?

Think of it this way: All of your functions are speaking to you, so your job, like being “president”, is to know the right time to listen to the right function. What this implies is that developing your functions is not about particular skills, rather, it’s about how much self-awareness you possess when making choices. Let’s say Te tells you that: you suck when you’re not rich and famous, you need to sacrifice your integrity to make it, you have to grind yourself down to nothing to achieve the symbols of success, etc. Even if you satisfy these Te demands, are you going to end up as a person that you’ll be proud of? You listened to that Te, you got your shit together, you worked hard as Te told you to do, but would you call that “well-developed” Te or Te grip?

Why is self-development hard? Because you are filled with inner conflicts and you don’t know how to resolve them when you don’t have enough awareness of who you really are, what kind of person you should strive to be, what your deepest needs and concerns are, what kinds of desires are legitimate, what kind of life constitutes a “good” life. People are not objective and rational when they make decisions because the mind is a morass of conflicting information. We are all very easily influenced and led astray by unconscious activity, of which there are three common forms: 1) cognitive biases, usually faulty schemas or heuristics that mislead you about the reality of how the world works, 2) unresolved emotions, such as fear, shame, guilt, anger, pride, jealousy, etc, that twist and distort your perception and judgment, and 3) ego defense mechanisms that photoshop your self-image and blur your self-perception in order to escape the threat of low self-esteem (i.e. lying to yourself). 

That’s why I emphasize self-awareness as the goal of function development. When you are unaware of your intention, or the why, behind developing a function, you are very likely to misuse that function because it’s not really under your control but actually controlled by your unconscious impulses. Can you see through the ways in which your functions give voice to your unconscious activity? Using the above example, can you see through those things that Te is saying? Can you understand that Te is speaking in that way to you because of shame or low self-esteem, not because it has “the right answer” about how you should live your life? In other words, when your mind is transparent to you, you will know when to listen to a function or not because you understand what it’s really trying to say to you. 

WRT function order, generally speaking, you can’t use a function well until the functions before it have been developed well. To understand this concept, use a swimming analogy. The better you are at swimming, the deeper the water you can handle. If you can’t even handle the shallow side, you shouldn’t even think about venturing into the deep end. If you try to go deeper before you are ready, you’ll end up flailing wildly at best and drowning at worst. This is because the unconscious mind is layered and riddled with defense mechanisms, so you have to work your way through those layers gradually as you slowly increase self-awareness. If you try to develop a lower function before you have the necessary baseline level of self-awareness, you’ll just end up misusing that function because you aren’t yet capable of decoding its true message. Why? The lower the function in your stack, the more distorted that “voice” sounds to you because of its much closer proximity to your unconscious activity, especially your defense mechanisms and unresolved emotional issues. 

The function order makes it seem like there is a linear path to take but it’s not so simple because there are two different issues: 1) How much knowledge you have about how to use a function well: This is important because you need something by which to measure your progress, and this is already explained in the Type Development Guide. 2) Whether you can use a function well in every circumstance: Life can be going very well for you circumstance-wise, in which case, your unconscious activity would be fairly quiet and your functions would naturally operate optimally. However, as soon as things don’t go well, you are likely to misuse all of your functions in a desperate attempt to cope with the stress. A function being higher in your stack means that you are less likely to misuse it simply because you are more experienced with it. But it doesn’t matter how “skilled” you are in using your functions if you are still misusing them the moment you get too stressed. For example, you could become great at organizing things (Te as “skill”) and yet, every time you’re stressed, you totally go overboard and get super controlling about everything -> you immediately get taken over by your unconscious unresolved emotions like fear and shame. This tells you that the most important overarching process of type development is learning from the mistakes you make and using that knowledge to boost self-awareness so that you can do better next time.

People often believe that they are more skilled than they are because their ego defense mechanisms prime them to think that way in order to preserve self-esteem. To address your unconscious activity requires radical self-honesty and not many people are ready for that. You have to possess a certain amount of genuine self-esteem to face up to all of your flaws and mistakes and learn from them. This can be especially hard for Fs because they are more sensitive to shame about feeling less than or incompetent. Long term type development involves a lot of growing pains because there is lots of fear and defensiveness to overcome. It’s not fun or pleasant to always be reflecting on the consequences of your actions and confronting all of the things you do wrong or badly. Not many people can face those pains and fears bravely, which is why they opt out. It’s hard to see through the growing pains to understand what enormous gains you can achieve by coming out the other side.

[ritamordio19]

A Court of Steel and Fire (2/?)

Summary: Post-ACOFAS. My take on Nesta’s banishment to the Illyrian camps with Cassian and her corresponding recovery process. Alternatively, a reminder that hardened steel doesn’t melt easily. ~~ All the characters/locations are owned by Sarah J. Maas :). Chapter 1 Here Ao3 Link Here ~~

Nesta groaned as she awoke, the outside light giving her such a piercing headache she couldn’t open her eyes in the slightest.  Not to mention, her muscles were in excruciating pain as well; how much had she had to drink last night?  She whimpered as she tried to roll on her side and tug her comforter over her head to shut out the light.

But her hands met empty air, rubbing only against the roughness of the top of her sheets.  As the haziness of sleep wore off, she began to wonder how her Velaris apartment was getting this much light streaming into it to begin with; she always had the blinds closed, and it wasn’t as if the city was particularly bright to begin with.  But then, that bastard had probably left her window open when they had left the other morning, and she must’ve forgotten to close it.

She calmed her mind in order to try to progress along that resulting sequence of events.  She remembered Cassian dropping by to accompany her, then she was yelling at her sister – she gave another whimper and scrunched her still-sealed eyes as a particularly sharp migraine shot through her head, but kept working – then...Cassian was taking her back home, and she was packing to go...

Her eyes shot open then immediately slammed shut as the light from the large window beside her filled her vision, causing her head to light up in pain and prompting a small scream as she covered her face.  She heard footsteps come running towards her, but she didn’t particularly care, considering the amount of pain she was in. Seconds later, the door came crashing open, and she ducked under the sheets to try to escape the noise.

“Sorry.”

Though she still embraced the darkness beneath her sheets, she could feel his apologetic wince from the softness of his whisper.  She merely grunted back, too exhausted to tell him to get out.  He walked lightly – thank the gods – to the side of her bed, and she turned her back to him, then changed her mind as she realized she was now facing the window and chose to bury her face in the sheets instead.

“Can I get you anything?”

“Out.” Her voice was stifled by the sheets in her face, and she heard him sigh in frustration.  She decided not to give him the time to verbalize those emotions.  “Everything. Hurts. Out.”

Her words elicited a brief pause on his part, then she felt his presence fade with the sound of his footsteps.  No sooner had she been given this short time to relax, though, than his footsteps returned, and the bedsprings rasped with the pressure of him sitting beside her.  She gritted her teeth – this was the last thing she was in the mood for – but she peeked her head out from under the sheets, opening her eyes as thinly as she could to look at him.

“I’m fairly positive I said–”  Nesta was cut off by Cassian dropping an unmarked tin right in front of her face. She moved slightly to get a better vision of him and to retort, edge lining her voice.  “And what–” She pushed the tin slightly with the tips of her fingers. “–is that?”

“It’s a special oil Illyrians use, made from a sap found only in the trees lining the Illyrian Steppes.  It should make your muscles calm down enough to let you sleep a little longer, which should make that headache–”  He narrowed his eyes, halting for a few seconds and perhaps debating his next words.  “–and hopefully that attitude go away.”

She exhaled at him in disgust, then turned her attention back to the tin, immediately stilling at her realization of his implication. The idea of him applying it to her, his hands massaging her muscles, working their way down her back...she shook her head.  Once, during the war, the idea would’ve sent chills down her spine, heat in her core.  She would’ve spat insults and fought at him until he’d fought her stubbornness with his own, insisted she “couldn’t possibly” get to those hard-to-reach areas, made her want his hands roaming down, exploring...

She grimaced and forced her mind back into reality.  She already was cursing herself internally, as he no doubt could scent the path her mind had taken, despite her burning face being mostly buried in her blanket and sheet.  It wasn’t that simple anymore, though. As much as her body had craved his touch from the thought, she also knew the other side of it, the power that would leak out from that contact, the loss of control it could cause, the damage she could do to him, to herself.  She opened her eyes wider, her headache slightly dissipated, and was surprised to find his expression hadn’t changed.  She struggled to speak, but managed to force out a single word.

“No.”

The word came out soft, but laced with venom.  It was perhaps harsher than she wanted, but it was necessary, she thought, as–

“I wasn’t offering.”  His countenance stayed stoic as he stood up from her bed, brushing his leathers off as he walked to her door, turning his head slightly to look at her as he hovered his hand against the wood.  “I don’t have time today; I’m already behind schedule as is.  Besides, you’re going to have to learn to help yourself eventually, and this will be a good start.”  Nesta huffed at his impertinence, but she tightly held his eye contact, even as her tightened neck protested at the awkward angle.  She wouldn’t back down from him ever, no matter how he spoke to her.  ...No matter if his emotionless voice caused a deeper part of her to match her muscles in agony.

His hand wobbled slightly on the door, then he averted her gaze as he finished speaking.  “Now, I have work to do; you’ve been asleep for several days, and I’ve had to postpone some things while waiting for you to wake. I’ll be back this evening to check on you.  Hopefully you can figure out how to apply a salve without my help in the meantime.”  She didn’t have an opportunity to respond before the wood of the door clicked in place, the handle turned to reduce its noise.  The sounds of the front door creaking open and shut resonated through the wooden floors moments later, and she sighed as she laid down carefully on her back and closed her eyes to dissect the morning’s events.

Nesta laid on the cottage’s couch, its shabbiness oddly comparable to the furniture in her Velaris apartment, and just...stared at this infernal kitchen that Cassian had apparently built.  Like the building around it, it was fairly makeshift, consisting of only a small stove and some basic cooking necessities.  But that was a much more minor issue compared to her self-revelation that cooking was much more difficult than her servants had made it seem back in the human realm.  She’d eventually stopped trying, mostly out of a wish not to destroy all of the cookware in the house, but it was still infuriating that such a simple task evaded her.

She rolled on her stomach in annoyance as her stomach grumbled, well aware that she would have to find some way to coax food out of Cassian, even as she barely wanted to speak with him.  Though...there were positives to this forced scenario of hers, as it gave her an excuse to find out how she ended up here and what had occurred in the last few days.  She dropped her face into the torn cushion beneath her, exhausted.

You’ve been asleep for several days.  Cassian’s comment flickered through her mind as it had dozens of times that afternoon.  How could anyone, let alone her, sleep that long, and how was it possible that she didn’t dream during that time, considering she’d had near-nightly nightmares for months with only a few hours’ rest?  It seemed impossible.

Though...her body certainly backed up his claims.  Not only was her stomach now betraying her, but to be so wound up that a mixture of his scent and a mere balm had disrupted her concentration a few hours prior...she groaned and rose her head, narrowing her eyes in the general direction of the kitchen. She’d at least been able to deal with that herself. There was nothing she was going to be able to do about her hunger without knowing how to use his blasted stove; it was likely going to force her to leave the house soon, with or without being able to interrogate Cassian.

Loudly grumbling, she stood up, wincing at the sudden pain shooting through her legs and latching onto the back of the couch until her nerves dampened.  At least the salve had worked just as well as he had claimed it would.  Her muscles still tensed and locked, but she could largely move around with relatively minor pain, something she couldn’t have imagined this morning.  Her newfound mobility had allowed her to mostly scope out this dwelling she found herself staying in, though the steep stairs still eluded her.

Cassian’s cabin was a small house, made up of a single bedroom that she safely assumed was his, a large drawing room with a built-in kitchen, and her room, which looked to have been hastily fashioned from a former study, all on the first floor.  The only bathroom seemed to be attached to Cassian’s bedroom, which...could definitely pose a problem, but that was something to be worried about at a later point. The second floor, which looked to be significantly more compact, appeared to be fairly unused from what she could witness from the ground level, though she planned to fully explore the area once her pain subsided completely.

Having determined she’d waited a satisfactory time to walk, she tested her legs without the support of the couch.  They lightly burned in protest, but...they’d probably be fine enough to at least assess her location from outside and see if she was around any kind of civilization.  She certainly couldn’t hear anyone from inside, which was a pleasant surprise as, to be honest, she was worried about the wisdom of moving inside the camps themselves after her encounter with Devlon.

She walked to where she’d earlier found her shoes, jacket, and scarf, putting them on as gently as possible to combat her body’s resistance, and opened the front door, eyes widening at the sight before her.  Illyrians took up her entire vision: sparring in rings, running around on their evening errands, children rolling around in play...it appeared Cassian had taken her to this village after all. Yet...even as she stood at what looked to be the center of this village, there was no sound, no noise, like someone was...muting the world.

Her thoughts were suspended as she sensed him arriving a moment later, the air from his wings drawing a quick air current into the cabin.  She pinched her forehead with her fingers in annoyance before eyeing his landing a few feet away, rolling her eyes at the amount of snow he’d kicked up.  She caught a breath and blinked.  

Snow.

She was fairly certain the camps were still in Night Court territory, but all the buildings and the ground were coated in the soft, white powder, as if it was deep into the winter season and not still full in the lushness of autumn. They must have climbed a much higher altitude than she’d realized.

There was almost a...serene feeling about the view, the undisturbed snow on the rooftops and wells creating a calmness to counteract the rapid behavior of the Illyrians living their lives around them. Her awe was short-lived, however, as the Illyrian male filled up her vision, pushing past her into the same, tiny foyer.  She crossed her arms and spun to him, earning a tired glance back.  He spoke first – whether out of pride for this village or to prevent a fight before it could begin, she didn’t know – and gestured vaguely through the front door behind her.

“Like it?”  He gave a soft, tired smile as he kicked off his boots and took off his jacket.  She didn’t bother with a response, her eyes shifting back to the view outside instead.  “If you’re wondering about the sound, Rhys put a permanent barrier on this house – otherwise, it can be hard to sleep as Illyrians will train at all hours of the night.  The noise doesn’t really bother me, but he insisted my future guests might not share the same...apathy.  If you’re worried about someone breaking in, don’t be.  It’s enchanted so that I can still be able to hear any noises out of the ordinary.”

He reached over her head, earning a look of scorn in exchange, and pushed the door shut as he spared her one last, quick glimpse of disbelief.  “Speaking of outside, though, I’d hope you weren’t planning on going out tonight.  I mean...I won’t stop you, but they’re not exactly thrilled about your presence.  You might want to wait a day or two before attempting another one of your...grand entrances.”  He flashed her a mocking grin, more reserved than usual but setting her blood ablaze all the same.  She decided to respond in kind, acerbity dripping from her words.

“Well, I wasn’t originally planning on it, but a certain bastard declined to leave me a single morsel of food to eat.”  Her hands dropped to her hips, and her eyes narrowed.  “It was either explore the town or wait for you to get back at who-knows-what gods-forsaken hour of the night.”

He raised his eyebrows at her tone, then craned his head around the entryway to the piles of pots and failed dishes in the kitchen before leaning his head back and, to Nesta’s great irritation, echoing a booming laugh through the small cabin.  Her fade reddened, and she cut him off.

“And what, pray tell, is so funny about me starving for the whole day?”

“Apologies.” He gave her a mocking wink to let her know his words were anything but, and she crossed her arms and straightened her back in obstinance.  “Do you really not know how to cook?”

“I–” Her face burned further, and her words caught in her mouth as a grin once again lit up his face.  She exhaled in irritation and quickly recovered, closing her eyes in contempt.  “I’ve never found the need to learn.”  It wasn’t strictly true, but...she pushed that thought away before it brought with it its accompanying poor memories.  She looked back up at Cassian, his grin now almost back to his previous laugh, and pushed past him.  “I’m glad you can find such entertainment in something so stupid.  I’ll be in my room; let me know when dinner is ready.”

“Woah, woah.”  

She sighed as he caught her wrist, pings of electricity shooting up her arm from his touch. She side-eyed him with that look that let him know he was playing with danger, but...she let him tug her back a short distance before yanking her hand from his grip.  And she doubted this small fact escaped his attention.  She reluctantly turned towards him as he entered the kitchen from the other side of the wooden island, raising an eyebrow at her in challenge.

“I was just surprised and messing with you.  Come on.”  He flipped one of the few pots that had survived her wake in his hands, and beamed at her with his usual arrogance. “I’ll teach you how.”

“I think I’d rather starve,” she deadpanned as she leaned against the island.  But she quickly lost this round, going back and forth a few more times before finally giving in after he promised he’d eat both of their portions otherwise.

She looked up at him, concentration lining his brow as he prepared the ingredients, a smirk lining his face as she rolled her eyes at one of his stupid jokes.  Being around him...it wasn’t as hard as she’d imagined, as she’d feared all those months in Velaris.  Even after she’d shunned him for over a year, he was still working with her, sticking by her.  She didn’t deserve him.

Though he could certainly work on giving instructions, as he kept meandering on and on about unnecessary details.  She felt a tug from the back of her mind at his voice, and she closed her eyes as he droned on, letting it drift her back into her memories...

“And what do you suppose this monstrosity is?”  Nesta walked up to the campfire Cassian had set up, a giant slate of meat suspended above it.  He met her eyes and grinned.

“Boarhide.” Nausea rippled through her, and he laughed, gesturing towards a fully-stocked plate on his other side.  “Relax, I made you a meal far more fit for your...delicate, female tastes.”  He winked at her as he dragged out every word, and the entire campsite heard her disdain as she crossed behind him to her plate.

“Delicate?” She eyed him out of the corner of her vision as she sat down beside him.  “I wasn’t aware that Illyrians brought delicate females to battle with them.”

“They do when said female can bring a thousand males to their knees without drawing a blade.”  She shielded a satisfied smirk at his comments with a bite of her food, and he continued, his voice losing its playful touch.  “Do you...are you still...sure...this is what you want?  We don’t know what could happen tomorrow, what could happen after.”  His voice lowered.  “If there even is an after for either of us.”

Her eyes cut back to him, his stare boring into her, and she nodded. “Whatever happens tomorrow with Hybern...this is our best chance at making it through alive.”  She thought about Feyre and Elain, what the consequences of failure would be, and shook her head.  “You can’t change my decision.”

He sat there softly, the two of them in quiet solace, then pulled her tightly into his chest, laughing at her half-hearted protests.  She leaned her head into his body, syncing her breathing with his, and watched his other arm move to pull her in closer.

That’s when she first noticed it.

It started as a blip on his arm, but it slowly began pushing its black tendrils out, dripping up his veins and expanding outward like a net. She jumped up in alarm, pushing his body off as she reached out for his arm.

And stuck her hand in the campfire instead.

Pain seared through her left hand as she stumbled backwards, Cassian managing to catch her as she lost balance.  She grabbed his right arm tightly to stop the rapid expansion of the black lines, to help him as it...

She stopped in place.  The only black ink that lined his arms were his familiar tattoos; the only erratic movement was hers.  Her breathing was wild as she observed her surroundings, remembered the cabin, remembered what she was doing, tried to settle down.  She pushed back against the island to stabilize herself and cursed at the sudden shock of pain that shot through her hand. Cassian frowned as he gently pulled his arm away to continue soaking the cold cloth she had pulled him away from and pressed it against her hand.  The icy touch sparked another round of obscenities, and she shoved Cassian back, earning a sharp rebuke in the process.

“You put your hand in the gas.  You need to be caref–”

“I don’t need anything from you.”  She took several steps away from him, eyes like daggers aimed squarely at his chest.  To her dismay, the memories of that campfire began flooding back: the panic, the pain...she clenched her eyes shut and backed away further as she shoved the cloth harder against her hand. His voice was shaking as he stepped softly towards her, reaching one hand gently out towards her.

“Nesta, I...”

His expression was crushing her; she needed to get away from this, from him, now.  She turned away from him in dismissal.  “Forget it. Just let me know when dinner is ready.”

“Wait.” She was almost to her doorway when she heard him call to her from behind.  Her instincts stopped her in place, back still turned, and she heard him sigh, before reluctantly continuing to speak.  “I’m gone nearly all day every day, sometimes for days at a time.  You’re not going to be able to survive without knowing how to cook at least a little. So unless you’re planning on attending all of my work with me, I don’t care how you learn, but...”

Her hand rested softly on her door handle as she closed the door and cut off his remarks, a dark silence swallowing the rest of his words.  She sat down in front of the door, holding tightly to her burnt hand, trembling against the wood behind her.  She knew she needed to learn, needed to fend for herself in this city, but...reliving that moment had destroyed her.  The sheer terror pouring through her body...she knew she couldn’t handle anymore tonight.  She’d barely be able to handle herself as is. She took a deep breath and called through the door.

“I guess I’ll just starve, then.”

He didn’t respond.  But when the knock for dinner came later that night, she found her meal, a note attached to it, placed next to her door and Cassian nowhere in sight.

5 A.M.  Be up.

[shaynanabroad]

ONE suitcase, FOUR months

It does not feel real that in two days I’m going to board a plane for Sweden, where I will be living for the next four months. I’ve spent so much time thinking and talking about my future plans to study abroad but have not taken the time to let it sink in that these plans are no longer for the distant future. Everyone I know that’s studied abroad has told me to go in with an open mind and try to leave all expectations behind. I’ve tried to take this advice, but have discovered that “having no expectations” is just about impossible.

Already, before I’ve even left home, my experience is different than I expected. Subconsciously, I thought that by the time I was packing to leave, I would in some way feel ready to go. I don’t feel prepared to go at all. And not just in the physical sense of packing my bags. My main sense of lacking preparedness is emotional. I think it's going to take a while before I truly comprehend that I am going to be living in Sweden for the semester and not returning to Villanova’s campus to be with all my friends. Once I’ve been in Sweden for a few weeks, I’ll surely realize that I’m not just on vacation, but immersed in a new chapter of my life, thousands of miles away from my beloved family, friends and campus. I just looked it up, I’m going to be 4,004 miles away from Villanova.

I’m sure I’ll have amazing experiences abroad, but right now, I can’t help but feel like a freshman all over again. Packing up and moving away from the life and place I know, to go somewhere far away from home. I don’t know the local customs and I’m convinced I’ll stick out as different. I wonder if I’m going to be accepted and liked by the people around me. I’ve never had a problem making friends, and if studying abroad is anything like my freshman year, I am in for the time of my life. But, despite everything in the past having worked out, I still feel nervous and a bit anxious. Maybe this is why I haven’t felt ready to go. Until now, I haven’t taken the time to sit down and really absorb the fact that I’m leaving very soon because I’m trying to put off feeling anxious. Like any good psychology student, I know avoiding thinking about a situation that makes me feel nervous isn’t the best coping mechanism, but I’d really rather just pretend I’m not nervous until I’m there and my only choice is to embrace the new experience and all of its surprises and obstacles...right?

So far this post has been fairly morbid, but I promise I’m usually really upbeat and positive. In fact, my core course while studying abroad is Positive Psychology. Since reading the syllabus for this class, I’ve been super excited to get started. Wow that sounded so nerdy. But seriously, I frequently recent so many cheesy cliches such as “look on the bright side,” “every cloud has a silver lining” and my personal favorite, “a positive attitude is everything.” I cannot wait to dive head first into learning about research regarding positivity! Speaking of expectations, I hope mine aren’t too high in thinking this class is going to be life changing!

Now that I’ve done a bit of ranting about how I feel, I’d like to give this post some semblance of structure and talk a bit about my preparations for leaving for Sweden and how I made the decision to study abroad in Stockholm through DIS….

On Packing: Packing is a pain in the butt! At least if you’re like me and very unorganized, both mentally and in terms of your belongings being scattered all over the house. I’ve spent the past few days rearranging miscellaneous clothes into piles of must-brings, maybes and leave-at-homes. Unfortunately, the more I go through the piles, the more maybes I move into the must-bring pile.

Arriving in Sweden mid-January will surely require warm clothes: boots, wool socks, sweaters, thermals, etc. I also have to consider my core course week in Athens Greece(!!!), which I imagine will be warm (or, at least, warmer). I keep telling myself I’m going to pack “light,” but as a classic over-packer about to embark on my experience living outside of the US, I am starting to get worried about whether or not I’ll be able to zip my overstuffed suitcase shut. As I add the four pairs of shoes I’ve determined to be essential, I’m envisioning my little sister sitting on my suitcase as I try to zip it up.

I find myself trying to pack for any possible scenario that could arise, but am starting to realize it may be impossible to fit all necessary outfits for “any possible scenario” into one suitcase. Logically, I know it is unlikely that I’ll need both my Villanova National Championship T-shirt from 2016 and my Villanova National Championship T-shirt from 2018, but I caught myself deeming both as “must-brings.”

As much as I feel unorganized in my packing, in reality, I imagine I’m using this time feeling indecisive over T-shirts as a way to try to collect my thoughts and wrap my brain around the idea that in 48 short hours I will be kissing my family goodbye, or rather hej då (I’d better get used to integrating some Swedish phrases into my vocabulary) and boarding a flight to Stockholm. Today I packed a “trial” suitcase with the pile of clothes I’d deemed essentials, just to make sure everything would fit. And to my surprise, and delight, it did!  I’m sure there are a few last minute things I will think of to add to my suitcase, but for now I am feeling quite accomplished and just a little bit more ready for the journey ahead of me.

WHY I chose DIS Stockholm for my Study Abroad Experience: I’ve spent the past few years of college assuming I’d be studying abroad in Spain, as I was an aspiring Spanish major, but after some soul searching, I decided this summer to reduce my Spanish major to a minor and focus on studying Psychology. With Spain no longer my only option for studying abroad, I was initially overwhelmed with the task of deciding where in the world to study.

One of my self-described greatest strengths, my open mindedness, consequently can have another side to it. I am incredibly indecisive. The idea of choosing one country in which to have the amazing experience of studying abroad, out of the hundreds of beautiful options seemed impossible, so I set up a meeting with my study abroad advisor. To my surprise, the first piece of advise my advisor gave me was to forget about what country I’d be studying abroad in and to think about my expectations for my study abroad experience. This felt much more manageable to me. I prepared a list for our next meeting:

Homestay option

Speak either English (preferred) or Spanish (I could get by but I’m self-conscious about my ability to conjugate verbs)

Warm weather!

In Europe -- I want to do some country hopping!

Psychology classes Villanova does not offer

My advisor referred me to a few different programs he has had experience sending students to in the past that he felt were good options for me, located in various cities (Vienna, Stockholm, Amsterdam, Salamanca and Copenhagen). He sent me off with the task of researching these programs and coming back to him to discuss these options the following week.

When I returned to his office a week later, I was firmly leaning towards Stockholm because the program seemed to fulfill all of my requirements sans the warm weather. Most importantly, the DIS website was plentiful with information and, as someone inexperienced in travelling and nervous about what to expect, the easy access information on the DIS website eased some of my anxieties and offered a realistic preview of what to expect in their program. The inclusion of some of the less than desirable aspects of the study abroad experience, like to expect culture shock and a commute time of up to an hour, in the info provided by DIS made their website feel more reliable than the websites of other study abroad companies that I felt were holding info back and had the vibes of a sales pitch.

About two weeks ago, I felt reassured that I’d made the right decision about where to study abroad when I got my first email from my Swedish host family introducing themselves to me and sharing their excitement about having me come to live with them. I am sure my decision to live in a homestay will come with its share of challenges, but I was thrilled to find out that I will have 3 younger sibling in my host home and will only have to travel 35 mins to get from their home to DIS. I am sure I will reflect on my homestay experience quite a bit in my upcoming posts. I cannot wait to get there and meet them, but I am also starting to question my ability to finish packing ONE suitcase for the next FOUR months.

That being said, I really should get back to packing!

Until next time,

Shaynan

[brokestminimalist]

Saving Electricity

This is a project we've been working on for five years or so: reducing our electricity usage.  This reduces our bill, first and foremost.  It also reduces our carbon footprint, saving the earth a little bit. There is no downside to conserving electricity.  There is literally no reason not to. It's a great minimalist activity.  It's also kind of fun.  We are always waiting with anticipation to see our newest bill, to see if we're winning or not.  We judge winning based on our electric bill for the same month in the previous year.  For example, if our electric usage for January 2018 is less than it was for January 2017, we're winning.  You don't have to keep old bills to do this.  Your electricity company probably has a website where you can log in and see your past usage for a certain number of years.  Ours goes back to 2012, so we can see graphs of our usage over the 12 month period and compare it to what's current.  Look yours up and see what it's like.  Have you been using more energy recently, or less?

This is an ongoing project with a lot of little details.  Looking over this long list won't seem very minimalist, but a lot of these are one-time tasks that you'll never have to do again unless you move to a new house.  Once they're done, they're done.  Others are once-a-year tasks, while a few are behavior modifications (like turning off light switches or taking shorter showers).  You can't do them all at once unless you're not broke, so take a look over the list and see which ones you can mark off right now.  Then, come back to this post in a few weeks and see what else you can accomplish. Keep an eye on your bill, so you'll see the immediate benefits.

Turn off the lights: This one is an easy behavior modification.  Turn off the lights when you leave a room.  Turn off the lights when you leave the house.  Yes, even the porch light.  It might give you the illusion of security, but trust me: if a burglar wants to get into your house, a porch light won't stop them.  Turn it off.  If you really feel unsafe without it, get a solar motion-sensor light. Sleep your computer, too.  If you aren't already in the habit, start today.  Turn lights off.

Replace all your bulbs with LED bulbs: this is an investment up front, but with a potentially significant payoff.  As your incandescent or CFL bulbs begin to die, go ahead and replace them one at a time with good quality LED light bulbs.  They use a fraction of the electricity and will last for years and years.  You'll save on bulb replacements and on electricity usage.  Now, that doesn't mean you can leave them on all the time. Continue turning off lights when you leave the room, even if they are LED ones.

Take shorter showers: you are paying to heat that water.  Don't empty the tank every time you shower.  Five minutes is all you need. You'll save water, too.

Insulate everything: This is the one that will make the most difference, as climate control is the biggest energy drain in almost every house. Add weather stripping, caulk and insulation to every nook and cranny you can find.  This will keep your house cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, reducing A/C costs year round.  Be creative with canned spray foam.  Use paintable caulk to fill in cracks and then hide them.  Buy some cheap light switch/outlet gaskets, they only cost a few cents each and pay for themselves. Get a fiberglass blanket for your water heater.  Inspect your windows carefully and eliminate any gaps.  If you have a nice financial windfall and you own your house, replacing windows can make a huge difference to your bills.

Cover your windows: Even if you have newish windows, and especially if you don't, invest in heavy thermal curtains or blackout curtains. These will block UV light in summer, keeping your house a few degrees cooler. You can still open them to let light in, but keep the ones on the side of the house the sun is shining on closed.  In winter, they are heavy enough to block out some of the cold. Open them during the day to let sunlight warm your house, then shut them tight when the sun goes down.  Get some window kits and cover your windows with the plastic.  If you can't find any, get some cheap clear shower curtains from the dollar store and nail them up underneath your curtains. Tape the edges with masking tape.  This will trap the cold air away, and you can take them down in the spring.

Maintain your appliances: Have your furnace and a/c inspected and tuned up annually.  Clean your fridge coils.  If you use your dryer, and you shouldn't if you can help it, make sure the lint trap and vent hose are clear.  An appliance that isn't running efficiently uses more electricity than necessary and can even be a fire hazard.  Invest in the most energy efficient ones you can afford.  If you're broke like us, keep using the ones you have until they just won't go anymore.

Don't use your dryer: Clothes dryers, as we've said, are a frivolous waste of electricity.  Air dries things for free.  Hang your clothes out in the sun, or in your house if it's rainy or below freezing outside.  This will be a not-insignificant savings.  You'll probably see a drop of 20 bucks on your bill if you stop completely.

Use ceiling fans properly: In summer, ceiling fans should rotate counterclockwise on a high speed.  Fans don't cool the air, but they make us feel cooler by the process of evaporation.  In the summer, use them to full advantage.  In the winter, they should run clockwise on the lowest setting.  Hot air rises, so this will gently blow the warmer air down to your level.  If you aren't in a room, turn the ceiling fan off just as you would a light.

Use electric blankets in winter: These only use a few watts and you’ll stay super cozy.  Or at least, your dog will when he steals it.

Air dry your dishes: just like the clothes dryer, letting your dishwasher dry your dishes is wasteful.  If you use the dishwasher, put it on air dry.  If yours is a bajillion years old and doesn't have that setting, just stop it after the wash cycle and open the door so your dishes can dry.

Check your thermostat:  In the summer, keep it as warm as you possibly can stand.  For us this is about 78 degrees.  Yes, really.  You won't die.  Wear some shorts, use your ceiling fans.  Take a cool shower. You'll be fine.  In winter avoid using your furnace unless it's very cold.  We had planned to keep ours set to around 60 degrees, until we figured out that it was broken.  Instead we are using electric space heaters to heat only the room we are in at the time.  If you do use your furnace, keep it set as cool as you can stand and bundle up against the chill.  Use electric blankets on your bed to stay toasty at night, they use only a few watts and will keep you warmer than if you try to heat the surrounding air anyway.

Find energy vampires: these are devices that use standby power when they are off. The clock on your microwave, for example.  Unplug that shit.  That's wasted money.  Your cable box, tv and dvd player probably do too; put those on a power strip and turn it off when you're done watching. We actually unplug all our crap.  Our washer and dryer are unplugged right now.  So are the tv and Fire Stick, the microwave, the crock pot, and the lamp in the living room.  You don't have to be crazy like us, but if you think a device is using power when it's off, even if it's just to keep a little blinking light on, unplug it.

Get rid of hair dryers and curling irons: your hair will dry.  These things waste energy and are also fire and burn hazards.  We remember having our grandma burn the crap out of our head with a big old 70's hair dryer when we were a kid (in the 90's, btw).  We'd complain that it was too hot, she'd ignore us, and two days later our scalp would start peeling.  These things are dangerous.  If you want curly hair, get a set of sponge curlers.  They were good enough for grandma and they're good enough for you.  

Use the microwave: as much as possible, cook things in the microwave instead of on the stove or in the oven.  The microwave uses the least electricity of these.

Get rid of scented plug ins: throw that crap away.  Get some scented candles.  Done.

Open your blinds and curtains during the day: the sun provides plenty of light, so you shouldn't need to turn on lights until after dark. Open up your blinds to let the sunlight in so you can see, and so it can warm your house in winter.  In summer, close the blinds/curtains on the side of the house where the sun is, to block out the extra heat.

Open your windows in the evening in the summer: When it's hot during the day, keep the windows shut and the curtains pulled, at least on the side where the sun is shining in.  After the sun goes down, if it's cooler outside than inside, open your windows and doors to let the cool night air in.  Shut them before the sun comes up and trap the nice cool air inside.  It'll stay cool for a few hours before you have to turn the A/C on.  We do not recommend sleeping with your door open, ftr.  If you've got mosquitoes, get screens.  

Trap your desired temperature: If you've got open doorways between rooms where there aren't actual doors, hang curtains or blankets there to keep your climate controlled air from escaping into other parts of the house.  We use clear shower curtains in winter to trap heat in our living room.  We don't need to heat the kitchen if we aren't in the kitchen, right?  You can do this with air conditioning too if you've got a window unit.  If you aren't using central but you still have air registers in your house, cover them with plastic.  Do not cover air registers in unused rooms if you are using the central, this is bad for your unit and duct work. Just let them blow.

Dress for the season: if it's 90 degrees outside, wear shorts and a tank top and put your thermostat on 78.  If it's 10 degrees outside, bundle up in layers and wool socks and put your thermostat on 60. You will be fine.  You will acclimate, even. We promise.

Wash your clothes in cold water: heating water uses electricity. Unless you're washing something that's very greasy, use cold water.  

Use the eco settings on everything: Your computer probably has this, so does your tv.  Use this setting on every device that offers it.

Shade your roof: with deciduous trees.  That is, ones that lose their leaves in the winter.  You gain a lot of heat from the sun shining directly on your roof in the summer, so you want it to be shaded by trees so your house stays a little cooler.   In winter you want that extra warmth hitting your house, though.  If you don't already have trees growing this can be a very long-term project.  If you own the property, do some research on the subject and plant some good, hardy trees in strategic locations.

Shade your A/C: air conditioning is by far the biggest energy hog in your house.  It'll run more efficiently if it's not in direct sunlight, so plant some shade trees.

Use space heaters: Leave your furnace off and use space heaters to heat only the room you are in, rather than the whole house.  (Make sure your pipes are insulated first.) This will save lots of energy. If, however, you do need to heat the whole house, do not use space heaters to do so.  Not only will you have a ridiculous bill, you'll likely burn your house down.

(Yeah that’s our furniture-free bedroom, but that’s another post!

Turn off the furnace/air conditioner when you are away: There's a myth that says it takes more energy to heat your house up if it's gotten cold than if you just leave the heat running constantly.  This is 100% false.  If you leave, turn everything off.  Even if you're gone for eight hours for work, your house isn't likely to be freezing inside when you get back.  It'll heat back up within twenty minutes or so, and it won't use more electricity that way.  So turn it off when you leave.

Hibernate in winter: When the weather’s cold, pick one room to heat and stay in there rather than moving around.  If you’ve got a family your body heat will keep the room even warmer.  You can play board games or do puzzles.  We hibernate in our bedroom during winter and mostly abandon the rest of the house.  We venture out occasionally for food or to pee, but we come back quickly.

There are other things you can do, but these are the ones we've found that make the most difference.  We'll post results as we try new things so everyone can see.  Shaving money off our utility bill has made the most difference to our finances recently.  When we first moved here we got a $500 electric bill for August, the hottest month here.  We'd reduced that to $57 by November.  Now that it's cold and we've been using space heaters instead of the fire, we're up to $85 or so.  If we can stay under $100 for the rest of the winter that'll be significant.

You can make a difference right now.  Go turn something off.  

Links: Mr. Electricity, Reduce your carbon footprint

[voiptechsolutions]

How to Take Your Business Communications to The Next Level? Know More About Business VoIP & Its Cost-savvy Features.

Businesses in 2021 have become more calculative if you look 10 years down the lane. I think most would agree to this. They are now looking to explore different ways of cost-cutting and their R&D team is doing a remarkable job by getting them satisfying outputs. And, improvising his communications definitely tops the chart. I0n general, organizations often overlook the channels they use and the amount of money they spend without achieving anything that really benefits their organization as a whole. With the 2nd wave of Covid-19 pandemic squeezing their business opportunities again, organizations are shifting their base to business VoIP to stay afloat. Cost-cutting and better clarity in communication in remote working scenarios is the two highlights of Business VoIP. Know how!  No matter which business you are into, phone communication is the most common and first line of consent between you and your customers. Although there are other mediums to establish communication, new clients would like to first engage over phone calls and it has been the pillar of customer support. Acknowledging the importance, network operators often enforce various charges that can add more numbers to your monthly phone bills. That doesn’t end here, some of them would be for the services you never use or not necessary at all. So why to pay for those services that you don’t use that too in the name of “all-inclusive fee” and “taxes include”. There’s no limit to the level of creativity that some business phone providers display when finding ways to nickel and dime their customers. Unless you’ve already carefully audited your company’s bill, there’s a good chance that you’re paying more than necessary. If you’re out of touch with just how much traditional phones are costing your business, we’ve jotted down a few pointers for items that you might want to keep an eye on the next time your bill arrives. In this article, we’ll cover the following sections: Is it actually possible to reduce phone bills with Business VoIP? Your bill may be a necessary business expense, but that doesn’t mean it has to cost your company an arm and a leg. This cost can be especially tough for small business owners. One thing to consider is the total cost of operation for your current phone system. You can find that cost by adding how much it costs to purchase the phone system with how much it costs for you to operate it. Once you have determined that cost, you can decide if what you paid for your business phone system and what you currently pay to operate it is worth it. You can compare that price against whatever your current bill is each month. That way, you can see which aspect of your setup you should change. Just take a look At your current phone bill:   The easiest way to see how much you should cut from costs associated with your phone service is by looking into your existing bill. For example, providers will commonly offer a discount for various packages and it may reduce your company’s administrative costs by consolidating the bills into one payment. Here are some items on your bill you should pay close attention to: Rollover Lines — These are found in traditional phone lines and allow your business to handle multiple calls at once so that your customers will not run into busy signals. These aren’t cheap, as they can cost your business up to $30 per line. It’s important to note that you can get this same functionality from an IP system without any extra costs. Wire Maintenance — Once again, this is an item specific to landlines. This is a fee associated with the cost of wiring your office. Long-Distance and Toll Charges — You can’t help it if your business has to make a large number of long-distance and toll-free calls. But you can slash this cost by switching those communications to email or an IP phone system. Users and Extensions — Not only do traditional phone systems charge for rollover lines, but they charge for each line that you need. Note that providers also tend to charge per user, so it’s worth it to compare the prices for different providers here. Some charges will be set in stone, but you might have a little wiggle room on some. If there’s a particular fee that seems too high to you, it’s worth it to reach out to your provider and try to negotiate. Consider the Features You Need:   The next step to reducing costs associated with your bill is considering all the features you need in your phone system. Whether or not you’re on a PSTN or an IP phone system, you can often get locked into expensive contracts if you’ve bundled together features which you’re not using. It’s important to consider the features you need in your phone system so you can find a plan that only requires you to pay for what you need. Here are some basic and vital features to consider in your next phone system provider. Call Forwarding — This is a basic feature that ensures your customers can reach you no matter what. So if you split your time between working in an office and at home, you can forward calls from your business number to your mobile device. Extensions —  In a traditional PSTN phone system, an extension is another phone number that is physically wired to the main number. The more wiring you do, the more that will cost. IP systems do this virtually, and many offer a certain amount of extensions built into basic plans.  Remote Support — There will undoubtedly come a time when you need to have your phone system serviced. But as the coronavirus pandemic continues to keep the vast majority of the workforce remote, it may no longer be feasible to have an outside employee enter your office to examine your setup. Looking into a phone provider that offers remote support is a more feasible option these days. Unlimited VoIP Minutes— Thanks to the pandemic, phone calls are more vital now than ever. As in-person meetings have essentially come to a grinding halt, your business is likely spending even more time on the phone. So a phone system that offers you unlimited VoIP minutes should be a top priority.  Call Logs — Call Logging is a great way to study your employees’ performance, particularly your sales team, and gauge the experience you’re providing your customers with. Call logs can provide you with key details such as the date and time of the call, duration, caller ID, and whether or not the call was accepted or sent to voicemail. Consider What Else You Can Get From a Modern Business VoIP Solution: Given that your company is likely already paying for a broadband Internet connection and may have even built a full-blown intranet, there should be minimal friction and considerable savings when switching to an IP service. There isn’t any additional hardware needed except for possibly an IP phone. Most companies charge somewhere around $20 a month for a business VoIP line that includes everything, but if you're looking for cost-saving solutions then VoIPTech Solutions is the best choice for your organization You can expect enhanced features from any VoIP provider you select. Here are some to look out for: IVR — Hosted IVR is a telephony menu and routing system that offers an interactive menu for callers in order to direct them to the department they need. As it’s an intelligent system, IVR can carry out tasks involving yes/no or numbers-related answers from callers. This feature buys back time and productivity for your employees, along with ensuring that your customers have a shorter wait time. Auto-Attendant —  This feature can help to replace the role of a receptionist in your organization. So instead of requiring your callers to first speak to a receptionist in order to be transferred to the correct party, they will simply just have to press a number associated with the correct department’s extension. Just as with IVR, this feature can also save your organization time and money. Video Conferencing — Most VoIP providers include other methods of communication in their phone plans. Video conferencing is one of the most popular options. This is simply a function that a PSTN phone system cannot provide you with. The video conferencing features for certain IP phone plans even allow for hundreds of participants to join at once, getting you as close to an in-person company meeting as you can during the pandemic. Mobile App Integration — Most VoIP phone providers have their own mobile app, allowing you to take your business calls on the go. The apps often allow for video chat and SMS business messaging, in addition to a traditional voice call. You can typically toggle between means of communication, with information from previous conversations saved on each of your devices. Is your business phone service provider isn’t meeting your expectations and you’re paying more than $20 or $30/month? Contact VoIPTech Solutions today. Call: +91-7008220621. Read the full article

[kalashnikovlaserpussy]

The Sol Account, Opening, Prologue, and Chapter 1: Brain In a Jar

Sol

The years came and went, wars fought and won, and eventually reduced all to dust. Humanity had hoped they could build heaven, but even their greatest could only keep Earth stable for a few years. And when the ships landed they were more than willing to join a society that stretched across all the Milky Way. Humanity rose again from its once lively cradle, now naught but radioactive ash, as the Terrans. They were the four-hundred-and-fifty-third civilization to join the Union of Free Systems. These are the collected accounts of the first few Terrans to leave earth. Blissfully unaware of the ships sitting safely outside of their sight. Ensuring they never learn the original purpose of the sol system.

Prologue

She awoke to the sound of hyperspatial wind battering the bridge across time and space. Her mind nearly slipped back to the battle, but she was well trained and managed to shift herself to the task at hand. She didn’t know where she would end up, not even when she would end up. And with her slipping in and out of hypersleep she couldn’t tell if it had been minutes or years in the swirling cyan and indigo winds. Sometimes she would catch glimpses of a galaxy she hoped was hers, but from too far a distance to be anywhere near it. Other times she saw what she could only understand as the edge of hyperspace. A landscape wrapping around itself in the shape of a face she dared not remember. Maybe there was a god after all, a cruel and mad one. She didn’t have long to ruminate on this as exposure to hyperspace once again dragged her back into the nightmares.

When she next awoke she found herself passing over the pole of a planet, one she hadn’t expected to go unnoticed during a War in Heaven Scenario. The galactic timestamp stations put her journey at a few hundred years. Perfect, nobody would be hunting her. She could already tell they’d lost, her species was in all likelihood just her and the blacksite. She would not be able to activate it alone, she'd need more bodies to throw at it.

The Unifier Protocol was intended only for the most dire of circumstances. And even then not for something as separate from her as the life on the planet below. With a few tweaks the device was able to ensure a similar species was born on the surface. One by one the nanite capsules landed on the planet and began rewriting its history, inserting a close match to her species. The genetic material of this world was unstable but had to do. The ship’s AI, the only living thing who knew her name anymore, said the process would complete in roughly fourteen thousand years. Such a wait was pain but not as significant when in cryosleep. As the antifreeze poured into her cells she knew the next time she awoke it would be the civilization’s first leap of faith. How they moved past light itself mattered little. Once they could move beyond their home she could offer her technology for help. Though the idea comforted her little knowing she would be executed for interfering in such an important experiment.

1: Brain in a Jar

The ancient transistors sputtered to life and the screen, nearly unreadable from the wear and tear of Florida's nuclear wasteland, flickered to life with the logo of a long dead corporation. The rocket, a late space age model from the mid 2050s, would work just well enough to get them to the station set up by the Architects. And the suits they’d been given would, with any luck, keep them alive for the flight and spacewalk. The launchpad shook to life as the long dead plants wrapping around the rocket were obliterated within an instant from the yellow-green flames pouring out of the barely functional rocket nozzles lifting the nearly pint-glass shaped vehicle into the sky. To say the six hours of flight and orbital maneuvers were tense would be an understatement.

Most of the necessary medical examinations and treatments went well. All the humans had some degree of radiation poisoning, some were missing limbs and fitted for prosthetics. However one human brought the examination team to a halt with a worried comment.

Quietly she tapped the shoulder of a technician preparing the medical scan. “Um, sorry for this, but most of me isn’t biological, I don’t know if your scan will do anything,”

This managed to get the attention of the entire examination team once translated into the Architects strange mix of metallic mandible clicks and pheromone messengers. “What!?” the blue-white insectoids shouted in unison, quickly bickering amongst themselves about the situation.

“Sorry, I was lucky enough to have the tools needed on hand, and it was this, starve, or go mad. The only things left in me that aren’t metal are my brain and the few things I can’t replace with a machine. The rest of me, all the muscles, my skin, my skeleton, is one big prosthetic wrapped around the squishy bits,” Emily shuffled nervously, in part from the twenty plus sets of compound eyes staring her down in complete bewilderment. In part because it just dawned on her this might be a whole scene.

While not very complicated to a Kardashev 1 civilization. The crew's theories on Earth's current state put any full body prosthetics well outside of the realm of possibility. Despite this all attempts to image her body showed a clear, albeit crude, full body prosthesis designed to match the capabilities of a somewhat athletic human. As well as a cage of sorts spanning all intact organs with clear intentions for a form of quick-detachment. The rest of the medical examination went well. With her given a note to return in a few days to discuss the nature of her prosthetics and any genetic abnormalities. The last of which concerned her, she already knew what they’d find.

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The mess hall of a United Free Systems Navy vessel was an odd sight. The variance between species made food nearly impossible to properly maintain. Thanks to each species wildly different biochemistry. Rations for one species are usually inedible or outright poisonous to others. As a result the mess halls often maintain as diverse a food supply as possible with as much chemical notation as possible. A chemical synthesis/automated cooking toolkit. Intended to assemble complex but hauntingly textureless versions of foods for discovered species. Filled the space of any missing rations. Humanity had not stood among them long enough for non-synthesized food to be available. Because of this, Emily found herself defining the characteristics of a chimichanga to the autocook. While trying to avoid eye contact with a dish that looked like rhinestone encrusted grey ice cream. If it weren’t for the rhinestones following her like eyes. Once her request was in she stepped into the hall proper and attempted to find a secluded seat to await the meals completion. It had only been a few minutes of sitting and reading her translator’s protocol manual. Mathematically confirmed to be the most boring piece of literature in the galaxy, before her translator alerted her to an attempted communication. She would consider the translator a bizarre piece of technology, interface included, if it weren’t for the colossal user interface and ergonomics challenge of fitting a tool to everything from crab claws to cephalapodic tentacles that split into shifting fractal digits. Two legitimate hand types I, your wildly incompetent narrator, have witnessed. Imagine trying to make an app for people who can manipulate the space between atoms and press a thousand buttons at once, AND people who can hardly manipulate anything. It’s madness at best. So the best fit guaranteed some strange traits. The trapezoidal devices worked well, even when the two parties were limited to wildly different sounds and even different mediums. However it also contained seemingly useless functions. The two largest of these being the onboard social media services and direct messaging client. The latter of which was now alerting Emily to a new message from an individual with the username “Cybrex Null-Nephilim”. The message read the following:

“Hello, my sincerest apologies if this is a strange question, but why are you eating? Aren’t the nutrients useless to your mechanical components?”

Emily began correcting them carefully. “Not for the mechanical parts. I’m as much a Terran as the people I dragged up here, just with a full body prosthesis that hides what’s left of my original body under radiation shielding”

“Strange, so you are not an android like me? Unfortunate, I thought I’d finally found another one. I’m the only being like me I’m aware of, so as I was passing over the mess hall in different wavelengths I saw your prosthetics I got quite excited. Is it alright if I come sit with you?”

“Sure, come on over,” Emily was intrigued by the prospect of speaking to a living machine, but otherwise nonplussed.

Cybrex was a bizarre sight even by the standards of the mess hall, a tall humanoid with a pair of mechanical “wings” for a lack of a better Term. Two large mechanical arms terminating in circular hovercraft engines, more than capable of lifting a large amount of weight along with the rest of their body. Said body was an androgynous, nearly human frame covered in a reflective blood red skin adorned with gold horns and decorations that shifted restlessly. Alongside this, dark, angular grooves traced mechanical patterns across their skin. Their main body was surrounded by a number of smaller levitating drones, each equipped with some kind of modular device slot, some of them filled and some empty. One drone of note using some kind of modified propulsion module to lift a plate of uncomfortably smooth chimichangas. Cybrex spoke with a voice like a blade being sharpened, with a light but vague accent, and in a tone devoid of emotion. “An honor to meet you Emily, I noted the meal you requested had been completed and took the liberty of collecting it on my way, may I ask a question of you? I believe your position as both a member of a new species. As well as being an individual in a somewhat unique relationship with machines, may aid in the conclusion of a quandary that has plagued my existence since my earliest moments,”

This caught Emily off guard, rarely if ever did she consider her situation of more than an embarrassed note to doctors. However they made an interesting point. And the possibility to be asked a philosophical question by a machine that woke up was too enticing to pass up. “Shoot, I’m all ears,”

Something lit up in Cybrex, they began gesturing wildly as they attempted to explain their situation. “Ok, so I woke up on a broken down ship, probably from some kind of ancient war, right? No memories before that but a terabyte of logs I could barely understand. Only big thing I could pick up on is that a simple AI called Cybrex with the model number #NULL-Nehpilim was making the logs. Spent sixty years wandering the fried circuitry of the cruiser before I had a kind of epiphany. I wasn’t during whatever war I was made for but I’m alive now. And somehow the emotion of loneliness had snuck in with that realization. Living things my sensors had picked up in the grassy clearing I crashed in came in distinct types. You could fit them into boxes and then within those boxes line up their differences and tell one from another. So what box did I fit into then? The only thing I saw like me was the metal and circuits I lived in. I felt like a golem of stone living in a concrete house. These boxes and pathways I lived in were so similar yet so far from what I was. It left me confused, scared, and most of all lonely. With nothing better to do I decided I may as well attempt the long standing favorite pastime of living things and replicate. Luckily most of my mutated code base was available to me. Something wasn’t there, I can’t quite put words to it but you know what I mean, that itching sense that you are a thing, an idea, a ghost. However you put it, no matter how much I dig I can’t find that sense of self, wherever it is. I can’t find where my consciousness comes from. I built this body and left hoping there would be others like me I could learn from, but all I’ve found are things like the autocook who made your meal. Images of what I was before I woke up, automatons nearly as smart but completely lacking that spark. Completely lacking even the capacity to direct themselves and the concept of freedom. These are not my people and without that final piece of the puzzle I can’t make my own. That is my quandary,”

Emily shifted in thought, a mouthful of uncomfortably smooth chimichanga still in the way. She hastily swallowed and attempted to answer. “I’m not sure, it was one of Earth’s largest philosophical debates, it still is now. I’m of the camp it’s an emergent pattern. Your memories, your capacity to admit your own existence, and the act of being able to choose in itself all seem to tie in to it in my eyes. So maybe it’s not that you can’t find it, but that it’s a side effect of many, many other parts talking together. To make yourself again you simply need to put your code in a new place and let it develop on its own. Even if this is not the case, at one point or another you can’t tell the difference. Hell I’m not convinced you can tell for yourself. Doesn’t matter if you’re meat, metal, black holes, etc. And I do think there are probably people like you. Though I’d guess situations like civilizations forming and AI becoming self-aware are more like rolls of dice. You win some you lose some and sometimes you just lose. So I don’t want to get your hopes up but keep the possibility in mind,”

Cybrex tilted their head, lost in thought for nearly a minute before their response came. “That’s exactly what I was looking for, a possibility I missed and something I can test. Thank you, I will be testing your idea as soon as feasible. Though I am uncertain as to its validity, I was looking for perspective,”

“No problem, I like having weird philosophical talks. Let me know how it goes,” Emily took another ill advised bite of food as Cybrex brought forwards another strange topic to discuss.

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Emily stretched her arms as best as she could in her new shared living space. Sure she didn’t need to stretch, motors don’t really work like that. However the sensory training she’d done left her prosthetic body with the aches and discomforts of her old one and this helped. The station was a strange experience. With artificial gravity in place there’s no need for everything to work in the same direction. Because of this many hallways curve into what should be a wall, only for more accustomed crew to walk straight up the blue-grey corridor as if there was never a curve in the first place. Some doors open to colossal microgravity shipyards, currently preparing vehicles to escort the rest of Earth’s population off world and terraform the planet. A quarter of the station was seemingly upside-down or partially inverted, accessed via some kind of magic backflip she had yet to achieve. Additionally no matter where she went, most surfaces were covered in intricate circuits protected by a thin diamond glass. Overall the station was a mess to navigate. No wonder her roommate had yet to arrive.

[anywhereconsulting]

Distributed Series - How to master remote team communication

This article is part of the Distributed series.

Work is a form of project management where we manage a project through communication and collaboration and track the results of our work. 

It is the very same in the case of distributed teams and businesses but with some special situations where you need to manage, track and collaborate through time zones with multiple locations. Thanks to the modern internet, we have all the tools we need to pull this off.

Communication as a top priority

People stick to their communication habits. There are two dimensions to this: asynchronous and synchronous communication.

Asynchronous communication is the relay of information with a time lag. Email, chat, or shared docs are good examples of how asynchronous communication is employed in a remote setting. Synchronous means:  working together at the same time. Phone calls, video conferences, or meetings can be listed here. The rule of thumb that we follow is that the more emotional the topic is, the more synchronous the channel should be.

Specific channels make sense, no matter if you like them or not. It helps everyone on the team to spread the work more efficiently throughout the different channels. So, how do you know whether or not a video meeting is necessary? The answer is simple: if you can’t say it in a few sentences, then it’s probably time to hop on a video call. 

So, you have a big virtual team where the members are spread in different locations all around the world. So you somehow have to find a way of working together harmoniously and productively. Now, this can be very difficult especially when you’re working in a team where most members don’t meet very often. As a leader, you have to find a way of making the team here, making sure that when you have your meetings, everybody speaks, everybody gets involved, and that you build the sense of team identity. Of course, it’s not easy even when you are face-to-face with people.

What you’ve got to do in these situations is make communication your top priority. So if we’re thinking about communication, it’s how you structure your messages, it’s how you stick to the main point, it’s how you speak concisely, clearly, energetically, it’s how to keep the team engaged, and it’s thinking about your different audience members as well. Finally, throw the vast subject of cultural difference into the mix.

One of the challenges of working with a virtual global team is that you might have people coming from completely different directions but working on the same thing. So sometimes those differences are harder to spot and harder to appreciate. However, during a video call, it is easier to see the differences. They are visible.

One thing to keep in mind is that written text lacks the subtle cues of in-person conversation. With chat, you do need to be careful about how your words might be interpreted and possibly misunderstood. That’s why there’s an abundance of emoticons and gifs in our everyday chats — they’re useful in conveying the right nuances.

  How to have efficient video calls

 You want to have everyone being productive from any location they want. That’s the idea. It’s all about focusing on the collaborative infrastructure of the company, like how people work together, or how they collaborate.

If you want to ensure maximum impact and efficiency during your video calls, I reckon these few tips will get you to a good start:

A rock-solid internet connection. The faster, the better. However, the connections speed is only a part of the whole picture. Connection stability can be even more critical. However, keep in mind that many remote employees like to travel to places where fast internet isn’t always guaranteed, and Wi-Fi might be spotty and unpredictable.

Mind your background. Remember that the camera is not just focused on your face but shows parts of the room you’re in. Pre-check the frame before starting the video call and if your kids are at home, make sure they know when they can’t disturb you.

The perfect angle. Another piece of the puzzle would be to adjust the positioning of your webcam. Weird camera angles can be very distracting. Keep it along the same line of sight as your eye level. It is generally the best possible angle that feels the most natural––and looks the best.

Look into the lens. It is also essential to make sure that you are looking into the camera lens directly and not on your computer screen. When your eyes are off access with the webcam, it is much less compelling.

Out of the dark. When using a webcam, remember that the human eye sees a lot more than a video camera. Just because you can see everything clearly with a little bit of natural light, doesn’t mean that on video it will look good. It is why you should always try to add additional light when using a webcam. You’ll be surprised at how much eliminating shadows can add to your video’s overall look and feel.

Make yourself heard. If you are using a webcam, you need to pay attention to how you capture audio. The first step is to avoid having your speakers on when talking or your audio will come through with an echo and a harsh reverb tone to your voice that makes you hard to understand. I recommend you to use some external microphone connected to your computer or laptop, and be sure to place that microphone as close to your mouth as possible. By moving the mic close, you lose much environmental noise and get a crisp, clear audio track that helps to keep people listening.

As you can see, virtual meetings don’t have to be labeled as a waste of time. They can be more valuable than traditional face-to-face meetings. These video calls are the best way to create concrete weekly goals for workers and set your business up for success. However, avoid constant emergency or ad-hoc meetings, as these can break flow during an employee’s regular day.

When setting up your meeting, you need to keep in mind that not everyone can make the time that suits you. No one likes having a meeting at 6 am or 10 pm when they have commitments to family or other interests outside of work – like sleeping.

Also, after your meeting, you’ll want to follow-up to ensure that everyone is on the same page. Considering that it is more difficult to communicate as a remote team in comparison with in-person groups, your follow-up note should be as clear and actionable as possible to avoid time-consuming email threads that are inevitable if there’s a misunderstanding.

As I’ve already mentioned, communication is the backbone of a well-functioning distributed business model. Remote teams must have excellent communication strategies to survive and thrive. Just as there are different types of groups, there are several different reasons for groups to engage in video calls. Let me show you the most popular formats for meetings.

  How to master distributed meetings

There are several types of meetings you can have with your distributed team. Here is a handful of these and how to master them.

The daily stand-up. Running virtual daily stand-up meetings is a great way to make sure your entire team is communicating and on the same page. Each person spends a very brief amount of time (5-10 minutes max) saying what they did yesterday, what they’re doing today and what’s in their way. These meetings can help you identify roadblocks or obstacles that are preventing a team member from doing their optimal work.

The regularly scheduled one-to-one meeting is one of the most powerful tools that any manager can use to improve team productivity. A one-to-one session is a regular meeting that occurs at the same time each week (or less frequently, depending on your preference). It’s the place where you and one of your employees meet and no one else. It’s the place where you can communicate with each other and follow-up with each other on the things unique to your working relationship. The one-to-one meeting is a place where both parties should feel respected and valued, and it’s the place where you can ask each other questions openly. I don't say you won't have occasional emergencies or problems that need to be dealt with outside of this meeting. However, when you have a recurring schedule, you’ll find that you can wait to ask those questions until the recurring meeting – freeing both of your time, increasing your productivity, and reducing the stress of workdays.

Pairing is the practice of giving two teammates the opportunity to work together on solving a problem. Qualitative and quantitative evidence suggests that when employees work in pairs, they work much faster and make fewer mistakes. Additionally, when people are paired up, they learn to communicate more efficiently and often, and to share (rather than hide) problems and solutions — all of which increases overall information flow and team alignment. As a leader, one of your tasks is to help your team create a shared vision, build team identity, and bring your employees closer together. Virtual teams with a strong character are more capable of coordinating, performing and overcoming conflicts, irrespective of locational, cultural, or individual challenges.

Weekly sessions are the form of a meeting where you generate ideas and solve problems. However, sometimes the extroverts dominate, and shier team members can have trouble being heard. Some people also have difficulty staying focused, maintaining their enthusiasm or confused why they’re in the session. To overcome these barriers and run an excellent brainstorming meeting, always make sure to send out the brief 24 hours beforehand so that everyone can prepare. The brief should outline what the challenge is, why it is crucial, and why each person has been asked to take part in the brainstorming. Ask everyone to come along with three ideas: one general idea, one idea that is different, and a radical one. If your distributed team is diverse enough, you can count on a range of perspectives and experiences. Encourage your employees to be bold and imaginative.

You can hold a weekly group chat session with your distributed team to reflect on the progress, issues, and actions. These meetings should have an agenda communicated in advance. A standard agenda for regular team meetings also helps set consistent expectations for types of information the session will cover. The goal should be a meeting of no longer than one hour to quickly review where the project is, highlight issues, look ahead to looming milestones, and make sure everyone has what they need. Meeting frequency depends on several factors: the size of the team, the priority of the project in question, an.

You are free to use many tools or platforms, but I suggest you give each communication channel a specific purpose. For example, use Zoom for live calls or crucial conversations, and Slack for messages that aren’t pressing, with a designated water cooler channel for fun or informal conversations. When your employees have a plan for how to best get in touch with teammates for each situation, everyone can avoid wasted time, frustration, and missed connections.

This article is part of the Distributed series.

My name is Peter Benei, founder of Anywhere Consulting. We solve problems for growing businesses with specialized marketing solutions. To read our case studies & learn more about our work, click here. Connect with me on LinkedIn or book an appointment here.

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[3veta]

How can moms build a career with online video services?

New Post has been published on https://3veta.com/blog/business-advice/how-can-moms-build-career-with-online-video-services

How can moms build a career with online video services?

So many moms face the same dilemma – we want to spend as much time with our kids as possible. But can we also have a fulfilling career? On the surface, our options are unlimited – part-time work, flexible hours, work from home arrangements.

But as we go along, things aren’t so easy. Many working moms end up doing full hours in part-time jobs. Others struggle to find a job that will meet all their flexibility requirements. And there are moms who simply have to give up their ambitions of a successful career because it seems impossible to find the time.

So the question arises – what are the truly flexible solutions that empower us to find the much dreamed-of balance?

Welcome to the world of online video services.

Thanks to them you can now provide a service to your customers via a simple video call. You can be anywhere you like and it all starts with just the click of a button. There are so many advantages to online video services that they are now part of our everyday lives.

The benefits of an online video services career for working moms

All professionals can benefit from providing online video services, but the flexibility they give working moms is invaluable.

Nobody needs a boss who frowns when you leave right on time because the kids finish school at 3pm.

Nobody wants to pick up odd shifts because “you owe it to that colleague who saved me one time”.

Nobody is happy to stay up all night to finish the marketing project due in on Monday.

What we need as moms is to choose our working hours. We should be able to spend quality time with the family other than the 30 minutes of crazy rushing every morning.

We want to be able meet our friends once in a while (We still have a social life, right?!)

And yes, we do want to work and to feel that our careers inspire and excite us, not drain us.

But we are lucky to live in exciting times. An online video services career can give us exactly what we want, and there are many ways to get there.

Keep your existing profession

For those of us who already have an established career, juggling work and childcare is quite the task. You basically have to do two jobs….. on half the sleep! And it gets tougher with time – as your kids start going to extra activities you turn into a personal chauffeur. At this point many women try to reduce their work hours, or, unfortunately, change their careers. But do you really have to lose all the years of hard work, just because “the customer needs you now”?

With the help of video calls you don’t need to abandon your profession. You can get into instant contact with your customers or patients anywhere and at any time via a simple platform. Lawyers, medical professionals and financial consultants around the world are discovering the benefits. Not only do you get to choose your working times, but you also don’t need to drive to an office anymore.

Start a brand new business or improve your existing one

You may be tired of your old career. Maybe all you want is just a fresh start. Having kids changes women’s perspective. It makes us way more confident and ready to take on new challenges. Why don’t you venture into what you have always dreamt of doing?

There are so many options and one of them will be perfect for you.

Tutoring, for example, is very popular among moms, and with the help of online video platforms becomes extremely convenient. Many fitness instructors also find added flexibility after adopting the online business model. Moreover, even if you already have a business with classes or consultations, using video calls to deliver them can greatly increase your customer base. This is so, because video allows you to reach people regardless of their location.

Help other moms and earn some income out of it

OK, we all read numerous articles and watched lots of videos to learn how to take care of our kids. And honestly, it is a lifelong learning experience. There is constantly something that worries us and makes us open that new Google tab.

Does my kid have enough friends or does it maybe have too many?

Why does he/she seem so distracted all the time?

How do I handle a teenager’s tantrum?!

Some women absorb everything there is to know about bringing up children and become real experts. Others however, prefer to have a trusted person to turn to when it comes to kids matters.

And that person might be you.

Recently, many people have had to turn to sleep consultants or lactation consultants with their issues. Midwives are also offering online classes to millions of expectant moms.

Does this sound like something you can talk about for hours?

If yes, this is pretty much all you need in order to have your own business. Helping other moms can feel incredibly rewarding and if you do it via video, you will have a lot more credibility than the common online blog. Moreover, one-to-one conversations will retain the privacy between you and your customer. They will not be subjected to the “know-it-all” critiques of the whole Internet community. 

Make your hobby work for you

Online video consultations can help you even if you just want to start earning an income out of your hobby.

Are you interested in astrology?

Or are you really good with makeup?

What about event planning?

You don’t need to physically meet with someone to offer them your service.

Think outside the box!

A diploma isn’t necessary at all to be able to consult online. Anything that you are really good at will be of interest to someone out there.

Honestly, you may not realise how special your skills are. There are tons of people who are trying to make the perfect eclairs, create their very first blog, or just need some help with an online tool that you are proficient at. They are tired of watching tutorials and waiting for a response from forum groups. All they want is a reasonably-priced guidance that is tailor made for them.

If you think you can provide this, then you have got yourself a business! See how you can start providing services online just with a few clicks.

Think about your other half

Regardless of whether we live with a partner or not, more than half of moms take more care of the kids’ schedule and activities than dads. This is a big reason for why many moms struggle to advance in their careers. And I do appreciate the fact that your profession might not be done remotely (have a good think though before you conclude this is your case).

But what about your partner? They have a kid too, so maybe they are the ones who can benefit from online video services. Even if they don’t use them in 100% of their job, it could still make a massive difference to your day! Your partner could have more time to pick the kids up from school or do the shopping while you are at work. Share this possibility with them, it may be what exactly they were looking for.

And while we are at it, have you considered your parents or in-laws? People of all generations are adopting online video consultations. Maybe they are the people who can have an online business and help you with childcare.

Put yourself first for once

Moms do a lot of hard work.

Raising a family, taking care of the home and working often leaves us feeling exhausted. But it’s in our DNA to find ways to make things better and smarter all the time. You’ve made it to where you are, so ask yourself – what is your next step? Be a little selfish – what can you do to improve your work-life balance? Aren’t online video services the answer you have been looking for? Don’t limit yourself and know that being a mom and having a career is possible!

#3veta #3vetaservices #onlineservices #videoservices #videoconferencing #meetclientsonline