#NEW VOCAB :P

[en-gelic]

笨蛋

bèn dàn

thank you 🫶 i'm studying mandarin this afternoon trust 🫡🫡

[amplexadversary]

Just finished watching Gurren Lagann.

I feel like that ending was a troll move they were lining up from the beginning and I am laughing at it.

[babydollmarauders]

IN THE LIGHTS — JACK HUGHES

jack hughes x fem!reader

12 DAYS OF KINKMAS

summary: in which y/n and Jack are decorating the tree, and he finds another use for the christmas lights

warnings: fluffy cheesiness in the beginning, NSFW CONTENT, bondage, p in v (unprotected), fingering, degradation, praise, spit. (4k words)

notes: welcome to day 7 of the 12 days of kinkmas! where i wrote this smut in…not at all at christmas time! it’s no surprise to me that this is my favorite one because… it’s Jack.

“please, Jack?”

i’ve been begging for a week. pleading with my boyfriend to finally decorate our christmas tree.

usually, when i was back in my own apartment, i would make a fun night out of it with my friends. all of us getting together to listen to christmas music, drink spiked hot cocoa, and decorate my tree before hunkering down for holiday movies with big bowls of popcorn; that were meant to be used to make garland, but somehow always ended up with more in our mouths than on the string. but now i live with my boyfriend and his brother, and i had hoped we could decorate the tree together; starting a new tradition.

Jack seemed to love the idea when i brought it up, knowing how excited i get around the holidays and how much i loved the season. but with his hockey schedule being so busy, we haven’t exactly had the time to decorate it amongst roadies and the various home games and practices.

but now it’s December 20th, five days away from christmas, and he has a rare free night at home.

logically, i know Jack is probably dreading the decorating. my tidy boyfriend will surely hate the various boxes of ornaments around our living room and the sparkly tinsel that always seems to shed onto the floor. i know he’ll probably complain about my putting on the chipmunks christmas album, and the fact that i’m so anal-retentive about the placement of the ornaments and how the lights are spiraled around the tree.

but i also know that he’ll do it to make me happy. i know that although he’ll complain about some things, he’ll smile when i bring out the christmas cookies, and he’ll tease me about how the stockings have to be hung just right on the entertainment center or i’ll get chills and have to fix them while he sleeps.

which is exactly what i’m banking on to persuade him to say yes to giving up his relaxing night of sitting on the couch and watching hockey in order to help me decorate.

Jack looks over at me, situated under his arm on the couch, my cheek pressed to his shoulder as i make my best puppy dog eyes up at him.

“yeah.” he finally sighs, shaking his head as a bright grin breaks out across my face.

“thank you!” i squeal, quickly shifting from his hold. i sling a leg over him, straddling his lap and cupping his face in my hands. i pepper kisses all over his cheeks, forehead, and nose.

“alright, alright!” his face turns pink as he giggles, playfully trying to push me away.

i pull back just long enough to give him some reprieve before swooping back in and pressing a kiss to his lips.

“i love you.” i remind him sweetly, winding my arms behind his neck.

“i love you too, kiss monster.” i laugh at his teasing nickname, leaning forward to press my lips against his once more.

his hands come up to hold my ass and he chuckles into the kiss as i squirm a little at his touch.

“oh, c’mon guys, really?” our moment is broken by Luke’s voice, and i pull back to find my boyfriend’s brother walking through the living room, pulling a hoodie over his head. “other people live here, you know? i don’t wanna see my brother fondling his girlfriend in our living room.”

Jack’s head tips back in laughter, “fondling?”

“yeah, you know, what you were just doing?” Luke raises his eyebrows, pointing at his older brother’s hands that still rest on my butt. “i know you didn’t go to college but that’s like a fifth grade level vocab word, dude.”

“get outta here, you cock-block!” Jack huffs, one hand leaving my body in order to give Luke the middle finger and then shoo him off.

the younger boy shrugs, snagging his coat off the hooks by the front door.

“oh!” i pipe up before he can leave, garnering his attention. “where are you going? Jack said we could decorate the tree tonight! do you wanna join us?”

Luke’s eyes flick from me to his brother, and i look back at my boyfriend to find him looking at his younger sibling with the ‘be nice or i’ll convince Nico to make you skate extra laps’ look.

it’s a pretty oftenly used facial expression between the two, ever since Jack found me crying in our closet early this year because i thought Luke hated me after i moved in. that was also when i learned that Luke doesn’t dislike me, he’s just an extremely blunt person.

“i’m sorry, y/n/n, i have some friends from U of M in town for a couple days. we’re gonna hang out and catch up.” Luke explains nicely, obviously trying not to hurt my feelings. “i look forward to seeing it when i get home though! Jesper said your tree designs are legendary.”

“okay.” i give him an understanding smile, nodding my head. “have fun! and be careful!”

he gives me a thumbs up, heading out the door. as it clicks shut, i look back at my boyfriend, who’s already looking at me with a pitiful smile.

“i’m sorry,” he starts, rubbing a comforting hand up and down my back. “i know you wanted it to be all three of us.”

i shrug, “it’s fine. he should catch up with his friends.”

“it’ll be just us then.” Jack smiles, “a new tradition for us.”

“a new tradition for us.” i repeat, grinning as i lean forward to peck his lips.

**

it took another couple hours for Jack and i to finally get up and drag out all the decorations i had brought when i moved in; the boxes being stuffed in the back of the storage closet.

“jesus, babe.” he huffs, setting the final box down on the coffee table. “i knew you brought a lot, but six boxes?”

i shrug, already pulling the first box open, finding a wide array of ornaments inside.

“a box for everything.” i explain to him, pulling open a second box. “two boxes of ornaments, a box of lights, a box of tinsel, a box of stockings and their hooks, and a box of all my stuff for garland making.”

Jack rolls his eyes, pulling open another box. he reaches his hand in, pulling out a red and white knitted stocking with an embroidered ‘J’ on it.

“is this… for me?” his voice is soft as he looks at me in questioning.

“yeah! i made it after you asked me to move in!”

“you made this? just for me?” he steps in closer to me, a prideful smile on his face. “my girlfriend is magical with her hands.”

i chuckle, pulling the stocking from his grip.

“oh, don’t act like you didn’t already know that.” i wink and he pulls me in by my hips, pulling me flush against him.

“oh trust me, i knew it.” his words drip with lust, his head dipping down to capture my lips in a kiss, but it’s in that moment that the christmas song that fills the air switches, now playing ‘The Chipmunk Song’.

Jack groans, pulling away. “even the music is cock-blocking me tonight.”

the laugh that slips through my lips is quickly followed by a snort, which makes my boyfriend grin, crinkling his nose.

“let’s just start decorating.” he nods at my statement, letting me step away from his touch.

as i begin fluffing the tree branches, making sure they’re nice and spread for the decorations, Jack opens the last few boxes. i glance over for a second, watching him pull out two more stockings, matching his, these ones with Luke and i’s initials on them.

the corners of his lips quirk up as he sets them on the entertainment center, more than likely not wanting to risk hanging them without my guidance.

i finish fluffing the tree, pulling a can of spray snow from the tinsel box, and Jack throws me an odd look as i begin spraying the tree.

“what’s that?” he questions, coming over to join me by the tree.

“it’s spray snow.” i tell him as i continue spraying. “see how it gives the tree a white dusted look, as if it’s been in the snow?”

he nods, his brows still threaded together as he watches. i can feel his eyes on me as i bend over to spray the bottom branches of the tree, making sure no spots are left bare.

but when i stand back up, my boyfriend is stood right behind me, his hands coming down on my waist and pulling my ass against him.

“you know what you’re doing.” he hums, and with the feeling of his semi-hard bulge against me, i have a feeling he doesn’t just mean with the tree.

“Jack.” i scold playfully, turning around in his grip. “the lights please?”

he sighs, letting his hands fall back down to his sides as he steps back.

“right.” he huffs, turning back to the boxes and pulling out a string of perfectly untangled lights, thanks to my storage hack of wrapping them an empty paper towel roll.

he begins unraveling the lights, and once he has the entire string of them into his hands, he sets them to the side.

turning back to me, a smirk is glued to his lips, a dark look in his eyes. i squint at him, crossing my arms over my chest.

“what are you thinking?” i ask suspiciously, scanning him up and down. but he just shrugs, feigning innocence.

“who? me? i’m not thinking anything.” he could possibly be convincing, if i didn’t know that exact look all too well.

he’s been horny ever since we were on the couch, and this is his ‘i just got a dirty idea’ face.

“i’ll tell you what,” i start, holding a finger up to stop him mid-step forward. he hums, urging me to continue.

“you’re horny, i’m horny, we both want sex right now. but, you know how much doing the tree means to me. after we finish the tree, we can do whatever dirty little thing just popped into your head. but first, i want the tree done.”

Jack nods rapidly, “deal!”

i giggle at his excitement, watching as he turns back around and grabs the lights again, walking over to the tree.

“alright, how do we do this?”

i guide Jack through plugging the lights in before spiraling them around the tree, from bottom to top. once that’s done, Jack lifts me up, letting me place the topper on the tree.

“what’s next?” he asks me, standing in front of all the open boxes, his hands on his hips.

“draping the tinsel.” he groans at my words, pulling the tinsel out of its box.

we work together to spiral it around the tree, making sure it doesn’t cover the lights, before we finally start on ornaments.

with the two of us, it doesn’t take too long, but i can tell my boyfriend is getting impatient. especially with the way he keeps having to lift me up to put ornaments on the top branches, my body pressed against his as he does so.

the last thing we do is the stockings, me guiding Jack on how to space them out so that they’re evenly spaced at the front of the entertainment center.

when we finally finish it all, about an hour and a half later, i stand back, looking over our finished project with a smile.

Jack stands behind me, his arms wrapped around my waist, my back pulled against his chest.

“it looks great, baby.” he compliments, pressing a kiss to my cheek. blood rushes to my face, biting my lip. “Jesper was right, you really are legendary.”

“thank you, love.”

he wastes no time, squeezing my waist tighter as he speaks up again, “so…”

“yes, Jack.” i laugh, nodding my head. “now we can do whatever you thought of earlier.”

he excitedly pulls away, spinning me around and gripping my chin, making me look up at him. his eyes are dark, his voice low as he speaks.

“go to the bedroom, i want you naked and on the bed when i get in there.”

i nod, speeding off to the bedroom. as soon as i step through the threshold of our room, i’m tearing my sweater over my head, letting it drop to the floor. as i walk over to the bed, i unclip my bra, throwing it to the side as well. i stop at the edge of the bed, peeling my jeans down my legs, along with my panties, leaving me bare as i crawl to the middle of the bed.

i sit quietly, my legs tucked under me and my hands clasped on my knees.

the soft flow of christmas music from the living room stops, and i can hear Jack’s footsteps down the hall, getting closer and closer. i squirm a little in excitement, shifting my weight around and squeezing my thighs together.

he steps into the bedroom, one hand behind his back, smirking when he sees that i did what he told me.

“good girl.” he gruffs, stepping up to the edge of the mattress. “give me your hands.”

i hold my hands out, and it’s then that he brings his own out from behind his back, a spare string of lights in his grasp.

“what are you doing?” i ask, but my question is answered by his actions.

he grips my hands in one hand, pressing my wrists together, and begins wrapping the lights around my them.

“is this okay?” he asks softly, looking me in the eye as he speaks. i smile at his care, grateful to have a boyfriend that makes sure i give explicit consent to what he’s doing.

“yeah.” i nod, “this is okay.”

“you remember your safe word?” he finishes tying the lights around my wrists, not too tight, but just enough that i can’t slip my hands through.

“assist.” i tell him, and he smiles in confirmation.

“good.”

and like a flip of a switch, the soft and gentle Jack is gone, replaced by a dark and dominating one.

he allows me to watch him pull his hoodie cover his head, bringing his t-shirt with it, before he pushes me back on the bed. he crawls slowly over top of me, pushing my arms above my head and dipping down to lock his lips with mine.

the kiss is rough and dominating, his tongue pushing past my lips to tangle with mine. he sucks my bottom lip into his mouth, pulling back with it caught between his teeth before letting it pop back into place.

he trails hot, wet kisses down my jawline, sucking gently at my neck as his hand grips my breast harshly, pinching my nipple between his fingers and pulling.

my back arches, pushing my breasts up towards him, a moan sounding from my throat.

“Jack.” i whimper as his hand begins to trail down my abdomen, getting closer and closer to where i need him.

i can feel him smirk against my skin, dipping his fingers down to find my clit. my hips buck against him, my hands pulling against the lights in attempt to separate so i can grip his back, and i whine when they can’t.

he begins to circle my clit with his thumb, rubbing in figure eights, and the high pitched sounds escaping my lips bounce off the walls of the bedroom.

my eyes squeeze shut, my chin tipping up towards the ceiling, and Jack pulls his lips from my neck, staring down at me and admiring my blissed state.

while his thumb rubs, he runs a finger through my wetness using it as lubrication to slip one finger into my heat.

my walls clench at the intrusion, my eyes rolling back as he crooks his finger inside of me.

“Jacky, please.” i breathe out, grinding myself down upon his hand. my own hands grip the pillow above me, the only thing i can think to do with them restricted.

“such a slut. you wanna come so bad, don’t you?” he spits out, “wanna make a mess all over my hand.”

i whimper, nodding my head rapidly as he slips a second finger into me, thrusting and curling them to push against my g-spot.

pressure builds in my stomach as he continues fucking me with his fingers, stretching me with a third digit. my toes curl, my walls clenching around him, and i know he can tell i won’t last much longer.

“you wanna come? say it.” Jack leans forward, whispering in my ear. “say you wanna come on my fingers like a fucking slut.”

i gasp as he thrusts his fingers in again, my orgasm quickly approaching.

“i’m a slut.” i squeak, a moan falling past my lips. “i wanna come on your fingers like a slut.”

i pry my eyes open, my boyfriend hovering his face above mine, and he nods.

“come.” he commands, and as if he summoned it out of me, my climax hits, my breath catching in my throat as the knot in my stomach disperses, my eyes rolling back and my hands struggling against their restraints.

Jack’s fingers still, only his thumb continues moving against my clit, and he leans down to kiss me. pulling away once my orgasm is done.

he sits back, pulling his fingers out of me and leaving me clenching around nothing, feeling empty. his hand smacks my thigh, and i open my eyes again to look at him, watching as his hand rises to his lips, sucking his fingers clean of my release, one at a time.

i release a shaky breath as he hums, my eyes falling down to find his erection straining against his sweatpants.

“you taste so sweet, baby.” he whispers, bringing my attention back to his face. “you want a taste?”

my lips part, nodding, and he smirks; but instead of pushing a finger to my lips, he dips down to eye level with my pussy, his tongue darting out as he starts licking through my arousal. my hips wiggle, bucking up against him, and he pushes them down before pulling away.

he crawls back over top of me, squeezing my jaw open, and spits, letting a slow string of my cum drip down onto my tongue. he closes my jaw, raising an eyebrow at me, and i swallow before opening again, sticking my tongue out to show him.

“such a good girl for me.” he praises.

my arms ache, and i contemplate asking him to untie me, but instead i wait for him to crawl off of me before i lower them back down to my stomach.

i watch with baited breath and a bitten lip as he drags his sweatpants down his hips, his boxers going with. his cock springs free, slapping against his lower stomach as he kicks his bottoms to the side.

my whine echoes through the room at the sight, longing to feel him in my hand, and Jack finds amusement in my torture, slowly walking back to the bed.

“you want my cock so bad, don’t you?” he pouts, mocking me. “you want me buried in your tight little pussy, filling you up?”

i let out a strangled whimper, nodding my head.

“please.” i beg, already knowing where this is headed. “please, Jack, i want you. i want you to fuck me so bad.”

he climbs onto the bed, cupping my cheek as he settles over top of me.

“you made me wait, maybe i should make you wait too.” he teases, beginning to pull back, but i quickly lock my arms around his neck, holding him in place. my tied up wrists helping in my endeavor. i shake my head.

“no, please. i’ll be good.” i plead. “i’ll be so good, just please fuck me.”

Jack nods, pressing a kiss to my lips. “okay.”

he uses his knee to spread my thighs further apart, one hand wrapping around himself, guiding his dick through my folds. my legs wrap around his waist, my back arching as his tip rubs against my swollen clit.

“you ready?” he stares down into my eyes, raised brows as he questions me.

“yes,” i start, “plea-”

i don’t even get to finish my words, cut off as he thrusts deep into me. i squeak, my eyes rolling back as he wastes no time; pulling almost all the way out before harshly snapping his hips against mine again.

“shit!” he curses, and i blink my eyes open to watch his head tip back in pleasure. “squeezing me like a fucking vice, baby.”

his voice is strained, and my hands grip his back to ground myself, my nails digging into his skin, surely leaving crescent shaped indentations.

his strokes slow before speeding up again, getting rougher with each thrust. my breathing quickens, and i use my arms to pull his lips back to mine.

our lips move in tandem, his tongue poking through to taste mine, our connection occasionally broken for a moan or a breath. i trail away from his lips, dragging the tip of my tongue along his jaw until a reach the end, placing an open mouthed kiss below his ear.

he groans, my hips bucking up to meet his thrusts, and i suck his earlobe between my lips before i go back to his.

our kisses are messy, teeth clashing with our rushed movements, but it fits the scene perfectly. his hand comes down to cup my breast, pinching and pulling my nipple as our skin slaps together.

the pressure begins to build again, a knot tying in my stomach, and my abdomen tightens, my walls clenching around him.

i’m still oversensitive from my first orgasm, and i can feel my second rapidly approaching.

“fuck, you gonna come on my cock?” he grunts, and i shake my head ‘yes’, speechless at the feeling that’s washing over me.

“do it.”

my body tenses, the sensations of him thrusting inside me while playing with my nipples throwing me over the edge. my nails dig deeper into his back as i finish, and his thrusts become sloppier and hurried.

within a minute, his hips stutter, his body tensing just like mine had moments ago, and he quickly pulls out, ropes of cum painting my stomach as he finishes.

our heavy breaths are the only sound left in the apartment, Jack bowing out from under my arms and flopping down on the bed beside me.

we take a few moments to replenish the oxygen in our lungs and Jack gently unties my wrists, pressing kisses to the skin there, despite them being perfectly fine.

as soon as my hands are free, i’m swiping a digit through his release on my stomach, looking over at him as i lick his cum off my finger.

“fuck.” he drags out, lust rejuvenating in his eyes. “baby, you’ve already had 2 orgasms, don’t make me wanna give you another.”

i bite back a smile, shrugging my shoulders, and he gets up, stalking into our en-suite bathroom, coming back a second later with a wet washcloth. he kneels on the bed, wiping my stomach clean before disappearing again.

when he reappears, he holds one of his t-shirts from our closet in our en-suite. he pulls on some clean boxers from his drawers, pulling another pair out, before coming back over to me. he helps me into the extra boxers, before i sit up.

“arms up, baby.” i follow his directions, letting him slip the t-shirt over my head before snuggling back into my pillow.

he climbs back into bed, pulling me closer until my head rests on his chest, and i mellow, listening to his heartbeat.

“so, is that part of the tradition too? or just the tree decorating?” he jokes, making me giggle in amusement.

his arms tighten around me as he places a kiss to my hair.

“check back next year, i’ll decide then.”

[papil0nglegs]

One small step at a time! 🛸

Tf2 x Juno!reader

A/n: This one’s for all my overwatch babes <33 ik this idea is rlly niche but this was so fun to write I’m so proud of this. Most of these can be interpreted as platonic but read however you’d like, enjoy ✨

Warnings: Scottish people, Drinking, Passing out drunk

Vocab: (p/f) - Parental Figure

Engineer

He has such a father daughter relationship with you

When you first landed on earth he was extremely fascinated by the technology your (p/f) discovered to get to mars, especially your anti-gravity boots

“So these things are just makin’ you float around?”

“Yeah! I’m not really used to earths gravity so my (p/f) sent me off with overboots!.. how do you guys get anything done while stuck on the ground?”

“We just make do with what we can, sugar”

His fav activity with you? Lounging. Doesn’t look like much but his rancho relaxer + you using your jetpack to ‘sit’? Soo cute

You guys would just be chilling in his workshop after doing whatever task it was you were doing <3

“You want a beer, Buttercup?”

“No thank you! I’m not really fond of drinks with alcohol since all we could drink at mars was juice and water”

“shoot, glad I’m not you”

He’s definitely one of the mercs who warmed up to you the fastest, he’s just chill like that.

Medic

Pls don’t tell him your from mars, weird shit is gonna happen

He’s going to treat you like one of his test subjects, at first it starts tame with general check ups but it escalated pretty fast.

When doing his uber surgery on you he decided to explore more things

“..how long was I out, Dr. Ludwig?”

“Oh not long!! Just two.. days”

“What? You said it would only take about 20 minutes!!”

“Vell yes I did say that my Martian friend, however I must say curiosity got the best of me! I simply had to know more about your anatomy”

“Uhm,, ok”

Yeah you’re so scared of him now lol

But of course you two do need to work together to try healing your teammates

He loves it when you heal him, it’s always a pleasant surprise since he never expects to get healed, like ever

“Here! I can help you!!”

“Oo, so vats how it feels..”

Spy

Yeah he doesn’t think your good for the team

Sure it was interesting to meet someone who was born and raised in a completely different planet, however your inexperience with earth was enough for him to neglect you

Once you visited his smoke room to find abundance of books, you being new to earth were excited to see all the knowledge they carried

“Wow! Can I borrow this one? I’d like to learn more about earth and its continents!!”

“Go ahead, I never made use of that thing anyways”

It always catches him off guard how little knowledge you have about earth, especially since your were chosen to go on the mission to earth

Once you randomly found a globe somewhere in the break room and got so fascinated by it

“Earths colors are beautiful, I’d really like to go the that purple one!”

“Y/n, Russia is not purple. And you don’t want to visit there, it is full of trash people.”

“Oh..I see”

He doesn’t guide you to earth like the rest of the mercs, he wants to really straighten your back and push you to your limit

“Would a croissant go well with your meal good sir?”

“Excuse me?”

“You seem like you are from the Western Europeans my (p/f) brought back to mars!! Au revoir madam, please enjoy your tea”

Tbh that moment made his heart melt by just a little bit. Hey, he’s not a monster he can have heartfelt moments.. sometimes

Sniper

You are so fascinated by him, literally just him

For the most part it’s because of his job title ‘assassin’, you’ve never heard of such a job back home.

“Is it true you earn currency to kill specific people?”

“Why of course Sheila, who else would do it?”

“Well, on mars we kinda just let them live even if we don’t like them.. that’s a thing here right??”

You love going on roadtrips with him so he can show you around, just to see get a feel of that New Mexican dirt

You two have a relation where he misses his parents despite always arguing with them, and you miss your (p/f) because you two now live on completely different planets.

On those trips you tend to enjoy chilling in the back of his trailer. You can’t stand spending another second on an uncomfortable leather seat!! So you roam around a lot in what he basically considered his home.

“How was it back there? ‘eard sum ruckus out in the front.”

“Oh right! I am trying to get use to earths gravity so I tried cleaning up here a bit, I hope you don’t mind!!”

He almost cried, you reminded him of his ‘mum’

Whenever you’re curious about any animal you always go to him, we all know Australia a place with weird animals so

“Mr. Mundee, is this spider deadly?”

“I’m not sure, you should probably check in with doc tho. Your face lookin pretty swelled there mate..”

“Oh thank the stars! I was sure this was a lion..”

You passed out from the poison.

It’s good tho, sniper carried you to Medics room like the big brother he is 🧡

Demo-man

YOURE SO SCARED OF HIM

MORE THAN MEDIC

Not only is he obsessed with the drink that you’ve literally never heard of until you arrived in earth, but the way he acts makes it seem like crack

You have so many questions, they almost never get answered because he’s either too drunk or he’ll pass out with medic dragging him out the room

“Is it true that your stomach now declines any normal drinks?”

“Ayouhhh it’s just beerdelicois burp”

“..is he going to be alright?”

“Oh no worries my Martian friend, this happens all the time.. although I can never tell if he’ll live or not”

When on the battlefield he’s always screaming and creaming, sometimes it scares you so much to the point where you ask your fellow teammates to help you

“MR. CONAGHER, I THINK DEMO IS TRYING TO ATTACK ME!!”

“Darlin’, I thinks he’s just tryna get some healing..”

“But why is it yelling.. ☹️”

Now you’re scared of Scottish people, and convinced they probably eat their youth

Soldier

He def plays a father role like engineer, but way less charm and warmth to him

He’s like a dad at a soccer game, he’ll cheer you on but aggressively, to the point where it seems like he’s booing you

In the lobby he’d always do his soldier talk, and it never fails to make you do you best

“NOW, WILL YOU HAND THAT TEAMS ASS AND FEED IT TO HIM, OR AM I GOING TO HAVE TO DRAG YOURS BACK TO MARS TO YOUR MOMMA?”

“No sir!! I’ll feed it to them!”

“THATS RIGHT MAGGOT”

Soldier is always hard on you, sometimes he calls you a ‘space commie’ just for jokes, although his tone definitely sets you off

When you unleashed your orbital ray he started screaming about ‘the commies getting to us’, you had to reassure him several times that it was something you had full control of

Scout

This guy was ecstatic when he found out his new teammate was going to be from space, scout is really into comics (even tho he can’t read) so his imagination went wild when Ms Pauling announced that he’d be fighting alongside what he considered an alien

Once you arrived he was in awe, he thinks you’re the coolest person on the team solely because you’re from another planet.

But he did quickly recognize that you weren’t use to like, anything on earth.

He handed you a cold can of Bonk just for you to look at him confused

“What do I do with this?”

“You drink it?”

“..um I don’t think you’re supposed to drink ‘atomic punch’, that sounds like it hurts 0-0”

He had to teach you how to drink stuff that wasn’t in an aluminum bag, you didn’t take a liking to it but you got used to it

Scout offered you to sleep on the top bunk because he wanted to be nice and all, huge mistake.

The next morning you completely forgot you were on a different planet, so you rolled and fell 9 feet from the bed to the floor.

“Jesus y/n!! what the hell happened?”

“I think I.. fell? Falling feels weird..”

Gets so hype when you two are on the same team, he’s so ready to clock the enemy team with orbital ray

“Scout! My orbital ray is ready!! ^^”

“Whooo! Let’s go then E.T what are we waitin’ for??”

For the most part he’s the one who shows you everything you need to know about earth, baseball is his favorite thing to teach cuz obviously

When you joined him to watch a baseball match you were so excited yet so lost

“What happens if they win? Is this a war?”

“No? Toots it’s just a game”

“Hm, intresting.. then I must try this ‘game’ too!”

[faeriekit]

PRIDE stuff I recommend incorporating into a library/school storytime if your community is mildly uncomfy confronting that sometimes two men kiss, go!

Find a book that has a tangible story to it! For this storytime, I used Subway Baby, which is explicitly about two men who have a child together, but is more about the discovery of the child at a subway station in NYC and the process it takes to becomes a family. Heartwarming, a real story that happened to real people, and takes place in a familiar setting (for a bunch of NJ kids.) Another book I might use in place of this would be a book like Julián and the Wedding, which is about attending a wedding with two brides, but is centered instead in a story about what to wear to a wedding (and all the silliness fancy clothes cause.)

You can also pick books that aren't explicitly queer, even when the topics are: Except When They Don't, Fred Gets Dressed, and Princess Kevin are all titles that toy around with gender presentation and clothing without explicitly making the story about gender, making it obvious that 1) clothing is silly and 2) you should do what makes you happy. A boy is a princess. A girl is a football star. Your friends are astronauts dinosaur cowboys who live on Mars! All is well, be happy being you.

USE THE FLAGS! Every stripe has a meaning! Teaching the kids what every stripe in a flag stands for, and how to relate it to their own life makes the sight less intimidating and something more familiar. Since I read for real real real little ones, it's also a great chance to practice color recognition with them lol. "What color is this? Wow, you're so smart! This color stands for THIS big word, which means (longer explanation.)" I use this in Pride-Specific storytimes so there's a break between books.

Make the storytime about pride! ...No, like the emotion. Unless the kids have out people active in their life from a young age, they're probably not going to immediately understand what Queer and Pride and Gay and Trans and LGBT+ are or how they relate to them or each other or the fact that they could discover stuff about themselves later on in life...dumb it down. At most storytime ages, they're still in the process of building their self image and sense of well-being. Being proud is about being happy with yourself and what you do. You're a cool kid, and you should get to celebrate all the things about your life that you love! I ended my Pride storytime with teaching kids a new big word: ✨affirmations✨. Say one nice thing about yourself! This is something nice I say about you! Parents, affirmations are a great way to build self confidence and practice big vocab words. Try them out at home, reciting them in the mirror or putting them on stickey notes around the house.

Decorate your reading space. Hehehehehe rainbows 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍🌈 No, seriously. The more fun the room is, the friendlier the topic feels.

And, of course, I end all storytimes with a hi five and good word to the kids' adults. Kid was energetic? They were so fun and excited today! Kid was zoned out? They were so well behaved! Two things can simultaneously be true.

Tips for non-librarians: for the coolest lgbt kids books, they're hiding in the nonfiction section. Seriously. Books about Gilbert Baker sewing the first flag and Marsha P Johnson and Stonewall and lgbt history around the world... In Nonfic. LAME. BOO. MOVE THEM TO MY COLLECTION INSTEAD HELLO. I WANT THEM. *grabby hands*

[aquaquadrant]

Popping in to say that I’ve been following ur htp au since like,,, October last year? I’ve left some asks before about how much I love it (I was that anon who was needing out about tango and bravo’s names and the international flag code from several months ago + a few other asks)

The ending was the most beautiful and SATISFYING piece of literature I’ve ever written. Genuinely. Wtf. And I’ve read a lot of books. I’m an English/creative writing major and your work is so beautiful, the story arcs, every loose end was tied up, you’re like the new standard for awesomeness. Seriously.

every loose end was wrapped up so well, all the closure and follow up we wanted, explanations of things like Scáil, hels meanings, their admin, even other hermits at the end there that were mentioned about in asks before but I never thought would be relevant in the main story. Things we didn’t even need to know like bX I was not expecting at all, I was content with just what we knew about him but you made it even better.

also the callbacks to earlier chapters, earlier moments and little jokes, bravo and Timmy’s not a builder moment was awesome, the way you portrayed bravo and tangos mindsets was phenomenal and with such intricacies. Stunning. And you didn’t force a reconciliation between bravo and timmy either, so natural.

Everything had a reason, an explanation, even the intricacies of herobrine? wasnt expecting that at all. Or Alex???! You didn’t need to include that detail BUT YOU DID AND I LOVE IT

the way you explained the greater player universe learning about hels, also the pausing on the red stone tutorial!! Loved that part. The pov switches and pacing of the last chapter p 1 and 2 were perfect. Well executed to keep the reader able to understand but still enough suspense. Not to mention once again your way of capturing each persons way of talking. Bravo having similar vocab to tango especially really drives home their similarities.

The way atlas breaks. It’s so hard to make an ending with someone like him SATISFYING because man I’ve read so many stories where it’s just not it. But you did it so fucking well. And subjected to retail salesman lifestyle on top of that? Wonderful. His damn glasses finally broken. Good. Or The watchers and listeners in the background too! Loved that. You explained things that were talked about in asks so well that even those who don’t read the asks could understand.

Most of all emotional and moral nuance. So perfectly explained. As someone who used to have a hard time with moral ocd I relate a lot to the obsession with good vs evil that I’ve had to come to terms with in my own journey and I can really see that mirrored in this fic, just like the characters learn.

And in addition to it all, I loved the ending with the Minecraft credits end message. You not only made it interesting and beautiful story and awareness of the player’s existence without being too confusing, but perfectly replicated the voices of the end credits characters. The tone and language that the original has. Last week I beat the enderdragon for the first time. I used to only play on public servers or private worlds with friends, even in single player I was a big coward and hated fighting mobs even with keep inventory and no mob griefing, they just stress me out!! But I did it for the first time and I read through the entire end credits of a game I’ve loved for so long for the first time and it made me cry. And you replicated it perfectly which is SO hard to do. The benevolence of the universe, no plot holes to be found about the logic of hels, the voices of the two people and their storytelling and acknowledging of the story. The universe is described so similarly in cannon about the good and bad that it’s like the au fits perfectly. The “why them?” Beautiful. It was like deja vu scrolling through like the end credits with the same benevolent warmth that envelops you like a wordless, comforting presence from this fictional universe. A touching moral about games and stories and people. And just like the end credits of both the game and this fic said, there will be another game and another story. The universe still loves the player just as it did before. This was such a special story to read and I am so glad I did. Genuinely, this will stay with me for a long time, we can learn a lot not just about writing and storytelling techniques, but about ourselves and eachother too.

Thank you.

AUUGHHHH…. genuinely one of the loveliest reviews i’ve ever gotten… your reaction to the finale is everything i could’ve hoped to achieve. thank you thank you THANK YOU <333

[woodsfae]

B5 S04E06 Into the Fire previous episode - table of contents

Since I mentally opted-in to the CGI style seasons ago I 100% buy in and it looks so comforting in a lot of ways. :P  

Back to Ivanova's season recap personal log. And she's on her First Ones field trip with Lorien! I know she (probably?) doesn't know that Lorien is THE First One, but it's still funny that she's dictating terms to him. "You have five more minutes," she coolly informs one ofthe greatest powers in the galaxy. 

Lorien comes through, having successfully contacted a species who are so insular they haven't spoken to a single member of another race in centuries. 

The White Star (with John and Delenn) has just destroyed a Vorlon observation outpost. They do not mention if it was inhabited by non-Vorlon species or not. I'd like to think not? But they didn't say, although the buildings had lots of windows on discernable stories full of light. 

(credits) 

The Flying Saucers First Ones join the space battle alongside the White Star fleet and turns the tide of battle! 

The Shadows believing in strife building civilization never required a galaxy-wide war. War isn't the only form of strife. Interpersonal strife is impossible to eliminate. Imagine the show if they did focus on interpersonal conflict. 

Prime Minister Mollari feels very comfortable in the seat of power. Twelve hours to kick out the Shadows before the Vorlons arrive. 

Sheridan is keeping his word to Ivanova and stalling "the end" till Ivanova arrives. Perhaps the flying sauvers weren't the First Ones after all. 

Lorien encourages Ivanova in her skepticism, then asks what her heart tells her.

Ivanova is skeptical on a structural level. The first sentient being couldn't invent fire and the wheel in one lifetime, let alone science up to the scale of inventing an immortality treatment.

He says no, they were born fully realized as immortal beings.

Alright. And his species didn't do an awesome job parenting the nascent Vorlon and Shadow species if they've ended up in this much conflict now. I wonder if they were so ideologically extreme in the beginning of their tending the lower races alone while all the other Powers went away, or if they radicalized in opposition to each other over the millenia. 

Drama!! This new Centauri character says Cartagia had him investigating Londo and they inestigated who killed Adira. It wasn't Lord Refa, it was Mr Morden. The truth is out! And Londo's just now realizing how much he was manipulated. The scales are off his eyes. 

He doesn't take it well. 

It seems that Ivanova is trusted with a White Star command with her limited, and error-prone, Minbari. And Lorien is a delicate fellow and informs her quietly.  Luckily, the next vocab she uses is correct. 

Sheridan tells Lyta her coming into contact with the Shadows at Z'ha'dum is the only advantage they've got, even though Lyta and several Minbari telepaths mentally fought and killed Shadows in a battle before that. Will those Shadows-experienced Minbari be part of it, I wonder. 

Morden's incredibly burn-scarred skin has been healed up by "his associates" it seems. Londo wishes to speak privately, then his guard shoots and kills(?) a bunch of invisible Shadows accompanying him. 

There's a bunch of Shadows on an island on Centari Prime and Londo blows it up, to Morden's extreme dismay. But will it make the Shadows leave orbit? 

Morden is really not taking this well. Has he never faced a significant setback before?  

Susan Ivanova has rejoined the fleet! Lyta, who's changed her style since not-Kosh's demise, senses the Shadows before they roll in. Susan really made it in the nick of time! And the Vorlons pop in as well. Sheridan's plan is proceeding with impeccable timing. 

Sheridan mined the area and some of each First Ones ships get exploded. Lyta narrates their reaction. they didn't take it well, either, and since they're just chronically overlooking the lower order species, they turn on each other. 

Sheridan sends a hail scolding them for trying to kill billions of humans, and Lyta sends a mental hail. 

Vir gets to live his dream of seeing Morden's decapitated head on pike. Nicely placed flashback, got a laugh out of me when Vir waved. Vir has certainly gotten tempered over time! I think the beginning of the series Vir would have been pretty horrified at seeing an enemy's head on a pike. 

There's some interesting looking ships fighting amongst the Vorlons and Shadows. Londo has sent a message telling the Vorlons there's no Shadows on the planet and has decided that he's already saved Centauri Prime. Vir says no, the planet isn't clean of the Shadows influence, not while Londo is there, and sure enough the Vorlons begin to descend. 

And Vir points out, Londo even informed them of his presence, never thinking of himself as a potential target.

However, those hails from The White Star(s) come through and the Vorlon ship ascends again.

Lyta unwillingly channels the Vorlons, then the Shadows, and they each attach Sheridan and Delenn with lightning. Classy. Lorien explains what Sheridan apparently told him. Let the lighting effect continue, and the battle moves to a psychic space. 

Sheridan is speaking with a representative of the Vorlons. They claim they have been doing what's best for the lower species and Sheridan calls BS. 

The Shadows project themselves as Ivanova for Delenn. Then Franklin. Then Lennier.

All presenting arguments for why war and death makes races stronger, serves evolution. Delenn refuses to believe it.

Sheridan accuses the Vorlons of trying to kill the message, not the messengers. 

Delenn accuses the Shadows of trying to make the lower races pick sides to vindicate their own positions. Sheridan and Delenn both independently refuse to choose. 

After Lorien pulls them out, Ivanova confirms that their mental conversations were broadcast psychically to the whole fleet. The Shadows and Vorlons trap them in a minefield back! Choose. choose. 

John and Delenn give 'em a good lecture. Excellent speeches. 

Although the Shadows and Vorlons try to assasinate them to destroy them and their defiance, a Drazi warship takes a missile intended for B5, and the rest of the fleet moves into a protective position. 

Sheridan says to get out, and Lorien gently lectures them, too.And says he will go with them, to see all who have gone before them. A Vorlon asks plaintively, we will not be alone? And Dad!Lorien says they will never be alone. 

Shadows and Vorlons: *leaves* Marcus: "Did we just win?" Ivanova: "Don't jinx it."

Lorien has one final thing to say: teach the lower races as they arise, and leave when it's your time to step aside. And the First Ones will wait for them beyond the rim. 

Tnat is a pretty cool destiny. 

Partner: "Do you think it's all over?" Me: "Can't be, it's only episode six." 

Vir thinks they've won and should be happy, even if something bad might happen later, because Londo deserves to be happy for a night. Aww. No he doesn't really. 

They have a touching hug. Vir and his stalwart heart have been one of the only subplots that made Londo's plotline even half-way bearable.

Sheridan is excited and sobered by the responsibility of standing on their own, and Delenn thinks the universe feels smaller with the First Ones gone beyond the rim. And although Sheridan feels like the magic is gone, Delenn hasn't lost her sense of whimsy. 

What on earth are we going to do do for the rest of the season! I'm not sure if the future they saw is an alternate one or not. Could be that Centauri Prime still gets destroyed, by a different party or by a late-stage First ones invursion. 

Everything feels wrapped, and nothing feels resolved. Perhaps their problems will be less galaxy-scale now and more on the micro scale for awhile. 

Bet Draalplanet doesn't leave, though. Does a supercomputer planet interfaced with an immortal Minbari count as a First One, I wonder? Or does Draal's comparatively youthful age counteract the First Ones tech?!

next!

[sw33tsnow]

Enchanted by the aching wounds

- (III) / (III)

Mercenary!Simon "Ghost" Riley x Harpy!F!Reader (18+)

Warning: NOT FOR MINORS, mentions of blood, mentions of violence, slight angst, fluff, smut, cunnilingus, bj, p in v, unprotected sex, etc. #: I'M TERRIBLY APOLOGIZE FOR ANY GRAMMAR ERRS AND THE DELAY, don't really know why this part is kinda cheesy but please enjoy.

Wordcount: 5k3

19th century vocabs (if needed):

Pap(s): Nipple(s)

Meater: A coward

Blimey(!): An expression of surprise

(A) footman: (A) servant

Brass hat: Train conductor

Don’t sell me a dog: Don’t lie to me

The galley: Kitchen

THE FIRST PART || THE SECOND PART

Spring

The season when the frigid white snow melts away to make way for new shoots to sprout, when the air is filled with the fresh aroma of flowers in blossom, and when any races require a roof over their heads. It used to be a sacred notion which all kinds looked forward to - a time when couples, regardless of humans, fairies, or animals, were inextricably bound together. Almost forgot, the rain, the exuberant and the prickle when the fresh drops of water blew on your skin and feathers as you tore the winds and parted the clouds upon the vast sky were indescribable.

Perhaps as the same as a lonely, barren tree bark that’s rejuvenated - you felt revived, and it should’ve been like that, it should've been the season you loathed the least.

Spring

All things proliferate, regardless of races.

You've opted to find a persuasive excuse for being absent for a few days after this last job since your estrus period, referred to as heat, has arrived and symptoms have begun to occur. If you're near mankind - species that couldn't satisfy you, you'd certainly cause harm to the gentlemen, whether unconsciously or not. But at the moment, all your attempts have gone down the drain.

Spring

Flabbergasted? The stench? Couldn't truly declare.

Crimson sprayed from your body, staining the meticulous pattern of the tiles on the garden floor. The agony did not reach your brain because your nerves were unable to respond to the abrupt slash, you suddenly lurched back and dropped to your knees, realizing that you had been ambushed because of the unclear shouting that was echoing in your eardrums which came from the other four members. Promptly reversing the gun's barrel then blasting off the foot of the goddamn douchebag in front of your sight, before your own body began to lose awareness, you raised your far-too-bloated arm to shoulder level and flicked your wrist. Your trembling fingers moved in the direction of the men, the white rose fence has been dyed with an alluring but dreadful tint aggressively protruded and crushed the bones of others rivals. 

Successfully drew the men’s attention to their backs, you crawled up and leaned your head against the wall since the icy cold of the rain made you feel nauseous more than ever.

Mother, have mercy

Your darkest dread was going to be revealed, the dirty truth you had fought to keep hidden from the One-Four-One was about to be disclosed, and the thoughts made your dizziness worse.

The blood pool kept flowing and your vision has blurry, leaving you helpless to let your ferae naturae prevailed. 

Spring

Your scales emerged out from under your smooth skin and clung around the mortal wound, as if protecting it, creating dissonant cracking or crumbling noises.

Your horns plus claws grew out, yet the coal black hue of the nails crept down to your fingers, and spikes started to pierce out before stopping when they were almost reached your elbows.

The garment was shredded pathetically as your figure and wings enlarged extraordinarily. Although you seemed unlikely to be any larger than the men, bet that your wings could clamp three like them down without any difficulties.

Your legs, the ravishing legs that Simon always cherished, have been replaced by skinny bird ones with pale skin wrapped around them.

Your far more susceptible than usual body would respond immediately with just a small stimulus, but this cut would definitely leave an unforgettable souvenir.

Witnessing the scene frightened the meater who had just attacked you, he started screaming as dashing off with his paralyzed foot. Your neck snapped in half, causing your head to twist back in a frightful angle and furious pupils poking directly into that pathetic back. In the twinkling of an eye, your levitating silhouette fleeted forward and pounced on the hapless head. Sharp talons dug deep into his skull and wrinkled facial skin before tilting it back, the corners of your lips were stretched close to your ears and your chin was pulled down as your jaw fractured, white fangs jagged in horror on your pink gums and tongue was elongated.

Ultimately, the yelling has stopped when some of your wet stray hairline dangling near the vile man to bite and yank his entire face apart.

Rain....

Thunders rumbled so loud that consciousness seized hold of your mad mind and made you dully dropped the pulseless limbs onto the damp ground.

Landing soundlessly after spitting out the mishmash in your mouth, you looked up to the ether and quivering non-stop as if you were praying to Mother Nature, begging Nak to let you off the hook and wash away your sins, knowing damn well you did not deserve Her precious tears. 

What have you done? Wasn't your craving enough to torture you? Why did everything have to end like this?

“Blimey....” The voice with a distinguished twang echoed.

Burying your teeth into your lips in order to stop the weeping, your disembodied hands wrapped solid around your shoulder blades, and your head shook in denial.

You couldn't turn back, you couldn't tell but also refused to confront the men's glimpse. Please allow you to be prone to vulnerability at this point, permit you to escape this devastating reality. You didn't want to admit but didn't want to suffer from being misunderstood either, but you lacked enough strength to undertake things proper anymore.

The sound of single-bell horns mounted on a steam locomotive and metal scraping across the rails served as an alarm. Glancing up at the mansion's turret clock, you knew this was the last trip, the train that your crew had to catch half an hour prior at a station roughly ten minutes distant by horseback from your current location.

"Damn it......Cap, we must make haste" The youngest dashed to grab the leather bag and urged the Captain.

It's already too late and topography was somewhat off your favorable side - no seashore nearby to afford a ship nor could you find any automobiles. The One-Four-One was still human, obviously their legs were not as resilient as Centaurs' and their biological physicals did not possess the gills that Sirens had to breathe underwater.

The only choice for you all was the arranged carriage on the train, and you had no intention of allowing it to stray away like that after faltering your squad.

Wiping away your tears, you stood up and shook your sodden wings. With a flap, you quickly headed towards the gentlemen and grabbed them by each foot, palms capturing the collars of the other two, avoiding the sharp claws from injuring the back of their necks. The suddenness caused Kyle and Soap to hug your hindlimbs tightly, terrified to open their eyes. Adjusting your fingers so as not to make Simon and Price breathless, you silently spread your wings and sped away, attempting not to make any excessive noises.

Finding a safe spot to land proved to be impossible, so you gently dropped the men onto the roof of the numbered train car and took off without sparring a word.

"Come back!" The blond's gruff voice barked out and he took a couple more strides forward as you remained silent, disappearing into the night.

"Ghost, we need to make our way inside…." The Captain placed his hand on the taller man's shoulder, causing his furious gaze to move downward, "….at once".

Soaked attires along with different size boots were dripping on the clean floor, the men entered their carriage right before the brass hat showed up to check their tickets. 

“This’s absurd, why did little lass not comin’ with us?” Soap’s voice cut across the carriage when they were left alone, “She’s plannin' to leave, 's she not?”  

��I believed tha’ remain to be seen” Kyle bluntly answered the eerie question. 

Price indicated them to be quiet with a finger to his lips before the talk devolved into a verbal dispute. The pensive silence made the room appear stuffy. Of course, they've noticed your abnormal behavior recently, but did not expect the outcome to be so hostile.

Your feathers shed more, you're easily startled by the slightest movement, and you started to avoid becoming acquainted with all four of them after a certain amount of time. The sleeves that you usually rolled up have been pushed down, displaying only your fingertips, although they're difficult to detect unless you're having meals together. 

Abruptly all eyes were drawn to the blond. Simon would undoubtedly have a better insight of the situation. However, this was not the ideal timing.

As Simon shut his lids and recalled the arrival of early spring, pangs of apprehension and remorse erupted inside him. You became reluctant to be near him, let alone shower together or sleep in the same bed. You refused looking him in the eyes whenever you both were in a conversation, but still, you reassured him that everything was fine.

For somebody's sake, the man wanted to punch himself so hard for not mucking in with the troubles you seemed to be undergoing. You were always there regardless of whether he had nightmares, always there if the crew needed encouragement or a soothing embrace, and always there when they sought assistance in tackling any issues. Yet when you struggled in anguish, they couldn't do anything but watch dumbfounded. 

The men had never seen this side of you before, so they were taken aback. When you brutally beheaded the footman and still managed to move gracefully while holding four adults, they wondered why the fairies agreed to secrete and allow mortals to exercise authority over their beautiful lands in the past.

_-_-_-_-_-_-_

You were the crystallization of a magnificent match between a Harpy and a Faun, which explained why you've got an exquisite gift and horns that the Aborigines didn't have.

Reasons?

When only a few dispersed varieties persisted, maintenance and survival became more essential than preserving the purity of each species after countless lives were sacrificed in that grueling purge. 

Over decades, more and more bloodlines combined, and flaws began to arise. With the law preventing cross-breeding, pristine matters similar to you fairies originated for a broad spectrum of purposes. If defiled, infants would bear the pitiful results when they're born and the frightening appearance which you owned was in fact an unanticipated consequence.

To make circumstances even more severe, you were forced to endure the mating seasons exhaustively and emotionally unstable since you grew up solitary, violently in the world that was not meant for kind races such as you.

Weeks in the sun cycles and centuries among thousands of moon orbits, ended up being captured to humor the wealthy mankind 'folks' - you've found a new home, one in which you sense shielded when you return, with no tendrils and tattered pieces of sack put together haphazardly. You meet the One-Four-One and the gentlemen treated you as if you were the family's smallest daughter, you've learned that humanity was not all obnoxious. And you were taught how to love.

The man you fell for was rugged but pretty with milky scars and handsome blond hair, he's affectionate though spiteful somehow. Perhaps most importantly, he has a special place particularly for you, only you. 

It made you thrilled by the fact that you both took time confiding in each other. No matter how hesitant you were, you expected to dedicate yourself to Simon this season, claiming his endearment and expressing your sentiments. Remarkably, you've put an end to everything. 

_-_-_-_-_-_-_

The moonlight was immensely bright so the dismal hallway was still illuminated without oil lamps, making it even simpler to conceal his massive figure. Simon loomed at the half-closed door to your chamber, it's been over a week since you left and the man hasn't slept at all. In other words, he refused to sleep, cautious of the magnitude of what might turn out without you by his side. 

The thoughts made his knuckles white from grasping the hilt of the knife. Sliding his other arm to the doorknob, he peaked inside to find all of your drawers laying on the floor, no sign of you. When the sounds of gingerly footsteps and the bizarre whistling breezes triggered Simon's instincts, he immediately assumed, no, hoped that you’re back, only to be disappointed. 

Discreetly entering the room and staring towards the open window, the man believed that it was perhaps a bunch of thieves who fled after they couldn't obtain any valuable goods. He sheathed the dagger after tugging down the cloth that's covering his lower face, then approached the feverishly blown curtains with the intent of wrapping them up but they succeeded in falling off from his grasp. Like there was some terrible impact, the drapes fluttered and slowly fell down after obscuring the scenery outside, standing out there, bare-footed on the balcony was you - glowing underneath the marvelous silky gleam, wings flexed widely to balance.

His head whipped up and yours tipped down, burnt chestnuts struck ambers, orbs widening.

Mouths moved in sync but no speech was heard. Time seemed to halt, breathing was labored and tremulous, chest heaving and gaze unwavering. 

Silent, awfully silent. 

Simon gulped hard and remained motionless as you brushed past him through the bumpy wooden door.

“Did ye come to admonish me?” You’re avoiding his presence, your tone was flat and mockery, back turned to him.

The man’s lack of response was not intentional, rather, he wasn't sure he followed you. The chilly air around as if millions of needles were pricking every cell in his shape made him realize he was not dreaming, you’re unharmed, he silently rejoiced.

“Where 'ave ye been?” The blond cautiously whispered, answered you with another question.

You huffed and shook your head frustratedly before directing your gaze towards a mountain of a man standing unfazed behind you. Your foot rhythmically tapped the ground, sounding clearly due to the awkward solitude, causing Simon to blink perplexed at your peculiar behaviour.

“Is tha’ a threat?”

“Wha’...?” The blond frowned. He couldn't fathom what you mean by that. Not to mention the unpleasant attitude of yours which successfully edged him.

It's only a typical question adhering to your prolonged absence. And a threat, what made you think that he’s threatening you?

“Wha’ do ye mean, ye were on my mind this whole ti-” 

“Oh don’t sell me a dog” You snapped, tongue poked into your cheek from inside of your mouth. Simon appeared startled, he understood nasty comments you could make at times, but this particular instance was just too much for him. 

With two bulky arms folded across the broad chest, the man inhaled deeply and approached you slowly, steely gazes never left yours - a warning. You haven't forgotten, just because Simon has a soft spot for you did not obligate him to pamper you always. You were doing this on purpose, and you knew he's aware of your intentions as well. Simon 'Ghost' Riley, a remorseless killer who was not to be messed with, cold-hearted and treacherous, the same as a phantom applied to him. 

But there was no other option, you had to push him away, as far as possible. 

“Look at me, luv” The blond’s low voice was almost inaudible, it was…..miserable and unpleased, which surprised you. 

With the others, Simon would not tolerate this insolence, and you remembered how much you enjoyed watching the plays out. Yet these calloused palms that have only performed dirty work here tenderly stroke your cheeks as though afraid of harming you, and those traumatized eyes this time sparkled with warmth that melted you and engulfed you irrevocably. 

This man was indeed a genius at making you feel like such a barb. He couldn't act like this, he's not allowed to. You could not withstand him being patient with you like this. No, you have to be tough, you’d not be willing to let the wall you've built be knocked down in such a hurry.

“‘M beggin ye, don’t chastise me like this” He plead, “Talk to me”

“Talk, ye said” You took a step back to escape the man's embrace and headed to your bed to begin packing, “From the man I have spent days with as a friend, I would have expected…more”. You paused for him to speak but he refused, so you continued, “More appreciation”

“What's exactly tha’ 'm not appreciating correctly?” 

“This!!” You expressed your anger with an elevated tone and lifted your arms to above your head, still being stubborn to not face him, “This goddamn circumstance….just why are ye so persistent?, 'm only tryin' to protect ye” From me, you wanted to shout out so bad.

“Luv…”

“Do not call me by tha’ name” You threw the corset into the luggage on your mattress exaggeratedly.

“I understand tha’ ye found such subjects as love, or devotion….a-and affection or attachment were frivolous and cliché. Then why, when do ye care so much?” You stuttered and steadied your lungs, again, waiting for him to say something, “Damnit Si, if ye don’t open yer-”

“I once thought ‘bout leaving everything behind to search for ye” One of Simon's habits was to start a conversation out of the blue.

Just like a slap to your face. Zipped your lips immediately.

“I used to believe tha’ my entire existence had no meaning after my family was murdered cruelly tha’ night….” He took a step closer, “....until I met ye”.

“Ye freed me from this torment, making me long to curl up in yer puffy feathers. It was ye who persuaded me tha’ s’alright to be Simon, making me weak before yer loving eyes as ye observed my hideous wounds” The blond was rarely verbal, you had no clue he could form such ethereal sentences like these, “Yer soft lips, voice, and smile...I yearn for all of ye” 

The shorter the distance between the two of you, the more his voice trailed off. Few inches left, his shadow towered over you and the melody of his heart beating was so near because simply a slight lean back would anchor you in his solid chest. You could tell by the rapid breathing fanning on the top of your head that those words had taken a lot out of him. 

“Nights after nights…..I dream of ye” The man snaked his muscle arms around your waist as he lowered his lips and nibbled your earlobe.

“I did not ask for this, luv….” Thick accent grumbled to your sensitive neck, “To be plagued by these feelings”, he sniffed “To be deluded by this, nah, your scent”

"I burn for ye"

The blond has succeeded in making your goosebumps and plumes stand on end. From the most primitively, females were drawn to males' maneuvers and growls, especially whilst in estrus. Simon appeared to have found out what was causing your symptoms, and you'd lose your composure if he kept turning you on. 

Knowing that you're unable to squirm away, Simon's restless hands started wandering all over your body as you gritted your teeth in an attempt to stop him, though it was clearly futile.

“We’re two separated species.....divided by blood and conduct” You hissed, held your shivering arm up to his sight and tore off the fabric, revealing the ugly claws and black digits. “Ye saw me that night, Si…..I’m a monster, the creature ye’re supposed to despise, to spit on, to put a spear through its head” 

Who’d you expect to cosset you for who you truly are when your tone was broken as your eyes were full of contempt when pierced at yourself? 

Nonsense

That's why your wrist was abruptly snatched and brought back. Before you could react,  from the corner of your eye, you watched Simon's pink tongue poke out and mapped a moist line down your elbow to your middle finger. The man flipped your arm over and did the exact same action, rejecting to avoid areas where the scales protruded jaggedly. As he planted several more kisses on your pointed talons, his long lashes trembled and his glossed honey pupils beckoned you. 

“Oh?” The blond grumbled and his brows furrowed unpleasantly, you swore his tone just dropped an octave lower than usually.

Morals fabricated anecdotes and beliefs to serve as spiritual sustenance when they were led astray by diseases or decimated by catastrophes. Owing to the absence of Mother Nature and you fairies, who were no longer offering them protection.

Gods, Saints, and other vacant illustrations have no effect on Simon - his life ended up being an utter misery. Blood, sweat, and tears, so much mayhem that his mind felt as if it was shrouded in fog.

Then when the blond focused on you - your wet locks sticking to the pale skin and wings slumping in ache, skeletal hands holding your bare frame like you were soothing yourself, creating the most poetic painting which had already been tarnished by bloody white rose petals scattered across the entire surface.

You sat there, bursting into tears, elegantly blending in with your surroundings. 

A fallen angel, his one and sole true goddess.

How vulgar was Simon that your devastated stage caused his sheer shaft to twitch eagerly, making his fists clenched hard so as to restrain himself.

"Should I prove ye wrong, sweet thang?" To you, he wished to make amends.

Your lips parted in surprise, and your mouth dried out compared to a desert amid the scorching heat. O Almighty Nak, you didn't dare to affirm but this man wanted you just as badly as you desired him.

The Aborigines' knowledge and trickery were ineffectual at this point since with Simon, you were nothing further than an idiot, and you’ve never told falsehoods - so no doubt that you’d gladly concede that inferior status if he said please with these lustly eyes.

Being a man of action, Simon swiftly scooped you off your feet and spun you around. You yelped when he tore your trousers away, grasping his forearms and expanding your wings in response to the unannounced action but immediately withdrew your hands since you had pricked him bled.

Not that easy, the blond hooked your thighs over his shoulder blades then reached out for your palms to lay them against his scalp, not letting go until you obediently held him with your own strength. 

"Steady" he cooed, making your core stirred with ecstasy. Bulky arms supported your soft arsecheeks and held you close, the man used his teeth to pry the tunic's hem out of his way and started pressing his face deeper between your legs.

It's the steaming breath coming from underneath that you felt first, eliciting a tiny mewl from you. His lips - feasting greedily on your clit, and the bridge of his nose with care nudged your labias as his tongue began to stir your inside. A wave of fulfillment crashed into you, blurring your vision and you arched your back to grant him a better access. The man adjusted the angle and firmly placed his whole mouth over your dripping cunt, kneading your plumps harder while humming with awe as your slender fingers began to claim the initiative.

“Dearest….” You swallowed and tried your best to not buck your hips too much, “I-’m feelin’ empty, still”

“Such a needy bird, aren’t ye?” He teased, low chuckle sending vibration, earning a lewd gasp from you.

Simon was quick to give in. His two thick rough digits found their way, slipping in and out of your softness expertly, causing your chest to rise and fall quicker. Raising a palm to rub your stiff paps, your gummy walls clenching as the blond thoughtfully tended to your swollen clit that was thought to be forgotten by his thumb.

Overwhelmed, you buried Simon's mouth deeper to your lower body, nearly suffocating him. He intensified his tempo, encouraged by your heels putting more pressure on his muscular back, chasing your almost giving up from denying arousal. 

So despicable, so seductive.

"Wait!" Your scream came out at the volume of a whisper, but the man was satisfied by the intense shaking of your limbs. Rather than letting you go hurriedly, Simon took his time sucking on your fragile sex, letting you ride your high out onto his face.

What Simon has been craving for so long was this, the taste of your devine.

One last lazy and molten stripe over the entire of your pond, hole to your bud, and he slid you down. Face to face, the mixture of saliva and slick glistening on the masculine lower visage of his boiled your blood and your wings flapped in embarrassment.

"Look at ye, down right flushed" Spoken with a cheeky grin and you smacked his bicep playfully, "If I knew ye could make these chirpy sounds, would’ve given ye ma face sooner, darlin’" 

"How can a gentleman talk so foully?" You laughed impotently, urging Simon to drop you down.

Hesitantly, the man quietly lowered you tip-toed on his feet before unbuttoning and slid the piece of clothing down from your subtle flesh. Calloused palms nonchalantly glided over the keloid scar that spanned from your collarbone to your navel, leaving innumerable splits around the wound's margins. Similar to a mountain surrounded by inescapable, endless abysses.

"It's a crime for a gentleman to leave his woman unjolly" His voice sounded sorrowful.

You understand Simon wasn't envious of you like you did, and you realized that if he was volunteering to expose his flaws to you, suppressing yours must have concerned him greatly.

So gently guiding the man to sit on the edge of your bed, you knelt between his legs and helped him remove his outerwear after. The blond sought to stop you, but you gave him a meaningful look, stopping him instead.

"If so, will this gentleman accept a proper punishment?" With a defeated grumble, he lifted his hand to stroke his messy hair as you offered him a toothy smile. 

“Right…’m all yers” 

This surreal feeling, if only your mouth had made Simon so aflame, the man didn't know if he could restrain himself when he's actually inside you.

Wet and filthy, your long tongue curled around his manhood and refused to let go as your head bobbed back and forth steadily. Despite leaving the window open, the room was unbearably humid since the naughty sticky noises you made while picking up the pace to please him. He really didn't want to bliss at the moment, he wanted to fill your inside till your needs were whole.

That explained why he lifted you up and positioned you on his meaty thighs. Your eyes widened as Simon smashed your lips together, all teeth and tongue, sloppy and ravenous, much like the yearning you two shared. Sliding one arm back and folding it up to grip Simon's shoulder, you rested your knees on the mattress and pointed the tip of his cock by your other hand directly at your entrance before slowly sinking down.

You both had to stop and struggle to regain your respiration due to the intrusion, though you two were feverishly nibbling each other's lips. Couldn't deny that the blond's thing was indeed large, but your pussy wasn't that loose either.

“Am I hurtin’ ye, luv?” Simon asked as your face scrunched up.

“S’not yer doin’” You chuckled breathily, earning a low giggle from the man. 

Once you were moving, Simon gave you one loving cup on your cheek and one firmly on your waist to assist in keeping you stable. You tipped your head into that toasty palm, lips rejoined and hips rocked in sync, lazily built up layers of ecstasy. 

The discomfort faded and evolved into bliss. Panting, moaning, praising, too inebriated with one another, you were on the verge of orgasm, yet you wanted more.

This wasn't enough. More intense, faster, you needed to be more drunk in Simon, but your strength was diminishing.

"Retreat yer wings, birdie," the blond commanded, sort of, and your body solely listened in an unconscious practice.

Quickly switching places and pinning you underneath him, Simon brought your legs over his shoulder and waist before thrusting into your damped cunt furiously. He massaged your bosom and lapped the other side relentlessly, got your pap to swell to a gorgeous hue.

“This’s what ye want?” 

“For. My. Cock. To. Shove. Deep. Into thi’ -ha- greedy hole….eh?” The man accentuated every word. His sturdy torso was straight up, however his hips continued the frantic pounding which drew not only the wild sounds from where the two of you were bonding, but also the creaking of the bed became more and more audible.

Your jaw dropped and your head bounced back, releasing a barrage of sultry mewls that Simon had to force you to suck on his calloused fingers to get yourself shushed. As the man's cock repeatedly kissed your quivering womb, full authority and brutally, you bet that your capacity of thinking straight was far gone for now.

“A-ah, Simon…inside, plea-se, inside me….” Your eyes shut tightly and nails clutched to the headboard, the heated and stirring sensation within your abdomen left you urging for Simon’s thick load.

“Ye’re gonna be the goddamn death of me” The man exhaled shakily and glued his forehead to yours, sweaty figures attached and your walls clenching his shaft tightly as you both appeared to be nearing your climax.

At last, the hot creamy semen stream was fully stuffed directly into your uterus. Simon growled with satisfaction as he dragged his shaft out and watched his essence leaking from your puffy flower. Collapsing beside you and engulfing your weary body in his chest, the blond rubbed soothing circles over your back while waiting for you both to calm down after the previous mating.

“Si” You called out for him sleepily.

“Yes, dear”

“I’m yers” You stated, “Every inches of me, belongs to ye……I belong to ye”

“And ye’ve own my soul ever since that night on the cruise, little bird” 

You snuggled closer and he tilted your face up by your chin, giving you the most loving kiss you’ve ever experienced in your lifetime.

_-_-_-_-_-_-_

Stepping gingerly into the galley, Simon walked right behind you, hands refused to let go. You were only wearing a baggy tunic and the blond was half-dressed with his trousers and bare upper body. If Simon hadn't insisted on coming along, you would've been the only one presented here.

"Ye sure we won't meet the others at th---?" Your mumble was cut off, peering inside to see Kyle, Soap, and the Captain were enjoying the biscuits around the marble island. No, sneaking.

"S'that truly..." The dark-skinned boy spoke up, not believing his eyes.

Hardly for you to form any sentence, Johnny had raced over and picked you up with a thrilled smile, making you squeal happily. Price also chuckled warmly and embraced you over the shoulders as welcoming you back. Kyle also managed to function again and rushed to greet you.

Everything was enjoyable until Simon hauled you in and caged you between his bulky arms. He glared at the other gentlemen, drawing their attention to the hem of your shirt, which covered just above your mid-thighs. They cleared their throats and turned away, flushing as you simply chuckled and patted the arms holding you.

It's great to be back home.

Taglist: @shadowlali , @ghostlythots (aggressively crushing you guys to my breasts)

[namelessdeceased]

.🎻 D-13 ✧ tue ✧ 10.9.24 ✧ sawc day 41

am i posting late? yes. very much so. i have no excuse really, ive js been really unproductive today (and hence i will sleep late you all knew it was coming). same issue yesterday and i ended up not posting, sorry...

also ive been VERY into dnd lately. like VERY. im working on my campaign during my breaks and when im doing nothing in class, im constantly looking for new ideas...i just really love this game ok

.🍂 academic

geography practice paper

review MSP unit vocab

rehearse oral qns (pictures in textbook)

maybe finish up some MM2 corrections

.🍩 personal

plan tonight / tmr

maybe create a resources list for subjects

.☕ sawc

sleep: 4h

routine: morning

deep focus: 2h

body: shower

read: c&p

.📜 goal productive: 4h?

.🌙 02 00

.☀️ 06 00

.♬ ~ naddpod: episode 1 〢 headgum

.🤎 positivityposting

your world is your own creation! everything is a choice. and it's okay to mess that up. it's your first time being alive as you. you can decide your fate. sure, sometimes you roll nat 1's and sometimes you roll nat 20's, but in the end it is your adventure and your party. is it not?

good night :)

╰ theo 🪐

[queenofbaws]

"I'm choosing to ignore these insults to my character" with some Chris and Josh shenanigans! I hope you're doing well! <3

catch me catching up on some prompts! ;)c

"Hey, I know this isn't exactly your strong suit, Cochise - "

"I have a strong suit? Holy shit, that's news to me! Sick, were you thinking, like...scholastics? Or improvisational skills? Or...oh, is it wisdom saving throws? I bet it's wisdom saving throws..."

Without giving him the satisfaction, Josh held his book up into the air, waving it around until its pages began to flop. "Crossword's got me stumped. What's a five letter word for 'spineless person?'"

"Uh..." Chris joined him at the couch, setting his elbows along its back. After a couple unsuccessful grabs, he gave up any hope of yanking the book out of Josh's hands, rolling his eyes upwards in thought instead. "Geez, you weren't joking, huh? This...this really isn't my strong suit. Ashley would know. She'd know, like, instantly, just POW, here's your vocab word!"

"Yeah, well, Ash isn't here right now, hence my asking you." Josh pivoted so his legs were now on the couch as well as his ass, putting him perpendicular to Chris. "So here's my issue. The five letter thing. See, I can come up with tons of words to describe a 'spineless person.' There's 'coward,' but that's six. 'Chicken,' but that's seven. 'Yellow-bellied, lily-livered pantywaist,' but that's...well, it's more than five. Now, maybe you've stumbled upon the two I've been considering - 'pansy' and 'pussy.' Both five letters, right? Both can be used to describe someone who, let's face it, just can't scrounge up courage enough to cross the street."

Eyes still fixed on the ceiling (as if it would help his spelling abilities in the slightest), Chris nodded along. "Okay..."

"Only, according to this, the word has to start with a 'C,' not a 'P,' so I - " He tapped his pen against the book again, then abruptly stopped, sucking in a breath so melodramatic, it belonged more in a soap opera than his living room. "Oh. Oh good, merciful fuck, Cochise. I got it. I actually think I got it, man!" Quickly, he scribbled the answer down on the crossword, then turned it so he'd be able to see. "It's 'Chris!'"

He stared for an instant, clearly perplexed...and when realization hit, he smacked the flimsy puzzle book out of his hand. "Dude, fuck off. We've been over this! I'm - "

"Spineless. A coward. A chicken. A yellow-bellied, lily-livered - "

"I'm choosing to ignore these insults to my character. Dick."

"Okay, and I'm choosing to highlight them until you get down on one knee and ask Ashley to prom. Let's, uh, let's see which one of us tires out first, huh?"

[luckydoeslanguage]

Weekly Update | 四月23日２０２４年

こんばんは、みんな　(_　_)。゜zｚＺ

posting a little later than i usually do. This week has been more of the same, so there isnt too much to talk about. i debated waiting until next week, i dont want to break my habit :P Onto my updates:

Almost done the anime ive been watching. its a little slice of life called 'スーパーカブ', which follows a girl who buys a titular Honda super cub and her daily life. id say its a moe show, but it feels more down to earth than that. lots of motor vehicle vocab. when im done the show i want to post a review of it here so i'll save my comments til then.

started playing とびだせどうぶつの森 again in earnest. i started the save almost a year ago and it was kind of overwhelming at first but its more manageable now. I should really play more immersion games on 3DS.

i tried writing a letter to my favourite villager, マキバースタ. I sent her an ironing board cause i thought it would look good in her house :)

didnt start any manga :(. i looked around for some and didnt really decide on anything in the end.

i also spent a day looking into japanese magazine subscriptions cause i wanted to read some of the shoujo manga magazines. turns out shipping paper products to rural BC is expensive, so i didnt get any. :( womp womp.

didnt end up taking new cards on anki this week. i honestly avoided it all week until the last few days and even then it wasnt so bad. hopefully i can start taking 2 or 3 new cards a day tho i really want to.

im still sitting at about 5 hours of immersion in this week. hoping that starting a new show might help bump it up again.

I think thats all! i feel like now that April is coming to a close and im almost a month back to learning japanese i havent been able to make as much progress as id like. But! im glad to be learning consistently again.

see you all next week! またね！

[en-gelic]

笨蛋💗

aww you love me so much >< ANW=YWAYS TELL ME HOW TO PRONOUNCE THIS RN SINCE MY TRANSLATER SAYS THIS MEANS FOOL AND I CAN SAY IT TO YOU BCS YOU ARE ONE :p

[recentadultburnout]

Info for writer in Thai series fandom: Family Vocabulary (Thai&Loan words)

You may have noticed before that there are some variations in the family vocab, and the thing is, it can tell you if that family has Chinese roots. It doesn't really tell you much since there are a lot of us who have not used any even when it's 100% true that they have some Chinese ancestry, and even if they do use it, it's not going to mean anything big either, but here is a list of what is Thai and what is a Teochew loan word. To give you some examples.

There are also loan words from Hokkien, but they are used even fewer. As for loan words from other cultures, in my opinion, they are either so old that we didn't really register them as loan words or so new that they are not yet part of the Thai language, ya know. Also, this chapter is for family terms, and there aren't any other widely used terms for family that I can think of in the others.

The Thai nickname for Google is "ah gu," which is identical with a word for uncle from the mother side.

For step-parents, add the word liang(เลี้ยง) which means raise, nurture at the back. Oh, and sometimes it was mai-ใหม่-new instead, like, he is your new dad and your bio one is an old one. And for adoptive-something add buntham(บุญธรรม) which means adopted (child) at the back. Like, Porliang, Porbuntham, for example.

You could add the word "khun" in front of those common words for more politeness. I wouldn't recommend adding it to words for people of the same age and younger, though. It can create a weird tone you might not want.

There are a lot of words for "father," but there is one specific word that sometimes means sugar daddy. That word is ป๋า(pa).

I was going to talk about other words for sugar daddy, but I suddenly remember that one time I read a really weird placement "pa" in a sentence and blue screen for a bit. So let's talk about why using transliteration might not be the best choice sometimes. As you can see, this word for dad is a letter "p" and a letter "a" when transliterated into English. P and A. like ภา(pa)-Pat's sister. like ป่า(pa)-forest/also protagonise of 2moons. like ป้า(pa)-aunt. And many, many other words. I mean, there are, like, at least three letters that are frequently written with P when in English, and we have five tones that have no way to tell the difference when in English. So sometime, to avoid confusion, it might be best to just don't use unnecessary transliteration words.

Using both common words and loan words is very normal, and I don't mean just using the common ones when talking about your relatives to other people. If your father's side used the loan words but your mother's side used the common words, then you might use ta and yai for grandparents on your mother's side and ahgong and ahma for grandparents on your father's side. Use only some of the loan words for a certain person in your family, but using common words for all the others is a common practice too. I didn't fill in all the loan words for that very reason, many people(including me) can't even remember all the words, let alone use them.

Index

[eyfey]

Hello! I'm sorry to bother you, but I was wondering how long you studied Japanese for until you became good enough to do manga translations? (Or fluently read manga at all, really 😔) I want to help contribute to projects like that, but I feel I still have a long way to go until then 🤧

so first off: sorry this took so long to reply to! when I first got the message I had exactly Zero free time, and then i simply forgor (whoops lol)

I actually already have a few posts sort of about this in my #translation tips tag, but it's been a hot minute so I might as well provide some updated info~

(under the readmore 'cause it's longggggggg)

How long have I studied Japanese?

A While. I had maybe a not so typical journey with Japanese... If you break it down it looks kinda like this:

4 years of watching a TON of anime to pick up basic vocab just by ear (this was in high school- I did not take any actual classes or even make any effort to learn the language at this point, but apparently I'm pretty good at just picking up things from hearing them)

4 1/2 years of actual Japanese classes in college (actual learning with like teachers and textbooks and homework)

1/2 year of study abroad that I managed to cram in before I graduated (additional classes and also constant speaking the language)

8 1/2 years since then (god has it really been that long???) (no actual like... studying during this time, but a LOT of translating... mostly Saiki)

So.... 13-ish years? if you don't count the first 4 that were just watching anime. And technically only 5 of them were actual "studying".

-

How long did I study before doing manga translating?

I, uh….. I actually started translating manga about a month BEFORE I ever took a single Japanese language class.

(not recommended but like… here I am lol)

I had found some volumes of Pyu to Fuku Jaguar(a gag manga I really liked but only had 3 volumes translated at the time) at a used bookstore, but they were in Japanese so I just kind of bought them, downloaded an english to japanese dictionary app, printed out a hiragana/katakana chart, and then just went through the book: looking up one letter at a time, sounding out words, looking them up in the dictionary. I already knew a lot of vocab and had a vague feel for grammar exclusively from watching anime, but like also there was a loooooooot of looking stuff up. I don't remember exactly how long it took to read that first volume (at least a month lol- maybe 2 or more)

I noticed the scan group for Pyu to Fuku Jaguar was updating really slow (and/or had notices that they needed more translators? I forget it's been over a decade lol) So I figured: I can understand this well enough just reading it on my own.... maybe I can help???? it's probably better than nothing right?? So I tried my hand at doing some translations and uploaded them to the newbie board of a manga translation side to have people proofread, and then I emailed the group to ask if I could join. If I remember correctly they only ended up posting one (or none) of my translations?? before disappearing so I just kind of kept doing the translations on my own without uploading them anywhere

and then later when a new group took over they had gotten my translations from the previous group (or was it the translation site where I uploaded some?) and credited me in the release, so I sent them a message like "hey neato! I actually have like 5 more translations done, u want em?" and ended up joining THAT group to continue working on the series!

I started taking classes p soon after starting the translations, and doing translation while taking classes was actually really nice 'cause I had a place to pretty much immediately apply the things I learned in class, and the translating outside of class gave me a lot of practice for reading & a good head start for learning new vocab.

Honestly I think for translating, being good at the language you're translating into is more important than being good at the language you're translating from. Like: you should still at least SORT of know the language you're translating from (that is an important part of it too don't get me wrong) But like even if someone is perfectly fluent in Japanese, if they're translating into English but don't know how to make words sound good in English, then it kind of defeats the purpose haha.

(reading a lot and paying close attention to wording and stuff, and also reviewing and revising your translations will help with that part of the translation process- it's also a skill you pick up as you go)

-

Tips for getting better at reading Japanese?

Honestly I think translating is one of the best ways to get better at Japanese (understanding and reading at least- it won't necessarily do much to help you remember how to write or speak haha) Reading is helpful to some extent, but you will probably get to a point where you understand enough of it to get the gist of whats happening, but then your brain will just sort of skim over a lot of the parts you don't know in the interest of enjoying the story without stopping. When you translate though, you're FORCED to stop and look up every word or phrase you don't know and double check things and sort of sit on them and think what it means and how you would say it in your own language.

If you're self motivated enough you can probably get some good learning out of language apps like duolinguo or babel or whatever, or even just buying Japanese textbooks/workbooks and going through them by yourself. Otherwise, taking Japanese classes is the standard approach (even if you don't go to a school where they offer Japanese classes, there are private options- just google Japanese classes or Japanese tutors online or in your area if you prefer in person)

This old post of mine has some more detailed tips for how to look things up, and some just general translating tips that I think are still p useful, but it pretty much boils down to "google everything you don't know until you know it"

also the 10ten extension is good for highlighting/translating individual japanese words in your browser (when they're written in kanji or kana) and the google translate app is good for taking pictures of text and reading it so you know what the dang kanji says (or you can hand write the kanji in there too- though I need to find a better kanji dictionary app 'cause google's doesn't really give you enough space to write)

-

Sorry this ended up WAY longer than I thought it would but I hope it helped!

Good luck!!

[heart2beom]

hiii! i hope ur doing okay <3

i was wondering what writers you would recommend that have a similar style (romance and comedy) to you since i'm new on tumblr :'P

omg wait this is sort of sweet 😭 i dont really know what my 'style' exactly is, BUT i have been waiting for this exact moment!!!! (ranting about my favorite writers my favorite beings in the world and fangirling bcs that is clearly in my nature)

OKAY OKAY LETS DO THIS!!!

i recommend

-> @jjunis

first writer i got into when stumbling upon moablr!! LITERALLY THE CUTEST SMAUs (i know i dont really make those but i swearrrrr give her soobin one a shot its so ROMCOM-ESQUE) AND all her oneshots are fluffy and cute and and

my favorite piece from them is their beomgyu smau (bcs im a struggling bamtori that eats up anything beomgyu) my beloved GHOSTING. its on hold but its soooooo fucking good, like slow burn at its core and i LOVE it. its not romantic yet but i swear its sooo worth it, the topics it tackles and the character development and the effectiveness of the flashbacks and how real each character feels ...this is the IT smau!!!!

-> @tqmies

i held off on reading for soooo long even when i found each and every summary of her fics sooooooo interesting but then one day i had free time and decided i should finally tackle my reading list and !!!!

i soooo recommend each and every fic, like its all SO good??? FOR WHAT??? so easy to read but her vocab isn't limited, and i just love that balance so much. everything is good. i recommend EVERYTHING.

but if i had to choose ONE, just ONE thing to recommend, it would be love again because i am a whore for best friends to lovers and this was the most perfect beomgyu b2l ever.

-> @minastras

um if mina isn't one of the best writers on moablr then who is????? i'd recommend for starters her yeonjun fic mr. vice president literally captured the essence of academic rivals to lovers arc so well (ill fangirl over this more on my official rec list bcs i have a lot to say but trust!!! minas the writer you're looking for)

also has a cute ongoing taehyun smau, read that too!!!

-> @tyunlatte

the most adorablest, cutest, tooth rotting fluff i squeal over their fics. im still going through their masterlist but FUCKKKKKKK everything ive read so far is SOOOOO good. also totally someone worth following, my dash is blessed every day they're the cutest!!

i'd personally recommend her entire drabble event, but my favorite has to be stay stay stay because im a pureblood swiftie and i love soobin my heart hurts

also ALSO recommend cool hot sweet love. i'm the biggest sucker for love triangles (i mean hello, two cute boys fawning over you??? sign me up ????) and the fact that we get both endings????? hail the great alex!!!

-> @hueningshaped

i can't even pinpoint one fic i'd recommend, literally just go through their entire masterlist it's all so fucking well written (hello if u see this i literally freaked out when you followed me back ur literally my idol, i am your #1 fan rereading everything youve written forever)

-> @ijhyo

absolutely insane writer, blessed this site!!!! i'd recommend their slasher series (can't find the link but im sure youll find it). i know that isnt necessarily romcomy but it was so good (i guessed the insane bitch correctly and therefore i will forever love the series for making me feel smart!!!!!)

OMG ALSO THEIR BEOMGYU FIC!! how to get the girl! once again, i am a whore for b2l.

-> @beomgyuslilracha

i havent read an entire series yet but from what ive read so far..ugh pls beg them to be a scriptwriter i need her fics on my screen, on NETFLIX, ON HULU, DISNEY+ whatever!!! plz pull a 50 shades of grey

-> @gyu-xiao

they only have three things for txt but each one of them is so good, i squealed over each fic. my favorite hyuka fic comes from them!! had me biting my knuckles trying not to scream like damn 😭

okay these are the writers i could first think of 😭 i swear i feel like i forgot three or four but oh well, enjoy your tumblr cruise 🙏

[9ttimestudies]

08.01.2024

I think i'm getting sick..I ran around town bc the library's wifi was down and most cafes here want you to buy a 5-6$ drink to be able to sit in there. I settled with Starbies instead. I'm not spending that much money for a drink when I got a convention coming in a week and I just bought a green tea drink from Daiso earlier. 😅😅

♫ I am the Rain (私は雨; watashi wa ame) by inabakumori

Tuesday: I went out with family. It was fun, but we were out all day so I didn't get to study. :p

Wednesday: was a bad studying day. I cried over the math problems (I wasn't joking about hating math)

Today's done list:

-vocab (i'm almost done remembering a whole stack!! that's like 51 words that's completely new to me, and then i got a new one to start tmrw...) -reviewed basic algebra

total time: 3 hours

Let's hope I didn't catch the cold...＞﹏＜