#If not it’s indechipherable

[kimikaami]

At some point I started imagining Stickyfingers Paul Pantry as some candy colored amalgamation of the quaker oats guy and jack horner from puss in boots... maybe the real monster factory was inside my head all along

[hiveswap]

All men do is get possessed, be awful parents, be indechipherable, haunt the narrarive & die

[meandmypagancrew]

If you take Hadestown and subtract Spiderman: Turn Off The Dark, you get The Lightning Thief. I will not explain further.

[waitingfortherightpartner]

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before (Part Nine)

Previous Chapter - Master List

Tagging @liajiah @tiffanynguyen03 @tazzi-baby​ @copicania​ @lilystilinskicullen​ @rcvenqers​ @champagnesugamama​ @abundanceofcarolines​ @intricate-melody​ @marvelousmendess​ @keepcalm-and-beyou​ @mrspeacem1nusone​ @thecraziestcrayon​ @kaitlynw011​ @pemik-a​

-

“You know, Olly’s Instagram account has a couple hundred thousand followers?” you say, scrolling through the dozens of pictures of Olly that now occupy your phone as you and Wanda head to one of the Tower’s many gyms.

“You’re like a new mother,” Wanda teases. “You won’t stop talking about your new baby. Or showing me pictures of him.”

“Tell me this is not the cutest thing you’ve ever seen,” you say, showing her a picture of Olly peeking out of a present box with a small bow on top of his head. Wanda rolls her eyes. 

“Okay, how about this one?” you say, showing her one of you, Steve, Olly and a bemused-looking Santa. “Adorable, right?”

“I can’t believe Steve agreed to do this,” Wanda says.

“Are you kidding?” you grin. “It was his idea. Fine, how about this one?” Olly’s holding the hammer squeaky toy in his mouth, nestled under the Christmas tree. “Look, he’s worthy.”

“You’re an idiot,” she says affectionately. “I-” 

She turns the corner and then jumps back, putting a hand on your arm to prevent you from turning.

“What?” you ask.

“Steve and Sharon,” she says and you quickly peek around the corner. Steve and Sharon are standing halfway down the hallway. You only catch a glimpse of them, but they look like they’re having a pretty heated conversation.

“We should go back,” you say instantly, your body freezing up. “This seems private.”

“You don’t want to hear what your boyfriend has to say to his ex?” Wanda asks.

You want to correct her, to tell her that he’s just your fake boyfriend, that it’s all just an act, but you stop yourself, only offering a shake of your head. She gives you a look but you don’t know what to say, wishing you could melt into the ground.

“You broke up with me, Sharon,” you hear Steve say, and the coldness in his voice makes your heart twinge.

“And I’m saying that I made a mistake,” Sharon says. “And...I want you back.”

“This is ridiculous,” Steve says and you feel a tiny pinprick of hope.

“Is it?” Sharon tosses back. “We were together for a long time. I thought...I honestly thought we were going to get married one day. (Y/N)’s great, but you two have only been dating for a few months.”

“Leave (Y/N) out of this,” Steve says.

“I can’t,” Sharon says. “I don’t want to hurt her, but I love you. I still love you.”

You turn to face Wanda and meet her wide eyes. You shake your head and begin to back away.

“I can’t do this,” you whisper, and the flash of understanding that spreads across her face is enough to tell you that she knows. She grabs your hand and squeezes it and you give her a pained smile before turning on the ball of your feet and beelining it to the elevator, punching the button for your floor. You quite nearly throw open the door to your room, scooping Olly up into a hug before you clip on his leash and head out for a walk.

The elevator door opens to Bucky. His mouth sets into a thin line when he sees you, but his expression softens when he sees Olly.

“Hey Olly,” he says, immediately dropping down to pet Olly. Olly greets him with a slobbery kiss, which makes you laugh in spite of anything.

“Taking him for a walk?” Bucky asks and you nod. He looks up at you and instantly reads your body language. “What’s wrong?” You don’t answer, willing yourself not to spill your guts to Bucky. He seems to realize that he’s asking the wrong question. “Want some company?” 

You nod. It’s chilly outside and you almost regret not wearing a thicker jacket. The two of you walk in peaceful silence for blocks as you collect your thoughts. It’s not until you’re heading back, the Tower looming in the distance that you’re finally ready to say anything.

“Sharon wants Steve back,” you say. “I...overheard them talking.”

“Oh,” Bucky says. “What did Steve say?” 

“I don’t know,” you reply. “I left. I didn’t want to find out by eavesdropping. I’m sure he’ll tell me. If...if anything changes.”

“He’s not going to leave you for Sharon,” Bucky says and you turn to him, the words almost tumbling off your lips to explain how nothing between the two of you is real, at least not on Steve’s side. But you stop yourself before any detail can escape.

“I’m not so sure,” you say, measuring each word. “Sharon...I think he might still love her.”

“He loves you,” Bucky says. “I’ve seen the two of you.”

“I just feel like the more used to him I get,” you say. “The more I settle into this, the more it’s going to hurt when they get back together. It just feels inevitable. I should have seen it coming.” You look at him, unable to read the expression on his face. “I know that you probably don’t want to hear all the drama.”

“No, not at all,” Bucky insists, stopping as you reach the front of the tower. The two of you stand outside, not quite ready to go back in. “Look, he’d be stupid to break up with you. Plain and simple.”

“Thank you,” you say, not quite believing him. “For saying that, and for listening.”

“I’m always here for you, (Y/N),” he says and you smile, pulling him into a hug. 

“And I’m here for you,” you say. “If you ever want to talk about you and Nat.”

“I’ll take you up on that,” Bucky says, pulling back from the hug.

“(Y/N)!”

You both look up to see Steve walking towards you. Part of you wants to spring in the other direction – you know Olly would be up for a run. But you force yourself to hold your ground. 

“Thanks again, Bucky,” you say. He smiles, dropping down to give Olly one last scratch behind his ears before heading back inside. You pass Olly’s leash to Steve and start the walk again. Olly certainly doesn’t mind. You shiver again and Steve quickly shrugs off his jacket, draping it over your shoulders and instantly warming you up.

“What’s up?” you ask.

“You took Olly on a walk with Bucky,” Steve says.

“He caught me on my way out,” you say. “Thought I looked like I could use some company. Why?”

“No, it’s nothing,” Steve says, though something in his voice suggests that maybe it’s not nothing.

“Don’t worry,” you say, trying to keep the edge out of your voice and failing miserably. “We didn’t run into any photographers, no one’s going to be starting any tabloid rumors on that front.”

“On that front?” Steve says. “What did you mean, looked like you could use some company?” You weigh your options, and decide to be direct.

“I accidentally overheard,” you say. “When you were talking to Sharon. I’m sorry.”

“You were there?” Steve says and you nod.

“I wasn’t spying on you, or anything,” you say. “I was just walking by and then I heard you two and panicked.”

“How much did you hear?” Steve asks.

“I left after Sharon said she still loved you,” you say quietly.

“Nothin-”

“It’s oka-”

You both start at the same time and stop short at the sound of the other’s voice. Steve gestures for you to speak, and you sigh.

“It’s okay,” you say. “This is what we were heading towards, wasn’t it? I don’t think either of us thought it was going to go on for this long. But Bucky and I are fine, no awkwardness. And Sharon wants you back. So I think it’s time.”

“Time for what?” Steve says, stopping short. 

“Time for you to call it,” you say. “It’s okay, Steve.”

“You’re just trying to get out of Tony’s gala,” he says, his tone indechipherable. He sounds teasing, but there’s a note of true anger in his voice. “You promised.”

“Only if we’re still together,” you say.

“We are,” he says. “I’m still in this, (Y/N).”

“I don’t want to get in the way,” you say. “I don’t want to come between the two of you because I know-”

“You aren’t,” Steve says. “Look, if you want to be done because you’re ready to be done, then say that. But don’t try to make me call it off because you’re scared.”

“What on earth do I have to be scared of?” you say, trying to keep your tone light.

“You tell me, (Y/N),” Steve replies, and the way he meets your gaze makes you wonder if he knows.

“Fine,” you say. “I’ll go.”

And you know that as soon as it’s over, you need to end this with Steve. Before you really get hurt.

-

Next Chapter

[rigelmejo]

still baffled and so happy my french reading skills just poof, became competent, over time, just from mostly forcing myself to read french i barely comprehended over and over. i sincerely doubt improving in chinese will be the same, but wow i hope it could be...

like. i remember when i actively had a plan for my french studies. first i read a grammar guide (did that in chinese too). Then I learned the 300 most common words (did that in chinese too), then i just started forcing myself to read. at first it was brutal. then it was manageable, and brutal if i picked something literary or in unfamiliar subjects. then it was manageable i just had to read slow. over time my reading speed got faster, with more struggling when the words were new. as expected, as soon as i could mostly give up using a dictionary - i did. 

Because i hate using a dictionary, so in the beginning i used it for words in context i KEPT running into and could not figure out the possible meaning of. Then eventually, i rarely ran into new words i needed a dictionary for just to figure out what the sentence might mean.

anyway... now in french, i can navigate a french site, read french comics, skim through a french book, read informational texts in french... I may need a dictionary for a new-topic text, but mostly i can just... handle french. I know where I still need to study: grammar (I need to do active practice grammar drills to improve my own writing/speaking for Active Use of the language), and listening comprehension (because I exposed myself to a lot of reading materials, but very few listening materials). Still - my goal had been to read my french books. So I have paused my french studies, because I can currently do what I set out to do in french. 

I am as usual a little in awe and a little bitter that French of all languages is the one I’ve had the most success studying and learning. 

Anyway I am... so freaking eager... to get to the point in chinese where i can just read and learn from context and minimal dictionary look up for the most frustrating words. I KNOW that if i’d like to learn that way... the most direct approach is just to make myself start reading. I know its brutal. It does work though...

I know each time I make myself watch a show without english subtitles, i improve (but wow does it Hurt My Brain while im doing it). I know when i sit down and make myself read, I improve (but wow does it Hurt My Brain). I know even if it’s just reviewing material i’m familiar with, my brain likes the context of the book/novel/show to help remember the new words. And the context makes stuff stick in my memory better than most anything else does. My memory in particular loves context. If it has context, it’s much better at remembering with less effort.

So just... exposure, along with grinding reference materials (for that initial exposure to a new word/concept), is what really cements things in my mind. 

[skamtextposts]

Jonas: [...indecipherable...] What’s up with life, ehh! Aaah, I almost fell! [more indechipherable/random phrases in English]

Sunday, 02.10.2016