#and my last name is super regional to another country

[badgalsasuke]

Kishimoto x Rina Ikoma for Mezamashi TV (Decemeber 2014)

LINK TO VIDEO

Rina Ikoma is a Japanese idol and actress who was a part of J-pop group Nogizaka 46, she's also a big Naruto fan so Mezamashi TV asked her to interview Kishimoto after the series finale.

The video I linked has a translation of what's being said in the description box, but as usual for Naruto fan translations, it's not complete and has a few mistakes here and there (some parts were straight up made up like girl...).

Anyway, please watch the video as you read the transcription for a better understanding of what's being discussed.

Narrator: Naruto, which has been hugely popular in Weekly Shonen Jump with over 200 million copies in circulation worldwide, came to an end last month after 15 years of history. This news spread all over the world shocking overseas fans as well. The original manga has been published and translated into more than 30 countries and regions, and the anime has been broadcast in 80 countries. In conjunction with the release of the latest movie version, The Last Naruto: The Movie, this weekend, the official website asked fans to express their love for Naruto, and comments like these were posted one after another from overseas, such as "I can't live without Naruto," "Naruto is a part of my life," and so on, and even in Japan.

Ikoma: Good morning. I'm Rina Ikoma from Nogizaka 46. Ah, I'm sorry.

Kishimoto: Is one enough?

Narrator: Suddenly Ikoma-chan is crying. What's going on?

Naruto: Naruto's turmoil begins! Damn you! Rasengan!

Narrator: Naruto, which began serialization in 1999, is a story about a young ninja who is a failure and grows as he fights for his friends to become the leader of the ninja village. He overcomes his past and rivals and faces the crisis of the world. Fans continue to be impressed by his determination to stick to his beliefs.

Ikoma: Not only is the story interesting, but what I love is that Naruto and the others' words really resonate with me and get me excited.

Narrator: We asked Ikoma-chan, who loves Naruto, to interview a certain person.

Ikoma: Hello.

Kishimoto: Hello.

Ikoma: I'm Rina Ikoma from Nogizaka 46.

Kishimoto: I'm Masashi Kishimoto, the original author of Naruto.

Narrator: Ikoma-chan was so touched by this rare experience from the original author, Masashi Kishimoto, who had only given one face-to-face interview on television until now that she couldn't help but cry...

Ikoma: It's an honor.

Kishimoto: I made you cry all of a sudden. Tissue! Tissue! Tissue!

Ikoma: Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

Kishimoto: Is one enough?

Narrator: She pulled herself together and resumed the interview. In the drab office room, this was the first thing that caught her eye.

Ikoma: Why is Freezer here?

Kishimoto: I was given [this doll], but after the serialization of Naruto ended I tidied up a lot of things, so if someone came for an interview I didn't have anything to play with, so I put it up there so that they could play with it.

Ikoma: Are the volumes used as reference for your work?

Kishimoto: That's right. I don't really remember the designs of the characters, so I have to look at them, but if I don't know which volume the character is in or if it was in a volume at all, it's quicker to just look it up online.

Ikoma: On the internet!?

Narrator: Next up, we have some super rare items recommended by our fans!

Kishimoto: [The drafts] for chapter 1, 2 and 3? the name for chapter 4.

Ikoma: Awesome.

Kishimoto: About seventeen, sixteen years ago.

Ikoma: Wow, when I was about three years old.

Kishimoto: Yes, it was a hellish time. When [Ikoma] was three years old it was hellish.

Narrator: There are many other valuable manuscripts. Ikoma-chan also managed to get some behind-the-scenes information on the making of Naruto.

Ikoma: Why did you decide to create a story about a blonde boy ninja?

Kishimoto: To begin with, the ninja manga Naruto was based on the concept of Japan seen from a foreign perspective, so I wanted to do something a little different and stand out.

Ikoma: I see, so you wanted to stand out?... I like cosplay, but I think cosplay by French people or other foreigners suits Naruto better, Naruto is a good fit [for them].

Kishimoto: But I saw (Ikoma's cosplay), of Sasuke and it was the best.

Ikoma: That's true. Sasuke [cosplay] was the most popular.

Narrator: The movie is coming out this weekend. It focuses on Naruto's love life, which has never been explored before.

Naruto: There is a cup of ramen in my room, if it is okay with you...

Hinata: Goodnight!!

Naruto: Uhhh! What is there something else you need to do?

Ikoma: I was wondering if Kishimoto sensei's romantic experiences feature in the movie or anything like that?

Kishimoto: Just a little bit in.

Ikoma: Where is it?

Kishimoto: Um, the part about the scarf is a bit…

Narrator: The scarf that was knitted for Naruto is an important item in the film.

Kishimoto: The staff got together to create the story, and we were talking about things like, "What's the situation with scarves these days?" and "Do they even exist?" and then I said, "Excuse me, but my wife knitted one for me," and then everyone got a little quiet.

Narrator: Ikoma-chan then makes a remark that even [Kishimoto] sensei is shocked by.

Ikoma: Hasn't the way you draw changed from the beginning of that series to now?

Kishimoto: That's astute. Since the anime started, people who got into it through the anime have picked up the manga and people who got into it through the manga have started watching the anime, so I brought it closer to the anime style, it's amazing that it hasn't gone unnoticed.

Narrator: And finally, we'd like to request a collaboration between Naruto and Mezamashi-kun*. Since the serialization ended, Kishimoto has had fewer opportunities to draw Naruto's face, so this illustration is extremely rare.

*Mezamashi-kun is the pet of the show, Mezamashi means alarm clock hence the pet but also "Wake up" the name of the show.

Ikoma: I'm looking forward to the collaboration between Mezamashi-kun and Naruto. What will it be like?

Kishimoto: Their propotions are a little different.

Narrator: The completed collaboration illustration of Naruto and Mezamashi-kun will be shown later in the studio.

Female host 1: So, we had [Kishimoto] sensei write it for us. Please.

Male host 1: The collaboration between Mezamashi-kun and Naruto is with their arms around each other's shoulders.

Female host 1: Yes. It's really rare for Naruto to collaborate with characters other than Jump characters. This is [Kishimoto] sensei's second televised interview.

Female host 2: Thank you for agreeing to this interview. It was amazing.

Male host 2: [Kishimoto] sensei is finished. Don't tell me you didn't know.

Female host 1: Ikoma-chan's interview was full of love for Naruto.

Male host 3: Well, I was a little surprised because Kishimoto-sensei is young, he has this young man, older brother vibe.

Male host 2: Even at a young age, he was drawing Naruto and it was right up to the stars. That's amazing.

Female host 3: And the movie version is coming out too.

Female host 1: I'm sure it's a shame for the fans. I'm sure they wanted to see more for a while longer.

Male host 2: But the artist is still drawing past characters while looking them up online. That's a bit surprising.

Female host 1: That's all for now.

[umichenginabroad]

Beginning Reflection: Pre-Departure for San Sebastian, Spain!

Hello blog readers! Or should I say hola lectores del blog! I’m not going to lie, I may or may not have searched that up since I have limited Spanish knowledge, but that’s besides the point. My name is Monica Nicovic, and I’m a rising junior studying biomedical engineering. I will be your unofficial tour guide for this research abroad trip in San Sebastian, Spain. Although my knowledge of the Spanish language may be limited, I bring other things to the table that MAY make me a reliable guide. Starting off, I have been to Europe before to visit family in Montenegro, so I have some experience with international airport travel (though it’s not my favorite thing in the world since I am so directionally challenged it’s not even funny). I also have a desire to see how educational experiences may vary in different parts of the world, where research might be conducted differently to address specific country needs. I feel like passion for both travel and research are pretty important to be a good unofficial tour guide. Oooh I almost forgot that the tour guide has to write as well! Good thing I also enjoy that! I hope to be very open with how my personal experience is on this trip, to give you fellow readers an idea of the experience I have on this research abroad program. What I hope to gain out of this experience the most is completely immersing myself within the culture here in the Basque country region. I’ve heard the food in San Sebastian is absolutely incredible, so get ready for so many photos of food in my blog posts.

I am also excited to do research here, where I will be able to see how research is approached in a different part of the world, and how it is applied to help their country specifically. Although I don’t know specifically what my research will be about, I know it deals with NMR machines, and its applications to the medical world. Since I am also thinking of going pre-med, this entire experience will help me determine whether I want to pursue a more engineering-centric career or a clinical career in medicine.

To prepare for my trip abroad, I spent a good amount of time checking, double checking, and triple checking that I bought and brought everything I needed (thanks anxiety). I also basically superglued my passport to me because it is your lifeline out here. Oh another lifeline item, a rain jacket, because apparently it rains a LOT in San Sebastian due to its coastal location, and the weather app isn’t always going to be reliable (Michigan 2.0 over here).

Before I left, I made sure to spend some time with friends and family before this 10 week experience began. I hung out with my friend on her boat, and then also celebrated with my brother at his honors night because he is graduating from high school yayyyy! I also made sure to tell my mom that I am going to send her soooo many pictures of the Basque country. This is because when she went to visit family in Europe, she sent sooooo many nice pictures while I was taking exams. This is sort of my revenge.

Lastly, before I departed, I did the most important thing. I watched a lot of old videos my mom took of me when I was younger. This is sort of my own tradition when I am taking on a new journey in my life, because I just get super nostalgic when new chapters of my life are about to begin. This unforeseen desire of nostalgia allows me to look back one last time before I dive into something entirely new. 

That’s all from me for now! I will be posting weekly updates, so please come back so I can show you how awesome San Sebastian is going to be (I can predict the future, and it’s going to be awesome, I’m so excited). Adios!

Me enjoying the sun on my friend’s boat!

My brother’s honors night! Yay he finally graduated!

[pensat-i-fet]

General message I have to post whenever an English team plays against Athletic. Might as well do now so I can just reblog before the final against Spurs.

1. No. Not everyone who plays for them is Basque. It's more complicated than that but their philosophy is still super cool and a breath of fresh air in the world of modern football we live in. Modern football is the worst.

2. That also means De la Fuente doesn't have to be Basque and he isn't. It's another region that's hiding in shame because he was born there. I saw that conversation during the last international break but was too tired to mention it. Use Google. It's not that hard!

3. We don't pronounce the "h" in Spanish. Ever. Even if the word Athletic is originally English, in this context, it's been pronounced by Spaniards for over a century. "But Cris, they're Basque not Spaniards". Well, stop trying to explain to me what the politics of my country are and it doesn't matter anyway. The Basque still don't pronounce the "h". How do you say Oihan? Not pronouncing the "h" and it's a Basque name. He's also my boyfriend so you better pronounce his name right.

4. And for the people who saw a bit of drama when Simeone called them Bilbao (because he calls things whatever he wants and he is too old for me to try to change him. He doesn't do it to hurt anyone. That's only done with Real Madrid related stuff) and decided to do it too...you just sound ignorant. Please stop.

5. Yes. I also try to teach the Spaniards that we don't pronounce the "h" in Tottenham (you'd think point 3 would help with that but...) or that nowadays they should say United and not just Manchester because it can get confusing. No one listens to me though.

[nickgerlich]

Popping Into View

I grew up in the Midwest. Chicago, specifically. I never once considered there might be different regional words for things. When you live in a bubble, the rest of the world may as well not exist.

By the way, that’s still an accurate assessment today for people in general. Look around you. Look in the mirror. Who among you—and you included—lives in one of those?

But in my Midwest bubble, we had a word for that bubbly beverage we got out of bottles and cans: Pop. You have to say it correctly, though, especially Chicagoans and northern Midwesterners. It’s PAHHHHP. Say it as nasally as you can.

It was when I started spreading my wings that I learned folks around the country called it something else, most notably soda, but in the South—especially Texas—any carbonated beverage is known as a Coke, even if it isn’t.

So color me surprised to see the surge of new soft drinks leaning heavily on the word “Pop” in their name, notably Olipop and Poppi. They’re everywhere these days in grocers and c-stores. It’s just that these are not your typical soft drink. No, they are prebiotics, a word that has both medical and marketing value.

Or, as Google AI says, “A prebiotic drink is a beverage that contains prebiotics, which are non-digestible food components that serve as a nutrient for beneficial bacteria (probiotics) in the gut.”

This segment is forecast to grow to $3.5 billion by 2032. Olipop has done exceedingly well, and is valued at $1.85 billion. It’s numbers like these that can cause much bigger companies not only to take note, but also act.

Which is why the Coca-Cola Company is introducing Simply Pop in five flavors. Each can has six grams of fiber, Vitamin C, and zinc. These are included to promote gut health and immunity, which, to be honest, is something that never crossed my mind when sipping a soda years ago.

Coca-Cola launched the Simply brand in 2001, and there are about 20 varietals, including mixers and alcoholic items. The brand resonates well with younger consumers. Oh, and one more thing. The whole prebiotic soda trend is anchored in Gen-Z. Thus, we find Coca-Cola once more favoring the line extension strategy. Same song, different verse.

And, being Coca-Cola, they are virtually guaranteed space on a shelf somewhere in every supermarket. There’s quite a lot to be said for being the top soft drink company. Cue the person rolling out the red carpet.

On my last visit to Walmart, I noted a freestanding display of Poppi (which is based in Austin) near the front of the grocery, and immediately across from the produce section. As for Olipop, it has shelf space in the big bunker of chilled items in that section. Thus, they are being positioned as “healthy” beverages, as opposed to all those unhealthy ones much farther back in the store. I have to wonder where Simply Pop will be slotted.

Poppi recently stepped into a dogpile with its pre-Super Bowl stunt of sending huge, neon-colored vending machines to 32 social media influencers. It backfired because those influencers were deemed elitist by hordes of folks on Insta and TikTok, who argued the company should have focused more on average consumers. While it’s pretty easy in retrospect to see the folly of this, it reinforces my admonitions to always be careful where you step, and to think through things carefully before you pull the trigger. Still, sometimes you just get blindsided.

Another part of me wonders just how many times marketers can slice a product category. When I was a kid, we had regular sugary sodas, and diet sodas. Period. And those diet sodas all tasted like the metal container in which they were canned. Never mind that the artificial sweeteners they used, like cyclamates and saccharine, were later found to be not so good for humans. Eeeek.

Remember, a purchase of a prebiotic soda translates into “not a purchase” of something else.

For that matter, will this be just a passing fad? I remember when caffeine was all the rage in beverages, including Jolt Cola with its hyper-caffeinated soda, and even Water Joe, a bottled water with a buzz. They are both still available, but have long faded into the rear view.

Meanwhile, I expect Coca-Cola to take to the airwaves, billboards, and the socials to promote the daylights out of their new item. Both Olipop and Poppi were started by entrepreneurs, but they have been fortunate to secure celebrity investors. You know. The kind of wealthy people who are easily distracted by something shiny and new. But hey, I would happily take their money.

Coca-Cola does not need to worry about this, though, and can quite literally pay their way into our refrigerators. I still don’t know if I can stomach any of it because it just sounds gross to me. But that’s just my bubble.

Dr “PAHHHHP Goes The Weasel” Gerlich

Audio Blog

[irismfrost]

August 2 - National Science and Technology Museum and Meinong District (Hakka)

I think I need to find a new breakfast spot. The hotel breakfast just isn't doing it for me. I just cannot eat another serving of rice and I cannot keep eating fries and ketchup. These hotels think that Americans eat fries and onion rings for breakfast and it's a little strange but alsooooo I have been eating them so it's understandable. I ate a banana and dry cereal today and I don't even like bananas. Tomorrow I am planning on waking up early so that I can venture out and find somewhere local.

Our first stop today was the National Science and Technology Museum (NSTM). It was pretty cool to see all the different innovations that Taiwan is involved with. There were a lot of interactive pieces and it was fun to click all the buttons. There was a health section with a chess board and you were supposed to step on different tiles and it would prompt you to explore your feelings. I don't think all of the sensors worked but it was still fun to jump around. The cafe on the second floor was huge and had more relics, mostly radio and showed the progression of music stuff. I bought some little trinkets at the gift shop and i spent over 600NTD (but one item was buy 2 get 1 free so I had to participate in that promotion) so I got to pick two random squares. You push through the paper on the square and there are little tiles with some words on them. The words say little items so I got a free mask and Lego batman. That was a nice surprise.

I saw a COSTCO!!!

Out next stop was Din Tai Fung, a very famous restaurant in Taiwan known for its service. There is actually one in New York. They came out with a bunch of appetizers and some dumplings and soup and fried rice and finished off with these little dumplings filled with chocolate sauce. It's all good I've never had before and it was pretty good. The dumplings were different flavors, but I didn't taste much difference. They were so small and they only give you one :(

Our last stop was the town of Meinong in the Cishan District. Most of this town is inhabited by Hakka people. The Hakka are originally from the northern part of China and invaded the southern part of China a couple times and eventually came to Taiwan and settled in the mountainous regions. They are known for their traditional oil-paper umbrellas, rice cakes, tobacco production. They have preserved their culture very well and most of the population still speaks Hakka. There are also many different accents across the entire country. We stopped by these little shops in the middle of nowhere where and I bought an umbrella. It was only the small version because I forgot most of my cash at the hotel but it is still super cute and the calligraphy roughly translates to the saying "April flowers bring May showers". Then we went to the museum about the Hakka people.

Reflection

I didn't realize how involved Taiwan was in global innovation. It's interesting that they just sort of choose an industry and don't give up on it no matter how profitable it is in the beginning. They have been producing things like bikes, motor vehicles, textiles, petrochemicals and associated goods, computers, microchips, semiconductors, food additives, food production (especially rice and fruits) and really just a little bit of everything. Apple brought a lot of business to Taiwan when they moved most of their manufacturing over here. The semiconductor and AI industries are also huge here and only continue to get bigger as they become more important.

Learning about the Hakka people was also interesting. I didn't realize how many different groups live in Taiwan. So many different types of people have immigrated here over the years. The name "Hakka" means "guest families" and they are called this because they don't really have a dedicated home. They are historically nomadic (from the northern part of today's China) and consider themselves guests both along the Yangtze river in China (the southern parts they ended up inhabiting) and Taiwan and I think that's why they've done such a great job preserving their culture. Another interesting thing about the Hakka is the difference in the women's roles. In traditional Chinese culture, high status women used to bind their feet. This practice involved breaking bones in the feet from a very young age and showed that the women were of such high status that they didn't need to work. The Hakka people on the other hand, value education and work; Hakka women would be working in the fields, doing chores, and raising the children, among other things. It's impressive that they were able to maintain their widely different culture and language in a country that became dominated by colonial influences.

[finlandculture335]

5 Language in Finland

In Finland, the official languages spoken are Finnish and Swedish, and English is taught in primary schools. However, there are more than 150 languages spoken throughout Finland (Institute for the Languages of Finland). Finnish is a hard language to learn, so it, or a variant of Finnish, is typically a first language. There are several dialects of Finnish. Finland has had many different groups find their own languages throughout the years, so many variants of Saami, the language for the people of the Sapmi region. The Sampi region was spread throughout Scandinavia, and when official countries were established, they were absorbed into the country they were currently residing in. 

 The English language is a lingua franca for many countries. What is a lingua franca? How might the use of English as a lingua franca impact your ability to communicate effectively with a person in the culture you are studying? 

A lingua franca is a bridge language. A bridge language is a language that two people who have separate native languages speak to one another. English is a very common lingua franca, which allows native English speakers to be able to communicate in many different languages.Using a lingua franca allows for cultures to be better shared with people who don’t speak the same native language. In that aspect, it is easier for me to speak to people who speak Finnish, because English is learned in Finnish schools. English being a common lingua franca makes it easier for travel and communication, especially for me, because my native language is English. I also speak some Finnish, because of my background, but not enough to have a conversation that is understandable. 

Hello! Hei!

Yes Joo (Yo)

No Ei (ay)

Please There is no word specifically for please, so the word for thank you is used for it

Thank You Kiitos (Keytos)

Can you help me? Voitko Auttaa minua (Voytko Out-a Min-ua)

I don't understand Informally-Tä? (like the beginning of the word Taxi)

I don't speak (name of the language) en puhu suomea (en puhu sua-mea)

My name is (your name) Minä olen Rachel (Meena olen Rachel)

Finnish can be very tricky to get the hang of, but one thing that helps me is when in doubt, try to pronounce it as phonetically as possible. For example, my last name can be super hard for people to pronounce. My last name is Karvonen, which is said exactly as it looks. Kar (Car)-vo-nen. There are a couple of differences in pronunciation between Finnish and English, like J sounding like Y and Y being pronounced further in the throat, but overall, the language is able to be pronounced. 

Google translate is a great tool for getting the “gist” of the information, but the grammar and overall message can get very messed up while using it. Google translate translates the words themselves, not the meaning, so it can be difficult to find a connection between the words and you have to create the overall meaning on your own. 

“Language influences our view of Reality”. This phrase shows that language is a large part of culture, so the language you use can be very indicative of your culture. Not only that, but your native language can determine what your culture sees as valuable. An example of this is Finnish not having a direct word for please, but rather using the word for thank you. This shows that gratitude is necessary in Finnish. Another aspect of Finnish that shows the culture is the shortness of the language. In Finnish culture, it is seen as disrespectful to use long drawn out sentences. It is stereotyped that people who use flowery language can’t be trusted, because they are taking your time from you to try and get something from you. 

Institute for the Languages of Finland. On Language. https://www.kotus.fi/en/on_lang usage/languages_of_finland. Accessed 7 Mar 2024. 

[40sandfabulousaf]

My new joggers from Anta arrived and I was thrilled by the silky softness, smoothness and stretchiness of the fabric. With my shoes, tees and backpack also from Anta, I may pass off as an ambassador 🤭 Truth is, I don't earn a cent and pay the same prices as everyone else; it's just that I simply love their high quality, durable and functional merchandise. China's Olympics team won so many medals whilst wearing Anta, a testament to the high performance products. Once I tried their range of super comfy apparel, there was no looking back!

It's been raining and the office was freezing; even wearing a jacket and having another cover my legs, I caught a cold. Traditionally, we eat red meat during cooler weather and when we fall sick, so I jumped at the chance for bak chor mee (pork noodles). It took all my willpower not to finish the soup to lower salt intake - it was so delicious and comforting! The effort to eat qing dan (low fat and salt) is worth it. The doctor took my blood pressure whilst I was at the clinic for my cold and, at 46yo, it stands at 119/78.

In Cantonese, we try to avoid 'sum go' (3 highs - high cholesterol, high blood pressure and high blood sugar). Avoiding sum go is important since having 1 often leads to another or both of the remaining conditions and they correspond with high fat, salt and sugar consumption. This simplifies things and provides flexibility during meal times. For example, soup noodles contain less salt and oil than the dry version; to reduce my sodium intake even more, I don't finish the broth, but it's safe to enjoy spoonfuls of it. I don't feel deprived of deliciousness, I take care of my health at the same time, and I'm able to watch Mike Chen make noodles look amazing.

Whaddya know, December is already here (it's 1 December today in this region) and this means I haven't had fastfood for almost 5 months (the last time I ate some was on 4 July). I won't be feasting nor merrymaking this month since I don't celebrate Xmas. The public holiday will be spent catching up on rest, bonding with Pa and getting something yummy to eat. Celebrations begin next February when Chinese New Year arrives. I can't wait for the rowdy festivities and fresh vibes of a brand new beginning!

As I reflect on the past 12 months, I continue to pray for a ceasefire in Gaza and a two-state policy to be implemented so that Palestinian civilians can look forward to going home or, at the very least, building one. I pray for 2023 to come to a less turbulent end so that countries can focus on tackling sticky inflation, especially the much higher prices of essentials. I pray that 2024 will be a much more peaceful year. These are my wishes as we journey through December. 下次见!

[rabbitindisguise]

Oof, if that's closer to your budget I might look away from tabletop looms and look at tapestry looms. You can get high quality ones for $40, and probably find some for free from your local guild. Or you could just make your own loom- continuous warping is getting popular, so just nailing some wood with pegs for a couple hours in the shape you want to weave in (typically triangular shawls) can be a great project! Budget for that depends on how big you want to go and if you already have a hammer, or if you can borrow a saw or get it cut at the hardware store. There's also zoom looms and potholder looms that are pretty single purpose (think granny squares in crochet) but are super cheap. And if you want a loom right now, a sturdy piece of cardboard with some notches cut into the top works great :3 is how I learned to weave and it's the most budget friendly option besides back strap weaving or inkle looms (sliiiiightly more complicated to do without hands on instruction)

But I suspect a $20 loom on Amazon either is actually a tapestry loom under a different name, is a toy loom that doesn't function/is way smaller than expected, or is a straight up scam. You'd have to share the link for me to be sure. The Ashford one is sturdy lightweight wood, legitimate, can last you a long time, and comes in sizes bigger than under 12" >.>' you can still get a tabletop loom cheaper for about $200-400 if you're thrifty and get one used through your local guild but that still seems outside of your budget. My own loom (not a tabletop) was still pretty expensive new ($450 I think) and I had to save up for awhile but it's also a loom that will last me for my lifetime. I don't think I'll ever need another one. So that's something to weigh against the cost/benefit ratio. You can have 6 specialized looms for the same cost as 1 tabletop or rigid heddle loom. I don't have the space and I like complex weaving structures so it was worth it for me.

(hoping I didn't just blast you with information lol the tldr answer is I think that's probably impossible but you have better options if you're willing to try other looms or buy used!)

I guess the follow up questions are:

What are you trying to make?

How much space do you have to work with?

Do you know how to weave?

Do you have a weaving guild in the area? (Handweavers guild of America has an online list of affiliated guilds, meetup and Facebook can have other ones, other countries might have different ones but just "country/region/weaving guild" as a search works)

Are you okay with used?

Are you okay with building a loom yourself?

Can you share the link? I can describe what the loom is/can do for you

Okay. Weaving community. I want to get a tabletop loom for Christmas, ideally not too expensive. Do we have any recommendations. Please

[orange-chair-of-doom]

Road trip AU Pt.2

Aka: How to use a six eared weapon manual by Pigsy

You know what? While I was writing (shocking I know, as a matter of fact it didn't last, I'm here, distracted again. Phew, I was starting to worry.) I though what I wanted to use Macaque Discount Monkey King for, or better what he could contribuite in the group.

I know I have all or most of the story planned, but I get easily distracted and I'm not the most constant person in the world.

But the most funny idea I ever had was Pigsy take Macaque shopping and okay, they are technically wanted in all the region LBD has already conquered at the end of the Third Season (w/o the Specials) when the story is set, but a cook without food is useless and the Master Chef Zhu needs fulfil his duty.

Sooo Pigsy NEED to have a scene where he force the Six Eared Macaque to choose the watermelons by knocking on them. Like when I was little with my grandpa at the market, he stayed at least five minutes with his ear pressed on each fruits while knocking on every side searching for the ripest one we would then take home. Image with six ears! It would be the envy of all!

Pigsy is s m a r t. He knows what the mystic monkey are really useful for. Why be a weapon, when you can be used to choose the best watermelon?

Six Eared Macaque is not amused, but Pigsy is so done with him that he doesn't care, like the king he is.

We need to use Macaque for more stupid things. Like I get the tragic past, the trauma and that he's edgy and all, but they are all dumbasses in the end of the day. Use them as dumbass!

And question: do u knock on the watermelons?

TW: Food, eating insects, insects [I hate this is a CW]

A bit of a Rant :)

Also I wrote a scene with them eating fried crickets, you cannot understand how much I miss fried crickets, especially my guilty and pretty heretic pleasure the ones with BBQ. I know the crickets I describe are not typical of Chinese culture (the one I know are small, but Chinese cricket are huge??? How they're so huge?)

I ate them in another Asian country (for months, lol, loved them so much), buuut I just crave them right now and I needed to write it down somewhere. So, yeah, I don't care, fried crickets dinner it is.

And if you have the occasion please try fried crickets, they are so yummy and have this crunchy texture that's amazing. The legs were my favourite parts, for the most part is like eating chips. Also larvae are super good, I enjoyed the salted dried one better. I had a bit of a problem with the things, I don't remember their name anymore, but big and juicy larvae, it was a texture problem, flavour wise it was all super tasty. The only thing I didn't have the stomach to eat were scorpions, I regret a bit that I haven't just for the sake of experience, but I'm fucking scared of scorpions. I have them in the garden and I'm scared shitless of those little fuckers.

If you have the opportunity, I beg you to try!

[genesisrose74]

Requested by @blanknamed (aka my bestie fr): hihi i saw the matchup and remembered my irl friend sent me these pictures when describing my aesthetic at one point and was wondering if i can have a matchup with someone from dsmp and dr. stone 🥺congrats on 1k too! so proud of you ❤️ you deserve this milestone!

Arielle get over here and let me give you a virtual kiss on the forehead because you’re just the sweetest person to ever grace this earth 😚forgive me for the long wait but i had to put so much into this one because it’s for you!! thank you for always being such a ray of sunshine and for becoming one of my first ever mutuals so long ago — and as a show of my gratitude, i’ll get right into your first pairing, which is going to be with…

I had a literal conflict over this because I think you could be compatible with more than half of the characters in dr. stone (looking at gen specifically), but UGH you and Senku would be so damn iconic together. As much as he’s not intent on becoming romantically involved with anyone, it just so happened that you both had a chance meeting together at the school library — in the modern times pre-petrification, of course. You were looking for a book on the development of radiation powered technology for a history class, and by coincidence Senku was reading the blurb of that very text when you stopped by. When you asked if he’d read it, your classmate simply shook his head and said he just knew a lot about the subject, and soon enough a conversation blossomed from that point.

Y’all talked for two hours. While standing in the same spot. TWO HOURS. And it didn’t even stop there because he realized the time and asked if you wanted to talk more over a bowl of this really good ramen he knew about close by. Senku barely even realized the implications of his offer until much later, since…

He was way too involved in your conversation to notice

He’s never had any interest like that in someone before, let alone has he ever tried asking a person out in general

Everything about you was so interesting to him that he cannot process anything else going on around him and he doesn’t know why

You just feel so different in comparison to his dynamic with anyone else that it throws him off. He’s curious as to why he straightens up when you walk in a room, why everytime you smile at his stupid dry jokes it makes him more confident, why your intrigued questions about his work give him an extra burst of adrenaline. After he comes home late, having fallen asleep in the library while you studied for a test beside him, Byakuya eventually spells it out for Senku in massive bold letters.

No, seriously, he writes it on a whiteboard with a chunky black marker.

“That’s ridiculously far-fetched,” he asserts quickly, trying to push his old man out of the room. “Since when have I ever been interested in anyone in that way?”

“Senku, you waited for her to finish her work. Without complaint.”

And he’s like: oh shit—

But knowing Senku, he still makes some futile attempts to disprove the concept that he could ever be attracted to someone in a romantic sense. Ya know, all that, “science is my only devotion” shit. It lasted for about two weeks, which was the exact amount of time that he tried avoiding you in hopes of seeing if he could in fact continue his routine without your presence next to him.

The bitch still cannot swallow his pride though, so you have to be the one to make the first move — which is about as simple as perfecting Flight of the Bumblebee on a violin. Every time you try bringing it up, it’s like Senku gets a sixth sense about it and is pulled away from you as soon as possible. At some point you just had to corner him in the school lab, hands smacking against the surface of his work table and mouth blurting it out.

“I think we should go on a date.”

He’s kinda impressed at the sheer willpower you displayed in finally getting the question into the air. And as much as he would hate to admit it, some happy nerves shot through his body when it happened. On the outside, though, he simply failed to fight a grin.

“Wanna get food with me tonight?”

And you did :D and it only went good from there. Dates at cafes with comfy chairs and pretty lighting, test runs of new experiments in the middle of the night that Senku calls you to see together, just enjoying the presence of one another in a secluded corner of the libraries you frequent. Even after the disaster that was petrification you’re both side by side, being sarcastic little shits to each other as soon as Senku frees you from the stone; doing new tests to save the world, going on picnics by the river, and constantly being of service to one another.

And then from the c!dsmp, I thought it was only fitting to match you up with…

^^ artwork by SAD-ist on YouTube

Listen, listen: I was considering a more standard/expected approach to this matchup, like maybe c!Wilbur or c!Niki because they’ve both got some major academia vibes. Especially Niki, because damn she’d probably take you to her flower shop and make handmade bouquets for you each day. However, I just think that it would be so perfectly fitting to have you and c!Sapnap together aesthetically. He’s very emotionally driven, always doing something stupid, and he probably hasn’t read a book since L’manburg claimed to be a sovereign nation. Regardless of that fact, he could sit and watch you read a book for hours, even if you didn’t ask him to. Standard case of grounded scholar + impulsive idiot = natural soulmates.

Within the region of the SMP, I imagine you like confining yourself to the libraries filled with ancient texts on the vast history of your home — although taking a visit to Eret’s self-made museum is always a pleasure as well. Niki gets along with you easily enough that you hang out together all the time, and it’s on one such occasion in the early days of L’manburg that Sapnap encounters you for the first time.

Dream had sent him out for scouting duty (which to Sapnap translates into, ‘be annoying to everyone within the walls’), and he’d taken to the edge of the country’s small borders, lounging up high above the trees so that he could see everything below with ease. To his surprise he found you, scribbling away within a ragged old notebook underneath a tree canopy, and wearing the prettiest smile he’d ever seen exist on a person before. You were waiting for your friend to arrive, it seemed, taking the ideas in your head and putting them to paper whilst you sat patiently. He was enraptured with you right away, and as a result he took to teasingly pestering you every chance he could.

Sapnap showed up at least once a week — and when he could, more than that — to slowly learn more about you. He tried staying under the radar of Wilbur when he did, just to make sure none of his endeavors were interfered with or got back to Dream in any capacity. Initially, his presence appeared a pain in your side, but your apprehension ultimately fell at the hands of his ridiculous humor and genuine inquiries as to your likes and dislikes. You knew who he was from the get-go, but it was hard not to find delight in his visits when he made such vigorous attempts to know you.

Although you’re sure he’d already learned it somehow, you told him your name one fateful afternoon, and he’s thought about that moment every day since, marking it as the first day he truly made progress in winning you over.

“You should come up here one day so we can talk normally,” he called out on a particularly overcast fall morning. “Maybe then I can see your face up close.”

You laughed, gazing up at him from the hillside on which you reclined. “You’re ridiculous. That’s not how this relationship works.”

“Mm, relationship? Sounds like you wanna gimme a kiss more than saying anything, hu—ow!”

A pine cone had clipped him in the shoulder harmlessly, chucked with expert aim by your own hand. Despite his surprise, Sapnap couldn’t help smiling.

“If you’re working that hard to twist the narrative and get me up there, how about you just come down instead?”

Without missing a beat the next day, he scaled to the top of the nation’s wall, made his way inside (with very little consideration for his safety), and took your face in his hands.

“You want me to?”

You already knew the implications. “Yeah.”

And he kissed you, then and there. Nice job, Ari!

Navigating a full blown relationship in the conditions y’all were in was not ideal. Sapnap tried everything he could to make sure you were safe, despite his distaste for your mother country and its leaders. After that cleared, though, it was a whole lot easier to be together and figure things out. Sapnap didn’t mind you staying within the walls as much as he initially thought because it reminded him of the first time you met, and so long as he could spend time with you he loved every second. Literally ask this man to do anything with you and he’s in, no matter what it is.

The sheer spontaneous energy Sapnap has inevitably feeds into your own, so while you’re much more contained than the pyromaniac, you have some very notable moments of crazy that are simply unforgettable. It’s honestly super funny to see that infectious life invade your senses, because otherwise you’re a super logical person and love entertaining yourself with the more simplistic things.

You work a lot with Wilbur on record keeping and cartography, but something that you and Sapnap apparently have in common is archery. That pine cone throw was no fluke, and he found that out when you came to visit, a shimmering bow fastened to a stock-full quiver on your back. It’s become a pastime to both ride out into the forest with your horses and practice archery (oftentimes mounted) as a way to let out frustration. If the weather conditions are too abysmal to go and do something outdoors, though, Sapnap likes to fall asleep watching you do methodical work, most commonly with his head in your lap as a fireplace crackles nearby. He’s a huge sucker for that cozy atmosphere, even though he tries to be all tough and badass at other times.

This became a huge ramble because I just think this pairing for you works so well, but I’m praying you get the picture. Sapnap is a flirty, slightly whiny, very protective, and free spirited person whenever you’re around, and he’d do whatever he could to see that pretty smile like the first day you told him your name. He thinks the world of you, and in his eyes your intelligence goes unparalleled.

[monsterfucker-lisa-swallows]

okay so for context my dad left when i was 6 and never contacted us again. i was always told something vague about his alcoholism but i've had various enlightenments over the years with what little i recall about him figuring that there's almost no way he wasn't the autistic one who gave me these genes in the first place (which also would go a long way to explaining alcoholism) and that he might be bi or something because a LOT of the media he liked when i was a kid is certified cult classic queer shit. anyway like i'm a person who is basically dead inside so i had no desire to try to find the guy. i was horrifically abused by my stepdad and my mom went insane when i was in middle school so i'm kinda like nah not gonna be let down by another parent, not putting myself through shit like that.

so i was looking up something completely separate the other night and i accidentally stumbled across an obit. for a guy with the same name as my dad. like the exact same name. this guy is the exact right age and lived in both arkansas and memphis (i was born in memphis and my parents met there). it doesn't mention middle tennessee but why would it if he only lived there up til 9/11 or whatever. i was told as a kid that my dad was a musician. this guy was in a band. i was told he was a welder. this guy was a welder. i was told he was a tattoo artist. this guy was a tattoo artist with so so many tattoos (and face piercings and dyed his hair a lot).

the obit said he loved art and theatre. i didn't know anything about my dad doing theatre. apparently this guy played columbia in rocky horror when he was a teenager (if that isn't queer shit idk what is). that's also fun for me as a person who had a red pixie cut throughout my late teens/mid twenties. the family posted pictures on the obit. his t-shirts are consistent with the bands i know he liked and the monster movies he enjoyed. the harry potter pajama pants were a surprise. but i guess he was gone slightly before i got into harry potter. (don't hold my childhood fantasy preferences against me.)

this whole thing started because i was watching the x-files, which was his favorite show. i grew up watching it. i was thinking about how half the characters had the same name as him. i found this obituary while i was rewatching the episode where scully's mom died. (universe, if you wanted narrative symmetry, it should've been the episode where her dad died.)

the weirdest part is apparently when he died he was in [redacted]. Apparently he lived here for many years. i moved to [redacted] in december 2021. he died here last november. i've moved all over this country. i jumped from tennessee to michigan to massachusetts and it's too big a coincidence that we'd both end up here in the same city. the city name is redacted here, but you should know it's not in tennessee or arkansas but it is a southern state in the region so it's not unreasonable to think he'd move here at some point but the sheer coincidence that we were here at the same time and didn't know that is kind of cosmically freaky.

i've wondered a lot over the last year if part of the reason i was targeted for abuse in my family is i was too much like my dad. maybe those were the parts of me mom wanted to fix. maybe those were the parts my stepdad wanted to break. no one else in my family is like me at all. the only person i can think of who ever had the same interests as me was my dad. stands to reason that might be where the autism and the queerness came from (which if true would explain my mom going super christian after he left and marrying a homophobe who tried to stamp that out of me). mom always said i looked a lot like my dad. my girlfriend thinks we have the same face shape. which uh...my mom always said that too so the fact that i didn't tell my gf what features to look for makes this kinda freaky.

i'm not like...sad? i didn't know this guy. i wish him, whoever he is, all the best. i don't blame my dad for leaving. my family was racist, homophobic, ableist...and he was fairly young. my mom turned 20 two months after i was born. he was only like 23. probably too young for that responsibility if he was anything like me. drinking was probably all he could think to do to cope in the mid 90s. and as far as leaving...i'm a firm believer that sometimes staying in a bad situation only hurts everyone involved. i mean, hell, how can i blame a guy for leaving the same family that i eventually left? i fully get it. if he's anything like me i couldn't have taken that either. hope he got himself sober or at least fixed himself up. hope he never got involved in anything harder than weed or maybe mushrooms.

the obit mentioned a wife of 15 years and a son. so if it's the same guy, he got remarried when i was 13. in 2008. like 7 years after he left. i'm supposed to go all eleanor shellstrop right and be like why did he get to be a dad to this other kid while i'm abandoned. like that's how the story goes? but idk like i don't know the life he had with this kid. not gonna project a life onto him that he was perfect with this kid and never made mistakes. i barely remember the time i had with my dad and i've often thought that was for the best. it's likely he wasn't in the parental headspace and wouldn't have known how to cope with me. even a well-meaning parent can give you trauma. if he'd stuck around longer, still coping with other issues, i may have been old enough to get traumatic memories about him. glad i can escape with only vague recollections.

it's just a very odd situation. this is how i find out anything about my family lore. extrapolating it on my own and coming to conclusions. because no one talks about shit in my family. we're a repress and forget family.

but it's probably not him. it's just like a huge coincidence.

my dad might be dead and i'm being so normal about it

[applecherry108]

The reason Iran was called Persia by western society until the last century is an ancient Roman misunderstanding. When the Romans made contact with the Iranians the capital of the Iranian state was in a region called 'Pars', the Romans just thought everyone named themselves after their capital. The same thing happened to the Hellenes, almost no one calls them by their own name because the Romans first met Helenes from a city named graia therefore they thought 'a yes, these are greeks'.

I'm a bit confused about your argument over the west not talking about Iran and Iraq as much as Egypt because their Muslim? Egypt is Muslim too now and has been since the Islamic expansion of the 600s/700s, in ancient times none of these three were Muslim because Islam wasn't even founded yet and Egypt was not called Egypt by the ancient Egyptians 😅 i think it was something like 'kmet'.

The best name has to go to Ethiopia though, it is just Greek for 'land of the people with the burned face'

jfc Greek @ Ethiopia. 😂

No, my argument is post-9/11 propaganda in public schools surrounding the Middle East, in addition to a general Christian-centric view point taught in American schools that treats classic and modern polytheistic religions more as “myths” (oh man, if you only knew how I was taught about Hinduism in school…) My point is, in a country as Christian-influenced and monotheistic-focused as the U.S. is, it’s easier for the educational system to kind, mythisize polytheism. Like Disney’s Hercules, these things become stories rather than historical religion. My point about Egypt in this regards is the religion of ancient Egypt is easier to teach by spinning it as “ancient pagan beliefs” in this educational system. Whereas, I don’t even know if Iran ever had a prominent polytheistic belief system. I don’t know anything about Iran and what little I do know I was never taught about it in public school. Modern Egypt may be predominantly Muslim, but when I was in high school in 2005-2009 it would’ve been a lot harder to talk about Iran in any capacity without mentioning Islam. And that…just didn’t happen. In a predominantly white public school in Ohio in the early 2000s.

And it’s super extra funny that Greece isn’t even Greece (very cool to learn that btw!), but my anger over “Persia” isn’t just the name, it’s about how I was taught about Persia and that it was never once mentioned that Persia is literally Iran. And about that name: it’s not just the misnomer, it’s that Iran was still called Persia up until the 1930s when they finally got the rest of world to officially call them their actual name, another fact I did not learn in school. So when I learned about, in relation to Greek history, about the war with “Persia”, or even just names of things like Persian rugs (video games like the prince of Persia!), I never knew it was Iran. “Persia”, as I learned about it, always felt like a fantastical country of antiquity, lost to time. Except it’s Iran. It’s not lost, it’s right there, and I’m mad because that fact seems purposefully excluded from my education.

I get so mad about these things, especially in relation to the Middle East, because it peels back the layers of propaganda that I didn’t even know existed. I’m 31 and still uncovering facts that feel as if they were purposefully buried, purposefully excluded, and I’m mad because I know there’s so many other people in my generation who STILL don’t know these things, because they were never taught them.

[starlene]

Color asks:) Yellow, blue, coral, emerald, fulvous, honey, scarlet.

Thank you!!

Yellow: name of an artist you think is underappreciated

Of the music I listen to, 85% is musicals, and 15% is artists that are all, if not mainstream, well appreciated within their own genres... so I don't really know.

Blue: preferred type of weather?

Cloudy, temperature somewhere between 15 and 20 celsius.

Coral: an animal you wish hadn’t gone extinct

Those giant beavers. I mean, beavers the size of bears, just wandering around. Imagine.

Emerald: if you had the option, would you choose to move and live in another country? which one?

In my dreams, I live in the Northern Jutland region of Denmark already, being the manager of my own little Bed & Breakfast, keeping bees, and watching the sun sink into the North Sea every night.

I know a move like that would solve zero of my current problems and give me a thousand troubles more, I absolutely do not have what it takes to be a hotelkeeper and would likely never get a grasp of the language... and yet, I dream.

Fulvous: another name you think would suit you

I quite like my name, but I do think my parents didn't think one thing through when they came up with it: my first, middle, and last names all have multiple instances of the letter "I" in them. That makes them sorta blur into each other when you say them, unless you take an awkward little pause in between saying them... and my last name being really rare makes it even more confusing, because the vast majority of people I introduce myself to haven't ever heard it before.

I'm definitely not going to change my name because of something like that. But in case my Finnish followers who listen to the podcast have noticed that I always introduce myself last name first, that's why – to make the combo sound slightly less blurry.

Anyways, Starlene has been my username on so many different sites across the years, it's kind of like my other name by this point. I don't know if it really suits me, I think it's got a more feminine ring to it than I really am, but it's mine.

(I had never heard of the colour "fulvous" before, and before searching it, I imagined it would be some kind of a pale purple.)

Honey: your thoughts on magic- does it exist?

I think yes, but not in the sense that there are wizards who can do magical spells out there. I just think some moments are magical, in the sense that they have more to them than our senses and reason can really explain.

Scarlet: favorite holiday

Titanic week.

If that doesn't count, Halloween... and more specifically, Internet Halloween. While I really don't like the USA-ification of Finnish/European culture in general, I can't help it, Halloween as a concept is super fun. I enjoy logging in here on Tumblr and seeing my dash covered with skeletons and other spooks, I enjoy the memes and silly songs that get reblogged every year, I even like the black-and-orange colour scheme. Looking forward to October already!

(All that being said, though, I wish all Finnish trick-or-treaters a very pleasant piss off. We have our very own going-door-to-door-begging-for-candy holiday before Easter and as far as I'm concerned, that's ENOUGH of that. Don't get greedy, kids, let's just enjoy the spooky aesthetic!)

Color Asks

[shijiujun]

I’m here with a zombie apocalypse (think Resident Evil level) + ABO danmei! I’m not usually a fan of ABOs tbh and I picked up this book for the zombie part and was surprised by the ABO part, but this one was a good nice balance between both. Surviving the zombie apocalypse still takes centre stage while the ABO part is more of a subplot/backdrop, but it’s cool all the same haha

Written by the author who wrote Swallowing the Sea (Tun Hai) & Breaking the Clouds (Po Yun)!

- Part of Min’s ‘Why You Should Read’ Series -

Summary:

In a world that has been overrun by a virus that turns people into zombies, Si Nan wakes up with no memory of who he is and what he’s doing in this rescue camp, only that he’s an omega that is scheduled to be air-lifted out of an affected zone to a safe sanctuary, where omegas are prized individuals meant to be protected so they can give birth and contribute to a new population, which has been decimated with attacking zombies globally. 

He’s not sure who he is and what he was supposed to be doing, but his instincts tell him to not go along with these people, and he flees into the crowd of attacking zombies. Much to everyone’s surprise, he has strong combat abilities (despite being an omega) and manages to escape from the team and also the zombies.

He chances upon Zhou Rong, Captain of the 118 Retrieval Special Unit and his team during another zombie attack in a nearby city, and joins them out after his escape route is blocked. Si Nan hides his omega scent with suppressants he finds in a supermarket, and unbeknownst to him, he has actually met Zhou Rong before when they were both much younger in a different setting, before zombies were even a thing. Zhou Rong leads a team of beta soldiers, which die one after the other as they flee, leaving the team down to its last bullet and six members.

Si Nan decides to follow them for a while, and due to his skilled fighting prowess, he gains the trust of this team and the civilians they’re protecting. Zhou Rong also takes a liking to him, and so does another team member Yan Hao, while Si Nan mistakenly thinks that Zhou Rong and Yan Hao are a couple together instead. As they flee from one city to another trying to get back to the 118 base, they realize the situation and virus is worser than they thought. They have to fight to survive while also figure out who Si Nan is, and why he’s a wanted individual by authorities from another country.

*A pretty accurate representation of a zombie apocalypse I have to say, I had Resident Evil flashbacks when I was reading this, people start dying right off the bat, but nothing hurts more than 2ha so I only teared up at minor character deaths

Read:

Novel (Online) | Novel (Print) - December 2020 Print | Novel Translations 

Characters:

1. 司南 Si Nan - Amazing pouty and fierce mix-blood blond-haired omega who has amnesia and doesn’t even know his own name. He sees some product in a convenience store where he meets Zhou Rong for the first time that has the words 司南 on it and decides that his name for now. Combat specialist and can take out a lot of zombies just on his own - he’s also immune to the zombie virus but they don’t know this until much later. He doesn’t go with the shady troop that rescued him initially, but with Zhou Rong because he’s intrigued by how brash and kind and a bit dumb this Captain is. Masquerades as a beta with the help of suppressants

He has a stepbrother (an alpha) who tortured him for many years due to Si Nan’s special condition and the mystery surrounding his childhood with his scientist mother and dead-but-terribly-revived father. Said stepbrother also wants to mate with him because he ‘loves’ him but is just insane af. 

Si Nan actually met Zhou Rong when they were much younger before this whole zombie thing came along, and Si Nan actually pretended to be a helpless participant of the competition they were in and lets Zhou Rong help him, only to steal away the prize at the very last moment. He liked Zhou Rong a lot then, but due to him being taken hostage technically by his stepbrother and also his allegiance to a Western state (he’s mixed blood, stepbrother is American-ish) they were unable to be together. 

He’s compassionate, but doesn’t show mercy to anyone who doesn’t deserve it. Like Zhou Rong, he wants to save everyone they possibly can, but they’re not dumb enough to think they can save everyone. As he travels with Zhou Rong and his team and other civilians, he starts to remember little things about himself and is caught by his stepbrother again midway through the novel, and just as he despairs that no one will ever save a monster like him, Zhou Rong turns up to do just that.

2. 周戎 Zhou Rong - Extremely confident, brash but handsome and strategic alpha Captain of the 118 unit, a special unit which was sent out a few months prior to the start of the book to clear out regions of civilians, but they lose touch with a major city and headquarters, and are forced to find ways to return to big HQ amidst unusual bursts of zombie attacks and a new strain of zombies who were infected without being bitten. Masquerades as a beta, like the rest of his team.

He loses a lot of his team along the way, and has to carry the burden of killing them before they turn at their requests, and also promising to find their families and take care of them for his dead team members. He wants to save everyone, but also knows that with dwindling supply to food, medicine etc. they can only choose their battles along the way. 

Takes a huge liking to strong Si Nan, unknowing that he’s the boy he met and fell in love with when they were younger. Because of the competition then, despite Si Nan winning over him, he decides to openly court Si Nan after the competition, and brings flowers to go see him, only to see Si Nan being given a temporary claiming bite on the back of his neck by another man (the stepbrother). Dejected and devastated, his first budding love kind of ended there, and from then on he openly disses omegas as he thinks that Si Nan basically seduced him to deceive him, and that all the affection they shared during the days of the competition in the wild were fake.

After the truth about Si Nan is out, he does a 180 hahahaha, and Si Nan forgives him XD 

3. 颜豪 Yan Hao - Another alpha-hiding-as-a-beta team member of Zhou Rong’s unit. After Si Nan saves him twice, he falls in love with Si Nan, not knowing that Si Nan thinks that Zhou Rong and himself are together. His feelings after are known to Si Nan, but Zhou Rong and he openly (and hilariously) fight for Si Nan’s affections. Zhou Rong is way more direct than Yan Hao is though, and Si Nan obviously likes Zhou Rong much more than he does Yan Hao, so naturally he was kicked out of the competition hahaha. He’s very sporting about it though!

Other Things I Like in the Novel:

Zhou Rong calls himself Rong-ge, asks everyone to call him that, he takes on the brotherly protector role in the team and amongst the civilians he rescued - Tells Si Nan to call for Rong-ge whenever he’s in danger and he’ll turn up - So there’s a part where Si Nan is bombarded with his memories while he’s about to be kidnapped by his stepbrother and also chased down by incoming hordes of zombies, and he yells out for Rong-ge, and Rong-ge really turns up ;-;

Si Nan is pouty and glowering all the time, a bit cold and aloof at other times, but he’s always drawn to Zhou Rong’s warmth

After they confirm their feelings for each other and spend his heat together, they are literally inseparable, like forever holding hands and looking out for each other like they go from flirty at 20% to 200% as a couple midway through the novel

Si Nan kicks ass, all the time! He’s super good at fighting

Zhou Rong promises to get Si Nan a huge rock as an engagement ring but he spends all his check on the families of his dead team members at the end of the novel, and Si Nan teases him, “So what are you going to use to afford my ring now huh?” Also, they’re just recovering from the zombie apocalypse so the commercialisation of marriages will once again have to wait, but Zhou Rong literally does turn up with a bigass ridiculous diamond ring (from where they raided a diamond ring story during a mission) and presents it to him

Yan Hao always teases Si Nan for how he thought him and Zhou Rong were together, because both men are always rough-housing and fighting like actual brothers than lovers XD

Yan Hao tells Zhou Rong that they should compete fairly for SI Nan’s affections, and Zhou Rong rolls his eyes and grabs Si Nan over and kisses him full on on the lips while Yan Hao splutters in defeat

The novel depicts deaths and helplessness really, really well. LIke seriously, I almost couldn’t finish it but it’s actually a pretty nice novel that doesn’t focus entirely on the doom and gloom of the apocalypse

[answers-of-a-pokemon-researcher]

Professor, what pokemon did you originally go on your first journey with?

Oh, those are some fond memories. When I was growing up my birth region of Johto was recovering some substantial wildfire damage, so I was sent to Kanto for my own journey when I was ten. All the Pokémon who were with me are all still alive and well, though most of them have dropped out of the battling circuit. Not that I battle much at all anymore!

My first Pokémon was Bulbasaur, on the entire boat ride to Kanto I made sure to stay wide awake so sleep wouldn’t hold me back from picking first, just to make sure I got a Bulbasaur. Turns out it probably wouldn’t have mattered as that species wasn’t as popular back then, but I wanted one bad. That Bulbasaur was old Maxwell, my first Pokémon. I thankfully have a small country home in Johto out by the Ilex Forest, but with a rather large yard so I don’t have to worry about space, and most of my Pokémon who aren’t active teammates anymore have that as a base to linger around and roam, including him. Maxwell’s a big lug and he’s really slowed down with his age now, but he’s fiercely loyal. We’ve had good fights together. The window in my study faces my yard, and old Max comes by periodically to rest his face on the windowsill and watch me write reports. He’s near the end of his life, near 70 years, but that old Venusaur has lived a good one and I’m making sure his golden years are comfortable. And that some of the... younger upstart Pokémon I took in give the old man some peace once in a while.

While camping in the Viridian Forest on my first night on the road, a Weedle crawled into my sleeping bag! I was honestly lucky to not get stung by accident thanks to the close quarters, but I figured it was a sign and took him with me. That was Hubert, my now-Beedrill, and though bug types are generally not long lived, Hubert is going on 20 now. Beedrill at their oldest tend to reach mid-thirties, so I have plenty of time with him. Hubert is my ambassador for the greatness of the bug type! Quick evolving bugs like him are often disregarded as beginner species, but he remained on my team as I collected all eight gym badges and contributed a lot. He’s pretty friendly for a Beedrill, but I’ve always made sure he was well socialized. He’s made his nest on the top of my wardrobe and always freaks out visitors because he’s so possessive of me.

In Mt Moon I got lost a lot, like, a LOT thanks to all the twists and turns, but I found a Paras on one dead end I hit. I’d always loved bugs and was in love with those big, cute eyes, so he came with. That was France, the now Parasect still wandering around my house. He’s pretty docile and usually stays inside, but as I warned before, it’s important to watch out for spores with a Parasect in the house. He was a pretty formidable battler for his calm nature, but I think he was happy to leave the battling scene. A lot of trainers who see him get concerned if he’s even alive thanks to all the misinformation about Parasect, but make no mistake, he is alive and fully alert! Lethargy is just part of the symbiotic relationship Parasect share with the mushrooms they carry thanks to a mixture of energy sharing, but most importantly, consistent exposure to sleep-inducing fungal spores.

I remember trading with a boy who was desperate for an Abra because he hated the psychic type he was given and thought it was scary. A Mr Mime! That was Marcel, and he was only 10 when I got him, not to mention most psychic types are super long-lived, so Marcel will be around for a very long time. He might not have liked Marcel, heck, most other trainers my age didn’t like him either when we were around, but Mr Mime has always been my type of Pokémon. I did contests and most prominently theater for a long time, and still do, and have been trained in clowning a lot, so I appreciate such a silly clown Pokémon! Mr Mime are great friends, they’re radically intelligent, you just have to be ready to manage such a smart and often mischievous Pokémon. Marcel has toned down the pranks now since I’ve established countless times I don’t have an appreciation for being tripped over invisible walls, but that doesn’t stop him from pestering other Pokémon sometimes. For all his troublesome behavior and a bit of a rough start with an unappreciative trainer, Marcel was a hard worker during my first journey and he never fails to make me laugh at least once a day.

Then there was Jane, an Elekid I found who washed up on the river by Rock Tunnel, probably from the nearby Power Plant. She was and still is quite the spitfire! Jane isn’t really used on the occasions I do battle, but she hasn’t been dropped from the battling circuit quite yet. I can’t bring myself to evolve her into an Electivire, though. She’s very content as an Electabuzz and I don’t see much of a reason to. Her and Marcel are a bit of a troublemaking duo but I love them both dearly. I do occasionally loan Jane out to people in need of a temporary Pokémon companion for things like trips through treacherous terrain with unfriendly wildlife. It’s good enrichment for her, which she constantly needs. I don’t think I would ever want to raise another Electabuzz, they’re far too high energy for my liking, but Jane is my special exception.

The last of my first Pokémon is actually the only one who’s still in the team I now regularly use for battling on the rare occasions I do it, but mostly for the sake of outings. Post is my Dragonite, which is probably the only Dragon type species I consider myself capable of handling. He‘s a retired mailworker, if you couldn’t guess by the name, haha! That was back when Dragonite were used much more commonly as postal service Pokemon, before breeders from Hoenn helped make the much more efficient Pokemon Pelipper more widely available outside its native region. He’s a kind and gentle soul, as most Dragonite are. There really aren’t many other dragons (besides the lovely Drampa or perhaps some Altaria) that can match Dragonite for its inherent friendly and loving nature. I use him for travel, as he does miss his delivery days, so we both win in that situation. I get a way to travel quickly for my research, and Post gets his exercise!

[stxrrywildflower]

saudade (1)

pairing - spencer reid x reader

summary - you’re transferred to a unit across the country. later, you and spencer reunite.

warnings - angst, cursing

note - saudade is an emotional state of longing for an absent person that you care about and love while having positive emotions towards the future

series masterlist

it was supposed to be a normal day.

no new cases had come in, meaning the team had one of their rare paperwork days. everyone always complained about paperwork, but deep down, they were all happy to spend the day at their desks, talking to each other as they did their reports.

except the day had quickly turned.

the team was all at their individual desks, except for you. garcia was sitting with derek and even rossi has come out of his office to see what was going on.

you, however, were up in hotch’s office. you had been called in. a few moments later, director strauss entered the office also. the door was closed and the blinds were shut, providing full privacy and confidentiality.

the team had seen this before. the same excact thing had happened when j.j. was asked to transfer. or by asked, she was forced.

spencer drummed his fingers on the desk as the seconds went by. “what are we thinking?” morgan asked the team. “not sure. but last time strauss was with another agent and hotch, it wasn’t good,” emily spoke up, eyes glancing over to hotch. no one seemed to have a good response to that.

meanwhile, you were standing in hotch’s office, leaning against the window. your eyes were focused on strauss who was seated at the couch while hotch was at his desk.

“agent y/n, your performance with this team has been nothing but spectacular. you have exceeded my and my superiors expectations,” strauss first started. a sense of pride washed through you. compliments from strauss and her higher ups were rare. this was like a christmas present.

“which is why we’re transferring you,” strauss added.

your eyes went wide as did hotch’s. “what? you just said i’m good on this team!” you exclaimed. the whole thought of being transferred hadn’t even started to set in. “you can’t take away one of my best agents,” hotch spoke in your defense.

“it’s not my doing aaron. my superiors bought this on me and i now have the liberty of telling you. besides, i haven’t finished yet,” strauss responded, “my higher ups have proposed a new bau team. it will be six younger agents who have all exceeded expectations. any guess who number one on their list is?”

you took in a shaky breath. strauss’ authority terrified you and the fact that even her superiors hand picked you was an immense deal. neither hotch or you said anything, allowing for strauss to give more details. “the team will work on the west coast, solving cases in that region. however, the main station will be in los angeles.”

“los angeles? with all do respect ma’am i cannot move to california,” you spoke.

strauss turned to you, “why not agent y/n? is it because of dr. reid? you’re relationship is only allowed because you both swore to never let it interfere with your work.”

that was true, you and spencer had been together for almost a year. ever since you had informed the team of your relationship, they already knew, you both promised that it wouldn’t effect your field work.

you groaned and threw your head back. “it’s not just that! do you realize how ridiculous it is for me to get up and move cross country. for me to leave this team who’s practically my family?”

“they want you as the unit chief,” strauss responded simply.

“unit chief? i am not qualified to be a unit chief,” you quickly said.

“y/n, you are the number one agent on the list of some of the most important people in the government. you’re more than qualified. besides, an agent from the new york branch will be assisting you,” strauss informed you.

hotch managed to remain silent through this whole ordeal.

“let me guess, he was number two on the list, wasn’t he,” you spoke sarcastically.

“this in non-discussable. you will fly out in four days. until then, you are to pack up your apartment and work place. you are not permitted in work until the day before you leave. then, you can say you’re goodbyes. there is more information in your new files.”

“you know when i joined the fbi and i met you for the first time, i told you i wanted to be on aaron hotchner’s team,” you spoke, voice hoarse. hotch’s eyes widened, obviously not knowing that about you. “you’re really making me leave,” you’re voice had become more shaky as tears welled up in your eyes.

staruss nodded, “i’m afraid so agent y/n, as though it is not my call. i have to go to my office to grab the paperwork you must fill out. i will be back soon.”

just before the director excited the office, you collapsed into a chair in front of hotch’s desk, putting your head in your hands, as the tears started falling.

down in the bullpen, the team could barely focus on anything. however, once the door to hotch’s office opened, all of their heads snapped up. just before staruss had closed the door once again, they caught a glimpse of you. there’s no way the meeting was anything good as they saw you sitting in a chair, head in your hands.

strauss nodded curtly at the agents before exiting through the glass doors. “i’m afraid we may have lost another one,” rossi mumbled. however, all of the team heard it. and they were thinking the exact same thing.

“there’s nothing you can do?” you asked quietly.

“i’m really sorry y/n. this is even more out of my pay grade then when j.j. was transferred,” your boss spoke from across you. you sighed as you ran your hands through your hair.

“and i’ll tell the team when it’s official. most likely this afternoon. unless you want too,” hotch offered. you shook your head, “you can do it. i don’t think i could tell them without breaking down.”

the door to the office opened once again. strauss appeared, holding a large file. she handed it to you with a pen. “you may go fill it out in the conference room. bring it to my office when you are done,” strauss ordered with a surprisingly gently tone.

you nodded, taking the file before exiting the office without another word.

the team was extremely suprised to see you exit the office next. your head was down and a file was held loosely in your hand. you couldn’t have been on the catwalk for more than a few seconds before you went into the conference room, shutting the door and blinds.

strauss was next. this time, she ignored the team in the bullpen and made her way to her own personal office, leaving the door to hotch’s office wide open. the unit chief appeared in the doorway, saving his team the trip of coming up to see him.

“i’m not allowed to say anything yet,” and with that, hotch returned to his desk. the team almost wished they hadn’t heard anything at all.

you sat in your usual seat at the conference table. it took you a few moments to open the file. you did so with shaky hands before begining to read.

fbi behavioral analysis unit - west coast unit

agents recruited:

y/n y/l/n

josh benning

amelia green

abe manning

audrey blair

clay bowen

current station - los angeles, california

admentities provided for agents:

housing

office (interior furniture and products will be purchased by the agents using government funds)

transportation

moving services

you had to admit, it wasn’t bad for what they were offering. however, none of the agents listed were super familiar to you. a few of their names you had heard in background conversations but other than that, nothing.

the rest of the file was standard paperwork. mostly personal records and then your transfer paper. after that, all you had to do was sign your signature at the bottom of the page.

your pen hovered over the line as you pressed your lips together. once you signed, it was official. technically, you were no long apart of the washington d.c. bau team. finally, you moved your pen to sign your name.

standing up, you kept your head high as you walked down the catwalk. before you made your way to staruss’ office to turn in your paperwork, you stopped by hotch’s office.

“it’s official,” you said with the best smile you could muster.

with that, you spun around, looking straight as you exited the bullpen. you ignored your now former team, knowing that if you looked at them you would do nothing but cry.

hotch stood up from his desk, a grim look on his face. “bau team, conference room,” he ordered. the team, in record time, made their way into the conference room after their boss who motioned for them to take a seat.

“i’m just going to get straight into it. please hold your questions,” hotch started, “y/n is being transferred to start her own bau team on the west coast. strauss’ superiors hand picked her as the number one agent. y/n just signed the papers, making it official. i cannot fight this at all. it was hard enough trying to fight for j.j. but this is even further out of my pay grade. those who chose her are some of the most important people in the government. there’s nothing i could have done.”

the team sat silent for a minute, obviously shocked at the news. “a west coast team? what does y/n even have to do with that?” emily spoke up first.

“for whatever reason, they want a team based out of california. the team is all younger agents from washington d.c. and new york and i think one may be out of the acadamy. but, y/n is the acting unit chief.”

“she’s not even 30,” rossi commented.

“from my understanding, staruss’ higher ups or the leaders of the fbi have been tracking her movements since y/n was in the acadamy. she has done nothing but exceed their expectations and they figured, specially since she was number one on their list, that she would be the best agent to lead this team” hotch added.

“damn girl,” emily responded, helping the tension in the room ease.

“when does she leave,” morgan asked, trying to contain his anger that strauss was taking away another part of the team. he wasn’t alone, everyone in the room was feeling the same way. “in four days or saturday morning. y/n is permitted to return to work on friday to pack up her desk but until then, it’s only packing up her apartment,” hotch informed everyone. “then we’ll do a family dinner on friday at my house. make it a goodbye celebration,” rossi suggested.

after the team had all agreed to that, everyone went their separate ways; hotch and rossi back to their office, garcia back to her lair, and emily and j.j. back to their desks. spencer and derek, however, remained.

“come on, talk to me kid,” derek spoke in a soft voice.

“besides the obvious fact that she’s leaving, we barely manage to find enough time outside of work as is. between cases and other work, it’s almost like we’re never truely together. i mean we make it work but now, how are we going to juggle seeing each other when it’s two bau teams? especially with her being unit chief?” spencer rambled.

derek places a hand on the genius’ shoulder. “reid, like you said, you two have made it work. i have no doubt that in the big head of yours there’s some solution to all of this. i’m sure setting up a time to call would work. and besides, i’m sure our paths will cross on a case.”

the two agents stood up. morgan pulled spencer into a tight hug. “it will be fine man, i can promise you,” derek spoke. spencer smiled softly as the two walked out of the conference room.

just as they were back at their desks, you were back in the bullpen, a single file in your hand.

“y/n-” emily started, standing up.

“i need to bring this to hotch real quick. i’ll be back in a minute,” you answered, voice cracking on the last few words.

for what felt like the hundredth time that day, you stepped into your former boss’s office. “strauss wanted me to give this to you. i have twenty minutes before i have to leave,” you told hotch, handing him the file.

“i’m really sorry i couldn’t do anything,” hotch apologized. you pressed your lips together, “it’s fine hotch,” you simply said.

when you stepped onto the catwalk, you noticed garcia had joined the group. her eyes were read from tears. you smiled slightly and joined the group. garcia rushed over and pulle you into a tight hug. “i’m going to miss you so much sweetie,” penelope whispered.

hugs were exchanged between you and each of your team members. emily was first, followed by derek, then j.j., and it was finally spencer’s turn. “hi love,” you greeted before placing your head on his shoulder. once pulling away, you rested both of your hands in the cook of his arm while his held your elbows.

“we’re going to get through this?” spencer asked softly, barely audible to the team.

you nodded, “of course we will,” you reassured your boyfriend. you stepped away from the genius and turned towards the other four. “i have to go now. packing my apartment is going to be a bitch but i mean i have to do it. i’ll see you on friday,” you informed everyone.

“i can come by later if you need some help. you know, me being the muscle and all,” derek offered, holding up his arm slightly. you rolled your eyes playfully but still smiled. both emily and garcia offered to also help. j.j. wanted to go but she had henry and michael to take care of. spencer was already a definite.

“that would be great guys,” you spoke. with that, you grabbed your bags and exited the bau building, no longer an official agent.

on the drive to your apartment, you stopped to pick up boxes and totes to pack your stuff in. as previously stated in the file, all of your stuff would be shipped out via moving truck which was set to leave on friday. you first set out two of your suitcases, one could be a carry-on bag while the other would be just a normal suitcase. all your essentials had to go in there. after deciding to start in your living room, you began to take down all of your wall decor.

you ran your finger along the course wall as you looked at the pictures on the wall. most of them were of the team, both group and individual pictures together. dust piled on the frame, built up from the time they hand hung there. you smiled softly at one picture in particular.

it was taken after one of your longest cases ever. there had been a few scares with the team and garcia even had to fly out. in the end, however, the unsubs had been caught and the remaining victims were saved. it was a huge victory for everyone resulting in smiles being exchanged around the room. one night, the team had all gone to one of the larger hotel rooms which had couches and other seats for drinks and dinner. garcia had claimed that the team had very few photos together and you all needed one together. she set up her phone and everyone piled onto the couch, each smiling brightly at the camera.

tears pricked the corner of your eyes as you wrapped it up and placed it in a box. the rest of the photos, each documenting your time at the bau, were packed away along with the other wall decor.

when penelope, derek, emily, and spencer arrived at your apartment holding take out, you ushered them in with a comforting smile. the two girls moved towards your kitchen which was half packed up and began to unload the food.

“damn y/n, you packed a lot,” derek commented.

you spun around, taking in your apartment. boxes were littered around the floor, each packed to the brim. “i just put some music on and kinda went into autopilot,” you laughed, leaning into spencer.

“what do you have left to do?” spencer asked. you but your lip and thought for a moment, “i need to move the boxes into the empty corner, the kitchen needs to be finished, and i need to do the two bedrooms, but those shouldn’t take long. i can do them tomorrow or something.”

after eating and cleaning up, the five of you got to work. derek and emily took the job of moving the boxes into the corner. the furniture, however, would have to be left or sold as your new place was fully furnished. garcia packed up your guest bedroom, you would do your actual bedroom tomorrow. finally, you and spencer focused on the kitchen.

three hours of nothing but hard-work later, you had thanked everyone before telling them to go home. “you all were such a big help, thank you so much,” you smiled. garcia stepped forward, squeezing your shoulder slightly, “anything for you sweetie.”

with that, the group grabbed their individual bags before making their way to the door. you followed, keys dangling in your hand. “wait where are you going?” emily asked as you stepped into the hallway, your apartment door shutting behind you.

“staying with spencer for the night.”

derek whistled lowley, “well you two kids have fun. but not to much fun, if you know what i’m saying,” he chucked but stopped when garcia flicked the back of his head. you laughed at the two bickering as they walked down the hallway. emily smiled one more time at you two before turning on her heal and following the pair.

“ready?” spencer asked quietly, happy that you two had a true moment alone. you nodded, “let’s go.” you interlocked your hand with his before tugging him slightly, the two of you practically bouncing down the hallway.

____

friday night finally rolled around.

the past few days were filled with packing and receiving instructions from strauss about your new team. you and spencer spent pretty much all of your free time together. mornings before he had to go to work, the two of you would make breakfast before eating together, savoring each and every moment you two had together. at night, spencer would help you pack the final items and then talking, watching a movie, of playing some game.

your new favorite thing was spencer reading. before the two of you went to bed, you would rest your head on spencer’s stomach as he read from some book. the vibrations from his words were incredibly confronting.

an hour before you were expected at rossi’s for dinner and a night with the team, you began getting ready. it was a more casual dress code but you still wanted to look nice. the weather was supposed to be colder and rainy, which you absolutely loved.

from your closet, you picked a shorter black and white polka dot dress with short sleeves and your doc marten boots. already planning ahead, you packed a second, more comfier outfit incase the rain soaked you completely.

you had originally thought you and spencer would arrive together but ultimately, you two decided to drive in separately as he had to go to his apartment straight from work and you needed to get ready.

rossi’s home, practically mansion, was close to twenty five minutes away. you left with time to spare, your hands shaking as your gripped the wheel. it was your last night with the team, your last night in washington d.c., and your last night with spencer.

in twenty-four hours, you would be in a whole new city with a whole new team.

once at a red light, in an effort to calm yourself down, you ran your hand through your hair and took a deep breath. it took you even less time than expected. once pulling into the long driveway, you noticed that the entire team had already arrived.

you knocked on the door before stepping back. a moment later, it swung open to reveal rossi, a towel over his shoulder as he had obviously been cooking.

“fiorellino!” rossi greeted, pulling you into a hug. you rested your head on the man you practically considered to be your uncle’s shoulder. “hi rossi,” you replied, a smile on your face.

the older agent ushered you inside and towards the kitchen. upon entering you were met with loud cheers and shots of your name. you initially flinched slightly but broke out into a wide grin.

you were handed a glass of wine by emily of course before you made your way to lean against the counter. spencer moved next to you, resting his arm loosely around your waist. after noticing a bowl of vegetables on the table, you looked towards the host.

“hey rossi, can we eat these?” you asked, motioning towards the dish.

“ah ah ah, sorry y/n but those are for dinner,” rossi started, “all right everyone! gather around, it is time for the second annual team dinner. this time, however, we are gathered under much different circumstances. while we will do a formal toast later, let us raise our glasses to y/n y/l/n who is leaving us tomorrow and only going onto big and better things.”

the team raised their various drinks towards you making you blush. “thank you all, it really means a lot,” you spoke. spencer leaned down and placed a kiss to your cheek, mumbling a quick, “you deserve it.”

after the toast was done, rossi captured the attention of everyone as he began to go through his very complicated recipe. thirty minutes later, dinner was ready. the group took seats around the dining room table, the meal placed in front of you. small talk was exchanged, thankfully it wasn’t about your transfer. the team had gotten the vibe that, after the toast, you wanted this night to be about family and not about your departure.

when dinner was finished, all eyes were on you once again. “so, what do you want to do kiddo?” rossi asked. it took you a split second to think. “anyway we can do a poker night?” you suggested. that went over incredibly well with everyone.

hotch and rossi, being the dads they are, offered to clean up. j.j., derek, and emily all went into the lounge to relax before the intense poker games later. you, however, walked towards the door.

“where are you going?” spencer asked from behind you.

you slipped your boots on, hoping slightly to face your boyfriend. “outside,” you simply said, a slightly wicked grin on your face. “babe, it’s pouring rain,” spencer responded.

after standing up, you shrugged. “that’s the whole point,” you spoke before swinging open the door and walking out into the driveway. true to spencer’s words, it was pouring rain. puddles were everywhere, pooling in spots around the driveway. the lights from the house illuminated the yard.

the rain seemed to embrace you. sure, you were getting soaked, but it felt really nice. only moments after you had stepped out, spencer was right behind you. he stood at the base of the driveway and looked towards you, hands in his pocket.

you walked over to your car, opening the drivers side and plugging your phone in. it only took you a moment to scroll through your music library and find the song you were looking for.

‘it’s time’ by imagine dragons began blasting out of your speakers.

the song related to your situation. you were begining a new life tomorrow and you wanted to reassure that you wouldn’t ever change, despite starting something new.

a knowing smirk found its way to both of your faces. you twirled around as you made your way over to spencer. you sang the lyrics of the song as your hand moved to spenders cheek. from there, the two of you linked hands and began spinning in a circle, the momentum of your movements driving you around in the circular motion.

you laughed as the rain whipped off of your skin, only for you to be covered in more water. both of you were drenched but at this point, you didn’t care. as the slower part of the song three-fourths in began to play, you moved towards spencer.

“it’s time to begin, isnt it? i get a little bit bigger but then i’ll admit i’m just the same as i was,” you sang softly as you and spencer swayed. his hand on your waist as yours was on his back. your other two hands were out to the side, interlocked.

“now don’t you understand, i’m never changing who i am,” as you were singing these lyrics, you squeezed spencer’s hand slightly as if you were reassuring him about your situation.

when the beat picked up, you took off running into the grass. spencer caught up to you, wrapping his arms around you and picking you up, spinning you around. you laughed as he slung you over his shoulder and brought you back towards the driveway.

as the rain continued to fall from the sky, spencer pulled you close to him, his lips connecting with yours. it was a perfect moment, kissing in the rain with the man you loved.

as hotch and rossi continued to scrub the dishes and clean the tables from cooking, derek had suddenly wondered where you and spencer were. he set his drink on the table before standing up. as derek moved through very large house, he stopped at the window by the front door.

derek then noticed you two spinning around before coming to a halt and moving back and forth. emily, upon noticing her fellow agent leave, followed him. “how are we going to manage without her,” derek spoke once he noticed emily behind him.

the dark-haired woman looked out the window and saw you and spencer, completely captured in the moment. “i don’t know,” she replied.

a few minutes later, you and spencer entered the house, each with bright smiles on your faces. a change of clothes hung loosely in both of your hands. “you kids have fun?” rossi asked as he noticed the two of you soaking wet. you didn’t say anything, your smiles were explanation enough.

“well you two go get changed. i’ll set up poker,” rossi offered.

the two of you made your way to two different bathrooms, changing out of your wet clothes and into dry ones. spencer took your outfit from you and tossed it into the drier while he did the same.

after sitting down at the game table, you were handed your cards and your chips. “ready,” you asked, looking down at your hand.

the rest of the night was filled with laughter and playfully fighting as the poker round winners bounced from team member to team member. towards the end, rossi brought in a bottle of champagne and eight flutes. full glasses were distributed. by the looks of the people around you, you figured it was your turn to speak.

“when i had my first ever meeting with strauss, i was presented with the various teams i could join,” you started, “i had already knew that i wanted to be apart of aaron hotchner’s bau profiling team. that was one of my choices and i chose it in a heartbeat. i just remember being so nervous on my first day but all of you were so welcoming. i especially felt at home when penelope made me a personalized coffee coaster,” the team had all laughed at that.

“from there, i learned so much from every one of you. without all of your teaching and lesons, there’s no way i would be able to lead my own team. while it isn’t ideal, i wanted to thank you for guiding me for all of my years with this team,” as you finished, tears were welling up in your eyes.

no words were exchanged as each member of the team raised their glasses. “to y/n y/l/n,” hotch spoke. “to y/n y/l/n,” the team echoed, glasses clinking together.

at the end of the night, hugs were exchanged between you and everyone else. with each person, you held on tightly, whispering thank you’d to each of them. the only person you didn’t fully hug was spencer. he would be bringing you to the airport tomorrow morning where your personal goodbyes would be said.

by the end, your eyes were red as tears flowed down your cheeks. with one final smile and a goodbye, you and spencer exited the house before going to your desperate cars. the two of you would be driving to spencer’s apartment as yours was already empty and you had no point in going back.

the night ahead was filled with nothing but cuddling and spending your final hours together. sure, tears were exchanged but you two wiped them away and instead talked about anything else.

the following morning, you and spencer got up bright and early. you had gotten dressed in comfy clothes before packing your final few items away. the drive to the airport was mainly silent, your hands, however, remained interlocked and rested on the armrest console.

when spencer pulled into the drop-off area, you both realized that this was it. stepping out of the car, spencer unloaded your suitcases. he rested them against the car before turning to you. you stepped forward, resting your hand on spencer’s cheek.

“i love you,” you spoke.

“i love you too,” spencer replied, a reassuring smile on his face.

you leaned forward and kissed him softly. you two were so caught up in the moment until your watch beeped, giving you an alert that you needed to get inside the airport.

with one final kiss to spencer’s lips, you spun around on your heal with your suitcases in hand. you shot him one final smile with a slight wave before walking into the airport, about to start your new life.