#remove unnecessary apps

[xiaojaan]

friendly reminder that your fave celebs battles aren't Yours to fight!

[charlesoberonn]

Trump has a "talent" of distracting from his failures with new failures, so I'm here to remind you of all of his greatest hits that are still relevant and ongoing:

Mishandled and lied about the deadly COVID pandemic, leading to millions of deaths worldwide and a million in the US

Launched an insurrection to stay in power after losing the 2020 election, including a false elector scheme and a violent riot on the Capitol. He pardoned the criminals he incited as soon as he started his second term.

Was found legally liable for rape in court.

Empowered the unelected Elon Musk to start illegally cutting funding to any and every government program he feels like based on a false claim of "efficiency".

Plans to ethnically cleanse Gaza to turn it into some fucked up resort. Removed the few guardrails the Biden administration put on Israel's conduct and urged them to "finish the job".

Betrayed Ukraine and hampered their defense efforts against Putin's invasion. Started planning the subjugation of Ukraine directly with Putin.

Unilaterally declared himself to have war powers to lock up and deport migrants with no due process. Has been keeping hundreds of Venezuelan migrants in a Salvadoran prison with no due process. Has openly defied multiple court orders to return them to the US

Has been illegally suppressing the free speech rights of anti-Israel protestors in universities by revoking their immigration status. Including kidnapping and detaining a protestor with no due process.

His administration officials have been holding high-level classified discussions on a public messaging app using their normal phones. Security was so lax one of them accidentally invited a journalist to such a discussion and none of them noticed.

And most recently: Started an unnecessary and extremely self-destructive trade war with basically the entire world, causing immense damage to the economy.

These are just the things I could remember off the top of my head. It doesn't include all the other fucked up stuff Republicans are doing. It also doesn't include any of his cabinet picks, all of which are awful and have and will cause damage with their conduct.

[rebouks]

Keeping Lag to a Minimum...

I was chatting about a few things I do to combat lag over on discord and realised I do quite a bit of maintenance to reduce lag/load times. I decided to write em all down and before I knew it, I had a big ol' list. Here's hoping it helps!

Save/File Tips:

Clear your caches (located in the same spot as your mod folder fyi) I usually delete the onlinethumbnailcache, avatarcache and localthumbcache caches every time I exit the game, the main one to delete regularly is the localthumbcache file, they're just temporary files but it can get pretty big after a while.. if you're having any mod issues, particularly ui ones, it's always worth deleting that to see if it helps.

Remove any saves you're not using from your saves folder, and keep an eye on save file sizes. In my experience, any saves over around 30-40mb start to get a bit laggy. Things that bump this size up are the amount of townies in game and the amount of lots/objects in the world.

Regarding the above point, I regularly bulldoze lots I don't need anymore, just to save the game from having to cope with extra shit to load in the background and reduce save file bloat.

Similarly, I delete a lot of unnecessary townies. Also, try to keep the amount of outfits on townies to a minimum, ain't no townie need four swimsuit outfits, the game will thank you..

If you have cheats enabled you can usually shift-click/delete object on things like random coffee cups or stray cupcakes sims foolishly drop around the world (or eat em.. whatever tickles ur pickle) just get rid!

Whilst we're keeping objects in game to a minimum.. I try to clear sims inventories now and then, including townies. You can do this via mccc even if you're not currently playing that household by heading to MC Cleaner -> Sell Sim Inventory/Sell Household Inventory. RANDOM LUMPS OF CLAY BEGONE!

Think of a save file like a lot.. the more objects in it, the laggier it gets! Try your best to remove anything or anyone unnecessary where you can.

Hit "Save As" instead of "Save" now and then - the more you overwrite a save, the more chance it has of going wonky, treat your game to a fresh one now and then and remove the old one from your saves folder (maybe don't delete it right away in case you wanna roll back, keep it somewhere safe).

If you can (although ik it can be a pain) set up a new/fresh save, you'd be surprised how bogged down old ones can get! For legacy players, it's usually best to do this whenever you have a small family to save yourself some pain, since you can just save the household and take em to a new save (you will lose sims inventories/household inventories/relationships with sims outside the household tho so beware! Pictures/other collectables can be saved to a lot however, and you can always cheat back relationship bits etc.. bit of a last resort but new saves are shiny and fast!)

Make sure your Screenshots/Video folders are empty - move em somewhere else, it works, trust me. If you have a lot of custom music installed try n' clear some of those out too.. the smaller that Sims 4 directory is, the better.

Delete any last exceptions/last crashes (same spot as your mod folder again) you don't need em unless you're planning to upload em somewhere for help.

Settings Etc:

If you get a bad lag spike, opening the main menu and/or saving can randomly stop this. If it doesn't, try exiting the game, clearing your localthumbcache and restarting.

Clearing all notifications from the game panel can also help.

If you can, close all other apps and background apps you don't need whilst playing, ts4 is super memory hungry so it can definitely help.

The GraphicsRules Override file by Simp4Sims can reduce lag/latency and make your game look a little better in the process!

Srslysims Simulation Lag Fix mod can help reduce lag too (if you've altered the game speed via mccc tho, don't use this unless you plan on resetting it to default).

If you aren't keen on, or barely use a pack, consider disabling it.

Not ideal, especially for those of us taking screenshots, but lowering the graphics settings whilst playing definitely helps.

If you use re/g-shade, consider switching it off whilst playing and only turn it on for screenshots.

A clean and tidy pc/laptop runs better in general. Remove anything you're not using/don't need anymore to free up space, remove temp files, clean up your folders now and again etc etc.. especially that dreaded mod folder, speaking of...

Managing Mods:

SORT OUT YOUR MODS FOLDER FOR THE LOVE OF GOD.. skdsjdjs it doesn't have to be immaculate but at the very least try n' clear it out now n' then. Also try to separate your script mods/overrides from the rest, patch days don't need to be so stressful ;-;

Personally, I don't merge my mods; if something breaks it's much harder to pinpoint! It makes it easier to find/delete specific mods too.. and let's face it, there's usually one or two items in that set you could do without lmaooo.. also, don't think it helps much tbh! Yeah you could say the game doesn't have to work as hard to load merged files but that's debatable, it's still the same amount of items/polys at the end of the day ¯\(°_o)/¯

If you like merging files and/or see results from doing so, you can merge stuff you definitely know you're never getting rid of, especially CAS/BB stuff.. but steer clear of merging gameplay/script mods! If a merged file seems to be the culprit when using the 50/50 method, try unmerging it and 50/50ing it again! You might not need to get rid of everything if something's borked.

Bulk Rename Utility can be used to remove all spaces and special characters from your mod files, the game doesn't particularly like loading those so it'll thank you.

The Sims 4 Mod Manager is a great way to sort through your mods, you can easily see, move and delete files from here (not great for build/buy, poses etc as thumbnails are usually missing, but great for CAS stuff). An extra hint with this that I've noticed is that if any of my mods get renamed with [D1] at the beginning after looking through them via the mod manager, it means it's a duplicate file so you can get rid.

I also use the Sims 4 Tray Importer to help me sort through mods. Simply save a sim/lot with any cc you don't want and find it in the importer, you can then go through all the cc in the cc tab and delete/sort it (I also use this to sort cc if a bunch has the wrong tags etc, makes it easier to find in my folders by saving em to a lot or w/e - it also spots duplicates which is handy).

It's a ballache, but the 50/50 method is tried and tested if you're having issues.

I like to keep an abandoned cc folder tucked away somewhere, that way you can remove mods willy nilly without stressing about losing them. If you change your mind, you can always grab it back!

[occamstfs]

Start-Up

Gabriel hates the start-up he works for. Though this morning it seems there are more immediate things he should be concerned with as men something strange begins to change men around the world.

Couldn't let all these other authors have all this fun without me! Here's my own take on the theme of Viral Transformation! Now I did muddy the waters a bit by setting my virus story at a social media start up but I think it works haha! Do check out the stories by all the other amazing writers who took part!!! -Occam

There was something strange going on in the city today and Gabriel wasn’t quite sure what the cause was. It’s not like there’s a commotion or anything, on the contrary; the streets were quiet but there was just something sinister in the air. He works for a new social media start-up in the wake of most of the big platforms collapsing, succinctly named Web. Gabriel didn’t have a ton of faith in the app and was growing increasingly tired of dealing with the CEO’s inane demands but hey, as long as checks keep clearing.

Reuben’s, said CEO’s, most recent crusade was banning the use of any competing sites or networks on company property, which unfortunately includes Gabriel’s personal devices. Who knew start-ups could be so draconian, though when the rich boy in charge has a fleet of lawyers and the lowly programmer just needs to make ends meet that’s how it goes it seems. All this to say, Web is thus far incredibly unsuccessful as a news platform and poor Gabriel is unable to see the chaos going on in the city behind closed doors as he walks into work.

The programmer artfully misses chyrons scrolling past telling all men to stay indoors and not to make unnecessary journeys as he mindlessly scrolls on the app he has spent countless hours producing. “Ugh.” Gabriel rolls his eyes as he sees post after post from thoughtless gym bros. Reuben swears this is a massive demographic for them but the programmer has constantly spoken up to the contrary. What could they possibly gain by making yet another platform for men who could barely read. Any indulgence or encouragement towards this demographic was sure to push away more reasonable, serious people.  

Eyes still glued to his phone in search of any shred of news, Gabriel doesn’t notice the state of the receptionist as he wanders past to take the elevator up to the office, “Morning Ron.” Only after a few seconds with no response does the coder finally tear his eyes away to see the young man in quite a disheveled state. He chokes back a gasp as he sees Ron quickly remove the hand that was shoved in his pants as he too only just notices the presence of his fellow man, “UHH Morning Gabe- I was just uhhh, getting something out of my pocket?” His rapid movement sends the sound of fabric tearing through the air as whatever remains of the button up he was wearing falls in pieces to the floor.

Desperate to put this encounter behind himself Gabriel mashes the close door button in the elevator. “Ron can’t have been masturbating just now.” he assures his reflection in the elevator doors. “He’s a good kid, smart kid.” He says of the man maybe five years his junior. Still, at the very least Gabriel is surprised that he came to work wearing clothes that clearly didn’t fit? He can’t help but summon the intimate look at Ron’s body he just received and can’t imagine how the receptionist bulked up so quickly? He can’t think of a single occasion of Ron mentioning going to the gym. 

Elevator clicking ever upwards he figures Reuben must be to blame, first he wants lunkheads using our app and then he convinces employees to waste time at the gym. Ah! That stupid gym! Gabriel punches a fist into his own palm as in the back of his mind he remembers the CEO taking up valuable office space to create a company gym for any employees to make use of. One of the many ‘benefits’ of working on Web. “God I hate startups.”

The elevator doors clink open and Gabriel exits to find the office space seems to be a ghost town. No one is using cubicles and he only sees a few of his fellow department heads have made it in so far. He grumbles to himself, “God-damnit if today could have been work from home I’m leaving now…” Despite his irritation, he enters his office and immediately starts getting to work. Waiting on his desk is a short list of suggestions on how to improve the platform from Rueben, which he promptly discards with little ado. Checking his own to-do list for the day he finds a one on one scheduled with one of the few coworkers he actually respects, Alexander Blainely, head of marketing. 

Most of the other executives were yes men, but Alexander seems to have an actual head on his shoulders. Gabriel always finds their meetings far more stimulating and productive than most other drudgery that goes on in this office. Returning into the open workspace, Gabriel shivers as he feels something in the air yet again. Completely unplaceable, it’s almost certainly nothing, but he remains on edge. His discomfort only grows as he nears his friend’s office and his hitherto directionless uneasiness finds a source. Hearing somethin a little more than disconcerting he whispers under his breath, “what the fuck? Is that moaning?” 

Barely audible when he shuts the door of his own office and wanders into the otherwise silent suite, it increases in volume with each step towards that of Alexander’s quarters. Gabriel grits his teeth and rages in his own mind for trusting anyone in this god-forsaken venture to treat their job with a shred of dignity. Arriving at the door and confirming that the man is clearly exerting himself somehow with a clear disregard to decency in their shared workspace, Gabriel scrunches his face and takes a deep breath. Hesitating at the thought of catching someone he had thought was a compatriot in flagrante delicto, his ire overcomes his usual prudence and he barges in. Never could he be prepared for the sight that awaited him.

Alexander sits on his work desk masturbating with his eyes closed as he rapturously traces over a muscular body that Gabriel flat out knows he has never had before today. Tongue lolling out of his mouth and dripping with drool as if he were a dog, Gabriel can’t help but loose a gasp as he sees with every pump of his cock, with every fervent breath and heady gasp from Alex, his body is continuing to change. 

Seconds pass and his skin browns with an unnatural tan under the LED lights in his office. Meanwhile he continues to surge larger, biceps already larger than when Gabriel stumbled in, the head of marketing’s shoulders pack on muscle as his neck thickens and his whole torso widens with strength. Thighs bulge meatier as his cock quivers higher, stretching inches further into the air as his already massive balls pulse larger. Gabriel’s gasp announcing his presence, the masturbating man opens his eyes and, almost as if it were a defense mechanism he loses control and cums.

Gabriel can’t tear his eyes away from the titan at the moment of his release. Every already massive muscle on his body expands as veins bulge out from the clear stress of the transformation. As load after load shoots out in inhumanly quick succession, Gabriel freezes as he sees facial hair and body hair that somehow already looks shaved begins to decorate his beyond masculine form. Sweat glistening off the man’s sculpted body makes him aware of the aura of musk that has clearly been filling this room, one that is impossibly similar to the general malaise that he has been assailing his senses all morning. Finally realizing what is happening in front of him, Gabriel slams the door shut and sprints down the hall, accompanied by nothing but his own gasps of exertion. 

He doesn’t take a second to think until he’s safe back in the sanctum of his office. The only place since this morning where he hasn’t felt the dreadful haze that he only just became totally aware of. Hopefully safe here, he allows himself a moment of reflection, connecting his brief encounter with Ron and his unfortunate meeting with what can’t have been Alexander. “Fuck it.” He starts to pull out his cell to check the news but before he can make any progress, he realizes there is something warm and sticky on his shirt. Looking down to see what it is he immediately drops his phone and tears off his suit. God. Some of that must-be imposter’s cum got on his button up. He throws the shirt away and scrubs at his skin where the man’s fluids got on him with fury. Using hand sanitizer like it’s a cure he scrubs and scratches until his skin burns red and raw. 

After he’s confident he’s done all he can to remove any trace of Alex from his body, Gabriel grabs the backup shirt he keeps in his desk for just an occasion as this. Or rather, in case he spills coffee on himself or some other accident that makes sense at all. His mind craving any degree of normalcy the thought of coffee stays with him. Oliver should be making it in about now. His pulse begins to quicken as he feels concern for the intern, in fact it’s racing far faster a tempo than it usually reaches at its most accelerate. Putting his hand on his wrist as concern for himself eclipses that of Oliver he finds both come to a head as his door opens and he falls out of his chair in shock.

“Jesus Oliver, knock next time!” The programmer shouts cowering behind his desk. Oliver quickly sets down his handful of mugs and goes to help his boss up, “So sorry Gabe! I just saw you were in and you usually don’t mind at all.” Standing up, Gabriel inches behind the intern and quietly closes the door, he looks Oliver up and down for anything out of the ordinary. “Are you, feeling alright Ollie?” The man purses his lips and pats himself down, clearly not in the same headspace of his usually stoic boss, “Well, I believe I am sir? Is, uhm, everything alright with you?” Oliver’s eyes flicker around the room seeing the discarded clothes and taking note of his boss sweating more than usual. In fact Oliver isn’t sure if he’s ever seen the man really sweat at all, “Did you want me to switch for an iced coffee?”

Gabriel rubs his face and is similarly shocked to find himself sweating, “Ugh. I think this job might be getting to me. Have you seen anyone else in the office today?” Oliver puffs his cheeks and looks at the mugs he set aside, “No actually? Now that you mention it, Ronnie wasn’t even downstairs which seemed weird. I mean he’s always on that grind to try and impress Rueben.” Gabe scratched his beard and grimaced, usually he’s quite adept at compartmentalizing, it’s how he hasn’t blown up at the CEO thus far. But the impossibility of what he saw in Alexander’s office has left him shaken. His heart rate begins to rise once more as his mind returns to that scene. 

In fact, it’s not the only thing that begins to rise. Suddenly his uncontrollable mind latches onto the image of Alexander’s cock expanding and then blowing its load and Gabriel’s own cock begins to stir. His face burns with blush as he can’t help but dart his eyes to see his usually unimpressive cock begin to inch its way larger down his dress pants. For his part Oliver, used to taking verbal cues follows his boss’ eyeline and balks as he sees the man thoughtlessly go to grab it. Oliver is struck speechless as the ever stark programmer bites his lip and begins rubbing his cock through the linen pants, “Jesus, uh- Uhm- Sir!?” 

Immediately alert he wipes his face and sucks up the drool that was apparently beginning to pool in his throat. Gabriel grabs a tissue and wipes his brow, fervently apologizing to the intern, “I am so sorry Oliver. I don’t know what…” Oliver quickly waves him off, not so much bothered by the behavior as surprised. “D- Don’t you worry about it Gabe, er sir. I’ll just be out here if you need me!” He backs into the door before stepping out with an awkward nod, leaving the coffee cups behind. Gabriel debates whether or not he should report himself to HR before he slams his fist against his desk chair as he remembers they haven’t an HR department. 

Rage at his shitty start-up returning at an elevated degree he gets his head back in the game, despite the best attempts of his wanting package and balls growing bluer by the second. Concerned for whatever seems to be going on in this office, or worse in the world at large, he goes to the internet once more. Without much thought at all he opens Web and starts scrolling to find any information of use. Unfortunately for the higher functions in his mind the programmer is immediately assailed by the mindless user base he so disdains, and rather than feeling the ire he always does towards the dullards and hellions. Instead he finds himself possessed with a desire to drink in every last bulging muscle that presents itself.

Coworkers, friends, reporters- Everyone Gabriel has deemed worthy of attention on the nigh-worthless platform he is forced to use, even those who are straighter laced than Gabriel, have been posting smut on main. Industrious man he may be, the programmer is indeed but a man of flesh and blood, and that blood is rushing through him at a breakneck pace to give him the most intense erection he’s ever enjoyed. 

It’s partially why he’s so adamant about diversifying their app, a weakness in himself for the male form; a weakness that whatever corruption that is beginning to rise within him is gleefully taking full advantage of. He tries to stay focused, return to his concerned research, but after taking a gasping breath he realizes that his own body has begun to produce the musky air that must be spreading the impossible changes he’s trying to get to the bottom of.

Staring at the bulging pecs and hairy asses of men he once respected, Gabe struggles to pay attention to anything but the cock begging for his attention as it begins to create a wet spot halfway down his leg. The zipper halfway undone by the growing beast alone is fully ripped asunder as Gabriel can’t help but full on masturbate in his office, just as he walked into Alexander doing but minutes ago. He tears off his button up with uncharacteristic aggression as it begins to impede his jacking off. As soon as his arms are exposed his attention leaves the app and begins to hone in on his own body. God has he always been so hot?

Gabriel flexes his biceps and smirks as he sees them peak higher than he’s ever imagined they could before now. Raising his arms also exposes his pits, a hotbed for musk and whatever impossible contagion hides within it. He forces his neck to crane down into his pit as sweat begins to stain the undershirt that is rapidly filled with new mass. Intended to be deliberately loose, pounds begin to pack onto his chest and push the garment to its brim, the cotton fabric sticks to his chest tight enough that it would be a struggle to get it off over his new pecs, hearing the sound of fabric straining his cock grows even harder at the idea that perhaps he won’t even need to take it off. He’ll just grow large enough that his massive body will destroy it for him.

This thought flitting through his mind, Gabirel loses whatever shred of self-control remains and goes all out in enjoying the changes happening to him. Rubbing his hands across his sweat-covered tank top and feeling the burning muscles building themselves underneath it. The sound of fabric straining and tearing fills him with pleasure he couldn’t fathom before now as he nears his first rapturous release. Sweat drips from his pits as they grow thicker and curls stretch further afield as to be ungovernable, ever focused on the task of spreading his scent. Steady streams of pre trail down his cock, lathering his hand as his whole body quivers with the anticipation of ecstasy.

Before it can arrive however he receives a scheduled video call from the man he wants to hear from less than any other. Clicking accept as he must, the disdain that Gabriel has always held for Rueben quickly comes to a head. Greeted with the image of a more muscular, just as juvenile, version of the CEO filling his screen, Gabriel can’t help but grit his teeth in rage. Hearing him laugh and flex as he begins playing with the special effects in Zoom, Gabriel doesn’t have a moment to realize that he’s continued to masturbate. Instead,  much like when Alexander was surprised, his anger triggers him to cum immediately with no restraint, shooting loads all over the underside of the desk, his still thrusting hand, and the computer screen in front of him. 

Rueben laughs even harder at the sight, his voice duller than ever as he chastises the programmer, “Yo bro huh! Don’t take out your anger on the little guy! You should head down to the company gym and put that aggression to good use bro huhuh!” Gabriel narrows his eyes as veins bulge in his neck. Unhappy that the CEO might have a point, he promptly slammed the shutdown button on his computer and stumbled to his feet, quite off balance from his powerful orgasm. 

Quickly appraising his filthy condition, he shrugs at the cum covering his skintight clothes. Whatever, the gyms sure to be disgusting anyway, despite just enjoying release his cock bounces at the idea and he bites his lip to avoid smiling in excitement. Something at the back of his mind desperately begs for a second to realize he’s almost lost himself beyond measure. Unfortunately, with another deep breath of his own b.o. the man’s eyes fog over and he lumbers out of his office. 

Turning with an awkward smile as he hears the head programmer’s office open Oliver starts to say, “Hey boss, hope your-” before his mouth falls agape at seeing the disheveled lug that wanders out. Still unsteady on his feet as they begin to tear the expensive leather shoes he had on, the man stumbles forward and catches himself on the intern’s shoulder. “Buh, sorry uh, Oll’” grimacing at the stain he left on the young man’s shirt, he wipes it in further and nods before heading off, “I’m uh… Gonna go check out the gym.” Oliver stares at what he can only guess is cum that his boss just smeared into his shirt before going off to the gym. Rather than confusion at his boss’ behavior or disgust at the surely hazardous substance on his shirt, he can’t help but sniff as something in the air begins to make him feel warm inside. 

Sprinting down the emergency flight of stairs Gabriel leaves a cloud of musk in his wake as he works up more sweat than his body has ever produced before. Each bounding footstep skips an arbitrary amount of stairs as his legs lengthen. Quickly does he lose the few shreds of clothing that remained stuck to his growing form. After his feet finally burst from his shoes he leaves a clear trail of sweaty footprints that could surely be tracked by anyone who wanders past. Though any poor fool who should wander near enough to smell the slovenly detritus in Gabriel’s wake would likely find themselves lacking motivation to do anything but immediately lose their mind to senseless pleasure then and there.

Arriving in the gym Gabriel hungrily eyes the scene and is less than thrilled that he seems to be the only man present. Opting to throw on some clothes for no reason than to feel the friction of fabric against his sweaty skin he finds stained sweatpants littered on the floor and throws them on. After gratuitously appreciating his reflection and adding to the Pollock painting of stains that litter the posing mirror of their company gym, Gabe throws himself intuitively into every machine. He delights in the tension and pull of every straining muscle and grins through the pain as they bounce back larger than with every repetition. 

He doesn’t spare half a thought about wiping down machines, and clearly whatever boorish louts used them previously didn’t either, much to his satisfaction. Each second of his body changing upstairs during his too brief session of self pleasure holds nothing towards the edification, the perfection, he enjoys now as he throws himself into a workout. It’s far more intense than his meager body should ever be able to maintain. Sweat drips from him like a waterfall as hair fans out across his form, rapidly expanding from shaved stubble into fluff that would hold and spread his scent for hours to come.

Taking a break to take a photo of his new beyond exuberant self, as he stands across from the mirror his cock instantly hardens and inches to its almost foot long length down the leg of his sweatpants. Immediately it begins dripping pre down his hairier thigh as he screams in bestial abandon. His brain is so far gone the idea of posting the steamy pics of his sweaty form on Web doesn’t even occur to him. Instead the only thoughts remaining to fill his mind are those to return to the gym and get back to the important mission of increasing his virile strength, or the even more pressing desire to fuck anything that moves. Unfortunately for him he can’t produce a single actionable step towards that end. So he shall simply enjoy his new body by his lonesome until some equally horny man stumbles into the company gym.

“God what is up with me today.” Back on the tenth floor Oliver pinches the bridge of his nose as he is overwhelmed with another headache. Ever since Gabriel paid him the brief visit on his way to the gym Oliver has been getting them with increasing frequency. He removed his shirt, not wanting to wear something fouled by whatever was covering his boss’ hands but the damage was already done. The idea that not wearing a shirt in the office is inappropriate moves further out of reach by the second. The intern scratches the back of his neck and grumbles as he feels a soreness in his arm and traps, paying no mind as his fingers trail through thicker hair spreads down from his hairline towards his shoulders. Typing away at his computer, each keypress moves slower than the last, his hands cramp as they suddenly bulge larger.

Taking the smallest second to appraise his changing form Ollie’s eyes widen as he sees there are two unmissable weights now hanging on his chest, sitting on a small gut that he has been making concerted efforts to do away with. Feeling up the new pecs he blushes as he feels stubble prickle his fingers. Rubbing them and feeling muscle give way to his thicker hands he can’t suppress the grin on his face as he feels the prickly hairs quickly thicken and curl longer, painting his chest with a beautiful forest of hair. His dick immediately surges to the largest size it can achieve in the confines of his dress pants.

Awash in feeling every new inch of his hairier, more powerful body Oliver stands up and gasps as he sees abs clearer than anything underneath the new layer of hair on his stomach. His knees give way as his hips uncontrollably thrust while he stares down at his form growing sexier by the second. He barely catches himself from falling with his right hand on the table as his body continues to hump his pants to no end, while his left trails across his body to discover the new surprises that cover each and every inch. Hesitant to trail towards the package bulging larger in his crotch, he traces his abs back up to his chest and rests on his clavicle. There does he find the greatest surprise yet, barely gracing the tips of his fingers, a beard beginning to push out on a face that has always been unfortunately clean shaven. 

While it took browsing Web and the intrusion of his workplace enemy for Gabriel’s conscious mind to give in to the euphoria of being a new, greater man, the feeling of a beard inching thicker on Oliver’s face is more than enough to give himself over to anything. This alongside whatever corrupting virus is coursing through him to cause these changes, it’s no wonder he falls to the floor and begins thrusting a hole in his pants. His meaty thighs and monumental ass make light work of his dress pants as his cock angles itself upwards, out of the waistline of his impossibly tight underwear. Even while in the process of spraying load after load into the carpet of his office, his balls continue churning, always heavy and ever wanting more release. Ever demanding he find more avenues to spread his changes and heighten his own bliss. 

Now laying on the floor, every exhilarating movement packs more pounds of muscle onto his bulging new body. More pressing than that however is the pelt making its mark everywhere it sees fit to spread. His pubes grow thick enough that no light shall ever touch the base of his cock again before they spread upwards to paint his stomach with dark curls. The deodorant he threw on this morning hasn’t a breath of a chance against the new musk that issues forth from his pits as the bushes therein grow thicker than that on his head before stretching outwards to connect with those new heady hairs he so delighted in on his chest. The hairs around his nipples grow thick enough almost to hide them as he continues frotting against the carpet.

His biceps burn with the effort of holding his body up as veins bulge down the diameter of his meaty arms, thick strands of hair quickly trailing behind to make clear his undeniable masculinity. He feels new curls itching against the back of the elastic band of his underwear as it only just hangs in there. Dark curls reach up the small of his back and quickly race to cover his ass cheeks like fuzz on a peach, creating a seamless jungle of curls from his hairy inner thighs to a dense thicket still inching higher on his back; growing into a forest perfect to be grabbed by anyone lucky enough to ride his prodigious cock.

After an especially vocal release, his shoulders burn as his traps bulge larger, which brings a certain someone’s touch to mind. Sniffing the air he finds himself in a haze of his own musk, though the musk smells awfully similar to that of the man who almost started masturbating in front of him. Following his more sensitive nose, the intern crawls over to Gabriel’s office and confirms his suspicions. Oliver smirks as he imagines that the horny freak is probaly equally wanting of a fuck buddy. 

Pulling himself up to his feet on the doorway, he grunts as his knees wobble a bit and his cock tries to convince him that humping the floor is good enough. Staying strong and holding the human instinct that some things are worth the effort, he walks on feet hairier than paws and wider than flippers to the elevator where he begins a descent to the company gym. Snapping a picture to text his boss he smirks as he thinks despite what Gabriel always says, perhaps working in a start-up has some perks after all.

It isn’t clear precisely what happened on the Fall day when men across the Bay Area began changing into, well, sex-crazed beasts. Some assume it was some strange chemical leak. Others say that it was some spontaneous evolution, though to what end such pleasure seeking changes could help a species is unclear. Some particularly conspiracy-minded folks think the whole thing was a ploy by a Social Media startup that was taking off with men precisely like the ones who changed. Though at the end of the day it doesn’t quite matter how or why they changed but how to prevent it from spreading. Across the nation, men of every walk of life are rapidly changing despite taking the best precautions. 

Closing gyms, quarantining those changing, racing to find any treatment to help those losing their minds and their bodies. Nothing seems to help as every day more men are blowing up with muscle, growing hairier with symptom spreading musk, and losing themselves to their uncontrollable lusts. At this point it’s seeming like there’s nothing that could possibly be done to stop the spread of changes, but hey, at least it seems like they’re happy.

[itertarot]

TAROT | YOU

How can you practice self love:

Pick an image:

Pile 1:

You’re a very practical person, my Pile 1. You need to practice self-love by keeping your feet on the ground. Stability is essential for you, and it’s important to live in the present, avoid getting lost in fantasies or planning without taking action. Routine is key, and for some of you, even having a spreadsheet or diary to track daily tasks can be incredibly helpful. Take care of your finances. Where are you spending your money? Are you earning enough? How can you improve your financial life? Stability is closer than you think, and this is an area where you can make meaningful progress. For some of you, it’s important to avoid impulsiveness and unnecessary conflicts. It’s okay to speak your mind, but do so in a grounded way. Remember, attacking someone’s ideas isn’t the best way to change their perspective. Others in this pile need to cut out things that are holding you back from growth, but be mindful of what you’re removing. Take care in the process.

Practice patience, my dear Pile 1. Engage in slow activities, try meditation, gentle exercises, or walks in quiet places. Slow down your brain and avoid overstimulating programs or apps. When was the last time you read a book? Do you think you could pass an exam right now if needed? Is your brain being treated right?

You can benefit from seeking knowledge, joining a community, or starting a new course. Your mind is craving to learn and expand. Turn inward and do the inner work. Search inside yourself for what you truly desire and who you truly are, not who you’re supposed to be. Also, my Pile 1, do small things that make you happy. Take time to do what you enjoy, even if it seems meaningless or like a waste of time. Go watch that movie you’ve been procrastinating on, start that hobby you always put aside, or buy that decor or clothing item you’ve been wanting. Pamper yourself a little it’s okay to spend money on yourself sometimes.

Pile 2:

(You could watch the Tinker Bell movie)

Hello, Pile Number 2, how are you?? Darling, do you know how you can practice self-love? By giving! Do you have things you no longer use? Things that are just taking up space in your home? You can benefit from donating to people who will make good use of what no longer serves you. For some reason, Marie Kondo came to mind, maybe you should look into the KonMari method to organize your home, because organization and donation are important for this pile. You can also engage in social projects.By helping, you receive, that’s the motto here. You are good people, and for some of you, the number 6 might be significant, perhaps in numerology, or maybe it’s a number you like or that holds some meaning for you. Nurture your feelings, keep being good people without fear of getting hurt. Unfortunately, not everyone will appreciate you for who you are, not everyone is good, but don’t let difficult people or situations harden your heart. Allow yourself to feel and be affectionate. There’s nothing wrong with being sentimental.

What skill are you good at? What do you want to learn? Learn it now! For some of you, this includes hands-on work like painting, gardening, or anything that involves creating with your hands. Unleash your creativity! Fill yourself with ideas and let them flow. Write a book, paint a picture, try something new, anything you want, no matter how crazy it seems!

Step out of your comfort zone. Plan for the future: travel, career, where you want to be in 3 months, what short-term goals you want to achieve, etc. Take the leap! Be courageous and determined. Don’t let fear stop you from shining!! But, just like Pile Number 1, be mindful of impulsiveness and how you communicate with others. Avoid unnecessary fights and strive to express yourself clearly and non-aggressively.

Pile 3:

My dear Pile 3, you have so much pain to deal with right now. You need to mend your broken heart! Allow yourself to feel the pain, but don’t get stuck in it. Grieve and release what hurts you. I’m sorry for what you’ve lost, and if you’re feeling hopeless, I understand. But you need to look at what you still have and what you can achieve. Look around you and see what’s waiting for you. Remember: "The past is history, the future is a mystery, but today is a gift." Recognize how strong you are, and be proud that you’re still here. Give yourself some credit, even through hardship, you’ve managed to come this far. Don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself and set boundaries. You deserve to be treated with dignity.

Do small things that make you happy. Drink a cup of coffee or tea, bake a delicious cake, watch a comedy or rom-com, or listen to fun, uplifting songs. Take small steps toward happiness, it will slowly help you heal your broken heart. Also, connect with people who love you: your partner, family, best friends, or anyone who can support you. Accept help, you are worthy of being loved! Also, i heard that someone here feels like there's no one by yourself, but darling you have someone waiting for you, even if you didn't meet them in the 3D.

There’s a light at the end of the tunnel and a whole world waiting for you to discover it.

Pile 4:

Similar to Pile Number 3, you’re also dealing with some heartbreak, Pile 4. Maybe something in your life has ended, or perhaps you’ve been struggling with depression. Whatever it may be, know that you are strong, and the universe has something much better in store for you. Accept change and surrender to destiny.

What do you want in life? What kind of connection do you crave? For some of you, an important message is this: to have a real connection, whether it’s a soulmate, twin flame, or deep bond, you need to let go of connections that no longer fulfill you as you need. I truly believe most of you are already doing the work and staying strong. Very logical personalities here. Keep standing up! You love yourself by respecting yourself. You can also seek help if you’re feeling lonely or left behind. Remember, a bad day is not a bad life, nor can a bad week or bad months define your life. You will be happy again, this is just a difficult moment.

Love yourself as a whole, every part of you. Your personality, your looks, your body, your hobbies, the way you behave, speak, and think, all of it. Love yourself. Recognize that you are THAT GIRL and step into your power. Nurture yourself. Do skincare, take care of your hair, go on picnics, do a fantasy or cottagecore photoshoot, enjoy your clothing style, buy gifts for yourself, bake a cake, paint something, or try gardening. For some reason, I also see making a gin too. Someone here can enjoy making drinks.

Start again. And good luck🤍

[konigofmyheart]

ten star ride

(fluff, fem!reader + friends, drunk silliness)

⋆⭒˚｡⋆☾

as long as könig’s home, you’ve no need for booking a ride after a girls night out. why would you when you have a 10 star driver already at your disposal?

he’s happy to serve you, his cheeks tinged pink with each compliment your friends supply from the back about how they can only pray to find such a good man. one of them pipes up with a giggled “i’m surprised you still even join us on nights out! if i were you i’d have been cuddled up with my man”, at which könig gives you a playfully pointed look as if to say “she’s right, you know”. you laugh and tell him to keep his eyes on the road, he’s got precious cargo after all, and that he does: you’re the light of his life, and so your friends are also vips by extension. he’s forever grateful that they keep you company when he has to be away for work, so this is a way for him to pay them back. he’s got little snacks packed, keeping track of which snacks make the group of you cheer most, and of course a bunch of waters, declaring each of you will have at least one bottle, no arguments. hydration is key after nights like this.

you mention wanting fries, and suddenly the back of the car is a chorus of pleas for fries and burgers and nuggets, and you’re turning your best puppy eyes on könig, but it’s entirely unnecessary because he’s already turned in the direction of your fav fast food place minutes before. he knows how y’all get, downright ravenous like a pack of lionesses. he’s ever patient as he jots down everyone’s cravings in his notes app before ordering, having to redirect the conversation from gossip back to the matter at hand a couple of times. he covers it, shaking his head and laughing at the overly loud thank yous shouted from the back, one of your friends even bursting into tears because “that’s so nice! isn’t he so nice? like, the way kindness still exists in the world is so beautiful!”

although, don’t think he doesn’t like the gossip. as you’re waiting for your giant order he’s intently listening to you and your friends yapping, viewing it like a game to unravel each slurred and choppy story supplied. “ja, he’s a total jerk for that. what was he even thinking saying such a thing?” “maybe give him some time? if he’s not back in a couple of days, cut him out.” “if he wanted to, he would. i message my liebe even when i’m in the literal trenches”

yeah, he’s great with your friends, dropping each of them off at their houses, waiting til they securely shut the door to drive off until it’s just the two of you on your way to your home. your chatting fades out as you slowly nod off, but he doesn’t mind one bit. he pulls into your driveway before going over to the passenger side, oh so gently scooping you up, pressing soft kisses to your hair as you stir and cling to him, his scent and the feeling of his strong arms around you making you sigh softly. you smile drowsily, eager for the rest of the usual night out routine: he’ll carefully remove your heels, peel off your dress, reverently bathe you as you doze off in the warm bath, then bundle you up like a precious present as he pulls the covers up around the two of you. you mumble something about being so lucky to have him, and he laughs softly, correcting you:

“i’m the lucky one, schatzi.”

⋆⭒˚｡⋆☾

also, i promise i’m working on part 2 to long way down <3

[c0llisiion]

DAY 15 — SEOKJIN

★ npr, f!reader, public sex , edging , fingering — lmk if i missed any!!; W/C: 603

Hello! This is part of my kinktober list! Day15 is officially out <3

This is strictly fiction. Any scenario or situation should not be taken seriously. Please refrain from reading if the topics make you uncomfortable.

Seokjin was all over you the entire day. His hands groped your curves at every moment. It got worse when you went out for your annual shopping. He sat on a chair in the changing room, waiting for you as you tried on the dresses he picked out for you. His legs tapping against the wooden floor, phone in hand as he mindlessly scrolls through the first social media app he saw. 

“Seokjinnie~~ how does this look?” Your voice was smooth and sultry as you walked out in a tight red dress. He looked up at you, and you could see his pupils dilate as he eyed you down. His eyes were on your ass as you checked yourself in the mirror next to you. “You look-“ he clears his throat. “you look amazing, babe… it suits you.” He was trying to keep his composure since he didn’t want to cause any unnecessary situations at the closing store. His eyes back on his phone. You smirked at his reaction. Knowing exactly what's going through his mind. “Right~” you start teasing him. “The material feels good too… see!” You take his hand and guide it to your tits, squishing the mounds. Seokjin gulped and nodded, his thumb slightly brushing against your nipples. It was hard not to fuck you right there. His cock was already getting hard at just seeing in that beautiful velvet strapless dress. You chuckle at his reaction before going back into the dressing room, swaying your hips to tease him more as you disappear behind the curtains. Fuck it. He thought to himself before following behind you swiftly. You gasp in surprise as he walks and pushes you against the wall. “You’re doing it on purpose, aren’t you?” His voice was gruff and desperate. “Is it working?” You ask with a grin. He inhales deeply, pressing himself closer to you. “You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into…” his hands trail up your thigh, pushing the dress up your legs. “Try me.” You say tauntingly, and that was all he needed to press his fingers into your core. You shudder and groan as you feel his fingers curling into your gummy walls. Your lips were parted, and your eyes were already dazed. His thumb pressed against your clit making you gasp and softly moan. “Keep that mouth shut. Dont want us to get banned for public indecency.” You nod and bite your bottom lip as his fingers continue their relentless assault on your pussy. You heard a snap and felt your underwear get peeled off your body. Seokjin’s long fingers drove itself in and out of your core. “You’re soaking wet… you get off on getting fucked in public places dont you doll?” His fingers hitting the right spots. The thumb on your clit drew rough circles, pressing down and flicking the bud, making you squirm and breathe heavily. It was hard to contain in your moans. His fingers gave you unimaginable pleasure. Hitting all the spots that you could never reach with your own. 

Seokjin quickened his pace. Soft, wet sounds could be heard. Pussy walls clenched around his fingers. Your stomach caved and contracted as he stimulated your warm walls, feeling the familiar knot tighten in your abdomen. “Jin- im so close-“ you muttered out through heavy breaths. “I know baby… but…” he removed his fingers abruptly and stepped back, making you gasp and whine. You looked at him, taking deep breaths. Your eyes narrowed as he put on a shiteating smirk, licking up your arousal from his fingers. “They heard us.” He says, winking, before walking out nonchalantly. 

A/N: thank yew for reading!! I hope you liked it <3 not really proud of this one but eh it is what it is 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️🙏🙏🙏

Tags~ @cassies-cookies @minghaosimp @unlikelysublimekryptonite @mamnaimiefrankie @marcoswhore @theyadorevalerie @applejackthebest515 @un-knew @salemluvsmusic @ka0ila @atztrsr @kpopsmutty69 @jisunglyricist @targaryenluvs @yuminhyunn @chansramennn @anylady-fics @marihoneywk @mikaelless @paboskzfan

If you want to be part of the taglist, lmk!! ^^

[missdollcouture]

HOW TO MINIMIZE PHONE SCREEN TIME

Most peoples phone screen time is extensively high due to the amount of time used on social media, streaming apps, games, etc...so here's how to fix that!

SET GOALS AND LIMITS

Determine how much time you want to spend on your phone each day and set limits using built- in screen time management features.

DISABLE NOTIFICATIONS

Minimize distractions by turning off unnecessary notifications or using "do not disturb" modes.

CREATE PHONE FREE ZONES

Designate specific areas or times where you won't use your phone, such as during meals or before bed.

REMOVE UNNECESSARY APPS

Delete apps that you find yourself mindlessly scrolling through or that don't serve a valuable purpose in your life.

FIND ALTERNATIVE ACTIVITIES

Replace phone usage with other activities you enjoy, such as reading, exercising, or spending time with friends and family.

SWITCH OVER APPS

If you have some apps you would like to use but find yourself using them a little too much, if you have another device that you don't use as much such as an Ipad, add those apps onto there to minimize usage of those apps that increase your screen time.

[jellyj777]

MÁGOA | #02

MÁGOA / Book / CH02,TermsAndConditions

-> pairing: JungkookxReader (angst/smut)

-> tropes:: Age gap (older female),Slow burn, DomxSub, Brother's bestfriend, FWB, Uniboy!Jk, CEO!Reader

-> synopsis:: — "Yeah?" "Yeah." There goes another both of yours conversation.

-> warnings:: —Explicit language, Dirty talk, Sexual content ahead which would most likely include BDSM, Rough sex and much more. —Both the characters will have their backstories and traumas over why they're acting the way they act at the current moment. (No hate towards any character please)

-> Words: 2.6k+

prev < index > next

It's been a while since you visited your family—any member of your family, to be honest. You haven't seen your brother in over six months. You used to share texts and TikToks all the time.

Hwan's been living his best university life, all thanks to your hard-earned money—and you'd never complain about it. Whenever he needs money, you send it over without hesitation. It's actually healing, watching your younger sibling enjoy life without worries. And what makes it even more beautiful is knowing you're the one spoiling your baby brother.

It's not like you have anything against your family. No matter how different your childhood was from Hwan's, you were the oldest—it was your parents' first time being parents too. You understand that. Truly.

"Who is it?" you call out playfully from the other side of the door, peeking through the peephole. "Is it the best sister's brother?"

"Yeah, open the door, please," Hwan replies hurriedly, leaning on the door. He sounds embarrassed—probably someone's watching him in the hallway.

You open the door, which makes him flinch slightly and lose his balance. He gives you a sheepish smile and pulls you into a hug. You groan but hug him back before he steps in and kicks his shoes to the side.

"Where's Baby?" he asks, settling into your fancy living room. You've got your own lifestyle now—one you can afford, and you're not shy about spending money on the things you love.

"He's at daycare, learning new tricks I couldn't teach him, to be honest," you mutter, joining him on the couch as he turns on the TV. Baby is your dog—a cream-colored Chow Chow and the literal third member of the family. Everyone adores him more than they adore people.

"Yeah?" Hwan says, distracted while flipping through channels. Then he turns to you with a grin. "How's my boss been doing?"

You roll your eyes and slump further into the couch. You haven't told him about the breakup with Minju, and you're not planning to. "Same old. Work and more work," you reply, handing over the chips he'd begged you for on call.

"You gotta have some fun, y'know?" he says mid-chew. Well, no shit. "You and Hyung fighting or something? You removed your pictures with him."

"Did you come here for some drama?"

"No?" he blinks. "I'm just worried. You've never removed pictures with him before."

"Instagram is a kids' app. I just felt like clearing it up," you dodge. "I use it 'cause of my friends, that's all."

"Un?"

You hum, your face blank, unreadable.

"What?"

"You guys broke up?" he asks. "I called him earlier this week—since you weren't answering."

Well, yeah. You were at a club drowning the breakup in shots. "Why'd you call Ju? I told you not to call him unnecessarily."

"It wasn't unnecessary. It was evening, you weren't picking up," he says flatly. "It's not like I was bothering him. He's been dating you for what, three years? And now you guys break up just like that? That's crazy."

"He wanted a break. It's been, like, two weeks, I guess," you say casually. It humbles him. He knows you were in love. He's never seen his sister act all lovey-dovey before.

"Don't bullshit me," he pleads, setting the remote down. "No reason?"

"No reason," you lie. "Focus on your studies. Stop interfering in my life, for God's sake." It comes out harsher than intended.

Hwan stares at you, then clicks his tongue. "I'm just worried," he repeats. "But you know what? Fine. I won't interfere in your life again. My bad for actually caring about my sister."

You hum in response, guilt gnawing at you. You know you hurt him. He just wanted to help—but you're not in the headspace to accept that. You don't want to burden him.

"Mom was asking if you'll come home for Chuseok," he says, shifting the subject, knowing you won't talk about it.

"Maybe," you murmur with a shrug. "I'll see."

"C'mon, you didn't come last year either."

"I was busy." Or you just weren't in the mood to deal with the whole extended family.

"Come this year, yeah?" Hwan looks at you with puppy eyes. "Mom misses you. You're always busy, Un."

Un. The nickname he made up when he was a baby and couldn't pronounce your name properly. It stuck around for a long time. He never calls you "Unnie" or anything formal. You once told him it made you feel old. But if he calls you by your actual name? He knows that's a death wish.

"I'll come this year."

He smiles, hearing your reluctant sigh. "Perfect. I'll let Mom know."

You give him a thumbs-up, unable to hide a small smile at his excitement. "How's your uni?"

"Oh! Speaking of uni—" He perks up suddenly. "I've got a friend who needs a place to stay during the holiday week."

"And?" You're already uninterested. "No. I'm not letting one of your friends crash here again, Hwan." You shake your head firmly.

Last time that happened, his friend invited his girlfriend over and had sex in your bedroom.

Sex. Strangers. Your bedroom. You still can't think about it without cringing. You called a deep-cleaning service the next day. Hwan's never been more embarrassed in his life. But you didn't blame him. You knew it wasn't really his fault but youwere so pissed.

"I know what you're thinking, Un. But this time he's different—"

"No." You cut him off. No way you're risking that again. "I can just book him a hotel nearby, I can cover the expenses but there's no way I'm letting that bullshit happen again.”

He whines like a baby, "You think he'll take then? He's not asking for charity, Un."

You shrug, wanting to say the words 'Ain't my fault.' 

"C'mon, hear me out, please." He scoots closer. "He's a close friend. He came for Chuseok with me last year."

Hold up, what? Hwan never lets anyone get that close. He doesn't like flaunting family or wealth around his friends.

"Does he not have a family or something?"

"Rude," he chuckles. "He does. But they're out of town, and he couldn't join because of midterms."

You listen as he plays with your hair—a trick he always uses to soften you up.

"He's doing an internship near downtown, closer to your place. That's why he asked. He's just here for work—nothing else. And I promise he's not like the last guy."

"You promised last time too, and I'm still scared to step into my own room." You remind him.

"No, I didn't promise last time—I just agreed 'cause I wanted to seem cool."

Fair enough. He's a senior now—maybe he's finally grown up a little.

"What's so different about this friend?" you ask, swatting his hand from your hair. You're not falling for his tricks.

"He's my buddy. I post stories with him, Un."

"And I literally don't check stories. I'm not that free."

You mostly used Instagram to check on someone sometimes. You weren't the kind of person to stalk their ex in their free time...Right?

Wrong.

"I know," he sighs. "Just this once, and I know he's not like the other guy. Just let him stay over, I already promised him that my sister can help him."

"Aren't you worried that he would force your sister into something I wouldn't like?" You ask. It's an excuse of course. He would never let you be alone with a guy he didn't trust.

"You think I'll let a guy who I don't trust be alone with you?" He questions back, not wanting to play along on this topic. "I'm ready to beat Hyung up too if you just tell me what is up with both of you." 

You scoff. You knew he would actually beat up Minju after knowing the way Minju treated you sometimes. "Shut up, you ain't beating no one." You hit his arm lightly as he just rolls his eyes. "I'll let him stay over, whatever." You grumble, he tries to hide his smile but a small chuckle leaves his lips. He was happy you are finally agreeing.

"I swear you'll never hear my whining as again."

He extends his pinky. You eye it, then sigh and hook yours with his.

"Pinky swear?" you raise an eyebrow. "If anything happens this time, you're dead meat, Hwan."

He chuckles, nodding. "Pinky swear."

He sounded way too sure, and now you're kind of curious about this friend.

You both spent the rest of the evening trash-talking your parents' weird life choices, each with a tub of ice cream in hand, watching Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

These are the moments you miss the most with Hwan. He's your baby brother—but really, you've always been more like his mom than your actual mom has. Hwan ended up crashing for the weekend—because you promised him shopping the next morning.

"Can't. I'm busy for the winter, Ju." You lie smoothly over the phone, your voice calm, practiced. It wasn't unusual—you and Minju had been on and off for nearly the entire two years of your relationship. This dance of half-truths and full lies had become routine at this point. He lies, you understand. You lie, he understands.

But the truth?

You weren't busy. In fact, Minju had already confirmed that by calling your secretary before he called you. Typical Minju—calculated, always one step ahead. Always knowing how to corner you. Always making sure he's catious around you. Always making his words sound in the right way.

"C'mon, baby," he pleads from the other end of the line, voice soft with just the right amount of urgency. "It's important this time. You need to come for the press. Please, love."

You bite down on your bottom lip, eyes fixed on the glittering skyline from your office window. The city below glows, indifferent to the storm inside your head and the gut wrecking feeling in your chest. You are supposed to be leaving your building by this point but you're here talking with none other your first love. You keep rocking gently in your chair, letting the silence on your end build a sense of false control.

Minju wasn't just a good boyfriend—when he wanted to be. He was an excellent businessman. Cold when needed, charming when useful, ruthless when it came to profit. And nothing brought him more public attention, more clicks and sales, than having you as the face of his latest skincare launch for his company. 

"Just this once," you finally murmur. "I'm not doing this again."

He makes a kissing sound through the phone, loud enough to make you roll your eyes. You click your tongue, annoyed but not really angry. He laughs, recognizing your usual dismissiveness.

"Thank you, baby. I knew you'd say yes," he says warmly, the smugness tucked neatly behind the velvet tone of his voice. Of course he knew. Have you ever really said no to him? Never. Will you ever say no to him? Never. 

"Mhm, when have I ever said no to you?" You murmur, he chuckles before he coos you when he hears a yawn from your side."

"Baby, you sound tired. Do you want me to come over?" he asks, softer this time—gentler, realizing he might’ve bummed you out too much.

"Can’t today. Had a long meeting and stuff." You reply back, digging through your bag with one hand and holding your phone with the other.

"I bet. Always working hard… I could come over with food and cuddles?" He’s testing the waters now, expecting you to finally admit there’s someone else over. When you don’t reply and he hears the rustling of your things instead, he swears to god he wants to shake some sense into you. "Listen… Hwan texted me. Said his friend is crashing at your place for the weekend?"

You freeze. "Yeah. It’s like last time. I forgot to text you cause… I thought we were on a break?"

He sighs. It’s small, but there. "Right… I get it. Just—maybe next time, give me a heads-up?"

"Ju, don’t make it a big deal. It’s the same way his last friend stayed over." Your tone is exasperated now. You’re trying to be calm, trying not to turn this into a fight tonight.

"I’m just saying. You live alone. And he’s a guy. You know how things look." He laughs, but it doesn’t reach his voice.

You curse under your breath, clutching your purse tighter. The hum of the elevator rolling down grows louder as the floor numbers blink past. "To who? You?" You fire back.

"It makes me uncomfortable—listen, I care about you, okay? Just text me. I’ll be there if he tries anything. He can even stay at my place."

"Ju, he’s not some charity case, and I’m not defending him. I’m just saying nothing’s gonna happen. And even if it did—we’re not even together?" You let out a sigh, finally stepping out of the elevator.

"But you still pick up my calls. We’re still a couple for the media. I just said it was a break. That doesn’t mean you can have other guys over, does it?" His tone feigns innocence, but it’s laced with heat underneath.

You roll your eyes, gripping your phone tighter. "You never gave me a single clear term for this goddamn ��break.’ One week you vanish and say we’re done, the next you text like nothing happened, calling it a break. Even if I do sleep with someone, it wouldn’t matter. You ignored my texts for days. The only reason you even called was for some work thing."

He stays quiet for a second before speaking, like he's trying not to snap. "So what? Doesn’t that make you feel bad for you?"

You’re already walking to your car, the cold air making your words sharper. "No. What makes me feel bad is you never trying for us. You always ask for time. Space. Breaks. It breaks me down, Ju." Your voice drops, a tired edge taking over now. 

There’s a pause again. You can hear him breathing, like he wants to argue but can’t find the words.

"If you can’t be mature enough to figure shit out, another man will come and fill in." You groan, unlocking your car door, the beep loud in the silence.

"I don’t even know what Jeongguk looks like, to begin with, so what’s the point in arguing over a man who means nothing to me?"

He stays silent. You know he’s biting his tongue.

"You know what actually hurts? The man who actually means something asks for breaks like it’s nothing. That’s what fucking hurts. And then acting surprised when I try to move on while you’re still undecided." Your tone calms down just a notch, not wanting to sound mad in public as you open the car door and toss your purse in.

"I’ll call you later. Or text." You say, already half in the car.

You give a soft kiss through the call, then hang up before he can say anything else that’ll ruin your already long day. The moment the call ends, you finally exhale. The tightness in your chest refuses to loosen up—but you take a deep breath anyway, starting the car and pulling away from the curb, leaving your workplace.

—x—

Wattpad [Ch02]

< comment to be added in taglist >

A/N:

😫 UGH, i wanted to post a longer chapter but i want the character's introduction together be personal and another chapter. i love this story sm like it has a lot talks about traumas and stuff! DONOT hate on anyone, no one is cheating or anything. Everything will be more understandable once the story goes one. Have a lovely day/ night.

Jelly.

[austinslounge]

Something is really not adding up here. Either she is confirming it’s all false and lies (that she helped spread) and now wants to escape or she’s full delulu!

She most certainly CAN NOT ban the media from using her name in any articles or websites reg rumours inc any that Austin is mentioned in 🤣🤣🤣

I mean seriously if it was true and actually doable don’t you think EVERY famous person and their PR teams would be using this loophole?!?! Shit I’m sure BIG names like Brad Pitt, Tim Cruise, RDJ even Austin himself would love this loophole to exist! ONLY the Supreme Court can give a full media blackout inc social media and this is done extremely rarely due to the ridiculously high costs not to mention the constant need on policing it to make sure its followed and to keep it in place and this is done by the Home Office in the uk. Its usually only given to those with new identities and a very dark crime (ie the Bulger boy killers 🤐- a lifetime worldwide media ban) but can be lifted by the SC if it’s at the publics interest. It’s very interesting to read about (I learnt about it in my law a-level as it was so interesting + the only thing I actually remember) There is only a handful that exist in the uk and 99% are given to child killers for their own safety. Can you imagine a court passing this due to a few Austin fans harassing her when the Kardashian’s get serious death threats and Taylor Swift had a full blown stalker plus others who needed a restraining order 🤦‍♀️

Heres the blurb on media bans:

The European Convention on Human Rights enshrines the right to privacy and a family life - so once they have served the sentence for their crimes they have the right to move on.

Exceptional circumstances refers to a pressing social need where the public interest outweighs the interest of the person- this is rare and usually only happens in high profile cases.

This sounds like her putting out this post to try stop the onslaught from some over zealous fans.

————-/

I found this however reg spreading false info:

Sharing false information is when someone creates or shares information that they know is false and they're distributing it to cause serious harm.

The false information could be sent to you or to a group of people, like a Facebook or WhatsApp group, it could be posted on a social media app or forum, or printed on a poster or flyer.

It could include things like someone:

Posting a video or a message to a social media group that could cause unrest or violence in a community

False information can sometimes be called 'fake news', 'misinformation' or 'disinformation'. The thing that makes sharing false information a crime is if someone knows that the information they're creating or sharing is false and they're sharing it with the intention to cause serious physical or mental harm. Even if it only happens once, it's still a crime.

On social media posting false info:

Social media companies have community guidelines, a set of rules that cover how people can behave on the site.

You can tell the social media company what’s happened and ask them to remove the offensive content, whether it’s a post, image, flashing image or video, or any other way it’s been sent to you online.

You can also report a user or an account if they're posting harmful or offensive information.

However she is playing a dangerous game if it’s proven to be her that started the rumour!

Criminal Charges Resulting from False Allegations

Wasting police time may result in charges if a false allegation leads to unnecessary police involvement, with penalties including up to 6 months' imprisonment or a fine. 22 Apr 2025 so it’s definitely a recent article.

————

All she can do is report the articles and posts to the social media platform NOTHING ELSE! 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

If you made it to the end of this ask I’m very impressed 🤣 i am sorry for the ridiculously long essay but I thought you might find the media ban stuff interesting but I could be very wrong and I apologise if I bored you. I understand it’s not everyone’s cup of tea or interests.

Thank you Anon!

Very interesting stuff. 😵‍💫

[apparently-artless]

sorry to bother but I was wondering how you make your gifs so smooth and get rid of pixelation?

Hi, anon! Sorry for the late reply! And no worries, you're not being a bother at all. ^^

Regarding your question, these are some of the tips I can give which I typically do on my GIFs:

Use video sources with higher resolution

In all honesty, I am not doing that much to make my edits look smooth and HD. I just always make sure to download videos that are not less than 720p. I typically download 1080p but 720p would suffice since the suggested width for images here on Tumblr is 540p.

Use good editing apps

I use Photoshop which is a good app but if you're not using this, you may use Photopea (this is like an online version of PS). There was a time when I didn't have a PC and I tried making GIFs on my mobile phone but even when I'm using high-resolution videos, the output was not as good when making it on PS. I also used Photoscape before. This was my first app when I was still starting making GIFs and oh boy, the quality is just... XD Anyway, PS is good with the compression of images when you're saving the frames as GIFs even when resizing the file to a smaller scale.

Maintain the original size until the export

I've seen tutorials where they are already adjusting the size at the beginning of their edit. I personally don't do this because this contributes to the reduction of the quality of your GIFs. And if I want to crop (because I want a different width and height compared to the original), I will see to it that the height is the same with the original (only the width will change).

Take a look at this example:

This is a 1920p x 1080p image but I wanted to crop it to a 400 x 540 aspect ratio. What I would do is after cropping the image, I would resize the image to make the height 1080p again.

After cropping, this is now the dimensions of the image:

Then I will revert the height back to 1080p (the value of the width doesn't matter):

Of course, 1080p is just my preferred resolution. You can select a lower resolution but not lower than the original image or the final size of your GIF.

As you can see, even without further editing, the image already looks good and does not appear to be pixilated. Then after cropping, I will apply my coloring. If I save this as it is using 540p width, this is how the GIF's gonna look like.

As you can see, there is almost no difference between the 540p (width) gif and the 1080p (height) image. That's because I only resized the image during export and not in the middle of editing.

Use sharpening tools to make your GIFs look HD

The key to fooling the eyes is to make them look in a different direction. XD So what do I mean by this? Like I said, I'm not doing that much to remove pixelations from my edits. I just make it so people will focus on other stuff. If you don't want them to focus on the pixels, let them focus on the line art.

Just a reminder that this last tip is only applicable to anime GIFs.

In my case, I always start with frame animations, then later on convert to a video timeline. And then I will convert the frames to a single smart object so I can apply filters to all the frames at the same time.

These are the steps I do when I sharpen my GIFs.

Apply SMART SHARPEN. (Filter > Sharpen > Smart Sharpen)

These are my preferred settings but you can also explore your own.

[Comparison of GIF without sharpening filter and with sharpening filter]

2. Apply POSTER EDGES filter. (Filter > Filter Gallery > Artistic > Poster Edges)

These are my settings. You can adjust the Edge Thickness if you want to have thicker art lines. As for Edge Intensity, it's better to set it to zero to avoid adding unnecessary details to the shadows of your image.

[Comparison of GIF without sharpening filter and with sharpening filter]

3. Apply POSTER EDGES again.

This is an optional step. I typically use this whenever I want the art lines to be thicker. I use the same settings in the second step.

[Comparison of GIF without sharpening filter and with sharpening filter]

And that's about it! I hope this helps! By the way, this is just my own way of sharpening my GIFs. If you're not using PS or Photopea, you might want to check other tutorials that are specific to the app that you are using.

[audreys-diaryy]

Digital detox checklist 📱

Delete old emails

Unsubscribe from emails

Organize desktop icons

Delete unused apps

Sort through photos (albums)

Delete photos

Remove unused bookmarks

Delete old/unused files

Clean out ‘downloads’ folder

Unfollow inactive/social media accounts you don’t like anymore

Delete unnecessary phone contacts

Update contact info

Clean up music playlists

Update apps

Delete unwanted ‘notes’

Review unchecked notifications

Delete tabs from google or safari

[wherechaoswins]

The Art of Less: Finding Everything in Nothingness

In a world that screams more, bigger, faster, a quiet revolution is brewing. It is not about accumulating, but about subtracting. It is the radical idea that sometimes, the most profound gains come not from adding to our lives, but from consciously taking away. Welcome to the art of less, where "nothing" can surprisingly unlock "everything."

We live in an age of relentless addition. Our inboxes overflow, our to-do lists balloon, our homes become repositories of possessions we rarely use. The digital realm amplifies this, bombarding us with notifications, opinions, and an endless stream of information. We are conditioned to believe that more choices, more connections, more stuff equates to more happiness, more success, more life.

But what if the opposite were true? What if the clutter – both physical and mental – is obscuring the things that truly matter? What if by consciously choosing to remove, we create space for clarity, focus, and genuine fulfillment?

Consider the power of subtraction in various aspects of our lives:

1. Digital Detox 📵: Our devices, while powerful tools, can also be relentless attention thieves. Regularly disconnecting – even for short periods – can yield surprising benefits:  

Increased Presence 👤: Without the constant pull of notifications, we become more engaged in the present moment, fostering deeper connections with ourselves and others.

Improved Focus 🧠: The constant switching between apps and tasks fragments our attention. Subtraction here means single-tasking and reclaiming our cognitive bandwidth.  

Reduced Stress 😌: The fear of missing out (FOMO) and the pressure to constantly be "on" can be mentally exhausting. Unplugging offers a much-needed respite.  

2. Decluttering Your Physical Space 🧹: Our homes often become museums of our past selves and aspirational future selves. Letting go of items that no longer serve us creates not just physical space, but mental space too:

Enhanced Calmness 🕊️: A tidy environment fosters a sense of peace and order, reducing visual noise and mental distraction.  

Increased Efficiency 🚀: When everything has its place, finding what you need becomes effortless, saving time and reducing frustration.

Greater Appreciation 🙏: By consciously choosing what to keep, we develop a deeper appreciation for the items that truly hold value.

3. Simplifying Your Commitments 🗓️: Saying "yes" to too many things can lead to overwhelm and a feeling of being constantly stretched thin. The power of subtraction here lies in learning to say "no":

More Time for What Matters ❤️: By shedding unnecessary obligations, we free up time and energy for our priorities, whether it's family, hobbies, or personal growth.

Reduced Stress and Burnout 🔥: Overcommitment is a recipe for stress. Saying "no" is an act of self-care and a way to protect our well-being.  

Increased Impact ✨: Focusing our energy on fewer, more meaningful endeavors allows us to contribute more effectively.

4. Refining Your Thoughts 🤔: Our minds can be battlegrounds of anxieties, self-doubt, and negative self-talk. Subtraction in this context means consciously choosing which thoughts to engage with:

Greater Clarity 💡: By letting go of limiting beliefs and negative narratives, we gain a clearer perspective on ourselves and the world.

Improved Emotional Well-being 😊: Consciously choosing positive and constructive thoughts fosters a more positive emotional state.

Enhanced Self-Awareness 🔭: By observing our thoughts without judgment, we gain a deeper understanding of our inner landscape.

The Paradox of Nothing:

The beauty of this approach lies in its paradox. By consciously subtracting – be it digital noise, physical clutter, unnecessary commitments, or negative thoughts – we don't end up with less life. Instead, we create space for more of what truly nourishes us. We find everything in the intentional act of letting go of nothingness – the excess that weighs us down.

This isn't about deprivation; it's about intentionality. It’s about curating a life that aligns with our values and priorities, rather than being dictated by external pressures and societal norms. It’s about recognizing that sometimes, the most powerful thing we can do is to simply… remove.

So, take a moment today. Look around. What can you subtract? What "nothing" can you let go of to make space for your "everything"? The answer might surprise you.

[elaine19day]

To those who are confused as to where and how to buy OldXian's new artbook and merchandise, let me try to break it down for you.

A few days ago, OldXian announced the pre-sale of their new artbook which comes in two versions.

Variant A (regular) includes: - the new artbook - a poster - 2x postcards

Variant B (deluxe edition) includes: - the new artbook - a poster - 2x postcards - 4x buttons - a shishiki board - a sticker sheet - a 24 page booklet

Furthermore there's two new acrylic standees which can be purchased separately. A tianshan and a zhanyi version.

The cost of these items is as follows: Artbook (version A): 89 Yuan [roughly: 13 USD | 12 Euro | 10 GBP] Artbook (version B): 189 Yuan [roughly: 27 USD | 25 Euro 21 GBP] Acrylic Standee: 49 Yuan (each) [roughly: 7 USD | 7 Euro | 6 GBP]

All of these items are available for purchase in their taobao store now, under this link: https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?ft=t&id=786971367604

But if you have trouble creating a taobao account or your country isn't on the (very short) taobao shipping list [China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand] then you have several other options to get your hands on these new items.

1. You could use aliexpress, koonbooks or any other China-based shopping app/website to buy these things from a 3rd party seller.

Now, keep in mind that these sellers obviously want to make a profit, so you will pay more than in the original taobao shop. However, on the plus side, they usually offer free shipping, which is nice considering that items like artbooks are heavy and shipping costs are based on weight, so if you pay over, some of that money also goes towards covering the shipping costs, which is not bad.

The risk of ordering with such a website is obviously that the independent seller could turn out to be a scammer and keep your money and not send you the goods. I have no idea about koonbook's policies, however in the case of aliexpress you are at least protected by such practices and should you not receive what you paid for, you will be refunded and get your money back.

Also keep in mind that the artbook and merch is still in production at this point! But Old Xian said the merch will be shipped out BEFORE May 20th. That's less than 4 weeks from now.

That being said - in some cases the merch will be cheaper on aliexpress after official ship-out, because there will be more people offering it, competing for best prices.

However there's obviously also a risk that the deluxe edition will sell out before that or that these re-sellers only ship the artbook itself with none of the extras.

Here's two links where you can have a look at potential resellers, but carefully think about all the pro's and con's I gave you before you consider to buy. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006893284852.html https://koonbooks.com/products/old-xian-19-days-art-collection-3-chinese?variant=46493038674166 2.

The other option you have is using a taobao shopping agent. If you google that, you'll find dozens of websites offering their services. I myself have used parcelup, 42agent and superbuy before. Here's links to all of them: https://www.superbuy.com/ https://parcelup.com/ https://www.42agent.com/ What all of these agents have in common is that you need to create an account BEFORE you can start searching and shopping. All you need for that is a valid email address. I'll show how it works with superbuy screenshots here. After you signed up, you can copy the taobao-link I gave you earlier and paste it into the search-field.

What will come up is an embedded view of the taobao listing where you can pick which variant you want and then add it to your shopping cart.

Once you have added everything you want, click on the shopping cart and simply follow all further payment instructions.

They will also ask you if you want them to keep the original packaging or if you want them to remove anything unnecessary and repack everything in order to make it weigh less so shipping will be cheaper. It's up to you. You will then be asked to pay for items, domestic shipping (so mosspaca studios can ship the goods to your agent's warehouse) and in some cases a service fee. For example, superbuy has no service fee, however they stopped offering paypal as payment method recently so you'd need a credit card or other online methods to pay for your order and everything. Parcelup, however, still offers paypal, but they also charge service fees. (They are fairly low though, if you ask me.) So after you paid for your goods, they will order the items for you and then you'll have to wait about 4-5 weeks for them to arrive, because keep in mind - like I said earlier - everything is still in production and Old Xian aims to ship everything out before the 20th of May. There's hundreds, if not thousands of parcels arriving to all agent's warehouses every day, so it will take them a few days to sort through things after your order arrives. You need to be patient!! They will get back to you with pictures of your order, trust me. When this happens you need to look at the pics and if everything is okay, you can reply to them to proceed. You will then be presented with shipping quotes. Usually they offer more than one shipping method and some are tracked, others are untracked, some will take only a week or two until they arrive at your doorstep, others will take 6 weeks or up to two months. Choose wisely which method you want and consider what is in your budget. (Obviously fast shipping with tracking is more expensive than slow shipping without it, however personally I'd always recommend a tracked service.) Just to give you an estimate on what to expect when it comes to international shipping - parcels with that amount of merch and weight, will always cost me about 50 USD or more to ship from China to the UK, where I live. (So keep that in mind before you order. International shipping is very expensive!) But once you picked a shipping method, you pay for it (that's your 2nd payment) and once they have processed that - your goodies will be on the way to you within a few days. And that's it. Sit down, eat your food and wait patiently for it to arrive. If you have further questions, just plop them into the comments and I'll try to answer them.

[heartpulseproject]

Since you don't see many edits here, and i am a dumbass in editing, could you make a tutorial on it? Like: what apps should we use, what should or shouldn't do, devices, etc. Since i personally worship your editing prowess, i couldn't help myself but ask for your guidance sensei. 🙇‍♀️

I don't use a "special device" to make my edits, just a computer which can run a videoediting software and Wallpaper Engine correctly (in my case it's an Apple Mac Pro 4,1 from 2009 with upgraded RAM and GPU, and also with Windows 10 installed on it, but that's not important). My server pc build out of my spare parts, and it's serves as a network bridge, and a file storge (like a NAS, or something) to store my personal files, like the assets for the edits on HPP. The way I make my edits, is a different story. I like to put the charaters in different scenarios to make the edit more enjoyable. I usually chose one image from my pre-granarated ones, or I use (if i see a, as i call an edit "suspicious" image here on Tumblr or X) an image from my "Likes", or if I can't find any which is good for the scanario in my head I generate one using PixAI's Ebora Pony XL AI model. Than if I have an image, I put together a static version of the edit in Paint.NET (PaintdotNET). Here I cut down the unnecessary and the broken (weirdly generated hands, .etc) parts of the image, and I remove the background if I'd like to use a different one. Than I chose a stethoscope png what are suitable for the edit, but I recently using the hand with stethoscope one which you can see in my recent edits. I also make some barely visble changes to the main image and the stething image. If it's done, and looks good I save them (the base image, the background, and the steting png separately) in a folder. After that it's time to "animate" the edit, which is just using the Wallpaper Engine's built in Shake effect, if that part is done, I record the animated soundless edit using OBS, which is usually a 5-6 minutes raw mp4 file. Than I put the raw recording into the video editor which is my case is the Wondershare Filmora X. I chose one of the heartbeat and bearthing audios from my server (if it's needed I modify it a bit in Audacity), and speed them up to mach with the animation. I make the breathing way quieter to have the heartbeat in focus, also i duplicate the hb sound to make a stereo effect, which means the I make the left side a bit louder and add more bass to it than the right side, which make a really good heart pulse effect (ROLL CREDITS). Also in here I add some video effects, cut down the unnecessary parts, I cut down the video to 2 minutes to become uploadable for X, than it's time to export it. After I exported the final edit, i check it for mistakes and I fix them if i find any, and the fixed version gonna be uploaded to Tumblr and X. This whole process is 2+ hours usually, but it's could be more for longer and more complex edits. But you doesn't need to follow my way to make edits, if you ever used a photo editor and a video editor before, and you know how put a transparent png on an image, and a greenscreen video on another one, you good to go. There is a lot of ways you can make an edit, so you can chose one which are suitable for you. If you still need help, you can join the Cardio Editor's Hub, there are lot of other people who gladly gives you some tips and tricks. Good luck, have fun! :D

[omegaphilosophia]

The Philosophy of Minimalism

Minimalism, in philosophical terms, is a lifestyle and mindset that emphasizes the value of simplicity and the intentional reduction of excess in various aspects of life. It is often associated with reducing material possessions, but it also extends to decluttering the mind, simplifying relationships, and focusing on what truly matters. Here’s a detailed exploration of the philosophy of minimalism:

1. Core Principles of Minimalism

Intentionality: Minimalism is about making conscious choices about what to keep and what to eliminate. It involves a deliberate focus on what is essential and meaningful.

Simplicity: The philosophy advocates for simplifying one’s environment and lifestyle to reduce stress and distractions. This can include decluttering physical spaces, simplifying schedules, and streamlining routines.

Focus on Quality: Minimalism emphasizes quality over quantity. This means valuing well-made, durable items and meaningful experiences over an abundance of possessions or superficial engagements.

2. Minimalism and Material Possessions

Decluttering: A central aspect of minimalism is the reduction of material possessions. This involves removing items that do not add value or joy to one’s life.

Sustainable Consumption: Minimalists often advocate for mindful and sustainable consumption. This includes buying less, choosing eco-friendly products, and reducing waste.

Financial Freedom: By focusing on needs rather than wants, minimalism can lead to financial savings and a greater sense of financial security.

3. Minimalism and Mental Clarity

Mental Decluttering: Minimalism extends to mental and emotional spaces. It encourages reducing mental clutter by letting go of negative thoughts, unnecessary worries, and mental distractions.

Mindfulness: Practicing mindfulness and being present in the moment are key aspects of minimalism. This helps individuals appreciate what they have and reduces the constant craving for more.

4. Minimalism in Relationships

Quality Over Quantity: Minimalism in relationships focuses on deep, meaningful connections rather than a large number of superficial relationships.

Boundaries and Prioritization: It involves setting healthy boundaries and prioritizing relationships that bring joy, support, and growth.

5. Minimalism and Technology

Digital Declutter: Minimalism encourages a mindful approach to technology use. This can involve reducing screen time, simplifying digital spaces, and being intentional about online activities.

Focus on Essential Tools: Using technology that serves a clear purpose and enhances one’s life, rather than getting caught up in the latest gadgets or apps.

6. Philosophical and Ethical Considerations

Minimalism and Ethics: The philosophy of minimalism often intersects with ethical considerations such as sustainability, consumerism, and social responsibility. It challenges the culture of overconsumption and promotes a more conscious way of living.

Existential Minimalism: Some minimalists explore the existential dimension of simplicity, questioning the nature of fulfillment and the meaning of life. This can lead to a deeper understanding of what truly brings happiness and contentment.

7. Cultural and Historical Perspectives

Historical Roots: Minimalism has roots in various philosophical and religious traditions, such as Stoicism, Buddhism, and Transcendentalism, which all emphasize simplicity and the reduction of desires.

Modern Minimalism: The contemporary minimalist movement has been popularized by figures like Marie Kondo and the Minimalists (Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus), who advocate for decluttering and simplifying life.

The philosophy of minimalism offers a pathway to a more intentional, simplified, and meaningful life. By focusing on what is essential and reducing the excess, minimalism can lead to greater mental clarity, stronger relationships, financial freedom, and a deeper sense of fulfillment. It challenges the norms of consumer culture and invites individuals to reconsider their values and priorities.