#Never has twinned spells been more utilized in a relationship

[jeeaark]

Well now we GOTTA see Lae’zel x GG x Durge (Dug) as well 🙏🙏

This joke has been brought to you by 'death by snu snu'

[fanfictionaries]

Oh So Many Years: Ch. 9 - Just A Little Bit

Pairing: Hermione Granger x Fred Weasley

Summary:

With Hermione and Harry's friendship mended, and her bond with the twins, strengthening, Hermione finds herself looking up. The only thing left to do is fix Ron's attitude and keep herself from throttling Rita Skeeter the next time she sees her.

Fred and George have found relief in both Hermione's help and her friendship. Unfortunately, as a result they've been neglecting their other friends and someone isn't too shy to point it out to them.

Warnings: Swearing, Death, Smut/18+ NSFW

Author’s Note:

I update every week before midnight on Sundays (US MST)! Please feel free to like, comment, and reblog! xoxo

Masterlist

<< Chapter 8

Oh, no I'm not the one, oh, you can ignore I'm not like those you had before Oh, hell no

  “It’s just absolutely ridiculous, right?”

“Are you still on about that?” George asked, his tone laced with practiced boredom as he laid on his back in front of the fire in the Gryffindor common room. He had somehow come into possession of a quaffle and was repeatedly tossing it in the air and catching it, occasionally passing it to Fred when the mood struck.

“Yes, I am still on about it! How anyone could read this garbage and believe it, I will never know.” Hermione threw the quill she’d been writing with onto the desk, ink blotting across her parchment, and picked up the Daily Prophet once again. An avid reader of the wizarding newspaper, Hermione never gave much thought as to whether the stories of journalist Rita Skeeter were true or not. However, as she stared at the words printed across the page for the hundredth time, she questioned whether the woman had ever written anything factual in her life. Harry had told her about the disastrous interview the night before – Rita Skeeter’s devious smile, the basic lack of attention, her casual yet inappropriate flirtations, and her Quick Note’s Quill scribbling away all the while. Therefore, it hadn’t surprised her when the article portrayed a weepy yet confidently disillusioned Harry Potter pouring his soul out and then boasting on his magical prowess. What did surprise her, though, were the last few sentences.

“…Harry Potter’s close friend, Collin Creevey, has informed us that the young Triwizard participant can regularly be found in the company of a Miss Hermione Granger – a pretty muggle born fourth year. While officially their relationship has not been confirmed, it’s hard to deny the tell-tale signs of young love,” Hermione read, her voice raising to a shout by the end. Folding the paper, she threw it aside once more, this time as far out of her reach as humanly possible. Whirling through the air, the heavy paper made contact with an unsuspecting first year walking by. Hermione winced and gave the boy an embarrassed apology before picking up her wand and cleaning the ink from her assignment. She looked at the contents of her notes thus far and huffed. The words blurred together, her anger resulting in an altogether apathetic state for anything that wasn’t the infuriating article. Turning her head, she glared at Collin Creevey from across the room as he sat in the corner with his brother and a few other younger Gryffindors. They chatted away, playing the perfect role of innocence.

“Hermione—” Harry gave her a pleading look “—could you please just let it go?” He placed a hand gently on her forearm. At that moment, two third year girls walking past, spotted the placement of his hand, and hurried past, whispering and giggling to each other. Harry removed his hand quickly, grimacing. Hermione sighed, taking a moment to think about how this affected not just herself but Harry as well. Whispers and pointing she could deal with but lies were intolerable. It was just so…immoral! However, she imagined all Harry wanted was for all of this to disappear, to forget about it, and to be able to go back to some form of normalcy. She leaned back in her chair. If she could do anything for him at that moment, it would be to do as he asked.

“Alright, I’ll let it go. But don’t think I won’t give this Skeeter woman a piece of my mind when I finally meet her.” She sat forward and began writing out her study guide for transfiguration again.

“I wouldn’t expect anything less,” Harry said in amusement, before turning back to his own work.

Unlike George, Harry and Hermione sat at a table adjacent to the fire accompanied by Fred. Harry was working on an extra paper given to him by Professor Snape after his abysmal duel with Malfoy. Hermione was working on transfiguration, and Fred on his latest product. It was another sweet, similar to their Ton-Tongue Toffee, but ultimately very different. Earlier that night at dinner, Fred and George had ran into the Great Hall flushed with excitement. They pulled her away from the Gryffindor table and into the adjoining corridor, ignoring Hermione’s questions and feeble attempts to pull her wrist from Fred’s grasp. Once out of earshot from their curious peers, they began to bombard her with their latest and greatest idea – Canary Creams. Fred insisted that the idea would be hilarious, a sweet that when eaten, turned the person into a giant canary bird.

Silently, Fred slid his notebook on top of Hermione’s work and pointed to a list of possible wand movements and an incantation to charm the sweets. It really was a tricky thing when you thought about it. Sure, some sweets were already available that caused physical changes to their consumer, but none that she knew performed full form transfiguration. Pairing transfiguration, charms work, and potions was no easy feat. To successfully develop a Canary Cream, they had to produce a lasting charm that utilized transfiguration elements to result in a temporary transformation of the whole body from human to aviary. It was, to put it lightly, difficult.

George had helped early on with the charms aspect of the spell, but now they needed Hermione’s help with the transfiguration part – a subject, lucky for them, she was well versed in. Closely, she surveyed the work and found herself quite impressed. The incantation seemed to be correct and the wand movements as well, except there was just something about them that was…off. Mentally, she visualized the movements and when it finally came to the last movement, she realized the mistake. Dipping her quill into her ink, she crossed off the last tap and replaced it with a flick and then a tap, before sliding the notebook back to him. Fred shook his long ginger hair from his face and assessed the changes she made as Hermione returned to her own work. Looking down at her papers, she tried to find where she left off.

“What’s this for?” Fred whispered. Turning towards him, Hermione was caught off guard to find the boy so close, leaning towards her and pointing at her correction.

Blinking a few times, she answered, “You do want them to be human sized canaries, correct?”

Fred stared at her for a moment, and then back down at the paper before smiling. “Yeah, I suppose we do. I knew there was a reason we asked you to help.”

“If I remember correctly, I volunteered. Should I be regretting that?” Hermione teased.

“Don’t you dare Granger,” responded Fred with a wink. Heat pooled on Hermione’s face and she nervously grinned back, unsure of what to say. Fred spoke again, “Are you sure it will only be temporary?”

“What are you guys working on?” Harry asked. Hermione jumped, pulling back from Fred and the notebook they’d been piled over.

“N-nothing! I’m just helping Fred with his studies. He’s struggling in quite a few of his subjects, so he asked me to tutor him,” she lied. “Isn’t that right Fred?” She turned to him with a sweet smile.

Fred glared back at her, but ultimately cleared his throat and looked to Harry before speaking, “Yeah, I asked Granger to help me. But don’t worry Harry. It’s strictly professional. Wouldn’t want you to think I was trying to steal your girlfriend from you.” He ended his sentence with a cheeky grin. Hermione responded the only way she knew how – by kicking him in the shin under the table.

“Ow!” Fred reached under the table, and rubbing his leg. “Did you just kick me, Granger?” he asked, his long hair falling into his eyes.

“Yes, and you very well deserved it.”

Fred looked to Harry for support but only met his grinning face and a shrug of his shoulders. He then looked to his twin, still lounging on the floor but much more interested in the conversation.

“Don’t look at me, I think you always deserve a good kick in the shin,” said George, chucking the quaffle to his brother. Fred caught it easily.

“Some good friends you are,” Fred grumbled throwing the quaffle back to George before they all let out a few good-humored chuckles.

“I’d say they’re better friends to you than they are to me.” The voice took them by surprise. Looking to the portrait entrance, Hermione saw Ron, having just entered the common room to find the four enjoying themselves without him.

“Do you have a problem, mate?” Harry asked, his voice stony.

“I’m not your mate,” Ron responded, a touch on the dramatic side in Hermione’s opinion.

“Well if you’re not my mate then I guess you can just piss off. Yeah?” added Harry lightly, turning back to his work. Hermione looked between the two, feeling incredibly uncomfortable and unsure of what to do. Ron gave her a nasty glare before turning to his brothers.

“You two can’t possibly believe him, can you?”

“Yeah, we do,” Fred and George answered in unison. George sat up properly, tucking the quaffle under his arm.

“He may be the Boy Who Lived—” started George.

“—but he’s not nearly bright enough to put his name into the goblet,” Fred finished.

“Sorry mate!” the two called over to Harry who merely shrugged, finding no offense in the statement.

“What happened to family loyalty?” Ron asked his older brothers, a hurt expression on his face.

“I think there’s a ‘being a complete prat’ contingency to that concept, brother. Besides, Harry’s family too.” George stood and stretched before tossing the quaffle at Ron, who caught it unenthusiastically.

Ron turned to Hermione now. “Guess I know why you always take Harry’s side. Thought you two would at least have the decency to let me in on the secret. But I guess there’s a lot of things you don’t tell me.”

Hermione opened her mouth to argue, but before she could get a word out Ron continued, “Doesn’t matter though, everyone else agrees with me anyways.” With a final glare, he turned and headed towards the boys’ dormitories, ridding himself of the quaffle on the way.

The common room was silent after Ron’s departure. Hermione realized that everyone had stopped to listen in on the dramatic scene. She really wished they hadn’t. One look at Harry and she knew he was wishing the same thing. His shoulders were hitched all the way up to his ears and his face was unnecessarily close to his parchment. The quiet weighed on Hermione like a thick and heavy blanket. She returned to her work, but the more she stared at the pages of her book, the more uncomfortable she became. Every fiber of her being wanted to storm up those stairs and give Ronald a piece of her mind, but she was worried she didn’t have the strength. Then something Fred had said to her in the hospital wing rang clearly in her mind, giving her the strength, she needed: …there’s nothing for you to be afraid of. You’re more badass than I could ever be.

She rose, pushing back her chair. Harry, Fred, and George looked at her.

“If you’ll please excuse me,” she said politely, turning on her heel and heading towards the stairs that led up to the boys’ dormitories. She had only been in Harry and Ron’s room twice before, but she still knew the way. She climbed the spiral stairs in a fury, having no idea what she was about to say, but knowing she needed to say something. Her period of silence with Ronald Weasley had to end. Coming to the dormitory door, she pushed it open, not even bother to knock as anger and determination fueled her actions.

“Bloody hell Hermione!” Ron exclaimed, covering his bare chest. He was standing in the middle of the room clad only in his pants, trousers and shirt strewn aside in a pile, as he uncomfortably shifted. His face and chest were red as a cherry tomato, flushed in embarrassment, but he glared at her all the same. Hermione coughed, caught off guard by his state of undress. She had never seen Ron without his shirt, let alone his trousers. Trying not to focus on the freckles that spattered his chest, the flush that now covered her face, or the strange tug in the pit of her stomach, she pushed past the awkwardness of the situation and continued on with what she originally intended to do. Looking to her left she noticed Neville was also present in the room, confused and uncomfortable. She smiled sweetly at him.

“Neville, would you please excuse Ronald and I for a few minutes?”

The pudgy blonde boy nodded quickly and jumped from his bed, fleeing the room in a full run.

“Hermione, what are you doing in my room?!” Ron asked in a yell.

Hermione took a deep breath. “I’ve come to make peace. To have a heart-to-heart as they say…” Casually but with purpose she strolled further into the room, past Ron, to sit on the edge of his bed.

“Now? While I’m sodding naked?”

Hermione rolled her eyes, starting to feel normalcy return at Ron’s thickness. “Well put some clothes on if it’s so important to you, but yes, now.”

Ron stared at her, frozen where he stood. When he failed to move, she raised her eyebrows and tilted her head insistently, urging him to hurry up. Ron scurried to his trunk and pulled on a pair of striped bottoms and a vibrant orange Chudley Cannon’s shirt, before plodding over to sit next to her on the bed. He pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around his legs, closing himself off to her and the world around him.

“What?” Ron stubbornly asked, avoiding her gaze.

“I think I deserve an apology from you,” said Hermione bluntly.

Ron looked up at her in surprise. “I need to apologize to you?!”

“Yes. You do—” Hermione stayed strong, squaring her shoulders “—Ronald, we have been friends for nearly four years. More importantly you and Harry have been best friends for just as long. Have we once ever lied to you? Deceived you? Betrayed you? Not supported you?”

Ron didn’t answer. Instead he looked down, resting his forehead against his knees.

“No, we haven’t—" she went on “—Now I don’t know what’s exactly been said or not said between you and Harry, and it’s not really my business. All I know is that when you accuse me of not being a good friend to you, it hurts. I’ve done my best to try to support you and Harry as I see fit. And that support involves believing and trusting you both when you tell me something. So, when Harry tells me he didn’t put his name in the goblet…I believe him. Because he’s my friend and until he does something to make me not trust him, I will continue to trust him. I’m not ‘siding’ with him to spite you and honestly this whole story you’ve concocted, that we’re conspiring against you, makes you sound like an absolute loon.” Hermione finished her speech and tucked her own legs up to her chest, hoping Ronald would respond to what she said with reason. When he didn’t automatically bite her head off or demand she leave his room, she let out a deep breath of relief.

She watched as Ron’s mouth scrunched up in conflict, his long hair covering his eyes and most of his emotion, until finally, he spoke, “I know you two aren’t plotting against me.”

Hermione looked at him in confusion.

“Well I mean, I guess at first I thought you were, but now not really. It’s just not fair. No one likes to be second, especially to Harry Potter. Harry Potter’s stupid friend…”

Hermione’s heart broke. She unwrapped herself and scooted sideways, pulling Ronald into a tight hug. He stiffened at the contact for a moment and then relaxed. They had never been physically close, the way she and Harry were, but Hermione felt this situation called for it.

“You’re not Harry Potter’s stupid friend, Ronald. You may not see it, but you’re worth a lot more than you realize. Are you a bit lazy when it comes to schoolwork? Sure—” they chuckled at her comment “—but you are not stupid.”

She pulled back, looking into Ron’s eyes for the first time in weeks. “You know, I think if he could, Harry would switch places with you in a second. Fame isn’t always a good thing.”

Ron nodded and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side. Hermione rested her head on his shoulder and felt the heavy weight of Ron’s head atop hers.

“I’m sorry Hermione,” he mumbled sincerely, slightly begrudgingly, but sincerely, nonetheless. Hermione smiled. Despite his bullheaded nature and obnoxious tendencies, Ron really did have a big heart. She was warmly reminded for a brief moment why, despite all his character flaws, she possessed an affection for him.

“So, how are you going to make things up with Harry?” She perked up, breaking the nice serenity of their resolution with their next challenge. Ron sighed in frustration.

“I don’t know,” Ron said, dropping his arm off her and rubbing his face.

Hermione hopped off the bed. “Well, do it on your own time, I suppose, but try not to take too long. Harry’s going to need the both of us this year.”

Ron stood as well and walked her to the door, nodding in agreement. Hermione pulled the door open and turned, looking over Ron’s kind face. A moment of impulse and Lavender’s nagging words to make a lasting impression took over and before she knew it, she was lifting onto her tip toes and placing a quick peck on Ron’s cheek. She watched as Ron brought a hand up to where her lips had touched, his cheeks turning a shade of pink under his fingertips. Throats cleared from behind her and Hermione turned, finding the twins standing in the stairwell, arms crossed and smirking. They had obviously been snooping.

“Goodnight Ronald,” said Hermione quickly, closing the door in his face and turning towards the twins in annoyance.

“Is this the young love Skeeter was talking about then?” asked George amusedly.

Hermione rolled her eyes, answering in irritation, “Get an earful then?”

“Nah, couldn’t really hear through the door,” George admitted in disappointment.

“Too thick,” added Fred.

“You know, we really should invent something for that,” mused George, looking to his brother.

“I’ll start whipping up the schematics tonight,” bit Hermione sarcastically as she pushed past them and headed down the stairs. She found Harry right where she left him and sat back down in her seat. Neither said anything as she picked up her quill and got back to work. They sat there for quite some time until Harry finally broke the silence. She wasn’t sure how late it was, but the fire was beginning to burn low and they were the only two left in the common room.

“I got a letter from Padfoot last week,” he informed her. Hermione perked up at the news, hoping that something good would come from Harry’s godfather.

“What did he say?” she asked, setting down her quill and rearranging her notes.

“Not much—” Harry ran a hand through his unruly hair “—he wants to talk on the twenty-second. Guess he doesn’t trust sending letters anymore.” 

Sirius Black, also affectionately known as Padfoot, had great reason to be untrusting of the mail as he was currently still on the run from the Ministry of Magic. Accused of a crime he did not commit, it was barely a year ago he used his Animagus form to break out of Azkaban, the wizarding prison. Then through a series of incredibly complicated and confusing events (some of which included time travel), she and Harry helped him make his overall escape on the back of a hippogriff.

“Talk? How are you going to talk?” Hermione asked, placing her things into her book bag. Surely Sirius wasn’t planning on coming onto the school grounds. With ministry officials scurrying around for the tournament, Hogwarts was a risky place to be. The whole country of England wasn’t a safe place for him really.

“I don’t know. He just said to be in the common room at one in the morning,” admitted Harry as he collected his things as well. Hermione frowned.

“Well I just hope he doesn’t plan on putting himself in danger of getting caught or seen,” she said, looking purposefully at her best friend.

“I just hope he has some advice on how to not die this year in the tournament,” said Harry. Hermione bit her lip and something tugged sharply in her chest. She reached across the table and placed a hand atop Harry’s.

“Harry James Potter, you are not going to die. Not if I have anything to say about it,” Hermione proclaimed the fact with so much conviction, she surprised even herself. Harry looked at her though his round glasses, his green eyes scanning her face. For what? Sincerity? Truth? Answers? Hermione did not know, but what she did know was that she wasn’t going to let Harry down. Her breakthrough with Ronald was only the first step. He placed his other hand over hers and gave her a tight smile. Hermione blinked rapidly, fighting the tears that threatened to spill down her face. After a moment they stood and left the common room to their respective dormitories. Not another word was needed.

    Fred sat at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall eating his lunch. He thought there must have been some greater power looking out for him today because they were serving his favorite – shepherd’s pie. The day had been a rough one so far and the little comfort that came from his favorite food was enough to take the edge off. That morning, after another futile attempt to catch a visiting Ludo Bagman, he and George had gone over their inventory and funds. Needless to say, it was depressing. Turns out they needed the money Ludo owed them more than they thought. They were for all intents and purposes, broke. The advertisement they sent out for had profited quite well, but with their mother’s raid before the start of term, their supply was limited and soon they would no longer be able to supply products to keep up with demand. He and George wagered they could make a larger profit off of new and exciting products, but they really only had a few sickles and knuts for pocket money. The whole situation left them with one option.

“Harry—" Fred spoke, catching the attention of the dark-haired fourth year “—mind being a dear and letting Georgie and me borrow Hedwig?” He watched as Harry swallowed his sip of pumpkin juice and wipe his mouth with the back of his sleeve.

“Uh, sure. What for?”

“That my dear boy—” smirked George “—is classified.”

“Really on a need to know basis,” Fred added, sniffing importantly.

“You know, I think I’d rather not know actually. But sure, she’s up in the owlery. Just make sure you bring her a treat, or she’ll be put out for a while and I’ll have to pay the price,” Harry informed them before stuffing a forkful of mashed potatoes in his mouth. It was at that moment Fred spotted a flushed and chipper Hermione entering the Great Hall. Her hair was especially full and bouncy as she skipped towards them, her cheeks and nose a soft pink hue. Fred imagined she would be in a better mood today after what he could only imagine was a reconciliation between her and Ron last night.

“Good afternoon,” she greeted the lot of them cheerfully, setting her bag down and sitting next to Harry.

“What’s got you all pink? Just come from a hot snogging session?” George asked cheekily. Hermione’s face transitioned from its soft pink to a brilliant red. Lifting her nose up in indignation, she trained a disapproving look on George.

“If you must know, I’ve just come from Hagrid’s—” she loaded the plate in front of her with shepherd’s pie and vegetables “—he had me over for tea, and so naturally I’m starving.”

Harry snorted, shooting pumpkin juice across the table. Fred cried in despair as the last of his lunch became covered in regurgitated liquid.

“Gross mate,” said George, scrunching up his face as he wiped his wet cheek with his robes.

“Sorry,” coughed Harry sheepishly.

“Did you see the new notice on the bulletin board this morning?” asked Hermione. They all shook their heads. She rolled her eyes, obviously annoyed they didn’t keep rigorously up to date with the daily affairs of the school like she did. Fred watched hypnotically as Hermione tucked her hair behind her ear and took a bite of her food. He concentrated on the odd way her nose scrunched ever so slight when she chewed, almost like she was intrigued by the taste alone. Hermione had a very small nose. Not in a disproportionate way, but in a very pleasing way, he decided. Thin across the bridge, it’s up-turned end pointed ever so delicately into the air. It was also spattered with freckles, much like his own but not quite as obvious. From far away you’d never see them, but as you got closer, you’d notice the light patterns of golden brown that adorned the bridge spreading under her eyes.

“Earth to Freddie!” George bellowed in Fred’s ear.

Fred jumped, covering his assaulted ear drum. “What?!”

“I was saying they just put out the announcement that next weekend is a Hogsmeade weekend. I thought maybe we could all go!” Hermione proposed for the second time.

“Or do you prefer to sit and stare at Hermione all day like a twat?” George asked.

Fred frowned at his brother. “I wasn’t staring. I was simply lamenting over the fact that I have to buy Granger a week’s supply of sugar quills.” Luckily, they were a very cheap sweet, thought Fred.

Hermione smiled sweetly, but Fred caught the devilish glint in her eye he was becoming very familiar with.

“I don’t know Hermione—” said Harry “—you might have to go without me.”

“Why?” she asked, her face falling. Fred watched Harry lean in and whisper something to Hermione. She pulled back and nodded, her face a mask of concern and understanding. Leaning back in, it was her turn to whisper something to him – information that he and George were not privy to. Her small hand reached up from under the table and landed on Harry’s upper arm as they pulled back smiling. Obviously, they had come to some kind of agreement that both were happy with. Fred felt an odd sensation wash over him as he watched the two engage in their private conversation. It was the same feeling he got in the hospital wing with Angelina and again when he watched Hermione kiss his little brother on the cheek.

If he didn’t know any better, watching this interaction, he might have believed Rita Skeeter’s accusation that her and Harry were entangled. He shook his head, clearing his mind of the strange route his thoughts had taken. Glancing down the table his little sister, Ginny, was sat next to Neville Longbottom and a few of her friends, laughing and gossiping as they ate. Just past them sat a group of first years looking over a copy of Seeker Weekly, and then further down were Lee, Alicia, Katie, and Angelina. The first three seemed to be engaged in an excited conversation. Lee was lecturing Katie on something with a tired look on his face while Katie shook her head and brought a hand up to her brow. Alicia watched the two, grinning as she stifled a laugh. But the last, Angelina, was looking at him. As their eyes connected, he gave a small friendly smile. However, he was not greeted with a smile in return like he expected. Instead she stood abruptly from the table and headed towards the exit to the Great Hall.

 Fred stood too. “I’ll catch you later Georgie. Gotta’ go take care of something.”

He didn’t wait for a response as he raced out of the Great Hall to catch up with Angelina. He found her not too far down the corridor.

“Angelina! Hey, wait up!” called Fred, jogging towards her. Angelina stopped and turned, waiting for him to close the distance between them. From her crossed arms and scowl, Fred could tell she was upset. “What’s the matter? What’s wrong?” he asked, placing a hand on her cheek.

She brushed him off. “Nothing,” responded Angelina, pushing her dark braids over one shoulder, and looking away from him. However, Fred could tell from the tone in her voice that there was in fact, something wrong.

“Come on. Don’t lie to me Angie. You can tell me. What’s wrong?” implored Fred as he reached out his hand again and pulled her face towards his, coaxing her to look at him.

“Oh, now you’re here for me? How nice of you to actually pay me the time of day,” bit the athletic chaser. Her reaction struck Fred dumb. Is she mad at me? he wondered in utter bewilderment.

“What have I done?!” he asked defensively. Just then a group of Hufflepuffs rounded the corner, casting sideways glances at the quarreling couple. Angelina grasped Fred’s wrist, pulling him from out of the middle of the corridor and tucking them into a small alcove.

“We haven’t spoken in weeks! You’re always too busy hanging out with Granger and Potter to spend time with any of your friends,” accused Angelina, chewing on the inside of her cheek, and shifting her weight from foot to foot. A pang of guilt rushed through Fred. He ran a hand through his hair and let out a puff of breath. Now that he thought about it, he hadn’t really hung out with any of his usual friends in a while. Lee, he saw nearly every day as they shared a room, but he couldn’t remember the last time he spoke to any of them for more than a few minutes. He looked back at the girl in front of him to begin his apology but before he could, Angelina continued.

“Look, I’m going to ask you something and I want you to just answer me honestly. I won’t freak out or anything, just be honest—” Angelina took a deep breath “—do you maybe have a crush…or something on someone?”

“What?” asked Fred.

“You know? Like on Granger or…whatever?”

“Her—Granger, she’s just a friend. She’s been having a bit of a hard go of it lately, you know, with Ron and Harry off their rockers. George and I sort of took it as our responsibility to look after her. But you know, as friends. She’s a cool girl and I like her alright, but just as a friend. Only a friend. That’s it,” said Fred, feeling dizzy at just how many times he used the word ‘friend’. It was as he repeated the word, however, that he wondered just how true it was. He hadn’t ever really thought of Granger in that way. Perhaps that fact alone meant they were just friends. Angelina seemed unconvinced.

“As for not spending time with you—” Fred went on “—I’m sorry. We haven’t actually been spending all our time with Granger. Mostly George and I have been working on our joke shop stuff. We’ve hit a couple of roadblocks you see.” He let out a frustrated sigh as he thought about the lack of money and dwindling supplies.

Angelina’s expression softened. “I guess I’m just used to having you all to myself. It’s been hard to adjust what with quidditch being canceled and everything…” said Angelina. Fred smiled knowing that was probably the closest he’d ever get to hearing Angelina admit she was wrong.

“You know, Hogsmeade weekend is coming up. How about you and I spend it together?”

“Really?”

“Yeah, it’ll be fun.”

“Okay,” Angelina smiled sweetly.

“Are we good then?” asked Fred. He watched as Angelina’s smile turned into a playful smirk.

“Yeah, we’re good. But we have a lot of catching up to do.” With that statement she grabbed his wrist again and started pulling him down the corridor.

“Where are we going?” Fred asked dumbly.

“To catch up. I was thinking it’s been a while since we paid a visit to our secret passageway.”

“Oh—” said Fred and then realization struck “—Oooooohh! Oh, you saucy minx.” And with that his pace quickened till the two of them were practically running towards poor Gregory the Smarmy.

Chapter 10 >>

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✿ stories you want to write

Tagged by: @earthlystar, @fistsoflightning, @stars-bleed-hearts-shine​, @windup-dragoon​ THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

Tagging: idk, whoever wants to do this lmao. just say I tagged you!

Anyone who knows me knows I’m a bundle of unfulfilled ideas / headcanons. I have a lot of stories / AU ideas I want to write.. but either don’t have the time or energy to write them... Or you know, I’m just plain lazy.

I’m also kind of leaning more towards Genshin Impact now than FFXIV oops

1) More time travel AU

I KNOW!! I’m the only one who cares about this au okay but 

TIME TRAVEL STORIES ARE ALWAYS SOME OF MY FAVORITE STORIES??? ADDING TO THAT ANYTHING INVOLVING LIKE.. META COMMENTARY AND POSSIBLE 4TH WALL BREAKING??? STEINS;GATE??? MADOKA MAGICA??? CHARLOTTE??? UNDERTALE??? The ability to stop time and rewind time is just such a COOL ASS concept to me?? I won’t shut up about wanting time mage in ffxiv just so I can OFFICIALLY make her a canon overpowered time and space manipulator. Maybe then, time travel au won’t just be an au anymore.

On top of that I just really like Cronus. The idea of an Illya who is so damaged and broken she becomes an entirely different person. I just don’t really have a set plot planned for this au or have any idea on how to resolve the conflict between Cronus, present timeline Illya and Alphinaud... or if I even wanna give Cronus a happy ending iafnioafas. But whenever there’s an opportunity to talk about time travel au, you bet your gil I will.

2) More Nier Automata AU

I kinda lost steam for this AU really really quickly for some reason but.. I had pretty ambitious plans for the plot of this which I really hope I’ll find the inspiration to write out some day.. because I really don’t like just.. reducing my ideas to simple bullet point headcanons. 

Some brief idea of what I had in mind though:

 bad ending depending on illya’s actions at one of the climatic scenes

different ‘good’ endings depending on her last dialogue choice which would lead to her ending up with different love interests. 

love triangle, of course

side plot for alisaie and ryne involving an escort mission

really really meta writing about the meaning of an android’s life and who 2C feels like she really is

scene of 2C regaining memories of alphinaud’s death and losing her shit

Like I said. I’m a bundle of lots of ideas that are almost always unfulfilled. I still really like this au though and I don’t want it to go to waste...

3) More Modern AU

Oops another AU. At least this one isn’t depressing or something that might give you an existential crisis. I have A LOT of headcanons for modern au ffxiv characters... not to mention different versions of the modern au concept. There’s Youtuber Illya AU, there’s highschool AU, there’s that AU where Illya works at a coffee shop and Alphinaud is a university student. 

I just love how laid back and Slice of Life-y modern au can be and I just... really love the idea of Illya living a normal happy life that doesn’t involve her having to kill gods every other day as much as i do love to torture her, yes. 

Some ideas for modern au fics i had:

Highschool AU Ryne asking her friends to cosplay sailor moon characters for a cosplay convention. Laurelis as Sailor Moon and Haurchefant as Tuxedo Mask. Ryne herself as Sailor Venus. Gaia as Sailor Mars. Illya as Sailor Saturn. 

Youtuber Illya attempting to vlog outside her home for the first time while she’s on a date with Alphinaud because her viewers requested it so much. Just pure fluff and the dorks being dorks. 

Highschool AU Illya working on a set of mini terrarium jewelry to sell at the school fair to raise money. The jocks at the school sort of laugh and lowkey bully her for the idea but she ends up making a ton of money.

SOL comedy AU where alisaie and alphinaud both have a crush on Illya sort of compete for her attention. She’s completely oblivious to all of it. 

Cafe AU where Illya has raised enough money (and with Alphinaud’s generous donation) to send in an entry to university. Alphinaud helps her study for the entrance exam. 

More double dates? :eyes:

4) To Aru Majutsu no Index AU

LOOK SOMETHING I HAVEN’T TALKED ABOUT ON MY BLOG BEFORE. I just really like the premise / setting of this anime. ARE YALL READY FOR WORD VOMIT???

Academy city, a city that houses many schools, and research intuitions devoted to the study and advancement of science. Espers are individuals who use scientifically based supernatural powers, all of whom gained and trained their powers artificially under the system of Academy city. However, there is another underground side to the city - a small organization of people with supernatural abilities that cannot be explained by science. They are called magicians - and due to the rarity of magic, and how Academy city is so repulsed by the idea of abilities that defy the laws of conventional science and their understanding, some people even believe that magic is simply a myth or urban legend. 

While espers typically specialize in only one or two types of ability, magicians are often able to wield a variety of different abilities that take time to train and nurture, making them so frightening to the science side of academy. Some magicians even end up dabbling in the occult or black magic.

Alphinaud, a level 4 esper with the ability to physically see energy waves emitted by other espers. Couple that with his high intelligence, he is able to analyze the movements and abilities of other espers and even pin point the weak points of their abilities. His twin sister Alisaie is also a level 4 esper who is able to teleport herself and one other person she touches a certain distance in a radius around her current location. 

Alphinaud comes across Illya on his home from his training program one day, beaten and exhausted on the side of the road. He wants to call the hospital, but she begs him not to, saying she’s afraid that ‘they’ will find her. He takes her back to his home and nurses her wounds. Not seeing any energy waves being emitted from her, he assumes that she is simply an ordinary citizen. He asks her where her home is and how she ended up injured on the side of the road, but she refuses to tell him.

One day, a fight breaks out on the streets near his home, where a level 5 esper has gone rogue and is attacking innocent bystanders. He asks Illya to stay behind while he and Alisaie takes care of the situation. They are outmatched however, and Illya, watching the situation from the balcony of his home finally decides to step in. She easily incapacitates the esper using a variety of magical abilities the twins have never seen before, draining the man of his energy before returning to heal Alphinaud and Alisaie. 

They question Illya later, and she finally confesses to being a magician who is on the run from an organization who had been keeping her captive for the past few years. She has the ability of perfect memory - being able to memorize spells from any grimoire she reads and utilize the powers for herself, though often at some debilitating cost. The more powerful the spell, the more dire and painful the side effects.  She has been forced to read a total of more than 500 grimoires by now, and only managed to narrowly escape thanks to a mysterious man who took pity on her. 

Due to the side effects of her ability, and also having done nothing but be chained up and forced to read grimoires for the past few years, Illya is physically frail and cannot fend for herself beyond using magical abilities, which she is often hesitant to do.

5) Pokemon AU...carmela im looking

Waiting for @windupnamazu​ to provide more details on her pokemon au buttttt i’ve already been working on illya’s sort of backstory, her pokemon team, alphinaud’s pokemon team and other headcanons regarding this au. Also.. working with an artist regarding illya’s design for this au, which i’m very excited to be able to share =3c Not the time yet tho

I actually talked about a pokemon au with Jam as early as June of last year. I made a pokemon team for illya aaaaaand only half of her original team I had for her over a year ago is still in her current team oops. It’s okay, the retconned ones can stay at home and relax with Lachlan. 

6) More amaurotine stuff

Oh finally something relating to canon. I’ve been thinking about Chloris x Apollo from time to time and honestly I.. really love their dynamic.. despite how sad and lowkey awful Apollo can be towards her. But I think that’s part of the charm of what makes alphinaud and illya’s relationship later so sweet, being able to acknowledge that they had their flaws and learn from them ;w;

I had an idea for Chloris inventing a type of flower with the unintentional suggestion of Apollo, and it later makes an appearance where Alphinaud discovers the flower and asks Illya about it. 

7) The twins... no, not the Leveilleur twins

I think everyone’s talked about their lovechildren more than I have and I’ve already kind of explained why I haven’t made any screens or talked about them at length but.. I really do love them so much ;;;; I wanna find the opportunity to write a fic of them maybe spending a day inside with their army of carbuncles... Also @ancientechos​‘ OC Esme (son of haurche and laurelis) developing a crush on one of them =3c 

Also another idea I had involving them is being taken to the site of some of Illya and Alphinaud’s adventures...

8) Butler AU...hey, anyone remember this? 

Remember when I did several comics back to back and was super motivated for this AU? I do. I miss being motivated and inspired and not like.. wrecked with depression. I have plot points... ALSO INTERACTIONS WITH OTHER OCs WHO JOINED THIS AU???? Maybe one day I’ll find the drive again. At least I was able to finish one plot arc!! Which is more than I can say for most of my other AUs. Someone get me back in the shoujo manga mood!!! please!!

9) Idol AU 

Hey idol AU anon where are you.... WHERE ARE YOU?! YOU STILL HAVEN’T TOLD ME YOUR EXTRA HEADCANONS PLEASE COME BACK

10) More Alphinaud and his interactions with DRK Illya

I’ve already written a good number of fics about this, but I still... wanna do more... Acceptance, unconditional love, Illya learning that he won’t leave her despite all her insecurities and flaws... ILLYA FINALLY LEARNING TO IDK ACCEPT HERSELF. HELP.

I just really like DRK Illya okay, and you can pry the symbolism of her duality with her dark side from my cold dead hands. 

[sevensav--d-archived]

@darkrevels​ sent  💘 + bird volcano xoxo

send me 💘 + A SHIP and i’ll tell you—

where they first met and how

At UA after classes.  She was a couple days from actually starting school proper (she and the other transfers had to do some supplementary lessons) so they met one night when she was leaving campus.  He was just hanging around with Dark Shadow and a smoothie and he accidentally spooked her.  They got to talking and she sort of made the decision right there that she wanted to be his friend!  *Note:  Our first interaction was going off the idea that the transfers started after the Dorm Move which is no longer canon, but their conversation basically remains unchanged.

how long their ‘flirting’ phase was before feelings got involved

They did the friends to lover dance, so they didn’t really have a flirting phase.  If anything, it started after they decided to date.

who fell for who first ( if applicable )

Fukumi did.  She was so impressed by his skills as a fighter and she found him to be such an interesting person.  She loved talking to him and learning from him.  She started to take interest in his life and interests, and somewhere between him helping getting over her fear of the dark and finding out he wrote poetry did she start to think that it was more than just a friendly thing.

where their first date was and what it was like

Their first real date happened after they made the decision to get together.  He took her to a quiet little cafe with a sort of dark vibe (a place that he liked) and although she felt a little out of place there she had a lot of fun.  After the cafe they went for a walk in a park until it got dark and then they stargazed for awhile.

who asks who out and how ( with a sign? spelled out on a cake? just a simple ‘will you go out with me’? )

It was a sort of... Okay, so it was his birthday and she got him some really meaningful and sweet presents and FIRST of all, he hugged her real big and her heart went WOOSH.  After that they went outside to talk a bit more and Fukumi eventually ended up confessing that she had a crush on him, and he immediately came back at her and expressed it was mutual.  And it was pretty nice and effortless and sweet. 

who proposes first

Tokoyami proposed.

if they keep / kept their relationship secret or let everyone know right away

Not really.  Tokoyami is a private person by nature, but if asked, neither would really deny that they’re together.  Fukumi told her friends right away.  But no, their relationship is by no means a secret.

where the proposal happens and how ( kiss cam at a baseball game? on a hillside surrounded by ducks? at a disney park? )

Okay, look at Fumikage Tokoyami and tell me to my face that he wouldn’t do an absolutely stunningly romantic and dramatic.  It involves him giving a very personal and loving speech that reads like poetry.  It took place when he was visiting with her family in Hawaii when she took him to a black sand beach.

if they adopt any pets together

I think that once they have kids, they end up with some sort of pet.  Like one cat, or one dog.  Nothing too crazy.  Fukumi grew up with a cat, but I see them more leaning in the dog direction. 

who’s more dominant

I think they’re pretty equal.  She is more... Loud, I suppose so she a bit more forward and commanding, but they really do just... they’re equals.  Romantically, Fukumi takes more initiative. 

where their first kiss was and what it was like

See their ask out story.  Fukumi made her point about how much she liked him by giving him a kiss.  He can’t exactly kiss in the same way that she does but he did what he could immediately following.  

if they have any matching couples stuff ( mugs? sweaters? pillowcases? )

I mean.  They have the  same pillowcases because they’re from a set?  I don’t think having matchy stuff is really their style, but they do wear each other’s merch.

how into pda they are

Fukumi is more into it, and Tokoyami isn’t into it as much, and she is very understanding of that.  They most they’ll do in public is hold hands for a moment when they first see each other in a place or something.  Sometimes he’ll put his arm around her waist while standing with her.  It’s pretty chill.

who holds the umbrella when it rains

Dark Shadow, of course.

where their usual ‘date spot’ is ( if applicable )

Outside in the UA courtyards.  They love to have little picnics out there, or go stargazing together.  They sometimes go back to the little cafe the ywent for their first date, but nothing beats cuddling on a blanket under the stars.

who’s more protective

I think it’s a pretty equal standing, especially after everything they’ve been through.  He is more emotionally protective and she is more physically protective.  But at the end of they day, they’d each take a bullet for the other.

how long it is before they sleep together ( can be as in ‘had sex’ or as in ‘shared a bed’ )

They didn’t share a bed consistently until they got their first apartment after graduating.  They’d napped in the same bed before (usually during visits to the other’s house when not in school) or the odd occasion where they’d fall asleep while hanging out on a bed in the dorms.

if they argue about anything

Hmm not that much honestly.  I think that by the time they’re adults and living together they’ve been through so much that they really are just in sync with each other on serious issues.  They might bicker about music tastes or whether or not it’s appropriate to listen to All I want For Christmas is You in June.  And maybe when their kids are born there’s a bit of concerned arguing about parental things, like differing approaches to things. But they have a lot of respect for each other and can handle arguments well.

who leaves more marks ( lipstick, hickeys, scratchmarks etc. )

Fukumi and no I will not elaborate further.  (Don’t ask Tokoyami what that mark on his neck is he will be unable to speak for the next hour and a half.)

who steals whose clothes and how often

Fukumi definitely takes a lot of his jackets or sweatshirts.  She has one in particular that she keeps trying to return to him but he keeps giving it back to her.  She doesn’t NEED to borrow his stuff, she’s never cold... But they smell like him and they make her happy... Despite the fact that most of the borrowed clothes are somber and black.

how they cuddle ( spooning? facing each other? )

Typically face to face.  Fukumi likes to see him when they cuddle.  She’s snuggle up close to his side and stroke his cheek.

what their favourite nonsexual activity is

They have a few.  Playing music together, playing DND with friends online (or in person) or just.  Reading.  They sit together and read.  Sometimes he’ll read passages to her and she’ll get excited about what she’s reading...  They just like to enjoy each other’s company while reading.

how long they stay mad at each other

Not long at all.  Neither of them are the type to stay angry.  Tokoyami is probably a little bit more... Uh?  Angry?  But it’s not by much.

what their usual coffee / tea orders are

Fukumi gets something with caramel in it, and Tokoyami usually gets something that comes with a straw, but he does get special Apple Ciders in the fall.

if they ever have any children together

YES, these are their twins:

They’re fraternal twins.  Hoza is the younger twin and he has some breathing problems.  His quirk is having the ability to breathe fire and smoke.  His quir kis called Phoenix Breath.  Mitsuko is the older twin and her quirk is basically a Dark Shadow type being, but it’s made of fire and it thrives in the light.  The twins are very close and eventually go to UA like their parents.

if they have any special pet names for each other

Fukumi calls him Tokkun.  She always has, always will.  She also calls him ‘babe’ or ‘bab’y later on in their relationship.  He calls her “Darling” and “My Love” when they’re home and alone.

if they ever split up and / or get back together

I’m gonna say no.  They’re so solid.

what their shared living space is like ( messy? clean? what kind of decor? )

It’s a really nice house.  It’s pretty big and well furnished.  It has a pretty gothic aesthetic but it also features a lot of warm colors.  It’s well kept (they have a house keeper) and it’s a pretty private residence.  Despite the nice size, they don’t often host people.

what their first christmas / hanukkah / etc as a couple was like

They’d been together for a couple months, so it wasn’t TOO crazy, but she was pretty sad about not being able to leave for Christmas to be with her family, and he was very sweet to her for it, giving her lots of attention.  He’s a holiday boy, so he treats her real nice.  

what their names are in each other’s phones

She is simply “Fukumi” in his, practical so he can find her easily in his phone.  He is listed as  🖤Tokkun🖤

if they have any ‘couple traditions’ ( buying a new mug for their collection every year? baking every friday evening? )

They go pretty hard for Christmas and they each get the other an ornament for Christmas (as well as normal Christmas presents) and that’s primarily what they use to decorate their tree.

who falls asleep first and who wakes up first

Fukumi goes to bed earlier and wakes up earlier.  He’s a night owl and she’s an early bird.  But they’re both okay with this arrangement.

who’s the big spoon / little spoon

Tokoyami is little spoon mostly for utility reasons.  Beak on the back of the neck?  Not always super pleasant. 

who hogs the bathroom

Fukumi, but she doesn’t really have an issue if he’s in the bathroom doing what he needs to while she showers or whatever.

who kills the spiders / takes them outside

They are products of their friendship with Nomiko and neither kill spiders.  Whoever finds the spider either just leaves it or takes it outside.

[thundersolstice]

I loved your headcannons for season 2 character development, how do you think kit and Kat's conflict would have planned out?

Thanks, anon! I am delighted for this excuse opportunity to continue analyzing and speculating about the thundercats and where they stand when the second season would have concluded.

Jeez I really rambled the whiskers out of this one I’m sorry haha.

Going by the interview, Kit and Kat didn’t get much more mention beyond what was already seeded in canon, but I absolutely love what I heard. Wilykit growing into a peaceful and (still!) unconditionally supportive woman makes her the perfect confidant, advisor, and partner for Lion-O. (Bonus: Kit has a tail and eked out a living in the slums, so making her queen can only mean good things for the kingdom at large. I personally like to think of this as ~The Marriage of King and Kingdom~ because the political implications of change achieved are glorious.) I also like the part where her beauty is The Last Straw that boots Lion-O into finally moving on from the betrayal and pain visited on him by Cheetara and Pumyra; nothing like ten+ years and a jaw-dropping bombshell to inspire another attempt at love lol. That seriously just makes me so happy like you have no idea, that Lion-O marries the most beautiful–inside and out!–cat available and they live happily ever after. It’s perfect.

But I’ve already written that meta. *clears throat* So the twins! Let’s start with a quick review of the canon material we know:

+ At some point, Wilykit and Wilykat split off from Lion-O’s company and go their separate ways: Kit to the elephant village, and Kat doubling down on his hunt for Eldara (as seeded in S01E12). Kat is also specifically said to end up in Dog City again. It’s unclear if the twins’ split from Lion-O/each other happens before, during, or after the first timeskip. It’s also implied (enough to make it a safe assumption) that the twins were not wholly stationary in their private pursuits and periodically met up with Lion-O and/or one another.

+ At the start of the second season (post first timeskip), Wilykit and Wilykat are teenagers. They could be in their early teens, but the way Norton talked, I have the distinct impression they’re in their mid-to-late teens, and have not spent most of that time in Lion-O’s company. Also pertinent is that Norton’s memory of the specifics was fuzzy, so that needs to be taken into interpretation. (My tentative assumption, therefore, is that the twins are maybe fifteen when the second season opens, and only see Lion-O when their paths cross; that is, they and Lion-O do not or very rarely actively seek one another out during the timeskip–but I do not pretend my interpretation perfectly aligns with canon without some kind of confirmation by Word of God.)

+ Wilykit’s natural power growth is heavily based in music: she’s described as “like the bard” character. I can’t quote it from memory, but I came away with the impression that she could use her music to control others (which would be a natural step up from putting them into a trance with her flupe); she would also have headphones. Wilykat’s natural power growth included his using all the pockets on his outfit more–pulling out and utilizing tricks/trick-like items, and the like. And that he would change the basis of a fight for better or worse (such as with sneezing powder or the like; I can’t quote the specific items Norton mentioned specifically), and nobody could really predict him.

+ Re growing up–without her brother around to egg her on, Wilykit becomes more peaceful. And without his sister to steady him, Wilykat becomes more wild. Where she finds a new home in the elephant village and continues to adopt the elephant ideals, he ends up back in Dog City and gets caught up with Tookit &c again. Wilykit eventually grows into a peaceful queen figure; Wilykat eventually grows into a “king of thieves” figure. Wilykit, as an adult, is described as beautiful; Wilykat, as an adult, is described as “like a slick villain.”

+ Wilykit is specifically stated to conclude the second season as Lion-O’s queen. Wilykat is specifically stated to believe in Lion-O’s Code (the 2011 Code of Thundera) despite being the/like a king of thieves.

+ The twins do eventually find Eldara, which is (something like?) another dimension and where the soul stone is located. They find their family in Eldara as some kind of (resting place?) before they move on to thundercat heaven. This part of their journey is therefore concluded happily (or bittersweet if they’ll never see their family again). The part about the twins’ family being dead conflicts with an earlier statement by the crew saying they’re alive, more speculating about that below.

Regarding individual character growth as interpreted by fandom–something I’ve noticed fans do to grown versions of the twins is to firmly limit their adult characterizations by where they were as eight-year-olds. I can appreciate why–it’s easier and faster to keep the basics provided by canon and build on just that than it is to analyze and hunt down any hints for the intended character growth and then develop the characters from there–and I’m certainly guilty of doing that sort of thing (especially when I was more interested in pushing what I wanted to be canon rather than analyzing and building on the actual canon material; and I really think that right there sums it up for most fans. Not saying it’s a bad thing to do; this is fandom, not law…As long as everyone is clear on what is and is not canon)–but that isn’t logical character progression, and I’m going to go ahead and spell out why:

On the purely external side, it makes very little sense for, say, Kit to become a cleric or Kat to become an officer in Lion-O’s army because:(a) TCats 2011 is a reboot, not a spinoff; not giving the kids their own unique paths would be blowing off an integral part of the classic series canon; and(b) the twins are part of the principal cast, main characters in their own right behind Lion-O–just like Panthro/Tygra/Cheetara/etc. They’re thundercats (nee thunderkittens). All of the main cast have their own storylines, and while their character development may not be as integral to the overarching plot like Lion-O’s is, they are still independent and complete arcs. Shoehorning the twins into a single path, or paths that are not unique to their personal stories, would be like denying them their legacy. They aren’t The Hero (that’s Lion-O), but they aren’t side characters (eg, Viragor, Hattanzo, etc), either.

On the purely mental/emotional side, those interpretations don’t even make sense outside the context of mental illness or bizarre time-freeze-drama (such as what the classic series Lion-O kicked off the 80s series with. What 2011 Lion-O suffers per the second timeskip is also worth pointing out, although the jump from twenty-something to thirty-something is substantially less severe than the jump from prepubescent to physiological-brain-development-complete).Who grows up to be the same person they were at the age of eight? The twins-as-kittens are absolutely and vastly more mature and capable than your average modern eight-year-old, but that doesn’t mean they don’t need to finish growing (and significantly at that). If they do retain any traits from their prepubescent years, most often those traits will have taken root from a completely different place (ie: they’d adopt a mature adult’s concept in place of a young child’s concept, and the similarities to what they believed as kids is therefore coincidental or irrelevant).

I’m just trying to underscore the logic of the twins’ canon arcs as described in the interview here. Basically, I love the plans for the twins and where they both would have ended up as characters. As for my interpretations of their long-term external goal of locating Eldara(/their family)–

Norton didn’t talk a whole lot about that, either, sadly, but we do know the basics: the twins do eventually find Eldara: it’s something like another dimension, and also the location of the final power stone. They find their family there in something like a pit stop prior to the in-universe version of Heaven. The suggestion that the twins’ family all being dead conflicts with an earlier statement by the crew saying the twins’ mother and siblings are alive. I’m inclined to put more weight behind the latter assertion because it was made years before the interview with Norton took place, and Norton himself made it clear he couldn’t recall all the exact details. So my thought is either (a) the twins’ mother/siblings die or in some other way “move on” into Eldara at some point after having survived the fall of Thundera; or (b) the crew was invoking their right of misdirection as they so often did (lol) and the twins’ mother/siblings did not survive the fall of Thundera or have already been dead by some other means. I do not recall if the twins’ dad was part of the conclusion to the Eldara conflict, or if they only saw their mother and siblings.

The rest is pure speculation: I think Kit and Kat would always maintain a relationship as siblings, but that their separate duties and interests would mean they do not meet very often, or at least do not live in the same general area of Third Earth. I think Kat would continue to adventure his way around Third Earth (swashbuckling style!) and would happily never settle down and start a family or the like. I think the twins have never had a super close relationship with any of the other thundercats (essentially, they’re casual teammates, not BFFs), and that this trend did not change with the second season except for the part where Kit and Lion-O start fighting more closely together. I think Wilykit would bear Lion-O at least one set of boy-girl twins because Kit was a twin and all her siblings were twins, and I think Kat would make a mischievous and super cool uncle much admired by his niece and nephew (of which their parents may or may not be especially wary). I love love love the contrast inherent in the troublemaking King of Thieves being the twin sibling of the steadfast Queen of New Thundera, and I think it very possible the crew would have portrayed this fun contrast as an ongoing dynamic.

Apologies for grammar/typos/unnecessary repeating of unnecessary information/etc. I’ll clean up this post later.

[darkpoisonouslove]

So I promised @trashcankitty12 a post about my headcanons about Griffin’s friendship with Ediltrude and Zarathustra and I’m delivering.

I’m just going to start with my headcanons for their personalities when they were younger (under a cut because it’s long again):

Ediltrude:

- She was actually the more aggressive twin when they were students and her first response to everything would be violence. Someone said something bad about her? Spell the bitch. Someone sabotaged a scheme of hers? Get revenge. Someone did something to Zara? Okay, call the police because there will be a murder here.

- She was the “wild” one that always had a new boyfriend (that she’d dump after a while and find herself another victim) and was always at parties getting wasted but then showing up the next day at class in top shape. Nobody knew how she was doing that.

- In that vein, she was at the top of every class, always having the best grades. She had to be better than everyone she hated, you know? It was law! There was no question about it.

- She always wanted attention (but, like, in a cute way and mostly from her sis) and her presence demanded it, really. And she was always “fashionably late” (except for classes).

- Jewelry is her thing! Especially rings and necklaces. She hoards them by the ton.

- She can’t cook for shit. And she doesn’t really eat that much (tbh all the witches are anorexic but that’s not a topic I want to delve into rn because I have STRONG opinions about it that don’t belong here). Zara is kind of worried about her, especially when she knows the only thing in her system is alcohol. But Ediltrude seems to be handling herself (better than Zara is tbh)

- Ediltrude is actually very emotional but she hides that fact behind a cold and unfeeling facade that also conceals her trust issues. You don’t have to be worried about people approaching you if everyone’s scared to approach you, you know?

- She’s independent, you know! Never mind that she wouldn’t last a day without her sis because there’d be no one she could talk to.

- She has a fierce love for animals, especially snakes, and had a shitton of them while they were still living at home before signing up for Cloud Tower. Zara was so done with it. Imagine the following convo:

Zara: I can’t step on the floor because your pets are everywhere. Edi: I’m sorry… that you’re a dumbass who can’t remember she can fly. Zara: I’m not flying in my own home! I want to be able to step on the floor. Edi: And I want to be able to take care of my pets in peace. Zara: Oh, I will give you peace! *death glare*

Ironically, Ediltrude’s cat loves Zara (possibly even more than Ediltrude) and always cuddles into her. Zara is so done with all the cat hair on her clothes. She never shoos the cat away though.

- Her other strength is divination which she mostly uses to mess with people by telling them what will go wrong with their relationships. And if you really piss her off, she might give you a prediction of your death.

Zarathustra:

- She was a bit more controlled in her temper compared to her sister but you didn’t want to be the target of her words. She was the queen of sass and sarcasm. Her anger was also more insidious and delayed than Ediltrude’s and while Edi would get her revenge on you on the spot and then proceed with her life, Zara would let you stew in anxiety over when she’d get back at you.

- Zara is actually a few minutes older than Ediltrude. She resorts to calling her “baby sister” sometimes to which Ediltrude’s response always is “Talking shit again I see”. And while Zara would tease her with the fact that she’s a bit younger because she knew it annoyed Edi even if she didn’t show it, she still felt kind of responsible for her as she is a little older (which is kind of ridiculous because she can’t handle herself but we give her points for trying).

- Zara was more awkward in social situations or at least so it seemed because she didn’t bother trying to hide her uneasiness around people. But that wouldn’t stop her from blurting out what was on her mind which usually wasn’t very flattering. But hey, people usually deserved it.

- She’s sort of a nihilist (and would totally fit in with Millennials and Gen Z) and can be a bit depressing to be around sometimes. But she’ll send you all the memes (let’s pretend they had memes, okay). That was her primary way of communication at one point and Ediltrude was a little worried (not to mention sick of the damn memes). But they got over it and Zara is more talkative now.

- She has a more instinctual approach when it comes to magic and didn’t spend that much time studying. She preferred to practice instead and have physical, tangible results instead of something she read in a book which often ended up in a spell gone wrong.

- She is always exhausted because she can never sleep. Ediltrude is pretty convinced the cause is in a potion that went wrong when they were 13 but Zara wouldn’t hear a word of it. She blames it on stress and everyone pissing her off which results in restlessness and sleep problems.

- She pretty much runs on coffee since she gets very little sleep and is kinda a mess. But when it comes to insults, her brain is always ready and on the go. You can’t beat her at that no matter how sleep deprived she is. If only that were true when it came to her studies.

- She is actually a big fan of food (she has to get energy somewhere since she can’t sleep) but stays thin no matter how much she eats. She can barely cook, though, although she is better at it than Ediltrude. But not by much.

- Her strength are potions which she always experiments with. That results in utter chaos at her working space since there are ingredients everywhere. Ediltrude was afraid her animals would accidentally eat the wrong thing and either turn into an object or into a demon.

- Which Zara would’ve probably liked because demons have always been of special interest to her. She’s pretty sure she has a few of those trapped in her own soul and that she would be besties with any demons she can summon. Ediltrude had to keep the summoning spells under lock and key to be sure that she won’t find her sister possessed some day.

Griffin:

- Griffin was the quietest of the three, yet, the most menacing. Nobody dared mess with her after she taught some seniors a lesson for calling her pixie because of the whole thing with Faragonda. Well, nobody but Edi and Zara. But that’s stuff for later.

- She was a bookworm and spent a lot of time in the library, always reading about spells and anything else she could get her hands on, really. Books helped her calm down and escape the crushing reality. She was safe between the pages where the world’s resentment for her couldn’t reach her.

- Her strength were her words but she wasn’t afraid to act when the situation called for it. And there was a situation like that any other day tbh. Someone would decide to be an idiot and she’d have to interfere.

- She was clearly a strategist and would think everything through, coming up with the perfect plan to mess with some fairies or get revenge on a witch that crossed her.

- She was religious about her studies, much like Ediltrude, and the two were always competing for the first place at every class while Zara would just roll her eyes at them and try to take a nap. She didn’t get enough sleep for this shit!

- She is the one member of the trio that can actually cook and won’t burn the whole kitchen down in the process. However, she survives mainly on tea. She has all the tea and that’s pretty much her only intake when it comes to food and liquids. Zara was absolutely shocked when she learned that. Even Ediltrude enjoyed a normal, healthy meal once in a while. But not Griffin. Makes you wonder why she’s so good at cooking. She actually enjoys taking care of others by making them meals but she would never admit it.

- She knows everything about plants and is a specialist on herbalism. Have a health problem? She’ll cure you in hours. She has so many plants you feel like you’re in the jungle.

- She’s not that much into animals but crows have always liked her and she - them. They are one of the most intelligent animals and she feels them as companions in a way. Their presence calms her and helps chase away the loneliness.

- She also knows everything about crystals and how to use them in spells. Especially healing spells. She’s always been good at those but all the negativity and hate the world has been giving her for the fact that she’s a witch with dark magic pushed her to seek out the more destructive side of her magic and utilize it instead of what she was naturally good at.

- Her knowledge of astronomy helps her coordinate her spells so that they draw power from the cosmos, making her magic even stronger since she’s using nature in her favor. It gave her a big advantage on all the other witches and she loved showing off with that by challenging seniors to sparring (when she wasn’t one herself) and defeating them.

Now for the friendship:

- Griffin was transferred into the twins’ room after it turned out Faragonda was a fairy. So it was kind of a last minute arrangement and nobody was happy about it. Least of all Griffin and Edi and Zara.

- The three didn’t like each other at first. The twins were hellbent on giving her grief about being a fairy but she quickly managed to “convince” them not to do it. Magic was involved. It wasn’t pretty. They learned not to mess with her though. Still, that only made the relationship between them even more strained. Not to mention that Griffin couldn’t stand the arguments between Zara and Edi and would soon get involved into the mess herself.

- Sharing a dorm room wasn’t easy for the three of them since they practically had no space to move around. Between Griffin’s plants, Zara’s potions and Ediltrude’s clothes the room was packed. Quite a few incidents with Zara’s potions occurred because of the limited space. Not to mention that the tensions always raised through the roof in the matter of seconds thanks to the stuffy atmosphere.

- To add to that, Ediltrude had had the brilliant idea to sneak two of her snakes into the room. Even Zara didn’t know about that so she was quite scandalized when Griffin found the snakes in her bed. Ediltrude begged them both to keep her secret. Zara agreed easier than Griffin who finally gave in on condition that Ediltrude failed that upcoming test they had. It was more of a test of its own, though, since she wanted to see just how much the snakes meant to her. She didn’t let her fail in the end. That was when Ediltrude realized that the two of them may have more in common than originally thought, acting tough but that was actually only a veneer that hid a sensitive soul underneath.

- Zara found out how caring a person Griffin actually was when she blew up one of her plants with a potion gone wrong but instead of getting angry with her, Griffin made her some tea to help her sleep and concentrate to avoid more of those accidents. At first Zara thought she was trying to poison her but when she saw the results, she was grateful to Griffin. That was the first time in years that she actually managed to sleep like a normal person.

- The three soon figured out how well they work as a team and then it was over for all of those other witches. Of course, there was still the problem with the space they were facing but things ran much smoother when they weren’t at each other’s throats all the time. Their energy went into making life miserable for everyone else. And they were too good at it. From hating each other they went to being inseparable.

- So when Ediltrude’s snakes were finally discovered during senior year, Griffin and Zara stood up for her. Which earned them suspension for a month as well. That month was well utilized, though, in wreaking havoc all around their home planets with their friendship going as strong as ever.

- In fact, they only fell out of touch when Griffin joined Valtor and the Ancestral Witches.

That’s all I got for you today! Now I want to make an aesthetic about the three of them! Damn, and I have a lot of other stuff to work on. I’m going out of my mind here with everything I want to get done!

[lysandology]

INTRO POST TEMPLATE - Lysander Scamander

Full Character Name:  Lysander Xenophilius Scamander

Does your character have siblings? What are their names?: Twin brother: Lorcan Scamander

What is your characters best subject in school? Charms

What is your characters wand?  Phoenix wing feather, Fairly Heavy, 11 1/4 inches, Mahogany with fairly smooth and bark-like markings, Pine

Can your character cast a Patronus? What is it? What memory do they use?: Still learning.

Who is your characters best friend?: His brother, Lorcan.

Does your character look up to anyone? Who? Queenie Goldstein, his great-aunt. The woman had always been someone he’s looked up to because she was willing to do anything and was always really sympathetic. She was always willing to sneak off with the twins and utilize her abilities to make everything fun.

What is your characters relationship like with their family? He loves his family. They tend to be in the news because of how his mum acts, and Lysander was quick to defend her and would constantly get in trouble at a young age because of him picking fights with others who taunted him. He loves his mum and sees how creative, smart, and herself she is. Lysander is proud of who he is and his family’s role in saving the magical community.

If your character has siblings, do they have a favorite? Only one. His brother.

What is your characters go-to spell in a duel? Lysander has never been a big fan of dueling. As someone who prefers healing he is usually the one stepping in when things get tough or helping the individuals on the sidelines. He isn’t one to back out of a challenge and he loves the laughs so he uses the laughing curse and then uses a knock back spell.

What spell does your character use most often? Concealing spells. Mostly because he loves sneaking around on the Hogwarts grounds to see the different types of creatures that visit the area. There’s been a lot of times he’s went in the forbidden forest with his brother.

Five or more facts/headcanons about your character: - Lysander is openly bisexual. He came out during his 2nd year after struggling with it for so long. He thought that his parents would for some reason have a problem with it but his mom ended up laughing and his father rolled his eyes at the thought that they wouldn’t approve. Lysander has dated women and men throughout his time at Hogwarts, his longest relationship lasting 2 years with a male. - Lysander really wants to be a medic for animals and humans. He’s trying his best to figure out how it’s possible for him to do both, thinking he may go into his own private practice. He’s been helping his father with his travels and studies along with working at Hugo’s during the summer and winter breaks. He’s pretty good at what he does. He excells at potions due to the natural component. - Lysander is very into vintage american fashion. A lot of his clothing don’t line up with wizard culture and he often gets looks for it that don’t really phase him. His favorite outfit is his looney tunes sweatshirt along with his maroon pants and converse sneakers. - Lysander has a fear of ventroloquist dummies and old dolls. The fear comes from him being left alone in a doll shop when he was younger and had been stuck for hours due to a failed wizard robbery gone wrong in America.

[dailycharacteroption]

Quintessentialist (Spiritualist Archetype)

Hailing from Distant Realms, a book I recently finished, today we’re looking at an archetype associated with that city of lost souls in Pharasma’s realm, Spire’s Edge!

Like the unmotivated souls that dwell in that otherworldly city, this archetype represents an individual who lacks motivation, purpose, and/or energy, yet deep within them, just like all mortals, lies the spark of potential that demands development. Such warring forces, with that need to become more facing off against ennui, listlessness, or perhaps mental disorders like depression and anxiety, creates a rift in the soul, creating two beings, the mortal who has trouble doing anything right, and an exemplar, a spirit-self which represents what the person could be, the culmination of all their best (or at least, iconic) qualities.

How exactly these dualistic individuals come about, but it creates an interesting dynamic, especially since their otherworldy companion pulls a lot of weight for them, yet is also technically the same being.

This archetype is interesting, as it represents another form that an uneven spiritualist/phantom relationship like the haunted archetype can play out, though technically the being they create is an aspect of themselves, similar to the fractured mind archetype.

 Though they are indeed spiritualists capable of psychic magic, these mystics seem to lack focus compared to their contemporaries, requiring a few seconds longer to cast even the simplest of magic.

Their strength, however, comes from their ability to summon their exemplar at relatively great speed, and in addition to its various other abilities, the exemplar has the same physique and mind as the person it is based on, can cast the spells of the spiritualist without the limitations of the quintessentialist, and can teleport much of their mortal companion’s equipment to themselves upon being summoned, and their spiritualist partner can transfer knowledge of various techniques to the exemplar phantom. However, projecting such a being is draining, the mystic unable to cast spells, being weakened in all regards, and slowly draining their life away as long as it is manifested.

Though simple, this archetype can heavily change how the spiritualist plays. Though capable of casting spells on their own, the action economy of quintessentialists is garbage in that regard, regulating their personal spellcasting to utility actions out of combat. Generally speaking, you’ll want to build this spiritualists with the thought of keeping the “real” one back while the rapidly summoned exemplar moves in. This includes taking feats that suit the build you want your phantom to have so you can transfer them over, and spells that make sense for your build, such as buffs, debuffs, and maybe some blasting spells. Don’t forget, however, that your spiritualist exists, and with the right magic items they can lend supporting fire and spells of their own without the limitations their own magic normally presents.

 While it can be fun to play this archetype all the way to the campaign’s end, it also represents a perfect opportunity to utilize the retraining rules from ultimate campaign when, at an opportune moment in the campaign’s story, the quintessentialist realizes what they were missing and becomes whole, bidding their exemplar adieu as they merge back together into one whole being. Obviously psychic casting classes or archetypes make the most sense to retrain into on account of their previous abilities demonstrating a talent for such things, but regardless there is a lot of potential there.

  Fully expected to stay in his home village all of his life, all of that changed for Valbim Applemouth when his true self, endlessly envious of the traveling merchants and adventurers that came through the halfling’s town. Urged on by this otherworldly companion, the meek lad left the family orchard in search of something more than trees and cider.

 Kept like an animal in the menagerie of a callous and wicked noble, Nakal has never seen his homeland, and knows little of the outside world, but the broken kuru youth still retains the blood thirst and vigor of his people, which manifests sometimes as a figure of blood-soaked rage separate from his body. Terrified of this, he keeps it a secret, for now.

 Belladona Ipria has been lauded as a prodigy of multiple disciplines, the young noble skilled at both swordplay and magic. Her twin sister, Dahlia, seemingly lacks any talent whatsoever. When Dahlia is kidnapped, her sister is nowhere to be seen, not even by the kidnappers. However, her parents are very insistent that her rescuers get “both” of their daughters back.

[zealoustigercollective-blog]

Genesis To Transgenic Revelation

text a psychic It seems a new stand alone game is coming from Video games Workshop, referred to as Labyrinth of the Necrons. Not lots of particulars, but hopefully this can jumpstart all that. By 1985, Elizabeth Fraser was David Lynch's favorite http://www.psychicsfuture.com residing singer. Lynch needed her version of ‘Track To The Siren', the Tim Buckley observe, recorded with the studio collective This Mortal Coil, for Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks. He wished Fraser and her associate Robin Guthrie to mime on stage in the prom scene. Often known as the prosperity gospel,” it is decidedly unbiblical. Sure, the Bible encourages believers to provide ( 1 Corinthians sixteen:2 ; 2 Corinthians 9:6 ). And sure, the Bible teaches that those that give generously will probably be blessed by God ( Luke 6:38 ; 2 Corinthians 9:7 ). However, the Bible doesn't teach that we must always give IN ORDER THAT we will probably be blessed. The Bible teaches that we should always give as a result of we love God and need to thank Him for what He has given us. Our motive for giving should not be in order that God will bless us in return. Relatively, our motive for giving needs to be to glorify God and to share the blessings He has given, thereby additional increasing His kingdom and promoting the message of the gospel. The message, focus, and motive of the well being-wealth televangelists are clearly unbiblical. I should point out though that Kamandi was originally an adult character however DC Editor-in-Chief Carmine Infantino ordered him modified to a teenager. Jack was by no means huge on child characters, and usually solely labored on them when Joe Simon (who was very big on them) or another writer or editor insisted on it. Anyway, the Supreme Vega Soviet is scandalized after they be taught that these shaved-monkey Terrans nonetheless apply pair-bonding and reproduce themselves sexually. They won't psychic texting UK say it, however I will: consciously or in any other case, Laura Palmer is Elizabeth Fraser. I ought to interject here that my mom has all the time been special. She will be able to sense or see issues I name (precisely or not) 'psychic reminiscences' -of buildings and forests that have burned, for instance, however most often blood/murders (in resort rooms, in the desert, on battlefields, in castles, and so on). When she was little, she drove her mom batty by always strolling into walls, but when she requested my mom why she kept strolling into the walls, my mother stated she couldn't see them... she saw by them like they weren't there. My lover of five years left me for another woman. I used to be hurt and depressed, a buddy urged the idea to contact a spell caster, which I'd have never considered myself. I contacted a number of of them however manifestspellcast@ was the one person who might restore my relationship in a blink of an eye fixed. he was understanding, replied all my emails promptly and patiently. at first I used to be a bit skeptical about his capability to convey my man again to me. however it was so stunning that it took him Solely three days restore my relationship, my lover returned to me and since then, evidently there is no extra mistrust and no more lies between us. For that motive, I'm gladly leaving a testimonial on this page, which I imagine will assist remedy many relationship case.

I assume I used to be utilizing 'West' in the Classical sense somewhat than the Chilly Conflict sense, however you recognize, I believe you have bought right to the heart of it - Evil folks exist in every tradition, society, and country, and people who might lack the means to hurt others do not lack the motivation or means to do so, if given half a chance. There may be nothing they can't rationalize in the event that they view themselves as above or others as less-than. And as you said, the important thing underlying motivation is dominance and control over others/everyone.

[dani-qrt]

Language as extreme sport: Youngsters square off in U.S. spelling bee

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – At the annual Scripps National Spelling Bee this week, hundreds of youngsters will compete in a uniquely American contest that has been likened to an intellectual extreme sport, involving one of the world’s most tricky languages.

FILE PHOTO: Will Lourcey, 14, of Fort Worth, Texas, contemplates a word during the 2017 Scripps National Spelling Bee at National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland, U.S., May 31, 2017. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo

The competitors, some as young as 8 years old, face a three-day obstacle course through the English language, a mash-up of Germanic and French words laced with borrowings from tongues around the world. Any of 470,000 entries in the “Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary” is fair game.

Their challenge is to outlast the field by coming up with the correct spelling of obscure words that often feature any one of a number of letter combinations that form identical sounds in English.

For the grade-school students who have trained year-round for the event, the pressure is enormous. They will compete for a $40,000 top prize, under the bright lights of ESPN, the cable channel that covers the competition as if it were tennis or skate-boarding.

“When I was competing it was an absolute pressure cooker, but not to the extent it is today,” said Nupur Lala, 33, who became the star of the documentary “Spellbound” when she nailed “logorrhea” to win the 1999 Bee.

“Now it has brinkmanship, and things you wouldn’t see before – an 8-year-old spelling a German or polysyllabic word that I’ve never heard of,” said Lala, who will shortly start a medical residency at Brown University.

Anita Beroza of Belmont, CA, tries to relax before her turn as the next speller at the Scripps National Spelling Bee at National Harbor in Maryland, U.S. May 29, 2018. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Beginning on Tuesday, more than 500 contestants from the United States and eight foreign countries take part in the 91st Scripps National Spelling Bee, to be held in Oxon Hill, Maryland, outside Washington. The championship finals are on Thursday night.

Winnowed from 11 million hopefuls in schools around the world, contestants range in age from 8 to 15 and include the Bee’s first-ever twins – two sets of brothers from Utah and Mississippi.

Geoffrey Nunberg, a linguist at the University of California Berkeley, said the Bee was more of an intellectual exercise than a practical gauge of language skill since almost no one would ever use such recent Bee-winning words as “marocain,” “nunatak” and “guetapens.”

“It bears the same relationship to regular spelling as riding a BMX bike does to riding a bike in the street,” Nunberg said, referring to another extreme sport covered by ESPN.

Slideshow (2 Images)

Anamika Veeramani, who won the 2010 Bee by spelling “stromuhr,” called the contest “an American pastime” that had sharpened her language, even though nearly all of the words she had learned would never come up in everyday use.

“If you did everything just for the utility of it, I don’t think that we as human beings would do half of what we do,” said Veeramani, a Yale graduate who is headed for Harvard Medical School.

A STAGE AND A MICROPHONE

Sam Rega, who produced and directed the 2018 documentary “Breaking the Bee,” about Indian-Americans’ two-decade dominance of the Bee, said contestants were like high-performance athletes. Now only do they need to master the English language’s chaotic spelling system, they must back up the preparation with stamina and intense concentration.

“It’s just you on a stage, with a microphone and your knowledge base,” he said.

Spelling bees, which date back to 18th Century America, have enduring popularity as an all-American indicator of literacy and a reward system based on merit, Numberg said. As such, they have become a celebration of pride in communities, local schools and the complexities of the English language.

“We’re really proud of our persnickety spelling system,” he said, using a word that might challenge most Americans to spell correctly but probably not this year’s contestants.

Editing by Frank McGurty and Nick Zieminski

The post Language as extreme sport: Youngsters square off in U.S. spelling bee appeared first on World The News.

from World The News https://ift.tt/2JepDvv via Online News

[dragnews]

Language as extreme sport: Youngsters square off in U.S. spelling bee

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – At the annual Scripps National Spelling Bee this week, hundreds of youngsters will compete in a uniquely American contest that has been likened to an intellectual extreme sport, involving one of the world’s most tricky languages.

FILE PHOTO: Will Lourcey, 14, of Fort Worth, Texas, contemplates a word during the 2017 Scripps National Spelling Bee at National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland, U.S., May 31, 2017. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/File Photo

The competitors, some as young as 8 years old, face a three-day obstacle course through the English language, a mash-up of Germanic and French words laced with borrowings from tongues around the world. Any of 470,000 entries in the “Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary” is fair game.

Their challenge is to outlast the field by coming up with the correct spelling of obscure words that often feature any one of a number of letter combinations that form identical sounds in English.

For the grade-school students who have trained year-round for the event, the pressure is enormous. They will compete for a $40,000 top prize, under the bright lights of ESPN, the cable channel that covers the competition as if it were tennis or skate-boarding.

“When I was competing it was an absolute pressure cooker, but not to the extent it is today,” said Nupur Lala, 33, who became the star of the documentary “Spellbound” when she nailed “logorrhea” to win the 1999 Bee.

“Now it has brinkmanship, and things you wouldn’t see before – an 8-year-old spelling a German or polysyllabic word that I’ve never heard of,” said Lala, who will shortly start a medical residency at Brown University.

Anita Beroza of Belmont, CA, tries to relax before her turn as the next speller at the Scripps National Spelling Bee at National Harbor in Maryland, U.S. May 29, 2018. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Beginning on Tuesday, more than 500 contestants from the United States and eight foreign countries take part in the 91st Scripps National Spelling Bee, to be held in Oxon Hill, Maryland, outside Washington. The championship finals are on Thursday night.

Winnowed from 11 million hopefuls in schools around the world, contestants range in age from 8 to 15 and include the Bee’s first-ever twins – two sets of brothers from Utah and Mississippi.

Geoffrey Nunberg, a linguist at the University of California Berkeley, said the Bee was more of an intellectual exercise than a practical gauge of language skill since almost no one would ever use such recent Bee-winning words as “marocain,” “nunatak” and “guetapens.”

“It bears the same relationship to regular spelling as riding a BMX bike does to riding a bike in the street,” Nunberg said, referring to another extreme sport covered by ESPN.

Slideshow (2 Images)

Anamika Veeramani, who won the 2010 Bee by spelling “stromuhr,” called the contest “an American pastime” that had sharpened her language, even though nearly all of the words she had learned would never come up in everyday use.

“If you did everything just for the utility of it, I don’t think that we as human beings would do half of what we do,” said Veeramani, a Yale graduate who is headed for Harvard Medical School.

A STAGE AND A MICROPHONE

Sam Rega, who produced and directed the 2018 documentary “Breaking the Bee,” about Indian-Americans’ two-decade dominance of the Bee, said contestants were like high-performance athletes. Now only do they need to master the English language’s chaotic spelling system, they must back up the preparation with stamina and intense concentration.

“It’s just you on a stage, with a microphone and your knowledge base,” he said.

Spelling bees, which date back to 18th Century America, have enduring popularity as an all-American indicator of literacy and a reward system based on merit, Numberg said. As such, they have become a celebration of pride in communities, local schools and the complexities of the English language.

“We’re really proud of our persnickety spelling system,” he said, using a word that might challenge most Americans to spell correctly but probably not this year’s contestants.

Editing by Frank McGurty and Nick Zieminski

The post Language as extreme sport: Youngsters square off in U.S. spelling bee appeared first on World The News.

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