#Especially since this isn't the first coworker I've had problems with

[spikeisawesome456]

I don’t tend to post personal things here, but I honestly don’t know where else to post this, since I don’t want to bother my friends with this all, nor do I want to bother my family, so please bare with me as I get everything off my chest. Feel free to ignore this if you want, it’s just a personal ramble about everything happening in my life, but if anyone has any advice or words of comfort, they would be appreciated.

Just a warning, this is long and rambling, so... be warned. I tried to add context, but it's a lot, oof.

So, as I stated here a few days ago, I just turned 25. And since then, everything seems to have taken a downhill tail spin to hell. Literally the night of my birthday, my dad’s appendix burst and we had to wait almost sixteen hours before it was finally dealt with. We didn’t even know what was wrong for about seven of those hours, since the hospital was hellishly crowded. I was absolutely terrified that I was going to lose my dad, who I am very close with and who does a lot for me with my various problems with anxiety and whatnot. Without him, I’d be literally lost.

Anyway, he made it through the surgery fine, but now he’s having problems with his throat and he has a cold, which is terrifying after he just went through surgery and we don’t know if it’s a major problem or something common. His doctors don’t seem super concerned now, but they’ve said if it gets worse that it could be a problem, and now I’m terrified that it will get worse.

On top of all of that, my daily life is still going on. I’m currently in grad school to get my master’s in educational counseling to hopefully become a school counselor, and I have an internship at a middle school that I have to get up early for, something I’ve not done since I middle school myself (since I had such bad anxiety in 8th grade that I developed migraines and was unable to wake up early without pain). I’ve gotten better over the years and have been waking up these past few weeks without any complications, but it’s exhausting me, especially since I’m still working part time after the internship as an after school teacher. I’m waking up at 6:35 am and am going straight through to 6:00 pm with only a half hour car ride as a break (which luckily I am a passenger for, since I don’t have a driver’s license and my dad drives me. Another thing he does for me that I’d be lost without him for).

And then, to put more complications on top of this all, my coworker is upset with me for something I can’t really change, since I’m just trying to do my job. She’s upset with me since I am fairly confident with the kids and with my role at the job, so I tend to answer the kids when they ask questions and am confident with how the program is run, since I’ve worked for the company for almost five years and have worked at this site specifically for almost two. She’s upset with me since she thinks the kids don’t respect her since I counter what she says, even though I don’t try to? I literally am just answering the kids’ questions and am doing what I’ve been told to do by our supervisor, but I guess she told the kids something that isn’t how our supervisor does things, and is upset about it? I don’t know, I’m not explaining it all right since I’m so upset by everything. I think she wants the kids to respect her more and I go against the things she says, but a lot of the things she says are wrong and even the kids sometimes know she’s wrong! She doesn’t even know the name of our set of rules, even though they’re the same at all the sites, we say them literally EVERY SINGLE DAY, and she’s been working for the company a little longer than I have! She worked with my brother back when he worked for my company, even! And she’s much older than me, at least in her mid 30’s! I just…

I don’t know. I’m so stressed about everything and I’m trying to keep it together, but I’m so stressed out and scared. I’m 25 now but I still feel like I’m a child. My internship is at a middle school and half the time I still feel like I’m one of them, struggling just to survive day to day. I literally had a kid come in today with a similar problem that I’m dealing with with my coworker, and I’m just like… what can I even do? I told my supervisor about everything, but now I’m terrified that she’s going to be upset with me over bothering her over text at 9:00 at night when she’s pregnant and sick, even though when she replied she didn’t say anything to indicate that she’s upset with me.

I don’t know what to do, but I can’t take time off to cope because there is so much I have to do. I need to get 300 hours minimum at my internship, and then I need to find another internship and get another 300 hours, and I have to finish my degree by June 2024, otherwise my degree is useless since my university “terminated” my program (DON’T even ask, that’s another problem that’s too complicated to explain), and while that seems like a long time, that’s only two more school semesters after this one. And I got lucky with this internship since one of my adjunct professors needed an intern and his school was close enough to where I live, so I’ve never had to do the whole “find your own internship” thing, which apparently my college makes us do, since my college sucks. I’m also needed at work, since my other coworker has been sick this week, and my supervisor is going on maternity leave in a couple months, and the kids need me. They miss me when I’m gone and ask where I’ve been and I don’t want to disappoint them. I don’t want to disappoint anyone.

I feel like I’m falling apart at the seams and I don’t know what to do and it’s freaking me out. I’m trying so hard to keep it together for my family, and my coworkers/supervisors, and the kids, but I still feel like I’m fifteen and lying in bed with a migraine, so terrified that I’m going to fail that I developed an excuse to make my failure not my fault. I try so hard to be confident in my work, but then my coworker comes and undermines what I’m doing, saying different rules and getting upset when I say the correct ones.

My coworker sent me this text today (pictured below) and it triggered everything in me to go off all at once, and I don’t know what to do. I know that tomorrow I’ll get up and keep going like I always do, but for tonight I’m terrified I’m going to lose my dad, and that I’m going to fail my internship, and I’m going to get in trouble at work. I’m scared I’m not doing enough and that I’ll never be enough. That what I’m doing is not enough. That I should be doing more. When my dad’s appendix burst, I couldn’t drive him to the hospital since I’m too afraid to get my driver’s license. What if that led to his death? What if my fears lead to someone’s death?

(The red spot is where my supervisor's name was, by the by. And reflection time is like a time out. I also didn't interrupt her, and I separated them because they are supposed to be separated during that time, not sitting right next to each other on a bench. Which she would know, if she FREAKING PAID ATTENTION.)

Oh! And I completely forgot about this with everything going on today, but I hurt my shoulder on Monday getting my mom's wheelchair out of the car (she has quadriplegic cerebral palsy, so she's always been in a chair. My dad usually gets it in and out of the car, but with his surgery he's unable to lift anything heavier than 10 pounds for a couple weeks, so my brother and I have to pick up the slack. I even took the day off on Monday to help out, which is another stressor for me). My shoulder has been aching for the past two days, though luckily it isn't hurting now, which is why I forgot it with everything going on, but it's still yet another thing on top of the mountain. And this isn't even all of it. But if I keep talking, I'll be here forever, and I don't want that. I will say though that sometimes I wonder if I still have anxiety, since usually I have some pretty good coping skills for my anxiety that I independently developed over the years, and it's moments like this that remind me that, yep. Still do. .-.

If you’ve made it this far, thanks for listening to my rambling. I’ve not written something like this in years (which isn’t helping me feel any older, honestly), but it does help to get it out. Please, please be kind if you respond. I would be okay with advice, but just… be gentle if you can. So much has happened in five days and I’m struggling to handle it all. I am handling it all, but it’s a heavy load. So just… be gentle, please.

Thank you.

#Don't be too worried about me though #I can handle this and honestly just writing this has helped so much #But it's a lot and I wanted to let at least someone know how much I'm carrying #Even if it's just anonymous strangers on the internet #I'm trying so hard and I'm handling it with as much grace as I can #I swear though if things don't get better with my coworker I'm taking a leave of absence #Kids and income be damned #I hate it since I love these kids so much but I need to take care of myself and I don't need problems with my coworker #Especially since this isn't the first coworker I've had problems with #I've literally had problems with coworkers every year I've worked at my company #At what point do I acknowledge that it may be me that's the problem? Or is it not me? #I tend to have problems with people who don't follow rules since I'm very orderly and structured. So if they don't follow the rules I can't #function well #Ugh I don't know #But yeah if this doesn't get resolved I'm taking a gosh darn break from this nonsense #I'm doing well with the internship so I can just focus on that for a little while god

[bjornolf-bjarki]

Vent post about my workplace (long post)

I've been working at a grocery store called Hy-Vee for about 4 years since high school. It's literally been my only job and I've got to say, this is the first time I'm really seriously considering quitting. It's really been a strain on my mental and physical well-being for the past few months. The food I've been eating has been getting me sick fairly often because they've understaffed the food departments and sometimes the same batch of food that was made at a certain time would sit out for hours on end when it's supposed to be only ONE hour.

One time for my entire shift starting at 3 pm I saw the same batch of food sit on the hot plate until 8pm when all the ready-to-serve food departments close. I have notified management of this issue MANY times and even then it's still a problem popping up and I've had to go home early because I got sick from it. I wouldn't be surprised if customers did too. Not only that, they barely clean up the store anymore. It looks like it's been a while since it's been mopped. Most of the time I was working around the last few months I've been the only one pushing carts and had a hard time getting help, no matter how busy it was. Some motorized carts were even starting to break down and would reverse their controls. I told them about it for days, and it took weeks to get them fixed. 4 years ago the store was actually working and thriving, even under shitty managers. Now we have worker shortages and the store is suffering because of it. The store was doing fine but now it's just gone to hell in a handbasket and I don't think it can come back from it. Not too long ago, I put in time off requests around 6-7 days ago and it was time sensitive, I sent a second email about a day after alerting one of the floor managers about it and she told me she'd let the upper managers and supervisors of the store know about my request. This is my second email:

The day after this was sent, the supervisor pulled me off to the side with a witness and told me that if I ever did this again I'd be written up when I was busy and pushing carts. He claimed that he was extremely busy but in reality, it's easy to look at an email and schedule and let someone take time off. Especially when you have administrative access to multiple workplace emails like he did. I talked to the witness and he agreed that I was being mistreated because of TWO fucking words in an email. This store supervisor cared more about a slightly annoying email I SENT than the state of the store itself. This isn't the first time something like this happened. Once when I was starting at the store I was given mixed orders to stock items on the shelf when I was rather new to it. One of the supervisors demanded to know what I was doing, I yelled at him, and he led me to his office, but instead of reprimanding me right away he asked me a few questions, I told him I had been given mixed instructions and was confused. Then he told me that he understood and let me get composed in the office until I was ready to get back out there. This new supervisor is not understanding at all. He was literally red in the face as he tried to embarrass me in front of people at the entrance of the store. I've had some bad moments as an employee in the store, one being that I nearly fought an employee for filming a customer having a breakdown in the parking lot, yet I made amends and made things right and they didn't fire me. I even became slight acquaintances with the person I nearly fought. But this new vice supervisor who was a floor manager has not changed his ways at all, he's always been the same, insecure man he's been like. I've been thinking about quitting, but I'm thinking I should also inspire my coworkers to band together to try and get things to change. It would be a shame to waste 4 years of caring and effort for nothing if I do decide to quit soon.

#It's a bit meandering but that's life #workplace #problems #cw vent #text heavy #long

[letstalkaboutfandomsbaby]

Ok but ur post about chubby chaser!Ukai Keishin is so valid bestie

Like he's a creep with it too. Always wanting to hold the chub and trying to climb into your skin (like yo chill). He pulls all the stops to just get a taste. And you know he eats it like heon have no home trainin

BABY I'M SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG FOR ME TO GET TO!! My brain has been all over the place ever since my coworker quit and I've been taking on more hours ✌😔 I got way too carried away with this, forgive me sksksk

CW: chubby fem reader, smut, not beta read bc i'm a monster sksksk

Keishin is a goddamn menace when it comes to chubby gals

And it's like?? A shock? Like nobody expects this former athlete star to turn into a fucking dog whenever a curvy girl shows up

Lemme back up a bit and explain sksksk

Keishin was fairly popular in high school and college, especially after the dyed hair and piercings

He was always seen as a cool, chill dude, and he ended up being confessed to a fair amount of times

He was able to date everyone he was interested in, and he was pretty content for a while

Until he saw a curvy girl for the first time

So Japan isn't really known for it's chubby population

It's just not as common, yk?

Bc of this, Keishin didn't really interact with chubby women his age

Most overweight ppl were older and reminded him of his parents, so he was never attracted to them

I imagine the first time he sees a chubby woman is when he's on a date with a random girl

They went to an arcade and the two of them were having a good time

Keishin went off to get some more coins and stopped dead in his tracks when he saw a gorgeous curvy woman leaning over a pinball machine, wearing tight jeans and a crop top

He could see everything, every curve, every roll, every bit of pudge squishing against her clothes, threatening to burst

She wasn't alone; she was with some other girls who were cheering her on, so he didn't really have a chance to approach her, but the image of her body was ingrained in his brain

He didn't realize he was staring until he felt drool run down his chin jesus fucking christ dude get a napkin good lord

He didn't go on a second date with the girl he was with; he knew he would never be able to go back to the average skinny girls he had dated in the past

OK BUT LISTEN, HE WENT HOME RIGHT AFTER THE DATE AND LOOKED UP PORN WITH CHUBBY BEAUTIES AND JERKED OFF LIKE 3 TIMES

He is straight up obsessed from that day forward

And the chubby chaser is born sksksksk

Problem now is that he's attracted to a body type that not many ppl have

So he suffers for a while

He meets chubby reader later on and is whipped from the moment he sees them

He's willing to do anything, i mean anything, to get with you

You're an absolute goddess in his eyes and he's ready to worship at your temple aodjkajdls

ANYWAYS

Yk how Keishin seems cool and ppl headcanon him as being "daddy" material and being super smooth and sexy and blah blah blah

Ok well they're wrong sksksk

Keishin is a dweeb and cant flirt even if his life depended on it

He's a big nerd deep down and is not smooth in any way when he's around his crush

So get ready to watch him blush and stutter and stumble and fuck up bc he's so focused on you that he can't do anything right while you're around

He'll drop boxes, fall out of his chair when he tries to lean back, his hand will slip off the counter and he'll fall

He's just so down bad that he's a mess

You've only seen him like this so u assume that's how he always is and don't notice the weird behavior

But his friends do 👀

Enter wingmen Takinoue and Shimida

They have a much easier time talking to you while Ukai's over here about to throw up bc you're wearing a goddamn sundress and he can't take it

They get to know you and the three of you become good acquaintances Keishin feels so left out and he's so distraught yall skskks

The two of them think you and Keishin would make a great couple, so they essentially set yall up sksksk

They ask a bunch of questions beforehand (what kind of guy are you into, what are your fav hobbies, are you interested in dating someone, etc)

Tbh you're wondering if they're trying to have some kind of poly relationship with you bc they just won't leave the topic of dating alone

But then one day you walk into Ukai's store and the two of them are there, basically arguing with Keishin

Takinoue: "Y/N! See, she's here, so let's ask her—"

Keishin: "Wait, don't—"

Shimida: "Hey, Y/N, what do you think of Kei? Be honest: would you go out with him?"

K: "Stop—"

T: "We know he's a total dweeb, but he's pretty cool, right?"

K: "Please—"

S: "He's got a stable job, he takes care of his parents, he's great with kids."

K: "Don't—"

T: "Plus he's been crushing on—"

Ukai hits Takinoue in the back of the head before he can finish, making the second man yell

T: "Dude, what the hell?!"

K: "Just shut up already!"

Poor dumb Kei is as red as a tomato 🥺💕

He's such a cutie pie when he acts like this and you just can't help yourself

"Yes... i would go out with him 👉👈"

T: 😯

S: 😯

K: 😳 "...Really? 🥺"

Omg he's so cute jesus christ

Timeskip: yall go on a date (it's literally so cute, yall went to a movie and ate dinner at a little foodstand and walked around and talked after and you gave him a lil kiss on the cheek and he got this big goofy dumbass grin and he was all blushy and AAAAAAAAAA JUST WANNA MARRY HIM) and soon enough you make it official and start dating 😊💕

Honestly such a sweet boyfriend 🥺💕

He works a lot, but he does his best to spend weekend evenings with you, just hanging out and watching movies and cuddling up on the couch

He'll always bring you your favorite snacks from his shop

You always tell him that he doesn't have to, but he insists

I mean, you're his girlfriend! He's gonna take care of you 🙄

He's such a simp tbh

You could be slouched on the couch in sweatpants and a t-shirt eating chips and he's all "💕💕💕 my queen 💕💕💕"

You're literally the prettiest woman he's ever seen and that's never gonna change

He's alsooooo super obsessed with your curvy body 🥴

Better clear your schedule bc he's gonna spend as much of his possible freetime manhandling your chubbiness

He was very respectful of your boundaries in the beginning, and once he got consent he was ALL OVER YOU

And he still is skskks

He is so obsessed with your ass good lord

Rubbing it, squeezing it, smacking it, biting it

Hell, he'll use it as a pillow if he's in the mood

It doesn't matter how big it is: he wants it in his hands asap

Next favorite place is your tits

They are just so soft and squishy and just looking at them gets him hard

He likes all the stretch marks on them 💕

Traces over them before he takes your nipple in his mouth, moaning while he sucks it

Begged you to let him titty-fuck and he was overjoyed when you allowed it

Thrusting between those pretty titties before cumming all over your cute round face?

There's nothin better

Well... maybe one thing

The part of your body he loves the most is definitely your pussy (obviously)

He will BEG you to sit on his face, like he NEEDS it!!

"he eats it like heon have no home trainin" SHUT UP ALSGAKSFJKSDFJ ISTFG I'M SCREAMINGGGGGG, THAT'S LITERALLY THE FUNNIEST THING I'VE EVER READ, NOTHING WILL TOP IT

No no no, but you said it perfectly

*insert "do you eat pussy like that" meme here*

Im talkin slobberin, slurpin, suckin, moanin like a goddamn WHORE while he eats the kitty

He's always loved eating ppl out, but everyone else's is like chopped liver compared to the beef wellington that is your chubby pussy aldhaldjls

He legit DEVOURS you any chance he gets, like he practically unhinges his jaw and engulfs your pussy

He'll hold you down for an hour, getting drunk off of the taste of you, turning to putty in between your legs

LORD AND DONT GET ME STARTED ON WHEN HE FUCKS YOU—

Mans can never hold back his moans when he slips into you, like he gets so loud to the point where the neighbors hafta hit your wall to warn ya to quiet down

Keishin cant help it tho!! Your pussy is so plump and soft and his dick throbs every time he catches a glimpse of your pussy lips dragging against his cock

You make him so hot and he can't help but thrust into you like a fucking virgin during his first time

Keishin literally worships his chubby girlfriend, treating them like the queen they are and doing everything they ask

You want him to be rough? He'll do it without question. You want him to beg?? He's already on his knees. Want him tied up in the corner while you fuck his friends? I mean, he'll be dying on the inside the whole time but if that's what you really want—

I think you get the point sksksk

Keishin is so over the moon in love with you that he's willing to work three jobs the rest of his life to support you

He'll work 4am to 11pm every single day if it means you're happy

Tbh he's such a simp sksksk like he acts like he doesn't care but the minute you call he's like "what's up babe? How way your day? Need anything? Want me to pick up dinner?" LIKE SKDHLAJDKS JUST SHAMELESS

Idk yall, i just think Keishin loves chubby girls and would treat them the way they deserve to be treated 🤷‍♀️

#ask #keishin ukai #smut #chubby reader #fem reader #i am so sorry this took so long #put it in my drafts and forgot about it akskskks #☀️ asks

[resinatingbeauty]

Witchcraft & Expectations

What do you really expect from the Craft?

I had considered writing this for a while before actually doing it just because I didn't want anyone to feel like they were being attacked or singled out. Offending you isn't the purpose of this post, so please do not be discouraged by anything you read here. There is no wrong way of practicing your Craft and to each their own. I was just curious about perspectives when it comes to your expectations regarding Witchcraft, magick, and spirituality as I have dealt with many different people following many different paths since focusing more on my Craft and art through my shop which began on Mercari and grew enough to become more established on Etsy.

I do sell many spiritual / witchy items from personalized spell kits to witchy mystery boxes compiled with Intuitively chosen and my own handmade, one of a kind items. Among the most popular spiritual offerings are my 'buy one get one miniature spell jars,' which allow my customers to select two general purposes or a personalized request from which I assemble and enchant a miniature glass spell jar containing herbs, crystals, essential oils, and other objects based on their needs and requests. I wanted to make these little portable vessel talismans more available to everyone price and purpose wise, compared to others that have been charged with a more specific intent or devoted to a specific deity.

I have a long history of using spell jars myself for various purposes whenever I feel compelled to create one or a special occasion arises. I'm picky about larger jars and bottles, however, so they are usually created in small corked jars or in larger jars that I will sometimes embellish or try new things to integrate that allow the spell jar to also be an appealing or intriguing piece of handmade everyday decor while serving its spiritual purpose, such as the one in the photo above.

For the most part, I have found a surprisingly amount of success with my spell jars. Not just myself, but others as well have reported events that they thought were directly related to their spell jar. I had created one for my neighbor a couple weeks ago who had been searching for a better job than the one she had at a preschool. The day after I gave her the jar, she received a text from an old coworker who notified her that a position at a bank she had applied at months ago that had nothing available at that time had just opened up.

This actually exceeded my expectations. In my experience, magick takes time. Others who have commented on the success of their spell jars or magick in general would contact me a few weeks or so after using their spell kit or receiving their spell jar. I created a spell jar back in January to help jumpstart my small business selling my crafts and Craft and didn't really start to see a huge change until mid-March-April where I was more successful than even I anticipated.

This was about on par with what I expected in terms of time, as most spells I've ever done have taken days, weeks, or even months to start manifesting results that couldn't be passed off or ignored. To be sure, I include a scroll with each of my kits and jars explaining how they are best utilized, to have patience, how to set a purpose and intentions, the power of thinking positively, and that magick rewards those who are willing to work and make sacrifices for what they desire. To me, all of these things are virtues that this path teaches us and are part of what makes the Craft so empowering overall. Whether it was the spell or your hard work, you are the catalyst for change. You made things happen. I mean, what is more empowering than that?

This is part of the reason why I personally chose to over spell kits and magickal tools rather than offering to cast spells or perform rituals on one's behalf. It was my desire to make YOU feel empowered and you are the one ultimately responsible for your own success or failure, whether spiritually or otherwise. I'll gladly steer you down the road of success and provide you with my knowledge, experience, and guidance, but I am always clear about what to expect.

Unfortunately, we live in a time where instant gratification is anticipated and expected, which I never considered in terms of Witchcraft. I knew that no matter how many times I write 'set realistic expectations, focus on your purpose, be patient, and keep doing what your doing' that some people would just blow through all that hoping that they just bought a quick fix for all their problems for $6.99 + a buy one get one deal.

Two weeks or so ago, I had received an order for said jars from a young man who simply said he wanted a personalized spell jar for lucid dreaming and dream work and selected his second 'free' one for self empowerment. I reached out to clarify and answered some of his questions. My immediate impression from him was one of discord. He expressed a lot of turmoil in his life over the past few months and claimed to have taken on a lot of responsibility. He seemed young and eager, with a ton of questions regarding magick in general. I answered his questions the best I could, but reiterated the same values I expressed in the previous paragraph when asked why such and such spell wasn't working, 'should I not have done this,' etc. Magick takes time to manifest, especially when it comes to financial purposes like he explained which are inherently unlikely to resolve themselves overnight.

He seemed happy enough with his purchase and said as much when he received his package. A couple days later, I received a notification about a review he had left which was negative, saying one of his spell jars didn't work with a message delivered in tandem asking what purpose I had set for his spell jar.

Let me say this: I am not upset with him or complaining about his review. He is entitled to his own opinion, although I was annoyed with how quickly he had come to the conclusion when in the instructions I provided him I specifically said that these things take time to work. Anyone who receives results instantly or within the next day or so are exceeding my own expectations. Which is great! Hooray!

But this is definitely not the standard I've come to expect in all the years I've been practicing the Craft.

I continued chatting with and answering this young man's questions and ultimately uncovered that he was upset about a variety of things that had been going on in his life. In his mind, he felt entitled to have these things work for him sooner rather than later and was frustrated and angry that nothing he tried had been working out the way he expected.

In the time that I have opened my little shop, I have (thankfully) only run into one other person like this- where their understanding of Witchcraft seems to have been compiled from television and movies. After the first, I learned to tread lightly around these individuals because, whether it's their fault or not, they have been mislead.

Television shows like old school Charmed and the newer Salem and Witches of East End are really entertaining. I enjoyed watching them, but they are the absolute enemy of those who practice magick / witchcraft as a form of religion or spirituality. Sure, some of these shows actually do their research. Even Buffy the Vampire Slayer was ahead of its time introducing Wiccans, Technopagans, and New Age practices to pop culture and in many ways helped to show people an obscured version of the truth during the 'Satanic Panic' period when even witches hated being called witches and the pentagram / pentacle difference became an actual difference that wasn't just a choice of words.

Newer generations growing up with Harry Potter, which is hardly a great introduction into magickal traditions, were at least more open minded than the previous generation to the actuality of witchcraft and magick as a spiritual practice.

I mean, who doesn't want to snap their fingers and make the house tidy in one fell swoop?

I sure do. But even when I first started practicing at 11 I understood that that just isn't how it is.

This young man who was saying he lead a coven sounded more like he was LARPing than legitimately asking for spiritual guidance. I realized real quick that I couldn't do anything for him. What he wanted and expected, no matter how many times I referenced the instructions I provided (he evidently hadn't acknowledged) and relayed to him my own experience and expectations, he was looking for that 'quick fix' and someone or something to blame for when it didn't work the way he thought it would. The main reason for his complaint? The night after he received his spell jar, he said he just dreamnt about the moon.

My understanding of lucid dreaming was having direct control over ones dreams. The more I talked to this person the more it became clear that this wasn't his understanding of lucid dreaming. I tried to ask what he had tried to gain that control, as many of you know that I suffered from sleep paralysis for years and taught myself how to realize and 'break out' of it over time. He referenced making offerings to a goddess. I had to stop.

I'm sure that another business minded witch would have sold him something else or offered an exchange. I (stupidly) tried to make him understand that he has the power to manifest his desires. All I did was provide him with a tool to help things along.

This was the same for the woman I had dealt with months ago who said that she had been told by this coven owned business that she was a vampire reincarnated to be with her lover. That was the ultimate end of our conversation because she didn't seem very open to anything I suggested. Whether the things she bought were 'effective' for her or not we will never know. When she started messaging me to the point of harassment I deleted her messages and flagged them as spam. All this time and effort spent consoling someone who really isn't in the right frame of mind for magick or witchcraft.

The main point in writing this ranty post is to get the perspective of the community. What are your expectations for your own spells? What do you tell others when they ask? If you are also a 'witch shop' owner or own your own spiritual practice how do you deal with clients that have set unrealistic expectations for you and your Craft?

#witchcraft #witch stuff #witches of etsy #witches of tumblr #handmade #one of a kind #wiccan #ecletic pagan #paganism #wicca #green witch #crystaljewelry #witchblr #witchy #witches #text post #beginner witch #crystals #spirituality #philosophy #dream interpretation #dream journal #spiritual #spiritual guidance #guru #spiritualism #spell kit #spell craft #spell jar

[arizonaconservativegal]

First of all, thanks for replying. And thanks to the people in the notes who followed up, as well. In terms of interests, while I would love someone who shares a lot of them, I really only have one that's necessary. As an aspiring game developer, games are my art form, especially the world building and the mechanics and systems in place. I want someone who shares this love, who I can bond over with. Anything else would just be icing on the cake. In terms of appearance, I'd prefer if she were shorter than me by a good amount, ideally at or below 5' 6" but I'm fine as long as she's not above like 5' 10". I'm not the leanest person myself, I've got a little belly, but I'm working on it and slowly losing weight. I don't mind if she's a little chubby either, but if she's really fat I just can't go with that. I'm probably a little hypocritical here as I'd obviously prefer someone who's in shape, but I can find some heavier women attractive as long as they're short and feminine. I dislike body modifications, and would prefer someone without any, but I could deal with a few small tattoos and a few piercings, as long as they're not gauges or septum piercings. And obviously she needs to want kids (but not have any), needs to be not a full-on leftist (I'm fine with a centrist, conservative, or ideally a libertarian), and just have a nice personality that gels with mine. I tend to be a pretty low-key, somewhat boring person, and have trouble dealing with people who have "big" personalities. I find that at my age, it's hard to find someone who wants kids but doesn't have any, and who likes games but isn't butch or seriously fat or really punk or whatever. Those are pretty much my lines in the sand, appearance and personality-wise. Do I have too many of them? Are there things I should care less about? As I said, I've never been in a relationship, so I really don't know what's important and what's not. I'm just basing what I want on what I personally prefer.

And I know what I need to do to become more attractive, myself. Lose some weight, get a better job, move out. Is there anything else I need to do, and what should I prioritize? Right now I'm thinking about trying for a raise at work, but I'm also worried it'll put me over the pay limit for subsidized healthcare, and I've got a lot of health problems that are out of my control. I'd need to jump to a job with actual benefits to make it really worth it, so it'll be hard just moving up gradually.

And finally, just because I'm spilling everything out here anyway, there's a girl at work who recently broke up with her boyfriend of 5 years who I've been becoming quite friendly with. She's always enjoyable to talk to, and she seems to like me at least as a friend. However she's not got a lot in common with me. There's a guy who clearly likes her, and she has a friend that's probably into her, and I knew her ex and they all have a similar look that's very different to me. I think she also tends to go for "bad boys" and I'm definitely not one of them. She recently asked about my interests and stuff kind of probing more deeply, but since I basically haven't had any friends for years I don't know if that's just what's normal or if she's actually a little bit interested in me. Honestly I'm not sure what to do or if I should even do anything. She's basically a normie and I'm borderline autistic. I'm not used to anyone actually being interested in anything about me and I don't know how to tell one kind of "interest" from another. And considering she's a coworker and I enjoy her company, I don't want to fuck anything up. What do I do?

Ok there's a lot to unpack here...

First of all, I'm not going to be that person who tells you looks don't matter because let's all be honest here for a second, they do and anyone who says otherwise is lying for internet morality points. Obviously if you're going to date someone, you need to not be repulsed by their physical appearance.

But. Looks are not the most important thing and they're also not permanent. Plus in my experience, the more you get to know someone, the more attractive they become to you because you just see people differently when you love them. So don't worry so much about finding the most beautiful girl you've ever seen, or being the most handsome guy she's ever seen. When it's right, that stuff will handle itself.

(Also, I'm not saying you did this, but if you put all that in your online dating profile, please delete it immediately because it will scare women off if it's public and even if it's just for the algorithm, you're probably losing a lot of potentially good matches by being too specific)

I would think a little more about personality. It can be a lot harder to define that than appearance, but that's the part of her that you're going to really fall for. What does "big" personality mean to you? Does that mean just being loud, or is it a certain kind of humor, or just being extroverted or outgoing? Think a little about the people you enjoy spending time with and figure out what it is about them that makes you want to be around them. Interests are a good starting point, but try to think about what drives those interests and how they express them.

And think about you too. How would you describe yourself? I'd guess with your interest in game development, you probably have a big imagination and attention to detail, yeah? Do you have a dry sense of humor, maybe? Are you a patient person? Do you prefer to be busy or to take it easy? When you get stressed out, what calms you down? What are your values in life?

Think about what kind of person complements all that. Remember you're looking for a partner, someone to build a life with. That means the two of you have to make a good team. You'll bring out the best in each other and compensate for each other's weaknesses.

As for the changes you think you need to make, I'm going to let you in a little secret about women: there is nothing sexier to us than a guy who has his shit together. And that doesn't mean you need a fancy law degree and a six figure office job and a mortgage. It means knowing who you are and what you want and be working a clear, realistic plan to get there.

So yes, everything you mentioned is probably a good idea because it sounds like that will help you have more confidence and get on more solid ground with your life and future. But as for what you should do first, just focus on what is best for you, not for some hypothetical future wife you haven't met yet. It sounds to me like you've still got some healing to do and that needs to be your priority.

But when you're ready, the only thing to do is start talking to people and go on lots of dates that will mostly go nowhere. That's okay. The point is to meet girls and see if there's enough there for a second date, then maybe a third, and so on. You're not looking for something that's perfect right away. You're just looking for a starting point to build something more from.

In your case, yes, you probably do need to find a girl who at least has some interest in video games. It's going to be too much of your life for her to not at least be willing to indulge you when you want to talk about the game you're working on. I would guess that there are a lot of girls in "nerd" category who maybe don't know much about video games but would be interested if someone they cared about wanted to show them. Or if you really want to start off with just a pool of people who are as interested in game development as you, I'd hazard a guess that there are conventions or online forums on the subject. Maybe check out some of those and just start talking to people. Maybe it goes nowhere. Maybe you make a new friend. Maybe more. Who knows?

As for the girl at work, I think you're setting yourself up to get hurt. Girls who go for bad boys don't usually change their habits easily. She may be interested in you because you're not like her ex and she's trying to try something different, but that doesn't usually last. It isn't that you're doing anything wrong, it really is just how girls like that are. And it doesn't make any sense but it's how it is.

In general though, if you're getting to know a girl and you're not sure if she's looking for a friend or a boyfriend, it's okay to ask. Don't be creepy about it or anything, but it's okay to say something like "I just want to make sure I'm not reading too much into this." And be prepared to drop it if she says she just wants to be friends.

(Also my rule for dating coworkers is this: if it's a job you plan to stay at long term and you work closely together, the answer is no. If it's more of a temporary thing or you really only pass her in the hall once a week, that's probably okay as long as your company doesn't have some policy against it)

Bottom line, you're overthinking this. Love isn't logical. You can make all the plans and checklists in the world and none of them matter because that's just not how it works. Trust me, if it was, I'd be married by now too.

All you can really do is be the best version of yourself for you, meet a bunch of people, probably get your heart broken a couple of times along the way, and eventually you'll find someone who makes it all worth it.

-

As a side note, are you in a good church? If you're a person of faith at all (and I'm an atheist, so no judgement if you're not), I think having a community like that around you would be good for you right now.

#anyone else want to give the dear abby thing a shot?

[starlit-serenade]

Starry-Eyed Smile | Chapter 3

⭐ Summary: You practically grew up with Youngjo, attached at the hip, two peas in a pod. You did everything together. At some point, both of your feelings became more than platonic, and you both knew it. Everyone knew it. But neither of you have had the courage to do anything about it.

⭐ Chapter 3: 2,096 words

⭐ Pairing: Reader X Kim Youngjo (Ravn) / Characters: GenderNeutral!Reader; Kim Youngjo (Ravn); Lee Seoho (Seoho); Kim Geonhak (Leedo); Lee Keonhee (Keonhee); Yeo Hwanwoong (Hwanwoong); Son Dongju (Xion);

⭐ Rated: E / Warnings: I talk too much about Youngjo’s smile / Genre: Fluff; BestFriends-To-Lovers; Angst; Love Triangle if you squint; Happy Ending;

《 Series Masterlist // ONEUS Masterlist // Boy Group Masterlist 》

The work day has ended. It's been a long and boring day. One of your coworkers was being really rude and exhausting, and now all you want is to sleep. But you know that in a few hours, you'll be hungry for dinner, and there are no supplies at home for a full dinner. So you have to go grocery shopping.

On the way home from work, you stop by the grocery store to buy ingredients. You walk down the vegetable aisle, eyes skimming for something you might need.

"Y/Nie?" You look to your right and see Seoho standing a few feet away, smiling brightly.

"Oh, Seoho! Hello." You wave. "What are you doing here?"

"Shopping? It's a grocery store," he says, laughing.

"Right. Sorry, stupid question." You nod, embarrassed, but he laughs, patting your head gently to tease you.

"Cute," he says. "Don't worry about it. I'm here to go shopping for ONEUS's dinner. We've basically finished everything for the album, and as a reward, we're having a nice big dinner as a group. Comeback is coming up, so we're celebrating that as well."

"Congrats. I'm excited for you," you say. "Are you guys prepared for the comeback?"

"I think so. I think we're ready, but we're still anxious about how it will be received."

You two walk down the veggie aisle together, both grabbing what you need.

"You guys are gonna do great," you say as you examine an onion closely. "I've already listened to 'To Be Or Not To Be' and some of 'Dizzy', and they're amazing. No doubt the others are, too. I know you'll impress everyone."

Seoho smiles. "Thank you, Y/Nie. I think all of the members need that kind of encouragement, especially Youngjo. But I'm glad I get to hear it."

You buy your groceries, and Seoho purchases his. You exit the store together, and as you're about to wave goodbye to him, he insists on walking you home.

"Y/N . . ." he says, as you reach your house. You hum to let him know you're listening.

"How long have we known each other?" Seoho asks. You think. It must have been when Seoho and Youngjo were on Mix Nine when you first met him. You do the math in your head.

"Three or four years," you say.

"Yeah," he says, nodding. "That's a long time, I think. And I think we've been pretty good friends. I know that you're really close to Youngjo, but I really want to express my feelings to you."

He stops and looks at you, and you turn to look at him, eyebrow raised curiously. You have a sneaking suspicion about what he wants to say.

"Y/N, I see you as more than a friend," he says, taking a deep breath. "I like you a lot, both as a close friend and as more."

He watches your expression closely, waiting for a sign of your answer in your face, or a reaction. Anything. Meanwhile, you're trying to think of a way to answer without hurting him.

A moment passes, and you take a deep breath.

"Seoho," you say. You take a breath. "I care about you a lot. You're one of my best friends. You've always been there for me. But I already like someone."

"It's Youngjo, isn't it?" Seoho asks, a soft, yet sad, expression on his face. You nod. "I thought so. I just wanted you to know my feelings. That's good, Y/Nie. He likes you too. I'm happy for Youngjo, and if you need anything at all, I'll help you."

You smile. "Thank you, Seoho. I'm sorry."

He shakes his head. "Don't be sorry, Y/Nie. You being my friend is still enough to make me happy."

"Okay . . ." You smile at him. "Can I hug you?"

He nods. "Yes please."

You hug him tightly, and he squeezes you. After you pull away, he smiles at you softly. Sadly. But not too sad.

 "Thank you." he says, grinning. "Youngjo is lucky. That someone so kind and caring as you is his friend. And likes him like that."

You blink at him, unsure of what to say. He nods over to your apartment. "Now go make yourself dinner. You must be hungry."

You nod, realizing that you are, indeed, hungry. "I am. Bye Seoho!" you say, waving goodbye. He waves back, smiling, as you head inside.

You're cleaning up from dinner, putting away your dried dishes when you hear your phone buzz from where it's sitting across the table. You put away your plate and walk over to see what it is.

Sunny's Dad: Y/Nie

You: Yes?

Sunny's Dad: Can I come over?

You: Sure!

You: Why?

Sunny's Dad: Need hugs

You: Okay, of course! Come over!

You spend ten minutes finishing cleaning up the table and dishes. Youngjo still hasn't shown up, so you make warm tea for him. You know that it helps him calm down and relax after a stressful day.

You have the mug of warm tea sitting on the table when there's a knock on the door. You walk over and open the door. Youngjo stands in front of you. You can tell from the sheepish smile that he gives you, from his shy posture and slumped shoulders, that he isn't feeling great. He looks exhausting, but you can't tell if it's emotionally exhausted or physically exhausted.

"Youngjo," you say gently. "Come in. I made you some warm tea to calm your nerves."

"Thank you."

You tell him to sit on the couch and bring him his drink, sitting down next to him. He thanks you and sips from the mug, relaxing a bit.

"Thank you," he says. "For having me over. And for making me tea."

"No problem," you say. "Is everything okay, Youngjo?"

"Yeah," he says, sighing heavily. You shake your head.

"No, it's not. Something's on your mind. I can tell."

He frowns. "How do you know?"

"Because I know you, Youngjo," you say. "I've known you my entire life. Plus, you just look like something is bothering you. What is it?"

He sighs again. "Our comeback is coming up in a few days. And even though I'm excited and we're all well prepared, I'm feeling very nervous and anxious."

"Yeah?"

"They're expecting so much from us," he mumbles. "After Road to Kingdom, the bar is so high. And I don't want to disappoint anyone. And I just wanted to hang out with you and watch a movie or snuggle or something," he says. "If that's okay. Hanging out with you always calms me nerves, I guess."

"Yeah, of course," you say. "What movie do you want to watch?"

"Anything."

You two end up watching Zootopia together, sitting on the couch together. You two laugh together during the sloth scene, snuggled up as you giggle together.

The scene reminds you of your shared movie nights and sleepovers when you were kids. Especially as teenagers, you two would even spend until early morning watching movies together. Obviously, since you're both much older and are busy with work--Youngjo is a K-Pop idol--you haven't had movie nights as much anymore. The nights before ONEUS's debut with Valkyrie and the album release of Light Us, you and Youngjo watched several movies to calm his nervousness and excitement. The day before Raise Us was released, you and Youngjo watched a couple movies today. Since then, you and Youngjo didn't watch as many movies. During Road To Kingdom, you and ONEUS had several movie nights. But every time you and Youngjo watch movies together, you go back to being a child, watching movies with your best friend.

You smile. You're leaning against each other, comfortably snuggled up to each other as you giggle at the funny parts of the children's movie. After a while, Youngjo falls asleep. He's shifted to that his head is on your lap. You smile down at him. He's breathing softly, and looks so cute. You want nothing more than to run your fingers through his hair.

After the movie has finished, you look down at Youngjo, who's still asleep with his head on your lap. Honestly, he looks so calm, asleep like that, and you almost don't want to wake him up. But he has to go to work early tomorrow, so he should get back to the dorm soon to sleep properly. You nudge him gently, trying to wake him. He groans softly. He looks so cute. But you shake him gently again.

After a moment of your gentle shaking, he groans and binks up at you, a smile spreading across his face at the sight of you, and a little joyful feeling bubbles inside of you when you think about how just seeing you makes him smile like that.

"Movie's finished," you say softly, smiling. "You have an early morning tomorrow, so you should be heading home soon."

He nods, sitting up. His hair is messy, but he runs his hand through it to fix it. "Right," he says, chuckling. 

You help him get his stuff together. His shoes and coat. You smile at him as he waves goodbye, stepping out the door.

"Youngjo," you say before he leaves. He pauses and looks at you, standing on the other side of the doorway. "It's going to be great. You guys will do amazingly. I promise."

"Thank you, Y/Nie. See you soon." He smiles brightly at you.

Without thinking, you stand up on your tip-toes and kiss Youngjo on the cheek. Youngjo blinks, standing frozen, staring at you, and it takes you a moment to realize what you just did.

"What . . . ?"

Embarrassed, you wave a quick and shy goodbye and close the door quickly, turning around so your back is against it as you think over the past ten seconds.

After a few seconds, you hear Youngjo's footsteps walking away. You run to the window, and after a few seconds, you see Youngjo walking away slowly. He has his phone on in his hand. Suddenly, your phone on the couch buzzes, and you run over to see what it is.

Sunny's Dad: Thank you for always helping me and comforting me.

Sunny's Dad: It means a lot.

You smile stupidly at your phone. How strange that someone texting you can make you feel so happy. As you're about to put your phone in your pocket, it rings again. You look to see what it is.

Sunny's Dad: 😚🤭💋

You feel your face heating up, and realize how you're smiling so widely it makes your cheeks hurt. Instead of feeling embarrassment, you feel giddy inside.

You prepare for bed, brushing your teeth and changing before getting into bed, all the while smiling like an idiot while thinking about Youngjo. Thinking about him sleeping with his head on your lap. Thinking about kissing him on the cheek.

Youngjo arrives at the dorm, opening the door quietly and closing it slowly. Everyone should be asleep by now, as tomorrow's morning starts early. He starts removing his shoes and coat in the entrance living room, trying to keep quiet so as not to wake anyone up.

He smiles to himself as he puts away his coat, thinking about how you had kissed him on the cheek. He gently touches his cheek where you had kissed him, and giggles softly to himself. Oh, he really is a fool in love with his best friend.

You've always been his best friend. You were always there for him when he needed you, when he was stressed or sad or worried or upset. You would always hold his hand when he was scared and be a shoulder for him to cry on. You were always supportive of his dreams, even when he doubted himself.

He's liked you since you were teens together, but he was always too afraid to ruin your friendship. He loves you a lot. Both as a best friend, and more than that. But as much as he likes you as more than a friend, but also loves you as a friend too, and he doesn't want to ruin that.

It's strange, he thinks as he puts his shoes away. Even Geonhak has commented on it. He's usually more confident about things. He's usually less afraid to take risks. But he's too scared to ask you to be more than friends. He's too afraid to risk your friendship. Because if you don't feel the same way, what would that mean for your friendship.

"Youngjo?"

He looks up. Seoho is standing in the doorway, blinking at him.

#oneus #ravn #kim youngjo #oneus fanfic #oneus fanfiction #myfic #fanfic #fanfiction #ravn fanfic #ravn fanfiction #kim youngjo fanfic #kim youngjo fanfiction #fluff #angst