#after you successfully complete one (1) task off your list

[colourmeblood]

[blouisparadise]

Upon request, today we have a rec list of bottom Louis fics that feature breastfeeding or lactation. If you enjoy our rec lists, please be sure to like and reblog this post to help spread the word. Happy reading!

1) Come Here (And Rescue Me) | General Audiences | 2,139 words

“It’s because of people like you that the world is going to the dogs.” The woman barked with scorn. Her eyes were as dark as her soul and Louis held Apollo closer when he started to whimper, being very in tune with his surroundings. “Breastfeeding in a park? Where do you think you are? We’re not in one of these poorly developed countries where you can act in such a discourteous way and…” “I’m sorry, but could you get lost?”

2) Effervescent Opal, Say My Name | Mature | 3,463 words

Louis has an oversupply of milk after his first pregnancy and Harry wants nothing more than to suck him dry.

3) Stuck On Me, Stuck On You | Not Rated | 8,738 words

It’s not a big deal that Harry and Louis grew up together, and not a big deal that Harry is in love with Louis since he can remember. But it’s a big deal that Louis is pregnant and has no idea who the father is.

4) Could Start A Cult | Explicit | 8,750 words

He lowers down the top that Louis is wearing, successfully unclasping his nursing bra as well, letting Louis’ tits bounce at the sudden movement. Harry massages both breasts to stimulate the milk flow, and he can feel his cock hardening inside his pants.

5) I Don't Want To Close My Eyes (I Don't Want To Miss A Thing) | Explicit | 13,605 words

Note: This fic is locked and can only be read by AO3 users.

Louis is married to Liam and pregnant with his child. Liam isn't ready to be a father, but Dr. Harry Styles is more than willing.

6) Three's A Crowd, Four's A Party | Mature | 16,569 words

"Morgan, sweetie, mommy and daddy have something we want to talk to you about." The little girl looks at them confused, having no idea what's about to happen. "First I want to tell you that we love you very much and nothing will ever change that, okay?" "I love you too!" Louis smiles. "What we wanted to talk to you about is that there's going to be some changes around here soon." "Why?" "Because mommy's having a baby."

7) Mob Boss Omega | Mature | 16,786 words

Mafia "any organized group using extortion and other criminal methods" In all definitions, I am in line for the throne. As the son of a mob boss I'm set to inherit everything my father has built up. He's always been set on expanding though and who better to use than his overprotected omega son. That's me in case you're wondering. The crown omega prince of the mob.

8) Baby, Loving You’s The Real Thing | Explicit | 21,011 words

Harry never thought he’d be taking care of a child at the age of twenty-one—well, trying to anyway.

9) Fell For You | Explicit | 26,136 words

A crime investigation fic in which Detective Louis Tomlinson and Detective Harry Styles are tasked to solve a case together where Louis hates Harry Styles or does he?

10) For Your Eyes Only | Not Rated | 26,501 words

Note: This fic is locked and can only be read by AO3 users.

Louis likes to feel beautiful and taken care of. Harry is just the person to help. They figure it out together.

11) Just Forget The World | Explicit | 42,861 words

Note: This fic is locked and can only be read by AO3 users.

Louis is the last person on earth who can get pregnant after the birthrates decreased then completely stopped twenty years before and in search for someone with good genetics and a family tree Harry is chosen to mate with him.

12) I'm Me When I'm With You | Mature | 86,123 words

AU in which Louis finally is able to attend the University he’s been dreaming off: Queens University. But fate works in mysterious ways and it certainly doesn’t care about your dreams nor your plans. No, fate had a whole other future planned for him the moment he met the popular, gorgeous and mighty Alpha named, Harry Styles who accidentally impregnates him after a one nightstand… Accidents happen, but not all accidents are bad.

Check out our other fic rec lists by category here and by title here.

[xximnotafckingprincessxx]

Secret Life - Episode 8 'Secrets'

Welcome to (likely!) the penultimate week of Secret Life!

As always, remember that the 'Re-rolled Tasks' section at the bottom will be for any task that may not have been completed by choice (aka. secrets that were willingly handed in for a harder task, or secrets that had to be handed in for whatever reason), while whatever secret was the one intended to be completed will be listed in the main list. I will be listening all of the 'red tasks' in the main list as well, until they either have a failure or until there were no more given in their episode. I'll also note if anyone fully does not complete a task, while the colour of their names will also represent which life they are currently on.

As more people start to permanently die, I will also note their placement in the overall game at the bottom of the main list; this will be a numbered list and so as of right now the number itself does not reflect their actual standing, but their position on the list (in relation to each other) will. It should all make sense eventually, as the numbered list will become increasingly more accurate to actual placement standings once more people permanently die. Next week I may also just focus primarily on this list, rather than listing all of the red tasks, due to the abundance of red names. I'll decide next week!

I will be updating this post as more people post their perspectives, if not all uploaded by the time I complete the initial post. With this, we then have...

Bigbst4tz2 – "Summon a mob using an egg to deal any damage to any green." → "Strike a deal with a non-red to cause at least 3 hearts of damage to another non-red. You succeed when they have dealt the damage." → "Go invisible and hit at least 5 different people with a sword within 1 minute without being hit back." (FAILED) → "Cause a player to take suffocation damage of any kind."

BdoubleO100 – "Kill a green name with a trap of any kind."

Etho – "You are the silent server hero. You must protect other yellow players from traps and damage. You succeed if you are able to save a player from significant damage (more than 2 hearts) at least 3 times." *Given a red task after failure: "Get another player to look at an enderman." (FAILED... willingly?) → "Create a damaging trap in someone's base. You succeed when it's unintentionally triggered. If it's discovered, you must make a new one. You can make multiple until one is triggered successfully." (FAILED... willingly?) → "Do any amount of damage with a dripstone (Must be placed)."

GeminiTay – "Eliminate at least 3 non-red horses or all of a player's wolves." → "Mine a big hole underground then spleef a player into taking damage into it." → "Add berry bushes anywhere and everywhere. Cause someone to get pricked by one. You can punch people into the bushes if you need to." → "Cause a player to take fall damage of over 1 heart." → "Hit a green name with a sword until they block you with a shield. If you kill them, you also succeed." → "Build a base at close to build height to 'hide your valuables.' Wait for a non-red to investigate and push them off."

GoodTimeWithScar – "You must sabotage at least 3 red player's bases without being seen. You can hide their stuff, destroy farms or burn things. If you are caught, you fail." *Given a red task after success: "Dig many 1x1 holes at least 15 blocks deep in high traffic areas until someone falls in one. Hide them with tall grass."

Grian – "A fallen player is your ghostly angel, they will secretly guide you through this episode, you must do what they say. You fail if anyone asks if you are talking to someone else. They will contact you using ethereal means to set up a means of conversation."

ImpulseSV – "During this session, you must enter conversations in a creative way. You pass when you have successfully entered 8 different conversations or encounters in a different manner. You can enter conversations as normal, but it will not count towards your overall goal." (FAILED)

InTheLittleWood – "Find a non-red name with at least 20 hearts. Take approximately 10 of them in any way you see fit. If there are none, damage any player for at least 5 hearts." → "Go invisible and punch a green life off a cliff. They must take at least 3 hearts of damage." (FAILED)

PearlescentMoon – "During this session, you must leave conversations in a creative way. You pass when you have successfully left 8 different conversations or encounters in a different manner. You can leave conversations as normal, but it will not count towards your overall goal." (FAILED)

Skizzleman – "Kill a green name by any means. They can fight back once you have initiated combat."

Smajor1995 – "You are a bad spy. You must listen in red players' plans, but convey bad intel to your fellow yellow players. You must give at least 3 significant false intel such as incorrect targets or intentions. At least one of the bad intel must be acted upon by another player." (FAILED)

Smallishbeans – "Fire arrows from an unenchanted bow continously at GoodTimeWithScar until they deflect with a shield. If they die, you also succeed." → "Build an explosive under a high traffic area. Detonate it from afar when a conversation is happening. If you deal any damage, you succeed." → "Build a TNT cannon and successfully hit a base from at least 50 blocks." → "You must damage a yellow or green player by firing a bow straight up into the air. The angle can not be below roughly 70 degrees." → "Take at least 5 wolves and use them to deal damage to a non-red." → "Use redstone to damage a non-red player. You can not hit them with the item, it must be a machine or trap of some kind."

Tango – "Enderpearl into a conversation, deal as much damage as you can to as many players, if you are hit or they all run away, enderpearl away."

ZombieCleo – "@ supergratmonkey: You are a secret santa. You have to randomize who is naughty and nice on the serve. You must give a gift to all nice players and pull a trick, damage or steal from naughty players. You can not do the same gift/trick twice in the session." (FAILED)

Out of Lives:

Mumbo (third out)

SolidarityGaming 👀 (second out)

LDShadowLady (first out)

*Re-rolled Tasks: None this week!

[thevibraniumveterans]

REBELS REWATCH

S2E1 — THE SIEGE OF LOTHAL

The episode begins with the Ghost being flanked by two A-Wings and pursued by TIEs. Hera instructs that they should aim to reach the freighter and to “keep the TIEs off our back.” Ezra, in the Ghost’s forward gunner’s seat, grins: “Good shot, Phoenix-1. Save some for the rest of us.” The Ghost's path is clear, and it is revealed that Hera and the Spectres have a new fleet to watch their backs when needed. Hera banks hard left to avoid an incoming TIE; Zeb complains of the unsteadiness, and Ezra teases him: “Come on, Zeb. Where’s your sense of adventure?” Zeb falls to the loading bay, but Ezra turns back to the viewport, still grinning. Hera tells her crew that she’s “moving into position”. Sabine is piloting the Phantom, one hand on the yoke and the other on the controls. She acknowledges: “Copy, Spectre-2. I’m on my mark.” Her targeting computer locks into her target: “Firing…now!” Thumbing the trigger buttons, she lets loose a barrage of laser fire, freeing several cartons from a transport ship, and zips away. Satisfied, she comms Hera, “Cargo is liberated. Spectre-2, you’re clear for pickup.” Unfortunately for them, Imperial reinforcements have arrived. Ezra, having long since picked up foul language from his roommate Zeb, swears: “Ah, karabast!”

The Ghost is pursued by two TIEs. More than used to this, Ezra notes, “Whew! Got real crowded all of a sudden.” In the Phantom, Sabine heads over to shake off a few TIEs, saying, “Got you covered, Phoenix-1.” She successfully laser bombs a TIE. Zeb prepares to pickup the containers from earlier, and Ezra, aware of the time constraints, relays, “Uh, anytime, Zeb.” The Lasat completes his task, and Hera relays to Phoenix Squadron, “Mission accomplished.” The fleet zips into hyperspace, Kanan blasts a few more TIEs into oblivion, and instructs Sabine to dock the Phantom with the Ghost. She does so, with calculated precision, as always; Ezra, still in the forward gunner’s bay, senses her presence, triumphant and bright. He looks up and smiles: “She’s home.” He’s glad that the mission has gone well and according to plan, mostly, but he’s also glad that Sabine’s back on the Ghost.

Later, aboard the rebel capital ship Phoenix Home, the Spectres and Ahsoka meet with Commander Jun Sato, who commends them. Sabine, listening intently, has her hands on her hips. A few feet to her left, Ezra, standing beside Sato, rests his hands on the edge of the large center console, and looks up and smiles at the Commander’s closing comments. After a short exchange between Hera and Ahsoka, Chopper barrels into the meeting room without so much of a warning, and Ezra straightens his posture. The droid has an incoming transmission; it starts playing, and Ezra realizes, “Hey, it’s Old Jho!” Moments pass, and Minister Tua, of all people, walks into frame, begging for help. Sabine, like the others, think something’s fishy. Zeb gives voice to her concerns. Minister Tua is frantic: “Please, I beg you. Listen to my request. My life is in danger. I need you to give me safe passage off Lothal. I assure you, my intentions are sincere. To prove it, I will trade secret Imperial information.” Ezra, having walked over to the other side of Sabine, turns slightly toward her and raises his eyebrows at this highly unusual request. Ezra looks back at the live hologram of Minister Tua. Sabine asks, “You’re defecting from the Empire?” Tua admits so. Ezra’s expression turns contemplative; after a moment, he says, “She’s telling the truth.” Guarded, he stammers a bit, but reveals that he “can sense her fear.” Kanan agrees, but asks, “of what?” Ezra frowns and looks away, pondering this question. Nearby, Ahsoka notes this exchange. Hera asks Tua what she can trade, and Tua replies, “A list of rebel sympathizers on Lothal and other nearby systems.” Sato is not convinced, and wonders why said sympathizers “have not been arrested”. Tua notes that some have friends in high places, and that the rebels “need allies”, and as such, need to “get me off Lothal and I will give you the list.” Kanan dismisses the notion, and Sabine agrees, given her experience: “It’s obviously a trap.” She’s not too happy about this latest development. Ezra side-eyes her momentarily; Tua continues, saying that she’s “discovered the true reason the Empire came to Lothal.” Hera knows why, and says so, but Tua reveals there is another reason “known only to a few and ordered by the Emperor himself.” At this news, Ezra is the only one left watching Tua’s live message; Hera has turned to discuss this with Ahsoka, Kanan, and Sato, and Sabine speaks with Zeb. Ezra steps forward after a few contemplative moments, and says, “We have to do this.” Surprisingly, Ahsoka and Kanan agree. No surprise there, they’re the only three in the room that are, to the knowledge of everyone else in there, the only Force Sensitive ones, and so, would be able to discern better than most when decisions are not made in haste. Sato agrees, and Ezra turns back to Tua and determinedly says: “Minister, we’ll get you out. Send us your coordinates.” Tua thanks him; Ezra turns around, and walks back the way he came, calmly brushing right past Kanan.

Hera and Kanan head to the hallway, then into a small corridor, and discuss his distrust of joining a bigger rebellion and her insistence that the goal has always been the same, they just did the smaller job. At this moment, Ezra walks past the other side of the corridor, overhearing the discussion. He stops by the doorway and decides to listen, despite it being a private moment. Kanan notes, “I survived one war. I’m not ready for another one. I saw what it did.” Ezra eavesdrops pensively. “To the Jedi,” Hera finishes. “To everyone,” Kanan corrects. He steps out of the corridor and heads back down the hallway. Hera follows. Ezra, on the other hand, reflects on the weightiness of that revelation, and watches Kanan and Hera walk away. Through the Force, Ezra senses conflict, sadness, wariness, and narrows his eyes a little.

Onboard a Star Commuter shuttle, Ezra sits a row behind Kanan. Hera boards, followed by Zeb and Sabine, who says, “So, we’re not taking the Ghost, and we’re letting Chopper drive?” Hera notes that it’s safer than being tracked by the Empire. The crew enters hyperspace, and Kanan asks what the plan is. Ezra says that “Minister Tua is scheduled to visit Governor Tarkin” the next day and would depart Lothal “via shuttle at 1800.” The plan would be to “wait at the hangar, steal the shuttle and take her to safety.” He makes it sound so simple, but plans always go awry, especially when made with too much confidence. Sabine, behind him, cautions Ezra: “I hope you’re sure about this.” He turns around to look at her; Zeb too, is concerned: “After all the trouble she’s made for us, why should we help her?” Clearly having learnt a whole bunch of lessons since the Spectres took him in, Ezra replies, “Because that’s what we do, help others who can’t help themselves. Plus, her list will help us out.”

The shuttle exits hyperspace above Lothal, and is cleared to land. Staring wistfully out the viewport at his home planet, Ezra admits, “I didn’t think I’d miss it, but I—” And pauses. Something feels off, and very, VERY wrong. He turns to Kanan, who asks what’s up. Ezra asks, “Do you feel that?” He stares away again: “I feel so cold.” The last time Ezra experienced this icy feeling was after he woke up from tapping into the dark side to summon a fyrnock alpha on an asteroid. Kanan acknowledges this admission. Later that evening, the shuttle lands at a docking bay, and the Spectres step out after Ezra. He looks up, horrified: “I’ve never seen so many Star Destroyers here.” Especially because there’s one right above the docking bay the crew are at. He frowns, brows furrowed: “It’s gotten worse.” Sabine also looks upward, but redirects her attention when Hera tells Chopper and Zeb to “stay with the shuttle” in case they need a quick getaway. Kanan gets down to business, notifying the crew that “Tua’s leaving from Bay 23.” He leads Hera and Sabine away, and it takes Ezra a few extra seconds to tear his eyes away from the Destroyer overhead before following.

Kanan discusses the plan with Hera; Ezra watches the exchange, looking from Kanan to Hera and back, again and again. It is debatable whether he is watching the exchange as part of trying to understand what the mission needs, or that he is watching Kanan and Hera’s relationship play out before his very eyes and mentally taking notes, given his eyebrow raise and the accompanying grin. Nevertheless, Kanan steals a trooper uniform, stealing a page right out of Ezra’s own eventual playbook; Ezra, Hera, and Sabine look on in disbelief. Sabine says, half amusedly, “Kanan’s gone buckethead.” Ezra, on the other hand, is entertained, and smiles lopsidedly. He’s also “kinda jealous. I only have the helmet.” The trio turn around and make their way up a building; Sabine leads the way, and jumps up on a low ledge before reaching for a streetlamp and hoisting herself up and toward the building’s roof. Ezra follows her lead, and Hera’s close behind.

Ezra, on the roof, watches as a disguised Kanan walks down the street below. He notes Tua’s arrival but tells Hera, several feet away, that the Minister’s “got company”. Ezra sounds uncertain; Hera asks, “What kind of company?” Ezra raises a pair of macro binoculars to his eyes, and sarcastically says, “Oh, fantastic. Agent Kallus.” Sabine, somewhere nearby, descends a building and drops to the ground behind Kallus. She begins firing as a distraction for Kanan to execute his part of the plan. Ezra and Hera jump off the building and reach Tua, who is sheltering behind a few crates. Ezra tells her to “get to the shuttle” as the Spectres would be “right behind you”. Sabine hops into the speeder that Kallus had previously escorted Tua to the shuttle in, and takes off vertically, buying her some time to get back onto the building. She watches as Tua races to the shuttle, followed closely behind by Ezra, Hera, and Kanan. A blast knocks the trio to their backs; Sabine, on the roof, comms Zeb requesting “a pickup. Now!” Zeb says he’s on his way. Ezra and his pseudo-adoptive parental figures hide behind a few more crates, and get onboard the pickup shuttle that Zeb and Chopper were told to stay by earlier. Sabine leaps onto the shuttle’s ramp, back with the crew. The shuttle, however, gets downed, and crashes back onto street level. Not one to waste a single second, Sabine urges the Spectres to “Come on. Come on! Up, everybody! We’re moving!” They run out, and away.

The Spectres take temporary refuge at Ezra’s old residence. They are lucky for now as it had been previously established that the Empire had marked this building as off-limits. In its basement, Sabine fiddles with the controls of the old communicator, while Ezra faces the other direction, clutching a helmet. Sabine gets the machine running, and a live broadcast plays, announcing Tua’s demise and publicizing anti-rebel propaganda. Hera’s heard enough, and shuts off the broadcast: “They did this to turn Lothal against us. We can’t do any more here. We have to leave, for good.” Ezra, as usual, does not take this lightly, countering with, “We can’t just run.” He turns back to Hera: “The people have to know the truth.” Despite his insistence, which his found family knows they agree with, they know there’s only one option, and it’s not one they like either. Sabine stands up, faces Ezra, and notes, “I don’t think the Empire is giving us much choice.”

Troopers arrive at the temporary hideout; Ezra notes, “We’re in trouble.” The troopers explode the place, but the Spectres escape just in time, to the roof. Sabine is crouched next to Ezra, who warns, “If they know about this hideout, they’ll know about our others.” Hera says, “There’s no more hiding, We need a ship. Maybe we can try one of the local Imperial airfields.” Sabine keys a command into her wrist gauntlet, and Chopper beams a map. Sabine says the airfields are “locked down. Besides, we’ll never get outside the capital.” Zeb notes they’re being targeted by the Empire; Kanan points to the Imperial Complex, but Hera is incredulous: “Are you crazy?” Kanan wonders if “anyone ever says yes to that question”, but Sabine dismisses that comment. Ezra shifts his line of sight from Kanan back to Sabine, who points out and gestures as she speaks, “He’s right. Deploying troops to block every city exit has spread the garrison thin. It sounds crazy, but the area with the least troops will be—” Chopper zooms in on a particular section. “—here, near the factories,” Sabine continues, “There are landing platforms outside those hangars. They’re our best chance if we’re gonna find a shuttle.” The Spectres head off, crossing to a neighboring rooftop via a couple of connecting cables. Halfway across, Ezra hears a faint explosion. He looks down at the house he grew up in, which is now in flames and unsalvageable. He frowns in disappointment, looks back up, and mutters under his breath, “I guess there is no going home”. He puts on his helmet, and follows the Spectres. (It’s worth noting that Ezra has always had an attachment to home, whoever and wherever that might be. Here, he’s specifying that he can no longer return to his old residence, the one he spent the first seven years of his life growing up in. In S4E15, Ezra leaves a message for his found family, specifically stating, “I can’t wait to come home.” In Ahsoka S1E7, he tells Sabine, “But you know, getting home is kind of important.”)

Some time passes, and while Kanan temporarily retains his stolen uniform, Ezra puts on his disguise - his outfit given to him while undercover at the Academy last season. They both transport some “power cells in need of recharging for the rebel pursuit” on a hover sled. The trooper on guard wants to check the contents, but Ezra tries to perform a Jedi mind trick (the first one he’s been seen trying to do this series): “No, you don’t have to check inside.” It doesn’t work on the trooper, so Kanan covers up for him. Ezra, under his breath, tells Kanan, “I wish that worked for me.” Unamused, Kanan responds, “I wish it worked on you.” They make it inside the Complex and into a storage room. Sabine and Hera remove the lid from a crate and get out. Zeb does the same and complains; Sabine stops by the doorway, and says, “Don’t think it matters if you’re noisy. There’s nobody around. This was a good plan.” Kanan agrees; Ezra, however, recognizes the more important need to get going, so tells the Spectres, “This way.”

They move into the hallway. By this time, Ezra and Kanan are back in their usual clothing. They and the rest of the Specters happen upon two troopers, but Zeb clears them, and they run, Sabine last to follow. Choppers opens up a door, and the crew run out into a shipyard. They run past several TIEs, and Kanan points out a shuttle they can use. They start running again, but something stops Sabine in her tracks. She gasps in surprise, and beckons Hera over. Turns out, the thing that has drawn Sabine’s eyes are “shield generators,” realizes Hera. Sabine agrees, noting that they are of “military grade.” She presses a few buttons on a generator, enabling it to be moved away. Hera does the same, and instructs Ezra and Zeb to “grab all we can carry.” She and Sabine get on the move, quick, and pass Ezra and Zeb, saying, “These might help turn this day around. The fleet could sure use them.” Ezra and Zeb hurry off to do as told, and Kanan follows behind. However, Kanan stops short, sensing something bad. Ezra halts too, pauses, turns around to face Kanan, and ominously asks, “Do you feel that?” Ezra senses something dark, and Kanan agrees: “The cold.” Meters away stands Darth Vader, saber ignited, mechanical breathing echoing through the shipyard. The Spectres turn around; their day has gone from bad, to worse.

[tradingdx]

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[advanceagility]

How do the most successful people spend their mornings?

Before the rest of the world is eating breakfast, the most successful people have already scored daily victories that are advancing them toward the lives they want.

― Laura Vanderkam

Book Title: What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast

Writer: Laura Vanderkam

Key questions: -

What do you do in the morning? Did you realise that your morning ritual might increase your daily productivity? What the Greatest People Do Before Breakfast examines how you might improve your day by imitating successful people.

Four agile mind-set for Your Ideal Mornings

1.      Adjust as necessary.

To stay in the flow, make any necessary adjustments to your smart goals.

2.      Think of the ideal day.

Decide what your ideal morning would be, and then make it happen.

3.      Set your tasks' priorities.

Prioritize important chores and defer less time-consuming ones to the morning.

4.      Create a habit.

For a few days, repeat a new routine to help yourself get used to it.

3 lessons of “The Morning Routines of Successful People”: -

□ Lesson #1: Track your time and picture your ideal morning.

How you spend your other 23 hours affects how successfully you utilise your first hour of the day.

 For instance, it may be difficult to wake up in time for a productive early routine if you stay up late at night sending emails that you were unable to complete throughout the day.

 So take out a notebook and begin to chronicle your day. You'll learn about the time you waste on a daily basis and how to manage your time more effectively.

 You need to start organising your ideal morning once you have determined all the chores you can complete throughout the day.

 What would the ideal morning look like for you?

 What would you like to add to your morning routine from your day?

 For you to be able to create a schedule you can stick to, you must understand what your ideal morning ideation.

□ Lesson #2: Make the most of your morning by doing things that are crucial but not urgent.

We all have a horribly long list of things to accomplish.

 However, what should we do when we wake up?

 Don't take the conference call or do the laundry because that will still happen.

 Do something worthwhile but motivation-demanding in its place.

 These include activities like working out, blogging, writing a book, or anything creative.

 While vital, these chores sometimes go overlooked throughout a busy day.

□ Lesson #3: Schedule your weekends in advance.

It may seem absurd, but you should schedule your weekends in order to organise your weekday mornings. However, bear with me.

 Your weekend is a crucial opportunity to rest up and prepare for another action-packed week.

 However, we frequently waste our weekends and don't fully enjoy them.

 Decide what you're going to do this weekend in advance to rule it.

 And don't only plan dull stuff. Plan something new every now and again. something that will make your week more rewarding in the long run.

Key Facts: Agile fundamentals

·       Getting better through practise

Long-term willpower savings come from early efforts to establish routines and habits. When a behaviour becomes automatic, it has developed into a habit.

·       Place vital chores first

You risk not getting anything done, if you put off and starting your most vital and essential safe duties until after you finish your least important ones. The most important tasks must be completed first if they are necessary.

·       Begin the day early

Don't stay up late just to get up early. You psychologically prepare for a new day with enough sleep.

·       Utilize mornings to your advantage

How successful people begin their days sets them apart from others in a significant way. Making the most of the time before breakfast can greatly increase your productivity.

·       Do not rush through vital chores

Your self-control lapses in the evening after a long day of driving and other energy-draining tasks, which significantly lowers your capabilities and level of productivity.

·       Change your morning rituals

The best morning routines involve behaviours that, when performed consistently, offer long-term benefits. Yoga is healthy for your body and soul, as is exercise.

·       Continue exploring

Exciting adventures can be had when out for a run or a bike ride. Explore different routines on the weekends.

·       Eat breakfast with your family

Breakfast with your family puts you in a good mindset, unlike supper, when you can be tired or frustrated.

“I can accomplish more before breakfast than I used to do in a day”. ― Laura Vanderkam

About Advance Agility

We, at Advance Agility, are the new-age Agile Coaching, Consulting and IT services company. We enable end-to-end Digital Transformation. Agile execution is integral to our being. We are doing SAFe implementation with small, medium and large organization across the globe. Our vision is to be the leading Agile execution player globally. To keep adding value at every process stage. We are on a mission to empower our clients, move from concept to cash in the shortest sustainable lead time by adopting human centric approach to business agility. Embracing the change is in our DNA. Things that keep us apart are Quicker and Seamless execution with End-to-end gamut of services. Our Global presence and Stellar Track Record give us an edge over our competitor.

Connect with us at advanceagility.com to learn about SAFe and SAFe Implementation. We provide various SAFe certification courses along with DevOps, Scrum, Agile Coaching and more trainings. Write to us at contact@advanceagilty.com for any agile training or consulting needs. We are always looking for competent agile trainers as well. So if you are a good trainer or want to become one, do get in touch with us to that we can learn, grow and achieve together.

[crellanstein]

Prodigious

I find it odd how the fandom focuses so much on Aang’s childhood being ruined when he learned he was the Avatar at 12, but there’s very little talk about how discovering she was the Avatar as a toddler affected Korra’s life and how she was raised.

But we’ll circle back to that...

Because this is a good starting point to talk about one of the most prevalent themes in the story, which the mainstream discussion of tends to only focus on a few characters -- That is the Child Prodigy. 

We’ll start with the two most obvious. The ones we always talk about.

Azula.

The clearest example of your typical child prodigy (if there is anything typical about a prodigy). Azula showed early mastery of very advanced Fire-Bending techniques, and is the only Fire-Bender to use blue flames, which was intended to make her stand out amongst the other villains but is also indicative that her Fire-Bending is more pure and powerful (blue flame is produced when burning pure O2 or fuel without contaminant at a very high temperature). 

All this lead to her being praised and favored by Ozai as a child, but as double-edged swords go, this also meant she had a lot of pressure on her shoulders to never fail, and she rarely did. Her ego matched her talent, and let’s be honest she was the baddest bitch the show had ever seen. Conquering Ba Sing Se, defeating the Avatar in combat, and dropping some of the most devastating lines of dialogue in villain history; she was a force nobody wanted to reckon with. 

And that become a problem for one asshole in particular...

Being jealous of his own child is just one item on a laundry list of reasons why this guy is the worst father in the history of fathers. Azula had begun to outshine him with her victories, and Ozai’s maniacal ego couldn’t handle that, so he left her behind to babysit the Fire Nation while he went out to burn/conquer the world, which also was her idea.

And while this wasn’t the only thing that aided in her demise, it certainly was the final straw which sent her spiraling down into this...

In the end Azula is a sad example of how certain unfair expectations are placed upon talented children, and the more they succeed, the more these expectations grow and weigh on the them until they either disappoint those looking down on them or surpass and embarrass their elders.

It is a lose-lose situation which inevitably destroys them.

There is a similar example of the child prodigy, but his story goes a little different.

Aang.

Even as a twelve/thirteen year-old boy Aang by far has the most impressive stats among any character in the Avatar universe.

Basically mastering 3 of the 4 Elements in less than a year, after mastering Air by the time he is twelve (not to mention inventing his own Air-bending move, the Air scooter). 

Aang is an example of a child prodigy who had too much thrust onto him at too young an age because of the talent he showed; because of this he panicked and ran away, and the world was worse off for it. 

Aang/Sokka/Katara’s story is all about how in times of War, responsibilities normally handled by adults are pushed onto kids who then have to grow up very fast in order to deal with it all.

The message is clear. War robs the young of their childhoods. 

Now, let’s talk about a different kind of child prodigy.

The Unacknowledged. 

Yes, of course I’m talking about Toph, the greatest Earth-Bender to ever live.

Because of her blindness, Toph’s family tried to keep her sheltered and safe by hiding her from the world. Refusing to believe she could ever be more than helpless. Anyone who has seen the show knows that is far from the truth.

But because her potential went unseen, there were some negative effects to her personality. Initially, she resented her parents, and rebelled; which established a certain level of independence, a bad attitude, and a hot-headed streak. Over time spent with the Gaang these behaviors subsided because she finally had friends and they accepted her for who she was. By the end of the series she was fully willing to accept aid from them when she needed it, like holding on to Sokka’s arm in environment where her bending couldn’t help her “see”. 

Toph’s story is a foil to Azula’s, both showed immense talent and badassery, but while recognition of Azula lead to ever-mounting pressure for her to succeed; the lack of recognition for Toph created a need for her to be acknowledged and set an undercurrent of frustration which leads to her acting out in the ways she does.

The lesson to take from Toph’s story is not to shelter your kid from the world out of fear for their safety, and to be open to recognizing their talents, not shun them.

Next are two more Unacknowledged.

Katara and Sokka.       

Their story, and the reason behind their circumstances, is one of the more complicated and nuanced ones in the series, so here we’ll focus on how it fits into the subject of discussion.

Because of the War, Katara was robbed not only of her mother but also of any Southern Masters to train her, and any role models Sokka could have looked up to left with his father to fight. Because of this Katara’s potential and Sokka’s genius went unacknowledged not due to neglect but rather due to circumstance. (Yes, I think Sokka is a genius, how many 15 yr olds do you know that can plan an invasion, design submarines, and spit poetry off the cuff?).

This is a further example of how War robs kids of necessary childhood experiences, and these two robberies had particular effects on both Katara and Sokka’s character developments.

Sokka had the responsibility of protecting his home put upon him at a young age. The men of his tribe leaving prevented him from completing his rite of manhood until the Gaang ran into Bato of the Water Tribe, and early on Sokka was constantly trying to prove himself as a man and a leader. Sokka is one of the smarter characters of the series, but he rarely got credit for it until the third season. Not to mention that because he wasn’t a bender he often seemed less useful than the others. The circumstances of war made his talent go unnoticed and because of that he often was unsure of himself and overcompensated to prove something.

Speaking of talent going unnoticed.

Katara is definitely one of the more talented benders of the series. After training herself for years with little progress, she essentially mastered Water-Bending in a few weeks under Master Pakku. While her anger towards the Fire-Nation mostly centers around the loss of her mother, it can’t be ignored that the delay in her training was a direct result of the Fire-Nations’ actions.  Toph’s anger and frustration vented itself as rebellion. However, the same frustration and anger is within Katara, but because she wasn’t as natural a bender as Toph she sought to learn and be respected, and when that was denied to her is when that anger bubbled to the surface in some terrifying ways. 

While Toph’s talent went unnoticed because of her families neglect, Katara and Sokka’s wasn’t acknowledged because there was nobody to acknowledge it. Because of that both brother and sister wanted to prove themselves to the world.

And then there is Zuko.

I know what you’re thinking. Zuko wasn’t a prodigy, his Fire-Bending skill didn’t catch up with Azula’s until the finale and he never mastered Lightning-Bending, but this section is about the Unacknowledged.

Zuko had many other talents besides Fire-Bending, he was a master swordsmen, and was able to successfully break into every secure facility he attempted in the show (which was almost every secure facility the show featured).  Unfortunately, these talents were never recognized, because the only thing the royal family cared about was bending ability (It’s possible the reason he learned the sword was because he lacked skill in Fire-Bending). 

As per usual with Zuko, this part of his tale is quite sad. Many can relate to being outshined by a sibling, and when it becomes all too clear that one cannot match another’s talent it’s quite understandable to focus on what they do excel at, but even then there is no promise of recognition for their own talent. Zuko was even mocked by his father during the solar eclipse when Ozai tried baiting him into attacking with his swords. 

This lack of recognition is one of many sad aspects of Zuko’s early life, but it is a definitive example of one of the hardest unacknowledged prodigy’s cross to bear. The Outshone prodigy, one whose talents are never noticed because a bigger and brighter star stands in the way of such recognition, and arguably the most frustrating type mentioned here. Toph/Sokka/Katara all came from situations were there was no recognition being given to them or anyone, but Zuko had to bear watching massive amounts of praise be piled on to his sister while he and his accomplishments went by the way side.

Ozai summed up the situation best.

“Azula was born lucky, Zuko was lucky to be born”

Alright now where have I been going with all this?

So, far we’ve covered a lot of wrong ways to treat a child, whether they show talent or not, and how the circumstances of war can also take many things from children.

But what happened to Korra?

(Before we get into to this I should state that I like Korra, and the purpose of this is not to bash her as a character or her arc, but rather to give a little of my insight into it.)

It’s well established that Aang was told of his heritage too young, and that was a detriment on his development into an adult, but what would have happened if he realized his powers himself not long after he could walk? We’ll never know, but we do get to see the effects it had on Korra. 

When she revealed herself as the Avatar, Korra set her entire life in a new direction, and because Aang tasked the White Lotus with finding and training her that direction was out of her control. There are two key differences between Korras’ and other Avatars’ lives.

1. She grew up in isolation on a White Lotus compound.

Every Avatar before Korra we know of spent a portion of their early lives traveling the world in order to master the elements; along this journey they not only learned how to bend the other 3 elements, buy also many things about the 3 other nations and the world they are tasked to protect as a whole. By confining Korra in safety and bringing the masters to her the White Lotus deprived Korra of this opportunity to learn and grow and understand the world and the people within in. It also deprived her of learning modern bending styles until she reached Republic City.

While this might have kept Korra safe from the Red Lotus, it grew within her a naiveté about how the world worked, and because of this when she actually did venture out into the world she was terribly unprepared for it.

2.  She was trained and mastered 3 of the elements by the time she was 16.

Most Avatars don’t know they have this power until they reach 16 and then they spend several years learning to control it. Korra’s natural talent in the bending lead to her training being expedited not by necessity like Aang’s, but due to her talent and eagerness. Korra excelled at the physical part of being the Avatar and because of this by the time she reached maturity she had become over-confident in her abilities and true to what her Fire-Bending master said in Ep.1 she lacked restraint.

I’m not saying her bending isn’t great, but rather because it is so great it’s her go-to solution to anything, and she enjoys that so she uses it with enthusiastic gusto and not a lot of thinking before striking.

This overconfidence coupled with her naiveté of the world is what lead to many of her rash decisions and actions, most of which had negative consequences, and I believe are the reason behind some fan are dissatisfied with her. Aang had been almost the complete opposite, even by the age of twelve he was an experienced world traveler and an incredibly humble guy. 

Some may have been dissatisfied by these character decisions, but they served a purpose, they are only the beginning of her arc. The internal challenge Korra must overcome through 4 seasons is to humble herself before the world, and learn from it. This was finally achieved in the 4th season when the metal poisoning in her body forces her to face others in the world as equals, only then had she completed her journey.

And why did it all go this way?

Because she is a very unique child prodigy, what she demonstrates in the first episode of LOK would be akin to a toddler playing the violin or hitting a three-pointer; she could bend 3 elements close to just after learning to walk. That is the kind of prodigious talent rarely seen because it is mostly impossible. How does a rational person handle a child like that? 

It’s a tough question, and something this essay has been circling around the whole time. Each example here is the wrong way to handle talented and different children, but what is the right way?

As always look to Iroh.

Who treated his surrogate son Zuko with both respect and compassion. 

Unlike Toph’s parents, Iroh worried over Zuko’s well being, but also allowed him to be independent, make his own decisions, and take his own risks.

Unlike the Nomad Leaders, he didn’t want Zuko weighed down by his position in the world and the responsibility that came with, and always encouraged him relax and take advantage of the moment.

Unlike Ozai, Iroh would always be there to support Zuko in his victories and his failures. Iroh shows him the right path but does not force him down it.

And even after Zuko betrayed and abandoned him.

Iroh was never angry with him, and embraced him upon his return.

He wanted Zuko to grow and be a better man. Even if Zuko wasn’t a prodigy like his sister. 

And that is the answer here. The way to raise a prodigy is the same way anyone should raise any child. Love, Support, a Guiding Hand rather than a Forceful Shove, Recognition of What Makes Them Unique, and Forgiveness When They Falter. The problem comes along when you start treating children differently because you see them as different or special. All children are different, all children are special.

Kids are kids, and they all deserve a proper childhood.  

[incorrect-galavant]

OKAY SO. galavant holiday episode <3

there are like. four different storylines. #1 is izzy & gal, #2 is madalena, sid, & gareth, #3 is jester, roberta, & richard, & #4 is gwynne & vincenzo. under the cut because it got long. happy holidays!

so. #1. gal isn't very fond of holidays. his parents would fight more around christmas-time & after gal left home, he didn't see the point in celebrating by himself. madalena also didn't care about it & sid is jewish, so that took care of that. later on, holidays were just an excuse to drink, so after he got sober, christmas still wasn't something with good memories attached to it.

enter isabella.

she's like! so gal :) now that it's our first year together as husband & wife how would you like to celebrate the holidays :) & gal is like oh well i don't really care. & izzy's like hm okay. & she ALSO doesn't really celebrate christmas but she (not at all) offhandedly mentions it to her parents who are like "isabella maria lucia elizabetta of valencia you need to small-town hallmark movie that boy into understanding the true meaning of the holidays or your marriage is DOOMED!"

something something valencian superstitions, a married couple's first holiday together is what makes or breaks their relationship. we learn something fucked up about her parents here, something about them being put through life-or-death stakes during their first holiday so that they were FORCED to rely on each other & bond. this isn't traumatizing, they're very fond of this memory. they mention some game of thrones couple & say they broke up because they had a horrible first christmas together.

cut to plotline #2. somehow they've gotten madalena off the warpath & sid is determined to convert her to Goodness. she only started celebrating holidays when she married richard, & even then, all she did was attend the feasts. so sid is like Well I Will Teach You The Meaning of Christmas. he already made her observe yom kippur & celebrate hanukkah with him. the main problem with them trying christmas next is that 1. sid is jewish & grew up in a jewish village & 2. he went from living in the village to adventuring with gal, so he's not like. exactly sure on how christmas is supposed to work. gareth is getting increasingly agitated during all of this & it's not clear why.

#3. christmas is coming up, & guess who's a christmas baby! that's right, it's richard! roberta has a gift completely ready to go, & she's very proud of it, until jester lets it slip that they used to have grand feasts & a million presents for richard every year. his gifts were always extravagant & EXPENSIVE. roberta also worries that, while they were close childhood friends, she might not know him well now. she sets off to find the perfect christmas/birthday gift.

#4. vincenzo is tasked with preparing a birthday/christmas feast with an increasing list of demands from izzy, roberta, sid, & richard. we get backstory that every christmas, a chef from his family has hunted & cooked wild reindeer for the main meal. he has let down his relatives by never successfully catching one before, but this year, gwynne spurs him on. they set off on a quest for the reindeer.

#1. izzy tries to trap gal into admitting he wants something. he's always romantic, but he is Not into christmas & she isn't helping. anything he asks her for (that isn't conceptual, asking for her love doesn't count as a gift request) is practical & something he already has. like, he'll ask for sword polish, so she buys him an expensive brand, but he already bought his favorite cheap brand & doesn't like the expensive one much. or, she tries to master a craft (like, knit him a sweater, sew him something, etc) but she doesn't have the patience for it. she is INCREDIBLY annoyed about this. gal feels awkward & kinda annoyed by her repeated attempts.

#2. more bad christmas shenanigans. sid & madalena fail at making traditional christmas food, get the wrong tree, their decorations are wrong & they don't get the lore (stuff like hanging up garlic & setting out poison food to protect children from the galavant version of santa, they're celebrating santa's birthday & he likes to kill children, etc). madalena mentions that gareth always seemed more violent (happier) around the holidays, so it turns into the two of them trying to impress gareth. he kinda snaps at them when he sees all this because they're doing christmas "Wrong."

#3. jester & roberta have a little "my fair lady" montage, possibly with harry or that gay wedding planner assistant, in which they try to turn roberta into the Height of sophistication. it isn't working. she looks (& feels) like a lucy punch cinderella stepsister. it's all Wrong & she Hates it, but she thinks it'll make richard happy, so she keeps trying to change. she has all these plans & setups ready. lots of gold, lots of shitty people, lots of stiff dresses & pointy hair.

#4. interspliced between all these scenes, we see vincenzo & gwynne traveling through increasingly dangerous situations. they may or may not be chased by Rodents of Unusual Size. they mention nearly getting killed in a GOT battle. it becomes clear that they're not hunting just any reindeer, but SANTA's reindeer.

#1. izzy gets it into her head that what gal REALLY wants is another quest. she tries setting up different dangerous situations. gal gets agitated by this. they eventually spar, & while he thinks this is just one of their normal sparring sessions, she gets frustrated because he isn't immediately getting joyful & changing his mind on the holidays. she eventually throws down her sword & yells "why won't this work? why can't you just celebrate this with me?" & he snaps. "you wanna know why i don't like christmas izzy? you really wanna know?"

it's a lot of emotion coming out at once. anger about his parents fighting, that he couldn't have normal holidays like other kids could, that his dad would rather celebrate with other knights than with his family, that any toys he did get were stolen or broken by bullies. he mentions a specific beloved gift he had, maybe a training sword or a particular book of poems, that his dad took after gal disappointed him. & his dad is a better person now, he gets that, but how come those boys his dad takes care of get a better christmas than gal ever did? he mentions drinking, how it was always easier to get a free beer around the holidays, & madalena, how they never understood each other well enough to know what the other wanted. so, sorry about izzy's superstitions, but he'd rather spend the holidays alone.

#2. turns out, gareth LOVES christmas. he is, in fact, the small-town hallmark movie love interest to madalena's big-city businesswoman. he always loved the extravagance & lights, the dancing & feasts, the gifts & songs, far more than he'll ever admit. he insists on creating an amazing banquet himself (a la britta perry being incredible at wedding planning), but he starts feeling guilty. he finds a stocking sid made for him & a card madalena wrote him about how much she loves him. he realizes he needs to make this right.

#3. roberta presents the extravagance to richard. he has that "oh!" reaction where you kinda Hate it but you wanna be nice about it. maybe she rented a castle or something, but while all the guests are "respectable," none of them are friends of richard or roberta, and they make fun of tad cooper. steve is having multiple affairs. eventually, roberta trips on something (stiff dress, choking on hairspray, etc) & knocks into a candle. everything burns down. it's Ruined.

#4. vincenzo & gwynne have successfully trapped & caught the reindeer. now they must start the perilous journey back home, where they've been invited (ordered) to help with gareth's christmas/richard's birthday banquet.

#1. gal is off staring at the sea or something. he receives a package from his father. it has a heartfelt letter, a card signed by all the orphans, & a meaningful gift. something relating back to gal's trauma. his relationship with his father will never be perfect, but he's trying. he decides to go back home & runs into izzy as she's leaving to go find him. they sit down together & apologize. izzy for not respecting gal's boundaries, gal for yelling at her & not listening to her. izzy explains her insecurities about them as a couple & why the holiday superstition upset her, he does the same. while she's worried that not celebrating the holidays will ruin them, he's worried about the opposite; the holidays have hurt him so much before & he doesn't want them to hurt what he has with izzy.

they share a tender moment, holding hands, looking into each other's eyes. they're in love <3333333 & more importantly they're willing to work at having a healthy relationship. even if they aren't celebrating how they "should," they'll always have amazing holidays if they're surrounded by the people they love. they head off to gareth's banquet.

#2. gareth invites sid & madalena to the banquet. he's fixed the decorations. now, on top of what he likes, there's sid & madalena's strange little stuff. home alone style traps & garlic & poisoned milk everywhere. maybe a noble drinks some & dies in the background. this is not relevant. gareth apologizes to sid & gives him a meaningful gift. he then goes to madalena. he apologizes to her, too, & they talk. she wants to be better, not for the world, but for gareth. she doesn't want to mess up or hurt him again. she doesn't want it to be like her relationship with gal because that wasn't real. gareth holds her, tells her she doesn't have to worry about any of that. he loves her because she's herself!! hallmark movie romance moment!!!!! fuck madalena & galavant in her pen pal (2021), i want what madalena & gareth have!!!

#3. all of roberta's plans have been ruined. she attends the banquet with richard in her plain dress, the one she planned to wear in the beginning. the only gift that hasn't been destroyed is the original one, so she gives it to richard. it's something incredibly personal--something handmade, maybe an embroidered saddle for tad cooper? or a cross-stitch of roberta, richard, & tad together. he LOVES it. she realizes she doesn't have to change to make him happy. maybe they all get a little hallmark moment.

#4. vincenzo & gwynne have rocked this banquet. they have food for everyone. they have chinese food & cake & reindeer. in a dark twist of events, it's implied that the reindeer is rudolph, & that they might've caught & cooked santa as well.

everyone has their little happy ending at this feast. they laugh & love each other & fix their issues :) maybe gal & izzy write sonnets for each other. maybe they all sing a little song. also i think there should be an evil wizard or something attacking them the whole time. yes they should confront their interpersonal issues but also there Is a magic man on a horse with a pointy stick trying to kill them. maybe it's santa. who knows.

happy holidays!

[thewriterslament]

Tips for building discipline that aren‘t “just be disciplined“

We’ve all seen those studyblr posts. “Build discipline by committing to doing the same extensive routine every day!” they proclaim. “Remember that you’re worth it! Don’t hang around waiting for motivation!”

I mean, okay, you ARE worth it. Motivation IS fickle. But if you’re anything like me, these posts don’t actually teach you HOW to stop hanging around waiting for motivation. Instead, they fill you will crippling anxiety and a deep-rooted fear that maybe you’re just incapable and lazy and won’t ever amount to anything.

So here’s a list of baby steps, a lot which I’ve used to build my own discipline, both in school and in my professional life.

i. try to figure out what your roadblocks are

If you know you need to study for that midterm next week but you just can’t make yourself sit down no matter how hard you try, you’re not being lazy. Something’s preventing you from doing that thing. And if you can figure out what that roadblock is, you can more effectively try to combat it. This is easier said than done, but as with most things, if you practice asking yourself “what’s blocking my path forward?” you will find it easier to find answers. Here are some questions to start you off:

Do you have a mental illness that’s acting up? Are you overwhelmed because you don’t know where to start? Are you afraid your final product won’t live up to your exacting/perfectionist standards? Is your task so boring that you’d rather hang out with your friends instead? Are you afraid of disappointing someone, like a professor, a groupmate, or even yourself? Are you already late and thinking what’s the harm in waiting another day?

ii. set achievable goals

It’s so very tempting to reach for the stars, thinking that if you fail then at least you’ll land among the stars! But the reality is that you’ll probably crash back down to earth just as often, if not more so. Setting goals that you’re unable to achieve can be demoralizing and reinforce a belief that you’re just not good enough.

Instead, set yourself up for success! There’s literally no reason that you have to go big or go home when setting goals. Be realistic and set goals you know you can achieve, so that you start to reframe your journey as one paved by successes, not failures. No goal is too achievable. I’m serious: your goals list can say “get left leg out of bed; get right leg out of bed; stand up,” and that’s valid. Say “I’m going to write a sentence” instead of “I’m going to write an essay,” or “I’m going to show up to every lecture for this class” instead of “I’m going to get an A in this class.”

iii. start small and build up

This goes hand-in-hand with setting achievable goals. It’s often way less daunting to take a single step than to climb a whole mountain. And it’s completely okay to climb a mountain step by step. Instead of committing to a massive task all at once, like a drastic change to your routine or a huge project, start with the smallest step, like one step of that routine or outlining the materials you need for your project.

A helpful way to start small is to use the “two-minute method” (different from the “two-minute rule”). The way this method works is that you make a list of things you need to do, and you try to spend two minutes on each task, giving yourself permission to stop after those two minutes are up if you want to. For most people, two minutes is a manageable amount of time, which can make an overwhelming task a little more surmountable. You’re not committing to doing the whole thing, after all, just two minutes of it. But more often than not, you’ll build up momentum, and you’ll find yourself working on your task for longer than two minutes. If two minutes is too daunting for you, start with 1 minute, or even 30 seconds, and build up.

iv. use positive reinforcement instead of negative reinforcement

Instead of tracking how long you’ve kept a streak and noting days you broke that streak (tracking failures), consider counting only the number of days you successfully achieved your task/routine/goal, even (and especially) if those days are nonconsecutive (tracking successes). Instead of withholding treats or screentime until you finish reading your chapter, reward yourself with a gummy bear every time you finish a paragraph. Practice thinking/speaking positive affirmations, like “I’m capable and I’m making an effort.” It may feel silly, but in forcing your brain to think affirming things, you train it to make these affirmations a part of its repertoire. Try to treat each day as a fresh start instead of stressing over continuing streaks/habits/projects you started yesterday. It’s easier to be disciplined when you associate discipline with positivity; it’s harder to be disciplined when you’re afraid that you might fall short and experience a negative consequence.

v. ask other people to hold you accountable

Outsource the effort of keeping yourself accountable to other people. This allows you to focus all your energy on actually doing the thing you are trying to do. Set up a standing study date with your friends to go to the library and work on your respective assignments together; ask your friends to hype you up and tell you cool things about yourself; if you function better with strict deadlines, ask your professor or adviser if they can work with you to create a timeline for that end-of-term paper so you have deadlines to work toward.

It is human nature to help and be helped. Most people feel good when they have a chance to help someone. You are not being a burden; you are doing the people who care about you a favor by giving them opportunities to help you.

vi. be gentle with yourself

This is another one that’s easier said than done, but it’s crucial to ensuring that you make progress instead of sliding back to square one. Give yourself grace and leniency. Forgive yourself when you don’t meet the standards you’ve set. Take breaks; eat and drink and nourish yourself. Work with yourself, asking how you can make things easier for yourself, instead of hounding yourself like an abusive parent. Encourage yourself to try again, just once, just for a minute. Use the carrot, not the stick. 

vii. do what works for you, not what the studyblr hivemind says should work for you

Everyone is different and will benefit from different methods and strategies. Even my tips may not work for some of you. Maybe you work best with negative reinforcement; maybe it’s easier for you to motivate yourself by saying “I’m worth it and need to be more disciplined.” Ultimately, what matters is creating a path that will get you where you need to go. It doesn’t matter if that path is studyblr-approved or not so long as it works for you.

[stillness-in-green]

unpopular opinion: spinner is shiggy's right hand man and a better friend to him than dabi

(This response has me saying unusually positive things about Dabi as a League member! Fair warning that it is also followed up by some job critique and the contrast with Spinner suggested by the ask, though.)

You'll get no argument from me, anon. I don't think Dabi's there to make friends, anyway, mind you, but even if he has grown fond of these people in his own way, which is perfectly plausible, I still don't think "being a friend to Shigaraki" in any active sense is anywhere near the top of his priority list. Certainly not compared to Iguchi "I gotta do something to lighten Shigaraki's load! I gotta!" Shuuichi.

The right-hand man claim is more of a toss-up. I actually don't think Shigaraki had a right-hand man in the early days—probably Kurogiri would have been closest. Through Overhaul, through Ujiko, even to the stage after Deika, his claim is always, "We're gonna do whatever we want." That's not an organizational tactic that really requires much in the way of right-hand-manning, and Dabi doesn't act like a right-hand man would.

Dabi's thing is that he is—as All Might describes him in Chapter 340—a vanguard. And when he's on-task, he's great at it!

Because I don't usually say a lot of nice things about Dabi, let me repeat that (below the jump):

Dabi is the League's vanguard and when he's on-task, he rocks it.

Dabi gets entrusted with costly resources like the Noumu.

Dabi is the one making the final calls on things during the training camp attack,(1) at which point the new League members are calling themselves the Vanguard Action Regiment.

Dabi's the most active recruiter after Twice got scared off the job by the Overhaul mess.

Dabi is regularly right at the front of the League's combat line: at the training camp, a clone of Dabi confronts Aizawa; in the highway attack, he takes the opening move; when Slidin' Go approaches outside Deika, Spinner falls back towards Shigaraki, while Dabi and Toga move forward.

When the League and the MLA merge, the position Dabi is given is co-leader of the Guerilla Warfare Regiment, which is, going by the names, obviously the one of the four units most aimed at direct combat.

Numerous times through the war arc, Dabi successfully defends his teammates: he saves Jin from what would have been a death blow from Hawks; he fends numerous attackers off of Gigantomachia; he's the first to step up to face the heroes in Jakku; he even finds time to throw an over-the-shoulder shot at Nejire when she goes for Spinner and Shigaraki.

That's all true. Even if it's not always successful—when he gets knocked out at Kamino; when he can't manage to save Jin from the second death blow—it's still true that Dabi's right at the forefront of things.

When he's on-task.

More than any other League member, though, Dabi has ulterior motives. And when he thinks there's going to be conflict between his goals and the League's, he's always going to put his first. He's not around for the meeting with Overhaul. He specifically bails on fighting Machia. He's all too willing to use Twice's death to advance his own ends, completely disregarding his companions' grief.

And, you know? It is what it is. Shigaraki repeatedly shrugs that kind of thing off. Shigaraki himself is clearly not above using anything he can get to advance his own goals: Stain's ideology, Overhaul's research, the MLA's resources, his own master's quirk. I don't think Shigaraki would hold Touya's personal goals against him.

I just also don't think it qualifies Dabi for the second-in-command position so many people are so sure he occupies. (And anyway, I don't think vanguard groups are typically where you want to put your second-in-command types, since they're the ones most likely to run into lethal danger, and then you'd just need a new second-in-command.)

As to who is second-in-command, I think Spinner kind of appoints himself to the position after Deika and nobody really argues it. Shigaraki's going into surgery, after all, so there needs to be someone there representing his wishes to the erstwhile-MLA, and Spinner and Compress are the only two we know who attended meetings on the regular.

Then, during the raid, when Toga is about to run off on her own and no one else can (Compress) or cares to (Dabi) say anything to sway her, Spinner articulates:

A) an understanding of what the League is (a gang of strays who just happened to come together);

B) an understanding of Toga's feelings (messed up over Twice) and an intimation that he shares them (you're not the only one);

C) an understanding of Twice's feelings (the League was the only place he thought he belonged);

D) an expression of Shigaraki's wishes (that they stick together)

and sums all that up with both

E) the League's mission statement (doing as we please)

and F) a contrasting directive to follow when she's done ("Come back to us.")

The mission statement gives Toga implicit permission to take off to confront Uraraka and Tsuyu if that's what she wants to do. The enjoinder to return reminds her when she's in a very bad place that she doesn't have to go through it alone.

It's a flawless goddamn scene. You could not ask for a better display from a right-hand man.

The League's pretty broken up after the war arc. It's hard to even say they're still active as a group when they're all being pressured to dance to AFO's tune. Probably the League doesn't have much of a second-in-command at this time, or we'd have seen whoever it was stepping up in light of Shigaraki's indisposition to lead, and no one is doing that right now.

But being Shigaraki's right-hand man? Shigaraki has never once left Spinner's thoughts since that day in the quarry shack when Gigantomachia attacked, all through the raid, and on into the current arc. Dabi has yet to have a scene since the war arc in which he fails to bring up dear old dad. I think it's pretty clear who's doing the better impression of a right-hand man right now.

Thanks for the opining, anon!

---

1: Though I don't agree with the fandom wiki's assertion that Dabi planned the training camp attack. Shigaraki uses a number of RPG metaphors to talk about the attack in a way that suggests his hand in planning it; moreover, Mustard says right there on the page that the group's "shadowy orchestrator" planned everything. Shadowy Orchestrator could be Shigaraki, Sir Not Accompanying You On This Raid, or it could be AFO, the mysterious voice in the TV, but either way it isn't Dabi.

[vivianweasley]

Pride and Prejudice (Chapter 1)

Summary: You are Draco’s cousin, and after the war, it was really difficult for you to find a job because of your last name. So your mother and Mrs. Weasley came up with a crazy idea. A fake marriage between you and Fred Weasley. 

Italics= flashback

Pairing: Fred Weasley x Malfoy!Fem!Reader

Warnings: workplace discrimination, slight slight mention of war

Word Count: 1.9k

Disclaimer: all the pictures used in the header are from Pinterest. Credit goes to the original owners.

Please do NOT repost or translate my work on another site without explicit permission! Thank you! Reblogs and comments are always welcome:)

Prologue

Two days after the dinner at the Burrow, you ran into your friend when you were shopping at Flourish and Blotts. She just got out of the Daily Prophet, and you could see a name tag on her chest stating that she’s now a reporter for the Daily Prophet.

“You got the job?” You didn’t know how to process this information. You and she were in the same year and same house. You both took the same classes, your grades were almost the same, and you both got the interview for Daily Prophet at the same time. The only difference was that she got the job, and you didn’t.

“Yes! Today’s the first day! Wait, you didn’t?” She was finding it hard to believe too.

Memories of the interview flashed back. You could still remember how the interviewer immediately furrowed his brows when he heard that your last name is Malfoy. The distrust, doubt, and even disgust on his face were so painfully visible.

You knew your background couldn’t provide any help when it comes to finding a job, but you still encouraged yourself by thinking that maybe it was because you weren’t good enough. If that’s so, you could always make up for it by working harder. But now you realized that, no matter how hard you worked, you would never be good enough for them because people would always make false assumptions about you based on your last name.

You felt dizzy. The whole Diagon Alley suddenly appeared foggy and dim, looking quite like your future, but you soon saw a lighthouse at the end of it. The brightness of the orange joke shop seemed to point out a way out for you as Mrs. Weasley and your mum’s suggestions rang in your ears.

“I need to go now!” The walk was only five minutes, but you couldn’t waste any time as you apparated right to the door of the joke shop.

“Well, this is rare!” The owner greeted you with a big grin on his face when you opened the door.

You didn’t have time to start this conversation with George, so you went right into your question, “I’m looking for Fred Weasley. Is he here?”

George was shocked as multiple questions ran through his brain. Wait, you could tell between him and Fred? But does he know you this well? Or maybe you have some history with Fred? Merlin! Y/N Malfoy? And Fred??

But he said nothing, just pointed at the back of the shop as he was still trying to process the situation.

“Thanks.” You rushed to the back of the shop and saw Fred sorting through the boxes in the storage.

“Fred Weasley.” You stated with a straight face.

“Y/N Malfoy?” Fred mimicked your tone as he still wasn’t sure what’s going on. What was this woman doing in his shop, anyway?

“Do you have a girlfriend?”

“No. Why? Do you fancy me? Did you fall in love with me after that one dinner?” he teased.

You ignored him and continued, “Do you fancy anyone? Are you dating someone? Talking to someone?”

“Not that I’m aware of?”

“Great. Let’s get married then.”

The boxes fell from Fred’s hands. This woman is absolutely mental! “I beg your pardon?”

“I said, let’s get married. After I got a steady job, we can get a divorce anytime.” You knew he’s going to laugh it off if you don’t up your game a little, so you frowned, pretending like you were disappointed, “Well, guess you don’t have the guts to do it.”

Fred knew what you were trying to do, but he was still completely under your control when you were basically giving him a dare. This should be fun, he decided. He never really hated you anyway. In fact, he actually really admired you back in Hogwarts.

Back in fifth year, Fred and George tried to prank you. It wasn’t because you did anything in particular. It was just because you were Draco Malfoy’s cousin, and Draco was really obnoxious that year.

The prank was simple. they estimated when you would walk down the stairs and set a tripwire on your way, waiting for you to trip over and fall.

Fred and George were hiding behind a pillar, waiting, but nothing happened. When you were walking down the stairs, you stopped and pulled out your wand. “Incendio,” you whispered, and the tripwire just burned into ashes.

Watching their prank being busted, the twins were frustrated. George gave up on pranking you again. It’s not like you did anything wrong anyway. But Fred suddenly felt motivated. He’s determined to get you one day.

Fred tried everything. Be it canary cream or portable swamp, you always had a way to avoid his pranks gracefully, and sometimes, the pranks would even backfire on him. After trying for a month, Fred finally admitted defeat. He admired how your brain worked, and he couldn’t help but think that if you weren’t a Malfoy, maybe you two would be really good friends.

“Who said I don’t have the guts?”

You smiled with satisfaction, for you knew your strategy worked, “Good, I will see you at the Ministry tomorrow then.”

“Wait, you could get a job, but what’s in it for me?”

You knew he wouldn’t agree so easily, so you had already prepared a plan, “How about, as long as it‘s not illegal or against my own moral standards, I can do three things for you. What do you say?”

“Deal!” The reason why Fred refused at first was that he hated being arranged and controlled by his parents. But now, when this arranged marriage became more like a game to him, he began finding it quite interesting. “The first thing I want you to do is to take care of my shop today!”

“I’m not stupid, Weasley. What if you run away after I spent the whole day working in your shop? The deal only works after I get the marriage certificate!”

Fred nodded in approval, “Not bad, Malfoy. So I will see you at the Ministry tomorrow at one pm then.”

“Deal! Don’t be late, Weasley!”

~

The next day, you were waiting at the Ministry at one pm. You repeatedly glanced at the clock  and shuffled all the documents in your hands as you paced around. 

Fred was late. Did he bail on you? Did he think you were only joking? Did he think you were a joke? Irritation and doubt rushed through your head, but you eventually calmed a bit down when you heard a familiar voice.

“Let’s just get this over with, shall we, my lovely bride-to-be?” he teased as he waltzed in.

“Not before we set some ground rules first.” You pulled him to a place where no one could hear you, and you finally took out the contract that you wrote yesterday night.

“Blimey, you actually wrote a contract?”

“Yes, Weasley, and you have to sign it,” you continued, “First, a year after I got a steady job, we will get a divorce.”

“A year?? Why does it have to be so long?”

“I don’t want the Ministry and my employer to think that I’m getting married only because I want to get a job.” You ignored his pout and went on with the list, “Second, if during this year, you actually met someone, you can date them. But you have to be discreet.”

He raised his eyebrows, “Aww, didn’t know you were such a thoughtful person.”

“Third, the fewer people know the truth, the better.”

“Sorry love, but my family already knew, and that’s already a lot of people.”

You glared at him, “You know what I mean!”

Your expression successfully elicited a small laugh from him, making you suspect that he actually enjoyed annoying you.

You rolled your eyes, “That’s all. Anything you want to add?” 

Fred shook his head, and you handed him a pen, “Brilliant!”

After signing his name on your contract, he held out his arm, “Shall we?”

You smiled, taking his arm, “We shall.”

“Fred Weasley? And Y/N Malfoy?” The lady at the Ministry looked at you and then looked at Fred several times, and finally asked in a surprised tone.

“That’s us!” Fred answered and wrapped his arm around your shoulders while you both tried to put on the biggest smile.

But her eyes were still scanning you from head to toe, and finally stopped at your fingers, “So, no rings, huh?” She was looking into your eyes as if she just found out the whole marriage was a scam. 

You cursed yourself for not remembering something this important, but your smile didn’t disappear, “Yes, Freddie and I aren’t conventional people. We don’t need a piece of metal to prove our love.”

Fred was surprised when he heard your nickname for him, but he didn’t let it show. It’s weird hearing you calling him that, but he had to admit he liked the sound of it. “That’s right, my love.”

You smiled and rested your head on his shoulder to display your affection. You wanted to stay focused so you won’t blow your cover, but hearing that pet name had caused a weird tingle in your stomach.

A few questions later, and before you could fully comprehend the situation, you were officially married to Fred Weasley. Looking at your marriage certificate, you felt surreal. Just in a few days, you and Fred went from classmates who never really talked to each other to a married couple. You two were legally bonded now, and it felt strange, but you had no time to process all these, for you had a more important task.

“Where are you going?” you heard Fred yelling behind you as you started running.

“I’ve got a job interview!”

~

The interview went well. The interviewer even thanked your husband and his family for their service during the war. You were disgusted by how people’s attitudes could change so drastically simply when you changed your last name. You didn’t fight in the war, but your family took in many muggle-born kids during those dark days, yet nobody cared. All they knew was your last name.

You walked home with mixed feelings running in your head. You knew your life was about to change, but you didn’t know if it was for better or worse. So many things have happened in the past few days, and you were just confused.

But what awaited you at home didn’t resolve any of your doubts. You saw your mum moving suitcases to the door. They were your suitcases.

“Mum, what’s going on?”

“Oh, darling, you’re back! How did the interview go?”

“It went well, I guess. Why are you moving my things out?”

“Oh, Mrs. Weasley and I figured it would look more authentic if you were staying with your husband. You know, just in case someone suspects anything.”

“Mum! But I barely know him!”

“Well, then this is the perfect chance to get to know each other!

So this was how you ended up knocking on the Weasley twins’ door at night, with all your suitcases.

The door cracked open, and Fred’s eyes widened when he saw you and your suitcases at his door.

You smiled sincerely at him, “Hello husband, mind if I stay the night?”

~

Chapter 2

A/N: this chapter is still setting things up. The next chapter will be longer!

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[imaginativeamateur]

[Gaara X Reader] You Feel Like Home {Part 6}

Prologue   Part 1   Part 2   Part 3   Part 4   Part 5   Part 7   Epilogue

~~/ / “Because you’re important,” he bluntly said, “to the target.” / /~~

With that, Shikamaru left, leaving the rest of you with questions. Temari figured out the meaning behind his words and coolly yanked Kankuro outside to leave you some space with Gaara. You did not dare to face him as you were overwhelmed with emotions, or uncertainties to be exact.

“You heard him,” Gaara regarded as he approached you.

“Ga—,” You abruptly stopped as he hugged you from behind, tight and warm. This hug felt somewhat different, more affectionate, and softer.

“You are very important to me, Y/N!”

You placed your hands on his arms, it all made sense now. The Akatsuki must have seen Gaara and you together and thought that you were together, which explained them kidnapping Konoha’s Shinobi and breaking into your room to collect some information.

“It was because of me that my comrades are hurt,” you choked at the realization, “I hurt them.”

“If you want to blame, blame me.” He embraced you even tighter. “If it wasn’t because of me, you wouldn’t be pulled into such things and your comrades would be fine. You would be fine!”

Your eyes widened.

“No, it’s not your fault, Gaara.” You spun around, hands on his chest, how could you be so selfish? “Gaara, listen. You’re not the wrong one here. We have no idea of this whole thing, no one is responsible for anything.”

“I know, that goes the same for you, okay?” He nodded and suddenly leaned in to whisper to your ear, “You did not disagree with Shikamaru’s words earlier, what does that make us then?”

You blushed and hid your face from his overwhelmingly soft gaze, this was not what you anticipated for a confession. You inaudibly mumbled, “A person of importance to one another.”

“I can’t hear you, Y/N,” he smirked.

“I said you are as important to me as I am to you!” You sped through your words and lifted your face to him, unconsciously lost in his eyes.

“I know.” He leaned his forehead into yours, your noses were touching each other.

“Then promise me to stay safe.”

“I promise.”

They left when the sun was beginning to rise, you made your way to the hospital and went through the list of preparations to make sure the Medics would be ready to treat the wounded in four days. Gaara assigned another Sand Shinobi under his command to work with you through the process. You started off by informing the hospital staff about the incident and that they had some time to prepare, not forgetting to mention that there might be more people wounded than the number anticipated. The meeting ended and their Head Medic split up the responsibilities for different individuals to be in charge of.

You went back to your room at the Sand siblings' house and tried to sleep. Last night was not so great. You flipped and turned on the spare bed, ridding the pessimistic thoughts that overwhelmed your mind. Your room was in the corner, next to Temari and across from Gaara. Temari and Kankuro were fast asleep when you and Gaara returned from dinner at a random place that he pulled you in. You then waved him goodbye before heading to your room, but he was faster. Gaara successfully pinned you against the door and cushioned the impact with one hand between your back and the hard material.

"What are you doing?" You tensed at his sudden action.

"Showing you how much you mean to me." He leaned forward and rested his head against yours as he slowly placed his lips on yours, "I really love you, Y/N."

Your gaze softened as you leaned into the kiss, your first kiss, mumbling, "I love you too, Gaara."

You loved him, too much.

That night, you went over their plan in your head for Kami knew how many times, fearing the worst. You were well aware of how strong the Akatsuki members were, you did not want them to get hurt, but you knew that only they could rescue the others. You did not sleep for the whole night, walked out of your room in the early morning after had washed your face and brushed your teeth. With your droopy eyes, you successfully earned an amused wave of laughter from Kankuro, who at that time, was sitting on the couch waiting for his siblings.

Gaara was eyeing you as he approached your figure lying on the couch, "Did you sleep well? You look tired, Y/N."

"No, not really," you whispered and slowly got up to follow them out of the house.

"You don't have to come with us," the red-haired turned as you walked through the door.

"I'll go with you guys, I can't sleep. Besides I have things to do after you guys leave."

He nodded and the others hummed in response before walking off.

You smiled at the events replaying through your mind, still feeling Gaara's lips on yours from yesterday, the butterflies in your stomach, and the way his hands perfectly rested on your body. It was too good to be true, too good to be real. Silently, you prayed, they would return, they had to.

Each day passed was pulling you closer to your hope, and inescapably, fear. It was poignantly agonizing to be waiting for the uncertain future to dawn. The first day went by as you buried yourself in getting everything sorted at the hospital and writing a report to the Hokage. The second day was spent with you doing paperwork and training with other Shinobi to calm your growing anxiety. On the third day, you could not sleep, instead, you paced back and forth in your room, standing up then sitting down, tomorrow would be the day. You had heard nothing from Gaara since and that worried you, at the same time, assured you that they did not encounter anything that would require them to request extra support.

You woke up even earlier on the fourth day, barely had any sleep at all, and stationed yourself at Suna’s gates. You did not bother to move when the sun rolled from the horizon, solely looking in the direction that they headed off three days ago. With your hair down and free in the air, skin bathing in the early morning light, you quietly stood, awaiting their arrival, his arrival.

The morning already went by as you sat in a small noodles stall to have your first meal. You figured you could probably leave Suna just to go a little bit further into the direction of the Akatsuki, that way you would be able to greet them as soon as they came near the village. It would not do any harm for sure. The alacrity was burning in your veins as you stood up and paid, persuading the Sand Shinobi beside to come with you, which was not an easy task, but you managed to accomplish it with endless pleadings that got him on his nerves, he eventually gave up. Crossing the gates of Suna, you made sure no one was following your steps and started sprinting with your companion right behind. This was your first mistake of the day.

The sun was directly shining above when you both entered the wood. The area was completely empty with no signs of chakra or movements. You continued to walk for about half an hour and abruptly stopped when you sensed a familiar appearance from afar, too familiar, making the Ninja behind stumbled, nearly tripping off his feet. You turned around just in time to catch one of his arms but were coincidentally pulled down by the gravitational force as you lost your balance in the process. He landed on the ground hard, and you fell on top of him, your face hitting his protected chest. Now, this was your second mistake of the day.

“Sorry,” the Sand Shinobi used his hands to raise himself up to sitting, closing the gap between your face and his.

“It’s okay,” you instantly got off his body and helped him off the ground. “Are you hurt?”

“No, I’m perfectly fine, thanks,” he smiled and his eyes glistened as he looked behind your back, “Kazekage-sama.”

------------------

Taglist: @dai-tsukki-desu​

[vodkassassin]

world state: refresh, chapter two

Last chapter: “—From the description, it’s basically the same as the synopsis of your run of the mill VRMMORPG anime, except the virtual games are real worlds.”

“Sure, but if they’re real worlds, then what does being a Game Master mean?”

Shen Yuan grins down at him.

“Hey, Airplane,” he says. “How do you feel about being an actual god?” [Read ch. 1]

—

“Oh, yaaawn!” She throws herself back onto the plush surface behind her and stretches her arms above her head. “Man, what a chore! Hey, Dorazou, make a note to always double check the Mission Rating before accepting an Assignment in the future. No way in hell am I gonna be doing that again!”

“AwRAWRight!” The tiny avatar cheers, pumping a little red scaled fist into the air. “Reminder set! Hey, Host, if it’s any consolation, this system thinks you totally aced it!”

“Hmm,” she crosses her arms and stars at the collection of screens that have popped into existence before her. “The mission grading will be the judge of that. Let’s see, here…. Oh, awesome! I earned a double S score! You know what that means!”

Dorazou gives another little roar cheer that sounds more like a kitten's mew than anything. Ah, so cute! “Host may close her next Assignment! Congratulations!”

The agent gathers her hair up into a loose and messy bun at the top of her head, breathing out a sigh of relief. “Awesome. Let’s choose something easy, why don’t we? That last world was only an A-rank, but it gave me a lot more trouble than I bargained for. It should have been labeled at least S-tank! Dorazou, bring up all available Assignments. B-rank or lower only, please!”

“Gotcha!” The tiny dragon-themes sprite gives a little twirl, it’s clunky arms flailing adorably. “Assignment list set to: Easy!”

“Perfect, thanks! Let’s take a look, now… Otome-world…. Fantasy style cooking show star, haha. I have zero talent in that area, so please decline it for me, Dorazou…. Another Knights Order needs a Pure Heavenly Maiden for such and such ritual, ah, that honestly just sounds so sinister, decline! And here we have yet another otome assignment, damn. These things are such pests. Oh, what’s this?”

Sitting up, the agent leans in and peers closely at the screen, eyes bright in excitement. “Hey, Dorazou! This one calls for a team of agents!”

“That is correct!” Dorazou says, beaming. The dragon floats up to sit comfortably on the girl’s shoulder. “System Agents 74 and 81 have put in a request for additional manpower in the Game Master Assignment for World-120MAX. If Host accepts, she and four other agents will be tasked with working under the leadership of Agent 74 in creating and managing a Game World.”

She tilts back again, kicking her legs up into the air with some excitement. “What’s the deadline?”

Dorazou is quiet for a moment as it studies the screens. It gives a hearty cheer and pats the agent on the head. “No deadline! Host will remain on Agent 74’s GM Team until it is decommissioned by the Team itself!”

She jumps off the beanbag entirely to float up into the air, catching the little dragon sprite and hugging it to her chest. “Awesome! So it’s basically a neverending paid vacation, if we want it to be? That totally rocks! Dorazou, we lucked out with this one!”

“AwRAWRight!” The tiny system cheers, looping its scaly arms around her neck in a hug. “Is Host choosing this Assignment, then?”

“As if I’d ever turn down a chance like this! System Agents hardly ever get to work together! Dorazou, please confirm my acceptance!”

“Assignment chosen! Does Host wish to rest in the home space before starting?”

“Nah, I’m way too pumped now,” she clenches her fists and grins. “Dorazou, let’s go meet our new friends!”

“RAWR! World-120MAX loading! Twenty-eight percent! Fifty-percent! Eighty-three percent! World load complete! Entering database now!”

The agent grins as she dissolves into light. This is gonna be sweet!

—

“Nice to meet you! My name is Myra Khol, System Agent 23! I’m here for the Game Master Team Assignment!”

“The what?” The boy says, expression just positively befuddled as it has been when she’s first loaded into the world, and Myra tilts her head in slight confusion. Has this guy never met another agent before?

She hops down from the tree and steps over to him, a little surprised when he takes a step back in return. Man, this guy is shy! How cute!

“Wait a minute, did you just say ‘System’?” The boy straightens up, his eyes going even wider than they’d already been. “Does that mean you are also a transmigrator?”

“What else would I be?” Myra huffs out with some bemusement. “You guys clearly haven’t put any people in this world yet, so the only ones you’d be seeing are yourselves or another agent.”

“Agent…” the boy echoes, holding the fan up to his lips in thought. It’s an endearing gesture, something so old fashion being slightly out of place with the futuristic fantasy design of the boy’s outfit, and yet it still somehow fits him.

Myra blinks at him, and then decides to take pity. From the looks of it, this kid is a noob at the job. She remembers when that had been her. The good old days!

“Didn’t your Systems explain it to you guys yet?” She asks.

At her words, the boy’s expression darkens. “The System? No. Why would the System explain anything?”

Oh. That sounded like anger, there. Myra reaches out a hand and nervously scoots her precious Dorazou over until it’s hidden behind her back. The little dragon makes a tiny noise of confusion, but goes along with it.

The boy narrows his eyes at her action. “Speaking of systems… is that one yours?”

“Um, well,” Myra coughs. “Yes? But! Dorazou is such a sweet little thing! Wouldn’t harm a fly! Please take care of it!”

The boy looks confused. “Wouldn’t harm a fly! Have you never been threatened with Punishment Protocol?”

Myra gapes, aghast. “No! That’s reserved for triple S class worlds on the highest difficulty setting! Why would an Assignment like that be given to newbie agents?”

The boy stares at her, face pale.

“Oh.” Myra presses her hands over her mouth, staring at him in horror. “I mean, I’ve heard it happening only once. Someone being given an extreme-difficulty Assignment for their very first world. It was basically an impossible mission, but she luckily managed to complete it successfully. The Assignment Parameter glitch that led to it was suppose to have been fixed since then, though. Are you really saying…?”

The boy lets out a weak sounding laugh, bowing his head. He rubs the back of his arm across his eyes, and Myra feels something in her chest ache at the sight. These two agents… they’ve really been through the wringer, haven’t they?

Clearing her throat hesitantly, she asks, “The Assignment said there were two agents behind the request. Since you’re here, where’s your partner?”

“He’s on the other side of the Level, touching up on some persistent glitches that are occurring in quadrant five,” the boy releases an aggravated sigh. Then, he glances at Myra in surprise. “Oh, I haven’t introduced myself yet, have I? My name is Shen Yuan, it’s really nice to meet you.”

Myra grins back at him, relieved. “Is it? For a moment there, I thought you weren’t happy to see me.”

“Are you kidding?” Shen Yuan laughs again, and this one is much lighter. It suits him way better than the faintly grieved sound from before. “I am ecstatic to meet you. It’s nice to know that we’re not as alone as we thought. Here, I’ll take you to my… partner. He should be about finished by now.”

Myra bounces onto her toes in excitement. She grabs Dorazou by the tail and troops after Shen Yuan when the boy turns his back and begins to walk away.

“Man, not being given a tutorial world really sounds like it sucked,” Myra says, side eyeing her new teammate as she comes up beside him.

Shen Yuan has an odd smile on his face when he replies. “It was… definitely something, yes.”

“You want me to lodge a complaint with Management?” She asks, a pinch of worry between her brows. “If all three of us do it, they’ll have to take another look at the glitch and make double sure that it doesn’t happen to anyone else.”

Shen Yuan is quiet for a long while as they walk along the quaint little dirt path. The silence stretches into minutes, and Myra decides to leave him to his thoughts, because it looks like he’s pondering something pretty deep.

She busies herself with checking out their surroundings as they move along. Shen Yuan has called this area the Level, and she’s assuming it’s the first of its kind, and therefore intended to be the Starting Area for the Players when they enter into this world. She’s done her reading while loading into the Assignment, so she’s fairly confident in her ability to assist Shen Yuan and his partner with whatever sort of administration work they need help with. So far though, from what she’s seeing, the two of them are actually off to a really good start. One or both of them must have some sort of experience in world building.

What a perfect Assignment for them, if that’s the case.

Especially if what Shen Yuan says is true, and he really had suffered through a triple S class of extreme difficulty for what was suppose to be their tutorial world. He really deserves a paradisal vacation such as this, where he can recuperate from the troubles he’d faced.

“It shouldn’t have happened in the first place,” Shen Yuan finally says, voice so quiet that Myra wouldn’t have heard it if the rest of the world around them wasn’t dead silent. It seems the audiosphere hasn’t been set up, yet.

Myra glances over to her side, and finds Shen Yuan staring down at the ground with a frown on his pretty face. His hands are clenched into fists at his sides.

“You said they already patched the glitch, so it shouldn’t have happened. They — whoever they are — clearly didn’t do their job.”

Myra bites her lip, and hugs a strangely quiet Dorazou to her chest. “Yeah, so we should file a complaint, right? And we can get the rest of the team on board with it, too, once they get here. I’m sure they’ll agree, too.”

“The rest of the team?” Shen Yuan asks, frown still present. He flicks his wrist, and the fan opens with a sharp snap and a skillful flourish. Myra stares at the action in awe. So refined! So graceful! And the fan itself was exquisite.

“I’m sorry, could you elaborate on the… Assignment Parameters you mentioned before? Xiao Lei and I just needed help, and the system said we’d have it. It didn’t explain what that help was, or where it would come from.”

Xiao Lei must be the other agent, Shen Yuan’ partner. Myra files the name away and directs a bright smile in the direction of her new teammate.

“Sure thing! Basically, your request generated a new Assignment in the listings for agents. It asks for five agents to form a team directly under you and your partner, though Agent 74 is suppose to be the team leader. That wouldn’t happen to be you, would it?”

Shen Yuan blinks at her, before his frown returns in full force. It looks faintly irritated this time, and the boy calls out, “System, what is my, uh, Agent number?”

There’s a faint sound of static, before a slightly stilted and robotic voice replies, “Host is filed as Agent 81.”

Myra glances down to see a Siamese cat, tail poised elegantly in the air and ears perked upright, weaving between Shen Yuan’s every step like a ghost. The cat glances up at her and blinks it’s bright blue eyes at her with an indifferent gaze.

“Oh, is that your System? It’s so cute!” She squeals.

The cat glances away from her, and Shen Yuan huffs.

“It’s an absolute snob, is what it is,” the boy refutes.

His system doesn’t look back up, and Myra feels a little bad for it, but…. Well, she supposed, if she’s been trapped in an SSS-rank hell world for her first Assignment, she might have some resentment toward her system, too.

She clutched Dorazou to her chest at the terrible thought, and is comforted when the little dragon spite turns around to nuzzle her back. It seems she’s really lucked out, huh?

“Does your system have a name?” She asks, scratching Dorazou behind the ear.

“Does it need one?” Shen Yuan asks coldly.

Myra cringes, glancing down at the aloof-looking cat that darts between his legs. It doesn’t even twitch at the way that it’s host speaks about it, and Myra decides to change the subject least the air becomes too awkward.

“So, um, I guess your partner is the designated team leader, then!” She tries, her smile fixed in place.

Shen Yuan shrugs. He flutters the pretty fan in front of his face and holds his other arm behind his back. He looks like some sort of regal young master of an ancient dynasty, with a posture like that. Myra wonders what the setting of his last world had been. Imperial court drama, perhaps? That sort of plot was almost always a guaranteed S rank.

“It suits him,” Shen Yuan says. “He has the most experience in creating worlds, so I guess I’d follow his lead even if he wasn’t the boss. Though, I’ll definitely be there to advise him, so he doesn’t get too carried away.”

“Carried away?” Myra wonders.

“It happens, sometimes.” Shen Yuan grimaces. “If it’s true that we’ll be a team, then I’ll be counting on you to keep an eye on him, as well.”

“Yes, of course!” Myra is a little confused, but Shen Yuan obviously knows his partner best, so she’ll take his words to heart. She salutes him. “You can definitely rely on me for that!”

This gets her a faint smile, and she inwardly cheers. This boy is surprisingly difficult to get a response out of. Myra hasn’t met someone like him in a long time.

Suddenly, Shen Yuan pulls to a stop, and gestures ahead of them. “We’re here,” he says, and then sighs. “Looks like he’s not finished… I wonder….”

Myra looks ahead of them, to see a huge structure looming in the distance. The forest they’ve been strolling through has given way to an open plain, grasslands mixed with an opaque sandy desert. A few hundred meters away sits a hulking building, which in closer examination is not a building at all, but in fact some sort of autonomous being. It’s collapsed on its side, limbs askew, a central panel of its torso gaping open to allow its mechanical insides to be strewn about throughout the grass and sand around it. There’s faint noises of metal hitting against metal coming from within it, and when Myra squints, she can just make out a tiny figure perched on the very edge of the thing’s opened chassis.

Shen Yuan takes a step forward, and Myra keeps back. He closes his fan with a satisfying clack and slips it into the pocket of his shorts, and then cups his hands around his mouth. “Hey, Shang Lei! Come here!”

Oh, so the other agent’s name was Shang Lei, not Xiao Lei.

Myra pokes at her lip in thought as she watches the distant figure poke it’s head up out of the mechanical innards of whatever creature they were tinkering around inside of. Shen Yuan, Shang Lei… those names both sound pretty Chinese to her. And in Chinese, Xiao is often used as a diminutive or an endearment. So, this must mean that Shen Yuan and Shang Leo are actually very close friends, right? Myra covers her smile with a hand.

Due to context gathered from Shen Yuan's earlier words, it must also be likely that they were partners in their last world. Meaning that Shang Lei also experienced what was, in layman’s terms, called a Hell Assignment. And it is likely that the Hell Assignment was also Shang Lei’s first Assignment, given that Shen Yuan has no idea about a lot of System Agent common sense.

If they were partners all this time, if Shang Lei had previous transmigration experience, he’d have schooled his partner on it by now. And yet, Shen Yuan was ignorant of a lot of things.

Myra presses both her palms to her cheeks and sighs quietly as she watches Shang Lei approach them. Shen Yuan has stepped up to meet him, but she can clearly see the hesitant way that Shang Lei holds himself, the wary way that he eyes her. The way that he slides himself into the shadow of Shen Yuan’s barely taller stature when he realizes she’s looking back at him.

She sighs in her heart, as well, and clutches Dorazou in one arm like a teddy bear. Her system pays her on the hand.

“—apparently posted an assignment asking for other agents to come and lend us a hand.” Shen Yuan is explaining quietly to his partner — his friend. He gestures at her with a hand. “This is Myra Khol, the first one to accept the mission.”

Myra steps forward the smallest step she can take without it seeming like she’s wary of them, too. It still makes Shang Lei duck even further behind Shen Yuan. She does not let it dim her smile.

“Hi, I’m Myra, System Agent 23! I’m pleased to meet you, boss!”

Shang Lei peeks out from behind his friend with wide eyes. There’s a complicated expression on his face.

“... Nice to meet you, too,” he mumbles, and curls back behind Shen Yuan as soon as the last word is out.

That is it! Myra has decided! She will help these two to the best of her abilities, not because it’s the Assignment, but because she wants to!

Dorazou! Edit Assignment self parameters!

[[Host!]]

The dragon sprite makes a soft noise from within her grasp. She sees the way that Shang Lei’s eyes dart down to it, and the frown that graces his face as he glances shyly back toward her with an expression that almost looks faintly concerned. For her. And given the fact that it’s very possible that Shang Lei’s opinion of systems is the same as Shen Yuan’s, due to their not-so-great past experiences, the look that he’s sending her now makes Myra’s heart melt.

[[Assignment parameters, self edit mode!]]

Myra’s smile broadens.

Take care of Agent 74 and Agent 81! Priority!

[cheri-translates]

[CN] Idle Chat with Gavin

🍒 Warning: This post contains detailed spoilers for a feature which has not been released in English servers! 🍒

The CN server was recently graced with a new feature called 随便聊聊 (“Idle Chat”), where you can select a mood and talk to the love interests about work, life, and studies :>

Idle Chat with: Kiro / Lucien / Shaw / Victor

[ WORK - Topic 1: Overtime ]

1. Mood: Happy

MC: Yay! I don’t have to work overtime today! Want to have a sumptuous meal together?

Gavin: Good timing. I’m off shift today

Gavin: Apart from eating

Gavin: We can find other things to do.

-

2. Mood: Upset

MC: I’m sorry I’m sorry. I might reach an hour late today. I have to work overtime suddenly to handle something...

Gavin: It’s okay

Gavin: I’ll come over to accompany you during that one hour. That way, you won’t be considered late.

-

3. Mood: Angry

MC: I really don’t want to work overtime any longer. I’ve been sleeping right after getting home for so many consecutive days, and have absolutely no personal time...

Gavin: Have you been sleeping well?

Gavin: Once you’re done with this busy period, let’s go for a long vacation together.

-

[ WORK - Topic 2: Income ]

1. Mood: Happy

MC: I had a shock when I checked the accounts. Without realising it, I’ve saved so much money! It shows that persevering in financial management is very useful!

Gavin: I find it very useful too.

Gavin: When I was young, I’d put my future into a savings box

Gavin: Now, I’ll put my future into our hands.

-

2. Mood: Upset

MC: Why is it always so easy to spend money, but so difficult to earn it

Gavin: Mm, I also wonder about this question...

Gavin: Want to do up a plan to save money together?

-

3. Mood: Angry

MC: Barely ten minutes after being happy about payday, several notification messages for arrears arrived! I shouldn’t have purchased so many things last month!

Gavin: This month, I’ll be your shopping supervisor.

Gavin: If there’s anything you want to buy, let me know.

-

[ WORK - Topic 3: Program Progress ]

1. Mood: Happy

MC: Do you still remember the program I talked to you about before? After persistent hard work, we managed to secure a partnership!

Gavin: I remember

Gavin: Back then, you said you wouldn’t give up

Gavin: I’m also very happy to see that you didn’t give up.

-

2. Mood: Upset

MC: There hasn’t been any progress in the recent program... All inspiration has been expended, and our operations have also been exhausted...

Gavin: Want to go for a short trip with me over the weekend?

Gavin: To refresh your inspiration and motivation. 

-

3. Mood: Angry

MC: The data provided by the partner is absurd! If I were to go along with them, nothing would be done! 

Gavin: In that case, give them an absurd proposal

Gavin: They’ll know where they’ve gone wrong.

-

[ WORK - Topic 4: Program Results ]

1. Mood: Happy

MC: This program was successfully approved! I think my incredibly~ superb proposal was one of the contributory factors! We can officially start working on it tomorrow!

Gavin: Will you be busy from tomorrow onwards then?

Gavin: If you need to work overtime during this period

Gavin: Remember to call me.

-

2. Mood: Upset

MC: Is the work produced for the other party really okay... Even if it gets approved, there still seems to be something missing

Gavin: The MC I know is a persistent and confident girl

Gavin: No one can deny your accomplishments.

-

3. Mood: Angry

MC: When will the program finally get approved! There are seventeen versions stuffed in my file!!!

Gavin: A senior from the Task Force once told me a technique to examining clues

Gavin: List down the mistakes made in the previous seventeen versions

Gavin: And you’ll have new inspiration.

💙

[ LIFE - Topic 1: Losing Weight ]

1. Mood: Happy

MC: Did you notice anything different about me today? I’ll give you three seconds to think about it! Forget it, I think you might not have been able to see it...

Gavin: Cough, I could tell. You’ve lost weight.

Gavin: But it wasn’t because of what I saw. I used another method to determine it.

-

2. Mood: Upset

MC: Should I reach a compromise with my weight? I’ve been losing weight then gaining weight - it feels like a waste of time.

Gavin: There’s no need to lose weight

Gavin: No matter what, you’ll always be the best-looking in my eyes

Gavin: ...mm, but exercise is still needed. 

-

3. Mood: Angry

MC: I shouldn’t have gone for the dinner party yesterday! When I weighed myself today, I really became heavier by 1kg!

Gavin: It shows that you’ve gained 1kg of happiness yesterday

Gavin: Let it get absorbed into your body.

-

[ LIFE - Topic 2: Meals ]

1. Mood: Happy

MC: I accidentally bought too much... I don’t think I need so many vegetables since I’m cooking for myself...

Gavin: In that case, could you leave me a share?

Gavin: I’ll pay for the food expenses

Gavin: Mm, and I’ll also be responsible for washing the dishes and being an assistant.

-

2. Mood: Upset

MC: I bought the snack which is especially popular on the internet. But when I ate it, I didn’t think it was great. Has my taste become disconnected with the masses?

Gavin: Taste is something personal

Gavin: Want to head out together today?

Gavin: We’ll find snacks that you and I both find delicious

-

3. Mood: Angry

MC: I made an absolutely perfect bento for lunch at work, but my hand slipped when taking it out of the microwave and it all fell out!

Gavin: Did you scald your hand?

Gavin: Let’s have dinner together.

Gavin: To make up for the regret of not being able to eat your absolutely perfect bento.

-

[ LIFE - Topic 3: Reading ]

1. Mood: Happy

MC: The science fiction book I read today is really interesting! It’s also especially rich in imagination. I think you’ll like the style as well!

Gavin: All right.

Gavin: But I’ve been busy with missions these days, so I might not have time to read

Gavin: I’ve noted down the name of the book. I’ll tell you my thoughts after reading it.

-

2. Mood: Upset

MC: I was looking for spiritual comfort when I came across a book on philosophy. In the end, I think I’ve become even more perplexed by the world... Have you felt this way too?

Gavin: Mm, there are times I’m perplexed by the world too

Gavin: But once I think about you, I’ll feel calmer.

-

3. Mood: Angry

MC: Today, I borrowed a murder mystery novel from the library. Some unreasonable reader wrote the name of the murderer directly on the first page!! 

Gavin: ...

Gavin: That’s really going overboard. 

Gavin: Try treating it as backwards reasoning, and observe the process. 

-

[ LIFE - Topic 4: Games]

1. Mood: Happy

MC: I’ve finally defeated that difficult boss! I was even thinking that if I failed again, I’d refer to the guide. I didn’t expect to beat it!

Gavin: That level is really difficult

Gavin: I only managed to defeat it after reading the guide

Gavin: You’re very strong - a first-rate gamer.

-

2. Mood: Upset

MC: I think I’ve outgrown the age of game addiction. I just feel like leaving once I go online. I can’t find anything interesting...

Gavin: Maybe you just temporarily lack motivation towards this game

Gavin: Want to try a new game?

Gavin: Minor recommended a multi-player game involving solving riddles

Gavin: I think you should like it.

-

3. Mood: Angry

MC: I met a cheater in the game again! People who ruin the experience of the game are so annoying! It makes me feel like giving up on the game...

Gavin: Report him.

Gavin: People who contravene the rules are being played by the game

Gavin: And not playing the game.

💙

[ SCHOOL - Topic 1: Progress ]

1. Mood: Happy

MC: The method you taught me is really effective! Today, I finally overcame the temptation to slack off, and successfully completed my task!

Gavin: There are many methods

Gavin: You don’t necessarily have to use the one I taught you

Gavin: But if you can get used to it, it shows that you have a lot of potential.

-

2. Mood: Upset

MC: I’d rather doodle on paper or stare into space than look at the textbook... I’m a girl who’s tired of studying T-T

Gavin: It’s already late - don’t force yourself to read the textbook

Gavin: The girl who’s tired of studying should become a girl who sleeps early

Gavin: That way, she can become a diligent girl tomorrow.

-

3. Mood: Angry

MC: There are only ten more days till the end of the course, and my learning progress has just begun...

Gavin: There are still ten days

Gavin: Which means there are 240 hours, 14400 minutes

Gavin: If you look at it this way, there’s still time.

-

[ SCHOOL - Topic 2: Homework ]

1. Mood: Happy

MC: The teacher actually complimented me today. Even though all she said was that my work is neat... I’m still very happy!

Gavin: Even back then, your handwriting was always delicate and neat

Gavin: Just like you as a person.

-

2. Mood: Upset

MC: I can’t help but find excuses to slack off whenever I scan through the questions. I just scanned through five minutes worth of video clips...

Gavin: And now you’ve slacked off by sending me 25 words.

Gavin: Be a little more focused.

-

3. Mood: Angry

MC: Even though there isn’t much homework in each course, when you put them together, it’s basically WAY. TOO. MUCH.

Gavin: When I was in school, I also felt that there was a lot of homework

Gavin: So I would prioritise the easier questions first...

Gavin: It isn’t a special method, but you can try it.

-

[ SCHOOL - Topic 3: Pre-exam Revision ]

1. Mood: Happy

MC: Today, I memorised all the examinable points. Tomorrow, I’ll be entering the battlefield. Everything has been prepared - all I’m missing is a little bit of courage from you!

Gavin: All right, give me your hand.

Gavin: I have a lot of courage,

Gavin: And I can give it all to you, the one stepping into the battlefield tomorrow.

-

2. Mood: Upset

MC: Although I’ve looked through all the examinable points, I still feel unsure and uneasy...

Gavin: Don’t be anxious. Since you’re done with revision, rest early

Gavin: Tomorrow, I’ll send you to the examination venue.

-

3. Mood: Angry

MC: It’s too difficult, it’s way too difficult. I really shouldn’t have registered for this class. I still can’t memorise anything when it’s almost the exam...

Gavin: I’ll bring you out for a ride in a while

Gavin: You can share all your grievances and stress with the wind.

-

[ SCHOOL - Topic 4: Post-exam celebration]

1. Mood: Happy

MC: My exam is over! I’ve been freed! And my results were much better than expected!

Gavin: You know your results immediately?

Gavin: Congratulations

Gavin: I’m outside the exam venue. Sparky and I are waiting for you.

-

2. Mood: Upset

MC: A weight has been lifted off my shoulders since the exam is over. Even though I planned so many celebratory activities, I don’t feel like doing them now...

Gavin: If you don’t have any ideas

Gavin: Leave the planning to me.

Gavin: Wait for me at the entrance of the examination venue. I’ll be there soon.

-

3. Mood: Angry

MC: I’m so angry! I shouldn’t have compared answers with other people! I feel unwell after doing that...

Gavin: Did you get many answers wrong?

Gavin: Since the examination is already over

Gavin: You could alleviate your anger and hunger with me.

[nad-zeta]

Hello! I adore all of your IkeVamp headcanons and thought I'd send in an ask. If all of the residents of the mansion were either super busy or out running errands for the day, what would MC do if she was tasked with taking care of all of their pets?

hi hi, love! 🦋❤☺Thanks a million for the request! I had so much fun writing this up!😄☺ Hehehe and thanks so much for the kind words❤🥰🦋 I'm super happy you have been enjoying them! 🌻☺😳❤So cause there are so many bois and I did't want this post to get too long, i decided to post it in three parts! 😏Hehehe so this is part 1 lol. Hope you enjoy this love! And I hope you have the best day☺🦋❤

Headcanon: MC taking care of the boys’ pets: feat Theo, Isaac, Napoleon and Jean 

Theo

Theo had to travel for work with his brother to show some of Vincent’s brand new paintings

Except there was one big problem, who was going to watch his sweet little golden retriever

He loved the pup like his own child and just like any overprotective parent, he refused to leave his adorable doggo with someone he didn’t trust

He went down a mental list of the residents and eventually decided that you would be the best fit to care for his beloved King, while him and Vincent was away

He knocked on your door the night before they left.

And when you opened the door, your eyes widened in shock

Theo stood before you carrying from the dog’s bed to his favourite treats

He handed you a big binder filled with instructions to care for his beloved pup

You honestly couldn’t help but roll your eyes, and stuff the binder into the nearest drawer once he left

How hard could it be to take care of a dog

That morning you were abruptly woken up with a playful pup licking your face and nibbling your nose. He refused to let you have even five more minutes of rest as he pulled your blankie of your bed and ran through the hallways with it

When you finally managed to get dressed and ready, King was already waiting for you downstairs tail wagging as he bounced around your feet with his leash in his mouth

You decided to take a nice relaxing morning stroll with the dog, except it was anything but relaxing.

The second the leash latched onto kings collar it was as if the dog was walking you. He ran full speed at any critter he spotted, nearly pulling your arm from your socket multiple times.

You let him off the leash when you reached the dog park and within seconds the Golden retriever jumped into the pound and decided to chase after the ducks.

You sat on the park bench peacefully enjoying your first cup of coffee for the morning, when the ball of energy returned to your side and jumped up onto the park bench, shaking out his wet fur

Within seconds you were soaked

Finally, back at the mansion, you fed the little pup who seemed to have inhaled his food rather than eat it.

The pup followed you around as you worked, causing all sorts of trouble and mischief in his wake.

By the end of the day, you were utterly exhausted, you flopped down on your bed, and for the first time today the little dog was out of energy peacefully sleeping in his little bed.

Just then your bedroom door slammed open

Theo had just returned and was excited to see his lil baby

He ran up to the now awake and back to full energy dog and showered him in affection, as King licked his face in return 

Theo seemed like a completely different person when it came to his dear dog

He gave you a head pat, “good hondjie, thanks for taking such good care of King.”

You watched Theo stride out of the room with King excitingly bouncing behind him 

You made a vow that day never to watch the pup again, as the little creature was simply too energetic for you

Jean

Napoleon had for the first time in his life successfully convinced Jean to help him teach the children some self-defence fencing classes

Jean, of course, was slightly panicked as who was going to look after, and keep his cute tiger cub company

Napoleon scooped the cub in his arms at the mention of the dilemma and walked over to your room with Jean in tow

Before you even know it the former Emporer of France had dropped the cub into your lap and asked you to care for it for the day

You had no time to even ask questions or refuse, as before you knew it, the pair was gone

The little cub looked up at you with big blue curious eyes

Just like his owner the white tiger cub was rather calm and serene, opting to nap in the sun as you went about hanging up the laundry

Once you were done, you were shocked and panicked when you saw the spot the little creature was napping in was now empty

You looked around the garden and spotted him chasing butterflies

The second his little ears heard you approaching he changed direction and charged at you. 

Knocking you off your feet as he playfully clawed at you

You spent the rest of the afternoon playing with the little thing out in the garden

At some point, the little cub got tired and nestled itself into your lap. He gave a few cute purrs as you stroked his fur and watched him sleep

Jean and Napoleon’s couldn’t help but smile at the sweet sight before them

You and the little tiger cuddle up together on the glass peacefully napping in the last rays of the summer sun

 Napoleon

Napoleon needed to go to the town square and teach his class with Isaac 

But he had one major problem, Jupiter

Jupiter, his pet eagle was feeling rather lonely and wanted to play with her owner

Napoleon looked around and spotted you doing some gardening

He looked down at you pleadingly and asked if you would keep Jupiter company while he was out for an hour or so

TBH you were rather intimidated by the large creature, but you couldn’t say no to Napoleon, especially when he was giving you those big puppy dog eyes.

He handed over his leather gloves to you and the second you put them on the bird hopped from his arm to yours

Your arm almost buckled at the unexpected weight of the majestic creature, and before you could change your mind, Napoleon was already getting in the carriage and heading to town

This was the first time that you had been up close and alone with the beautiful bird. 

Usually, you would just watch Napoleon play with her from a safe distance

You looked at the eagle, and stroked her head, just like you had seen Napo do a thousand times before

Just then she flapped her wings and let out a sound pointing her head in the direction of a container filled with pieces of fish

You smiled as remembered how Napoleon would play and train the eagle, by throwing up food into the air, and watching her swoop in and catch it

The eagle eagerly hopped to the ground as she saw you picking up a piece of fish and readied herself to take flight

You threw it up into the air and watched as she soared above you to gracefully catch it.

Jupiter was in a showy mood and decided to show off by doing a few tricks in the sky

You spotted Theo’s tug of war rope and decided to throw it up into the air as well 

Just then, Juniper caught it in the air with her foot and brought it back to you

You played fetch with the bird all afternoon, giving her affectionate head pats and some snacks every time she did a trick or brought back the rope

By the time Napoleon got back juniper had had her fill with company for the day and gently rubbed her head against your palm as a show of affection before making her way back to her nest for the night  

Napoleon was slightly disappointed that he had missed out on all the fun 

Isaac

Isaac had been asked by the university to attend and speak at an annual physics conference

Isaac was both nervous and excited about the news

He went home that night and excitingly told his little hedgehog all about the conference, even practising his speech in front of his prickly friend

Finally when his speech was perfect, and he was feeling well prepared, a realisation hit him

He would be home rather late leaving Harry alone for not only the whole day but a portion of the evening as well

He looked at his little friend who was now happily cuddled up and sleeping on his chest 

He wondered if he could ask one of the mansion residents to keep his little hedgehog company while he was away

The next morning Isaac made his way to your room to ask your help, he considered you a close friend and TBH you were the only person, he would be able to entrust Harry to

You smiled as he handed the little hedgehog to you before he was headed off to the university.

Harry had spent the day sleeping in your hoodies pouch as you went about your daily duties

The little critter started waking up and becoming more active around late noon, which suited you perfectly as you were finally done with your tasks for the day

You spent the rest of the afternoon playing with the little critter

You could see why Isaac loved spending time with Harry, he was an absolute delight

The two of you played all sorts of little games together from soccer to obstacle courses. You couldn’t help but smile at how intelligent the little creature was

After a long afternoon of fun and games the two of you made your way to the dining room to pig out. 

Harry had a little bowl of his favourite fruits while you had a delicious meal prepared by the best cook and butler in town

After both your tummies were full, the two of you went back to your room

You decided to do some light reading before bed. The second you got into your covers and pulled out your book the little hedgehog as running to your side to cuddle with you

He nestled to rest peacefully on your lap as you read

When it was finally time for bed you carefully picked up the lil hedgehog and placed him down on the pillow beside you

Unhappy with the new sleeping arrangement little Harry made his way to the crook of your neck where he gently nuzzled you and then fell asleep

Isaac walked into your room after a long day of lecturing to find his two dearest friends cuddled together in a peaceful sleep

Hope you enjoy this love! ❤😳🌻🦋 and i hope you are keeping safe and warm!

To be continued......

[professorsnape394]

The Potions Master’s Apprentice

Chapter Twelve: Igor Karkaroff

A/N: This is the twelfth part to my fanfiction ‘The Potions Master’s Apprentice (Severus Snape x OC)’. Chapters 1-16 can be found already uploaded on Wattpad under the same name. Feel free to leave requests in my inbox for anything Snape related you want me to write. Leave a comment below if you wish to be added to my tag list.

Pairing: Severus Snape x OC (Dumbledore’s Granddaughter)

Summary: A talented young witch is employed as an apprentice professor at Hogwarts, but who will she be working under? Severus Snape is not best pleased with his new responsibility of taking on an apprentice, however she is relentless to create a friendship between them. Will she be successful? Or might the friendship just go a little two far? With the eyes of her grandfather constantly watching over them, an attempt at a relationship might not be in the cards for Aria Dumbledore and Severus Snape.

Word Count: 2709

Warnings: n/a

Credits to Gif Creators

The sun rose in the horizon marking another weekend at Hogwarts. Saturdays were always bittersweet for Aria as she often found herself feeling alone without the pleasure of teaching to keep herself occupied. The majority of students usually spent the weekends at Hogsmeade and with the current situation of Severus not speaking to her, the castle felt lonelier still. Of course, she enjoyed her afternoon tea with Minerva and her short visits with Hagrid but other than that Miss Dumbledore found herself with nothing more to do than roam the grounds aimlessly. Though a lonely task, Aria loved discovering places she had never been before, and something could be said of the small moments of solitude she relished in.

On this particular Saturday Aria found herself with evening plans to occupy her nightly boredom, yet the day seemed long and there was much time to fill before leaving for Hogsmeade.

Looking out the castle window onto the vast land surrounding the building, a deep sigh escaped the woman's perfectly painted lips. Rain battered down the window, drenching and water logging the grassland that she had previously wished to explore. Today's going to be a long day. Aria thought to herself, turning away from the window and disappearing back into the castle.

After an hour of fidgeting and pretending to read in the arm chair of her quarters, Aria came to the conclusion she was not going to settle. The room was too cold, to dull and too empty to stay in any longer. Grabbing a sketchbook and quill the young professor made her way to the great hall. The sound of student's laughter as she approached the halls was music to her ears. Though not quite as full as it was at meal times the room was filled with students of all ages from both Hogwarts and the visiting schools. A small group of Professors were scattered around the room, most on duty, or else they would have chosen to spend their Saturdays elsewhere.

"Professor Karkaroff." Aria forced a smile. "I don't think we've had the pleasure of being formally introduced."

"Professor Karkaroff." Aria forced a smile. "I don't think we've had the pleasure of being formally introduced."

"Professor Karkaroff." Aria forced a smile. "I don't think we've had the pleasure of being formally introduced."

"You are correct, my dear, we have not. Though I am very aware of who you are." He smirked, shifting to the edge of his seat to get closer to the young woman.

"You do?" She questioned, putting a little bit more space between herself and the Headmaster.

"Of course!" He exclaimed. "Everyone has heard the rumours of Albus Dumbledore's granddaughter. But to see you in the flesh? Well that is a pleasure indeed!" He cackled, leaning further over her shoulder.

"I'm glad you think so, professor." Aria laughed nervously.

"Igor, please." He corrected, resting a heavily calloused hand on her arm.

"Is there anything I can do for you... Igor?... Now that we have been properly introduced." The potions apprentice spoke gingerly. Something about this man had always seemed off to her, and from the interaction she witnessed with Severus her suspicions only worsened.

"I have been watching you for a while." Igor lowered his voice and leaned in closer. "I have noticed you are close with Professor Snape, am I correct?"

The pair looked up to the Potions Master, who paid no interest in their conversation and continued to circle the students intimidatingly.

"I wouldn't say we are close, Professor Karkaroff, we are colleagues nothing more.  And at the moment I'd say he pretty much despises me. If you knew Professor Snape, you'd know he doesn't like anyone very much at all." Aria puffed.

"You may not realise this, Miss Dumbledore, but I am very well acquainted with your Potions Master and I know what kind of man he is. Which brings me to why I am here talking to you. In all the years I have known Severus, no one has persuaded him to allow them to get close to him. I must know how you accomplished it!"

"Look, Prof- Igor. I assure you, you have gotten the wrong end of the stick, Severus is my mentor, we have to work closely, it's his job to train me."

"I have seen the two of you, every night you spend together-"

"Marking papers" Aria interrupted. Igor continued nonetheless.

"Despite what you may have convinced yourself Miss Dumbledore. Severus has no obligation to spend time with you out with teaching hours. Yet he does. Every. Single. Night. Ask yourself this, Aria; Why?"

Aria made to reply, once again telling Karkaroff he had gotten it all wrong. However, it was then they noticed the bat like professor spin on his heel and begin walking in their direction.

"What do you know about his past?" Igor pushed, rushing to get an answer quickly. "What do you know about his life outside Hogwarts?"

Aria sat; mouth agape, unable to process the questions he was asking. Her head was swarmed with thoughts and questions of her own that she needed answers to, but knew she would never get.

It was then Snape appeared behind Karkaroff, avoiding eye contact with Aria at all costs.

"Getting acquainted with my apprentice, were we Igor?" Snape spat.

"Simply introducing myself to a beautiful young witch, I wished to get to know." His mouth curling into a fox-like smile as he turned to face Severus Snape. A strong hand slammed itself onto Igor's shoulder, the grip to tight Snape's knuckles begun to whiten.

"A word, Igor. In my office. Now." He seethed through gritted teeth.

As the two men disappeared without explanation, Aria became unable to focus on what she had been doing before she was abruptly interrupted. Making a move to return to her chambers, Aria's eyes flickered to her page. She had been in such a trance she had hardly noticed the focus of her drawing quickly forming into the silhouette of the potions master as he walked among the blurred tables of students. A blush immediately rising to her cheeks it became clear to her that there was no way Severus would not have seen it. She simply prayed he would not bring it up again.

*

Aria's heart pounded in time with the click of her heels against the castle's cold stone floors as she made her way to the great hall for the second time today. She had changed in preparation for her date... well her "drinks" with Alexander, and she was nervous about how her new look would be received from the students and staff. She always tried to look professional around Hogwarts and dressed more reserved than she otherwise would but for once she felt like getting a little dressed up and feeling her age for the occasion.

As she further approached the hall, a layer of goosebumps formed on Aria's arms and a crimson blush rose to her cheeks. She regretted every decision she had ever made that led up to this moment as a feeling of dread grew in her stomach while she made her way to walk through the doors of the Great Hall. Her long back cloak successfully masked the majority of her clothing to the students but from face on it was impossible to miss her exposed body as she sashayed her way down the hall.

Severus stopped eating mid forkful as a blur of red making its way through the hall caught his eye. The clicking of Aria's heels echoed through the hall and she picked up the pace, hiding her face in her masses of hair. Severus' jaw dropped as his eyes travelled down her body. The silky red material clung tightly to her shapely body, exposing a small portion of her waist where her skirt and bralet separated. For the first time since their meeting it occurred to Severus that he had never really properly looked at Aria's body as she was constantly wearing oversized shirts and blouses tucked into a flowing floor length skirt which hid the curvature of her hips, though maintained her slim silhouette. Her long legs seemed to go on forever as she marched her way towards the head table and Snape found it impossible to pull his eyes away.

"Like what you see eh, Severus?" Karkaroff chuckled, nudging Severus' arm causing him to break from his trance.

"I advise you watch what you're insinuating there, Igor." Immediately the potions masters face turned sour, his jaw clenching furiously.

"How do you think Albus would react if he found out how you think about his granddaughter?"

"I do not think of her in any type of way." Snape insisted but could not help turning an eye in Dumbledore's direction.

Students continued to pour in behind Aria as she made her way up to the table, taking the only remaining seat between Minerva and Igor Karkaroff. Knowing the whole of the staff table had been staring at her the whole way up she was completely mortified by this point and just wanted to eat her meal then leave without speaking to anyone.

"You looking stunning, my dear, don't hide yourself away, own it!" Minerva leaned into her, whispering as she took a swig of her drink.

"I quite agree with you there, Minerva." Karkaroff chimed in, inching closer to a very embarrassed Aria Dumbledore. "She looks absolutely incredible. May I ask what the occasion is?"

"Nothing really." She shrugged. "I'm just heading to the Three Broomsticks after dinner for a few drinks with a friend."

Severus couldn't help but scoff at the woman's comment, catching the attention of his three colleagues.

"Something to say, Snape?" Aria retorted, finally finding her confidence.

Snape found it hard to even look the woman in the eye let alone respond, he simply let out a small huff and went back to his meal, though he couldn't help but listen in on Aria and karkaroff for the rest of the meal.

Karkaroff was once again whispering to Aria in hushed tones as he had caught them doing before earlier in the day, though this time he was a lot more pre-occupied by Aria's exposed cleavage and thigh which he could not keep his hands off. The professor hung over Aria, whispering closely into her ear so that no one around might hear anything he was saying. Thankfully, Miss Dumbledore didn't seem to be too interested in what Igor had to say. Her responses consisted of a few shakes of the head and the occasional one-word response, however, not once did Severus notice her complain about Karkaroff's hand placement or show any discomfort towards the man. The pair continued like this for the remainder of the feast, meanwhile Snape found it hard to focus on his meal for the thoughts that refused to leave his head turned the food bitter in his mouth.

As the feast came to an end and the children poured out of the great hall and back to their dorms, Severus let himself get distracted for a second and before he realised both Aria and Igor were nowhere to be seen.

"Looking for someone, Severus?" Minerva chimed in, noticing Snape looking around suspiciously.

"Not at all, Minerva. I was simply observing the rudeness of our shared colleague and one of our visitors. They have left rather abruptly, don't you agree? What do you suppose those two are up to anyway?" Snape questioned.

"There's no need to be jealous, Severus. I don't really think Igor is Aria's type. Besides if I'm not mistaken, I may have heard your name being mentioned once or twice, maybe Igor is just as jealous of you as you are of him." She replied coyly, a mischievous grin plastered across her face.

"Don't play games Minerva, it doesn't suit you." The potions master snapped, getting up from the table.

*

Almost instantly as the feast reached its end Karkaroff pulled Aria away from the table and out into the corridor.

"Listen, Igor, unless you actually want to tell me what this is all about, I don't want to hear anymore of it." Aria groaned as they closed the door behind them.

"I need answers and you know him best, what has he been telling you?" Igor panted, throwing Aria against the wall and closing the gap between them.

"He's not told me anything, I don't know what you're on about. Honestly, were not as close as you seem to think, in fact, he practically can't stand me!"

"Mmmm maybe you're right." Karkaroff hummed, looking her up and down. "Maybe he hasn't told you. But he's definitely interested in you, I've seen the way he looks at you."

"You don't know him; he doesn't think like that." Aria shook her head.

"I know him more than you do, it seems." Igor leaned in, planting a hand on the wall beside Aria's head, so close to her she could feel his hot breath on her chest. "Tell me. What exactly do you know of his past?" He whispered into her ear.

It suddenly occurred to Aria that she did know nothing of the man's past. Besides what she had witnessed Aria knew nothing about Snape's life. What did Karkaroff know that she didn't? And who exactly was Severus Snape?

Almost on cue the door slammed open to reveal the man in question. Almost in shock he paused when he saw the pair in such close proximity. Rocking on the balls of his feet it was clear Severus' was deciding whether to speak or walk on. After letting out a scoff and a mutter of disgust the potions master chose the latter and made his way down the corridor.

"Severus." Aria called as she pushed Karkaroff off of her. The potions master failed to recognise her cry and continued to walk on. Refusing to be ignored Aria hastily chased after him, struggling to keep up with his pace in her heels.

Panting as she reached him, Miss Dumbledore wrapped her hand around the professor's bicep, demanding that he acknowledge her.

"Severus, I have to speak to you." She said, attempting to hide the fact she was slightly gasping for air.

Snape pulled away from her grasp the second her hand touched his arm, almost flinching at the woman's touch.

"Don't you have somewhere to be." He snapped, once again refusing to look her in the eye.

"This is more important. It's about Karkaroff." She pleaded, hoping this would make him stay.

"I see the two of you have gotten acquainted rather well today. However, who you chose to mingle with is not my concern. I have no interest in being any part of whatever games you are playing with these men."

"What?" Aria huffed confused, however with a shake of her head she chose to ignore this comment and move on. "This is your concern Severus. Can you please forget about why you're mad at me for two minutes and listen."

Severus slowly came to meet the young woman's gaze, getting lost in her eyes for second or two, before he took a glance at his watch and made a move to walk away.

"You're going to be late for your date, Miss Dumbledore." He informed stoically as he rounded the corner disappearing from her sight.

Defeated Aria ran a hand through her hair, but realised the potion's master was right and she had to get to Hogsmeade.

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