#and then i saw russian and remembered i tried learning thay

[axolot-of-ideas]

me fighting my executive disfunction in the best way i know how

options and streaks

[what-a-treat-nz]

World Book Challenge: China

Officially, the People's Republic of China (PRC). It is the world's most populous country, with a population of around 1.4 billion. It covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometers, and is officially divided into 23 provinces, five autonomous regions, four direct-controlled municipalities (Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Chongqing), and the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau.

The areas in dark green are under direct Chinese control; the areas in light green (Tibet and Taiwan) are contested. For the purposes of this challenge, I’m treating China, Tibet and Taiwan as three separate countries. Because I can.

Number of Chinese people in New Zealand: As of the 2013 Census, there were 163,104 people of “Chinese (not further defined)” ethnicity in New Zealand - 10,008 of those were in Wellington City.

Have I been there? Yes! I visited Shanghai with my Dad in December 2011. I bought a really nice coat, had tea that tasted like warm Fanta (it was oddly addictive), and got hugged by Dave Grohl. So, the usual Chinese experiences, really.

I also had Peking Duck for the first time in my life, and holy hell I didn’t know what I was missing. I’ve tried to make up for it by eating copious amounts of it since.

The books

For “China” on my reading challenge, I read three fantasy novels - Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu, and the final two books of the Poppy War trilogy (The Dragon Republic and The Burning God) by R. F. Kuang, a Chinese-American author.

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (魔道祖师 / Mó Dào Zǔ Shī)

(Book 30 of 2021)

Given the fact that I have an entire subsection of my blog about how much I love the live-action TV show based on this book, it probably shouldn’t be a surprise that I had Mó Dào Zǔ Shī at the top of my list of Chinese books to read.

Mó Dào Zǔ Shī tells the story of Wei Wuxian, a loathed cultivator of dark and demonic arts who resurrects 16 years after his tragic death. His return to the world brings him to reunite with the people in his first life, including his soulmate, the honored Lan Wangji (who mourned him for 16 years, during which he branded himself with the same mark as Wei Wuxian and kept his memory alive and I’m okay, I promise). Wei Wuxian then begins to remember his time before his demise 16 years ago, from his beginnings as a young cultivator to his descent to dark magic. Together, they solve a mystery linked to a dark tragedy from Wei Wuxian’s first life, then live happily ever after.

This novel was originally published on the Chinese web novel site JJWXC from October 31, 2015 - March 1, 2016, with additional side stories that continue to be released sporadically. The revised version of the main story was later published online until September 7, 2016. A paperback version was released on December 12, 2016, with a total of four volumes in traditional Chinese. The first of three planned volumes in simplified Chinese, titled Wuji, was released in 2018, but release of the following installments has stalled after the locking of the novel on JJWXC since January 2019.

Mó Dào Zǔ Shī isn’t officially available in English, and given that it depicts an explicit danmei relationship between Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji, I don’t think we’ll ever see an official version. Though there are official translations into Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, Russian, Japanese, and Burmese, and the tour for the TV traveled to Toronto, Los Angeles and New York, so maybe one day there will be an official translation.

For now though, you can read the entire novel for free at Exiled Rebels Scanlations, where it has been translated in full by a then-highschooler called “K-san”. It’s hard to actually judge the merits of the writing of the original novel, given I was reading an unofficial translation, but that was actually half of the sweetness of it. It was kinda rough - K-san tweaked the terms they used as they gained more confidence with the translation, and I enjoyed reading the translator and editor notes that accompanied most chapters - especially notes such as “we’re translating as fast as we can, stop asking for faster updates!”. It felt really organic and friendly, and the story is good (though much gorier than the TV show and good god boys, learn what lube is, it’ll make your lives better I promise).

I read the book more as a companion to the TV show though, rather than a novel on it’s own merits, so I’m not sure I can judge it as a novel on it’s own merits. Though the book did teach me one very important piece of information: Lan Wangji canonically smells of sandalwood.

Would I read it again? If an official English translation comes out, I’d probably read that. I’m more likely to watch the TV show again, or dive into one of the sesquillion Untamed fanfics on AO3 ( Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī/Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn was the most popular ship on AO3 in 2020, with 12,878 new works about these characters being published that year).

The Dragon Republic and The Burning God

(Books 34 and 35 of 2021)

I read The Poppy War and The Dragon Republic back in September 2019 (when I wasn’t counting how many books I was reading, but I did have a record of them), and I decided to re-read The Dragon Republic because I couldn’t exactly remember where the story was up to.

And it’s a good thing I did, as something I thought happened at the end of The Dragon Republic actually happened at the end of The Poppy War, so oops?

The Poppy War trilogy is a grimdark fantasy novel set in fantasy China, with a Chinese protagonist and written by a Chinese-American author. It’s spectacular. The trilogy draws its plot and politics from mid-20th-century China, though it’s atmosphere is more inspired by the Song dynasty. The conflict in the first book is based on the Second Sino-Japanese War (though this time, it’s the Chinese empire against the Japanese empire), in the second on the start of the Chinese civil war (Chinese empire against nascent Republican movement), and in the third on the end of Chinese civil war (Republicans versus not-Republicans).

It’s a massive trilogy. It’s incredibly complex, with a huge scale and massive numbers of characters, though the fact it’s all seen through Rin’s eyes (with the occasional first and last chapter from the point of view of other characters) helps.

The story follows that of Fang Runin, better known as Rin, a poor war orphan in southern Nikara who trains in secret to test into the elite Sinegard Academy. Throughout the trilogy she deals with racism, sexism, elitism...most of the isms, really. Author R.F. Kuang said that Rin's life is meant to parallel the trajectory of Mao Zedong, and I had fun trying to match events in Chinese history to the events in the book (the easiest ones to spot are the Rape of Nanjing, the nuclear bombing of Japan and the Long March).

I don’t remember Mao Zedong having the power to call on a fire god, however. It’s probably a good thing that’s not something that happened in real life China, as Mao’s policies killed enough people without him literally being able to spit fire.

I described the first book as “If Kvothe from The Name of the Wind was female, Chinese, and allowed to say fuck.” Those two books felt really similar to me - they’re very much your “outsider is accepted to elite academy, winds up pissing off most of their classmates and chooses an obscure major to specialise in before being thrown into a conflict they are key to winning.” But honestly, I preferred the Poppy War trilogy, even if the final book did get super dark.

Rin is a really refreshing character, and the world seen through her eyes is a very different place to one I’m used to reading about. Kuang said that she "chose to write a fantasy reinterpretation of China's twentieth century, because that was the kind of story I wasn't finding on bookshelves", and I’m so glad she did. The world needs more books like this. I’m as pasty and as white as they come, and I loved reading a book where the heroine was authentically Chinese. This isn’t a pakeha author trying to fit themselves into someone else’s shoes - this is someone with a deep understanding of Chinese military history and collective trauma using that understanding and pain to build a new fantasy world.

I loved it, and if you can stomach war scenes, I recommend this trilogy.

Will I read the Poppy War trilogy again? I might do. It’s a bit darker and more desperate than I usually read - particularly The Burning God - but I did enjoy them. So that’s a firm “never say never”.

Bonus book! 

These Violent Delights

I read NZ-Chinese author Chloe Gong’s These Violent Delights earlier this year (book number 20 of 2021), before I set myself this challenge, so it doesn’t technically count as an entry for “China” in my book challenge. But it is amazing, and I love it, so I wanted to give it a quick shout out here (because if we’re talking fantasy reimaginings of Chinese 20th century history by Chinese diaspora authors...).

These Violent Delights relocates the story of Romeo and Juliet to 1920s Shanghai, casting the two leads as the heirs to rival gangs. It’s brilliant, it’s beautiful, there were sentences that made me stop and gasp for the sheer delight of having read them, and there’s a monster made of bugs driving the citizens of Shanghai insane. The way Gong has woven the characters from the play into their 1920s counterparts is delightful (I say this as someone who’s never actually read the play, though I think I saw the Leonardo DiCaprio movie because it was difficult to be a tween in the late 90s and not be exposed to his films).

15/10, would definitely read it again, it’s been on the New York Times bestseller list for weeks for a very, very good reason. Stop reading this blog and go get a copy. Now.

The feast

I admit, using China as my first country may have been a bit of a cop out, given my familiarity with Chinese food - though, living in a Western country, I’ve probably eaten more Westernised Chinese food than authentic Chinese food.

Which is why I was chuffed to learn that spring rolls are, actually, authentic Chinese food. I always thought they were a Westernisation, like sweet and sour pork or fortune cookies.

For my Chinese feast, I turned to The Woks of Life, a delightful Chinese cooking blog that I can’t open without being inspired to cook like 9 million things.

When I started this project, I originally was only going to cook one dish from each country. I figured I’d go easy on myself for China, and make 花生酥 (hua sheng su), a traditional sesame peanut brittle.

It’s something I’ve made before - I make little bags of it for my colleagues each lunar new year.

I don’t follow the Woks of Life recipe exactly - for example, I’ve never once roasted and shelled my own peanuts. I tend to use a mix of blanched and pre-roasted peanuts in my 花生酥, and I think it comes out okay. Next time I’m going to increase the amount of sugar I use - I find that 270g of rock sugar is not quite enough to cover the peanuts totally. Which is a pain. Next time I think I’ll use 300g, and turn the heating on in my kitchen so it’s warmer, to stop the brittle from hardening before I can properly get it into the tray to cool.

But then I changed my mind, and decided to throw a full on feast.

For the feast I threw, I made two more dishes from the Woks of Life - Easy Peking Duck with Mandarin Pancakes, and 年糕 (nian gao), or stir-fried rice cakes (though I did them with chicken, not pork, as that’s what I had in my freezer). I also cooked up some spring rolls, as I had them leftover in my freezer from my housewarming (for which I over catered, because I cannot do anything but over cater any event I throw). I should have marinated the duck longer. That one was on me.

I also made some 核桃酥 (he tao su), walnut cookies, which were delicious and I definitely want to make again. I think I’ll add some hazelnuts in as well for additional crunch, and make them slightly smaller - they were 12 very big cookies.

But delicious cookies.

Kisu was most distressed that we did not feed her anything from this feast.

The Playlist

I ended up finding this “Chinese Indie & Rock” playlist on Spotify, which I really enjoyed. I could understand none of the songs, but I enjoyed the heck out of a lot of them. I’ll probably keep listening to this playlist - they were definitely my sort of jams.

[yoificfinder]

Hey love, hope you are doing well ✨ I was wondering if you have any recommendations regarding side characters (personality analysis, friendship etc.) I absolutely adore all the side characters in the YOIverse however there are not many fics revolving around them so if you know any good ones, it'd be great!! Thank you so much in advance 💟

Hey dear nonnie! This took a long time, I hope you're still here. I combed through ao3 to find fics I remember that fit your request and discovered new gems along the way! Many of these are not popular/underrated but I guarantee that they're good reads so I hope you (and anyone else who finds this) enjoy! If only for that reason alone, I really hope this rec list becomes one of the most popular posts in this blog (I would really appreciate a reblog!) so these fics/authors can receive more love! Plus this is the most exhaustive and time-consuming rec list I've made so far (but I still feel that I missed a lot so other recs are welcome!).

Without further ado, here are some great YOI side-characters' stories in canonverse:

(Don't) Give A Damn by @forochel [T, 9K]

Mari, through the years.

an open door by tripcyclone [G, 8K]

Lilia never wanted children of her own, but caring for Victor gives her a glimpse into the life she chose to pass by.

Beautiful In Knowing by @val-creative [T, 1K]

Sara knew she was a girl, even if nobody else did or believed her.

She ordered Michele to call her "Lady Sara" from now on. He would roll his eyes and grumble, but never attempt to misgender her. She liked "Sara" — it meant "lady, princess, noblewoman". And she would never go back to her deadname.

by any other name by iguanastevens [T, 2K]

"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet."

Yuri's life as told by the names he's given; or, how Yuri's names direct his life.

Feathers on the Ice by Kiranokira / @kyashin [E, 79K]

After dinner and a bath and quality hamster time, snuggled in bed cocooned within his eight entirely necessary pillows, Phichit indulges himself and investigates Seung-gil's hashtag. There isn’t much from Seung-gil himself, but Seung-gil's fans are many and dedicated. Amid the photos of Seung-gil at competitions or practicing and the few candid shots of Seung-gil in airports or out on the streets of Seoul, there’s a very recent professional video uploaded by user andjoy_studio.

Phichit clicks on it, and his life changes.

fermata by perbe [T, 3K]

When one is patchwork of growth plates and bruises, it is inevitable that one must admire boys with words a size too big, as if they know down to their bones that they are meant for something greater.

I used to burn for you, Otabek thinks.

(A character study on Otabek's reaction to his placement at the Grand Prix Finals.)

Go On Ahead by @kiaronna [G, 2K]

Sour, grouchy Yakov didn’t understand sparkly purple skate outfits or wanting to eat your weight in sweets or having crushes on boys.

But Viktor did.

Gossips, Chinese whispers and misunderstandings by womanroaring [M, 8K]

Series of short stories relating to how certain (often perfectly innocent) scenes in Yuri On Ice would have looked from the outside. And just the gossip and stuff that would have surrounded them.

I am Yuri Plisetsky by rinsled05 / @dreaming-fireflies [M, 1K]

Who is Yuri Plisetsky?

He's not Agape.

Not a “prima donna” ballerina.

And definitely no Russian fairy.

No, Yuri Plisetsky is an angry, loud, in-your-face, Russian tiger who will take to the ice and give you a brilliant gold-worthy performance you will never forget.

... a piece on Yuri's rationale for skating to "Welcome to the Madness". Rated for the actual foul-mouthed language in the story itself, courtesy of one Yuri Plisetsky.

if friends were flowers i'd pick you by windupbirdgirl / @tanpopori [G, 4K]

Yuuko thinks of Yuuri’s skating, beautiful and flawed. She thinks of Yuuri sitting with the girls instead of the other boys at practice. She thinks of Yuuri and Viktor, the posters of him he asks her to buy him for birthdays. The posters he wouldn't ask anyone else to buy.

“Oh, Yuuri.” She bites her nails, ruining the carefully applied polish. She doesn’t care at all.

Sitting in that tiny bedroom, she makes a big decision.

if love is king, who wears the crown by @crollalanzaa [G, 1K]

“Second is seen as nothing,” Christophe had derided.

“But that moment you glide onto the ice, that hush of the audience, and that expectation, isn’t that worth something?”

“You speak as if you know. You used to skate?"

Past tense. It still stung, even if it was expected.

Minako knows exactly what it's like to be at the top of your game, and she remembers the descent just as clearly.

if she wants me by renaissance [G, 6K]

Hiroko and Minako, then and now.

kagura by night by seventhstar / @pencilwalla [T, 1K]

The world around her is like the mountains.

A mortal lifespan is narrow; mortals watch the mountain’s unchanging faces, unravaged by the same measure of time that takes a human from dust to dust, and think them immortal in comparison. But stone erodes, just as flesh decays. It just takes longer.

If she watches long enough, everything changes. Languages drift until all the words she learned before are meaningless. Technology changes until she ceases to believe in magic because human ingenuity is more infinite than the stars. What is beautiful, what is polite, what is wrong, what is right—time, given its way, reshapes all.

But Minako’s body remains as it has always been. That’s why she loves to dance, she supposes; it’s the one thing time cannot take from her.

Katsudon by @azriona [G, 8K]

Hiroko doesn’t need to see to coat pork cutlets in egg and panko. She has made this dish for her family for over thirty years; she’ll make it another thirty, if she’s lucky.

Now she makes it for Yuuri and Victor as they fly home from Barcelona, with silver around their necks and gold around their fingers.

keep me steady as we go by strikinglight [G, 3K]

When Isabella stood and crossed the room to where he sat she saw her notebook open in his lap, turned to the last page of their to-do list, all but three items crossed off with less than a month to the wedding date. License. Ceremony. Everything after. She saw the angle of his gaze, too, not on the words but straight ahead, staring blank and glassy and brittle into some invisible place she still wasn’t sure she could follow him to, yet. And yet she had been the one who’d promised to try—and to keep promising, forever and forever.

Kooks by BoxWineConfessions [G, 3K]

Mari clasps her right hand across her left hand and rests them both atop her growing stomach. “I guess you’re just lucky that your father, I mean your other father, my brother-“ Mari giggles. “God, it all sounds so weird, doesn’t it? Do you care? Do you care that we’re all so fucked up and we don’t care at all?” Mari laughs again. It’s all she can do when she hurts this much, and wants a cigarette this much, but can’t stop smiling despite the fact that her body seems to hate her so much. “Well he means the world to me. That’s why I have you.”

Living in the Maybe by @adrianners [T, 6K]

It wasn’t hard to spot a 180cm platinum blond in Fukuoka International Airport. Especially when he was the only person wearing sunglasses. Indoors. At night.

Mari picks Viktor up at the airport when he returns from Moscow. Without Yuuri there to play his usual role of interpreter, they learn to communicate around their linguistic, cultural, and personal barriers.

post tenebras lux by @alykapediaaa [T, 1K]

“Which skater would you say has inspired your skating the most?”

The question catches him unaware, so much so that he’s rendered speechless. It’s only when he sees Yakov lean towards the microphone to answer in his stead that Yuri blurts out the first name that comes to mind.

“Yuuri Katsuki.”

The Best Men by @kiaronna [Not Rated, 5K]

Just as Viktor lives to surprise, Christophe Giacometti lives to scandalize, to sensationalize. But innocent little Phichit Chulanont is proving to be an impossible victim.

OR: where Christophe tries very hard to get under one Thai skater’s skin, and instead finds himself all over the younger skater’s Instagram feed and wrapped around his finger.

the city of bridges by @stammiviktor [T, 5K]

After three flights, a train ride, and dinner at the Katsukis' table, Yakov finally sees Hasetsu through Viktor's eyes.

The First Cut by BoxWineConfessions [E, 27K]

People made divorce seem like this long drawn out and ugly process, but it really wasn’t. He bought the town home for Isabella as a gift, and so it was hers. The flat down town would go to him, as it was closer to the rink. They paid off her medical school loans last fall, so that was done too. He had a few cars, which she unanimously agreed were his to keep, so long as she could keep her Corvette. She changed her vanity plate from Dr. Leroy to Dr. Yang. He saw it parked out front of the courthouse.

trials of Coach Yakov series by @naraht [T and M, 40K]

Summaries of fics in the series:

1. Forced to share a bed with Victor at the Sochi Grand Prix Final, Yakov learns more than he wants to know.

2. Yakov attempts to prepare Yuri for his transition to Seniors. Yuri doesn't care to listen.

3. No sex while you're competing – this is Yakov's rule. His athletes often have other ideas.

4. In 1980, Yakov Feltsman is the USSR's skating hero. At a dull official reception, he defends his loyalty to the motherland – and makes the acquaintance of a beautiful young dancer from the Bolshoi.

5. In which both Victor and Yakov have to remake themselves – Victor after his first Olympic gold and Yakov after his divorce.

Tz'ror by athoroughlybakedpotato [T, 3K]

Yakov changes much slower than the times do, but steadiness is not always a bad thing.

---

ETA - Other people's rec:

curtain of lies by @mandolinearts

JJ's Bizarre Adventure by Falahime

Landscapes of Spring and Summer by @myyoitrashblog

The Melancholy of Georgi Popovich by Falahime

+ a lot more recs on this reblog!!

Thanks for the rec, @vilchen, @genuine-firefly, @adrianners, and @kaleidodreams! ❤

[piroco]

Coming Home

Status: Complete (One-shot) Word Count: 3188 Rating: Explicit Pairing: Yuuri Katsuki/Viktor Nikiforov Tags: Post-Canon, Fluff and Smut, Domestic Fluff, Feat. other food bc katsudon has been abused to hell and back for fluffy purposes, Yuuri is not a graceful sleeper, Top Victor Nikiforov, Bottom Katsuki Yuuri Warning: None AO3 Link: Here

Contribution for the @yoihomezine! And thanks to @narcissuspseudonarcissus for the beta work!

Smutty under the cut, so you know  ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Viktor had expected a bit of a challenge in getting Yuuri settled in St. Petersburg. Things like Yuuri having a hard time grasping basic Russian, experiencing customs he wasn't used to, struggling in his interactions with the rest of the people at the rink, or getting lost while going places. Viktor had taken the preventive measure of never leaving the Japanese alone if possible — too much according to Yuuri, but to Viktor it was nothing if not necessary.

And it was a bit of a challenge alright, but not in the ways Viktor actually expected.

It had been almost two full weeks, and Viktor had failed to fully convince Yuuri he was more than just a guest in his apartment.

It started the moment Yuuri moved in, mid January. They had agreed for Yuuri to stay longer, so he had brought more luggage than he usually did. The apartment lounge and the bedroom were quickly occupied by boxes and  of varied sizes, which contrasted starkly with the rest of the tidy residence. Viktor didn't mind, there was something about having Yuuri's stuff in his apartment that made it feel cozier.

But then Viktor noticed how Yuuri never finished unpacking his things. Stuff would be unpacked, used, and then packed again. Clothes would be worn, washed and then folded back into the luggage. Even Yuuri's game console, which took some while to figure out how to properly connect to Viktor's television, was disconnected and stored again after each use.

Trying to address the problem directly was turning out to be fruitless as well.

"Yuuri, you can unpack your stuff. I don't mind. There's enough space around the apartment anyways."

Yuuri smiled sheepishly, answering back with a nervous chuckle "Ah, it's nothing really. I just thought it would be better to save space."

Viktor pouted a little at Yuuri's reply. That was the worst excuse Yuuri had come up with, ever. If anything, all the boxes around took more space than if Yuuri just unpacked his things, and the constant having to put stuff back in the boxes was just a waste of time.

"I really don't mind." Viktor said with more emphasis.

But Yuuri simply waved him off with the same nervous expression.

Viktor knew Yuuri wasn't a man easily convinced by words. He had learned that the hard way, since last year, the moment he began to train Yuuri. His beloved needed to be encouraged, given reasons to choose by himself.

So Viktor began with the closet. A huge thing spanning an entire wall, meant to not only store his impressive collection of outfits but also be big enough to store them all while also allowing some space between them, as to avoid crumpling and wrinkling. Viktor only spared that thought a second before shoving half the clothes together and leaving the other half of the closet almost mostly emptied — he was still trying to be somewhat discreet, Yuuri may protest if he emptied the entire side.

He left a few unoccupied hooks and moved Yuuri's clothing boxes inside. It barely took a day for Yuuri to wonder where they had gone.

"Viktooooooor," Yuuri called one day while looking around the hall, "Have you seen my boxes?"

"Which ones?" Replied Viktor, sitting in the couch with a book in hand, knowing perfectly well what his Yuuri was asking about.

"The ones where I kept my clothes."

"Ah! I left those in the closet since they were taking space in the hall, and most of the closet is empty anyways." He answered, feeling a smidge of guilt at his trickery.

He peeked from behind his book to notice how Yuuri's eyebrows furrowed slightly, but the other didn't protest.

In the end, it had worked. Slowly but surely Yuuri's clothes got unpacked, the hangers got used, and Viktor's closet got filled by twice the amount of parkas, t-shirts and sweats he's ever had in his life in the span of a single week. The only boxes still inside were for Yuuri's shoes.

Fulfillment shouldn't be an emotion anyone would relate to the sight of a dirty shirt thrown over his sofa, but Viktor couldn't think of any other word for it. From obnoxious impersonal tidiness to obnoxious familiar disorder was a big step when Yuuri Katsuki was concerned.

But that alone wasn't enough and Viktor knew it. So he was taking the next step: Homely food.

Viktor waited for a day when he could surprise Yuuri, which didn't take too long to arrive. He had been preoccupied with promotional work for almost the entirety of that particular day, while Yuuri went to practice with the rest of Viktor's rinkmates.

Given the way Yuuri had been pushing himself lately, Viktor wanted to reward his beloved's effort on top of wanting to make him feel more at home. He took a small detour while driving home to buy the stuff he needed for tonight's dinner, planned specifically for Yuuri's enjoyment — according to Yuuri's friend Phichit.

Looking for ideas Viktor has asked around and researched on some of Yuuri's old habits, tastes and hobbies. He already knew a fair bit from his stay in Hasetsu, and the Katsukis were more than happy to share everything they knew — enthusiastic even, Viktor was sure that by this point there wasn't an aspect of Yuuri's childhood Hiroko had forgotten to talk about.

But most of the stuff they mentioned was either too familiar with Japan, risking making Yuuri melancholic, or too old to be familiar anymore. That's when Viktor remembered Yuuri had roomed together with Phichit back when he was studying in America, so Viktor contacted the young Thai man for ideas.

It took barely a minute for Phichit to reply to Viktor's message, and it was more than likely that sending Viktor a friend request ate up more of those seconds than the reply itself. But he got the answers he wanted, which now came back home with Viktor inside a pair of grocery bags.

Viktor struggled a bit trying to open the door to the apartment, his excitement making him completely forget that he could simply lay the bags on the floor for a minute while he opened the door, but somehow he managed.

Usually Yuuri and he spent the day together, given their status as both coach, student and fellow skaters, but when they had to go their separate ways, one of them would always be home to welcome the other when they returned. Even in the rare occasions they had to leave Makkachin home — which Viktor always tried to make exceptionally rare — she would always be waiting in front of the door to welcome them with a happy bark.

Today however he was greeted by the muffled, electronic sound of a TV in the distance and the sight of Yuuri sprawled over the sofa, still in his practice clothes, sleeping with his glasses on and his mouth parting, the perfect picture of bone-seeping exhaustion.

Charming, adorable, bone-seeping exhaustion.

On top of him lay Makkachin, with her head over Yuuri's chest, somehow the full press of her weight not bothering the Japanese in the slightest. Unlike Yuuri, Makkachin was awake and alert, her ears perking up the moment she heard Viktor come in.

Viktor smiled to her, placing his index over his lips in a "shush" sign. She immediately understood, smart girl that she was, and moved off Yuuri's chest without waking him.

"Good girl," whispered Viktor, patting her head affectionately before picking up the grocery bags once again and taking them to the kitchen, Makkachin following close behind. Viktor placed the bags over the kitchen island and began taking out their contents one by one.

Viktor didn't cook very often, but when he did it was usually for the sake of treating himself to dishes he didn't get to eat very often, childhood dishes or interesting, multiple-step things he saw shared on social media.

It felt kind of strange that today instead he was going for a very simple, kind of ordinary dish — Mac n' cheese.

According to Phichit, it had been Yuuri's comfort food whenever pressure, anxiety or homesickness bore too heavily on him, back when he was still training in the United States.

Katsudon was something they shared in Hasetsu, in Yuuri's childhood home. Viktor wanted something that could bring 'home' here and not force Yuuri's thoughts back to Japan, so his college days' comfort food could do. Viktor had never made Mac n' cheese before, but he studied videos and instructions with dedication, in secret, so he could surprise Yuuri, and was confident he could do this without trouble.

And he did. It was simple enough to make even with the more gourmet additions and instructions he was using, Viktor was done in barely an hour, just as the sun had almost completely settled in the sky. Viktor took two bowls of his porcelain dinnerware set, wanting to make it extra special for his Yuuri, and filled them before placing them on the counter while he went to wake Yuuri up.

His beloved had barely moved from the position Viktor had found him in, having only moved a little away from the edge of the couch.

Viktor brought a hand to gently brush the side of Yuuri's face and kissed his cheek tenderly,  uncaring of the dried sweat clinging to the latter's skin and hair. "Yuuri, love, wake up, it's time for dinner."

It took around a minute of gentle touches and whispers until Yuuri fully roused. "Ah...Viktor?" Yuuri rubbed his eyes, "Ugh, I didn't mean to fall asleep. And in my sweaty clothes too... Sorry..."

Viktor kissed Yuuri's temple, "It's fine. I made us dinner tonight. We can eat now and bathe together later, yes?"

Yuuri wasn't drowsy enough not to pick on the hint. With a playful pout he replied "Shower only. I'm too tired anything more than that..."

Viktor laughed, placing another kiss over Yuuri's temple. "Okay, okay!"

He took Yuuri's hand to guide him to the kitchen. Yuuri's eyes, which had been slightly dulled with sleep and tiredness, sparkled the moment he noticed what their dinner consisted off.

"Oh my— Viktor—?"

"I see you like it! I made it especially for you~" Viktor said in the most comically flirty voice he could.

"But, isn't it too many carbs...?"

"You've been working really hard since you arrived. As your coach I say you have earned a reward!"

Yuuri stared back for a few seconds, before his lips quirked in an amused smirk. Without any more protest he took his plate and a fork, only stopping for one last quip before digging in.

"I changed my mind. We can do more than showering."

It was Viktor's turn to be pleasantly surprised.

Viktor spared no expense by the time Valentine's Day rolled around. They had missed the chance to celebrate New Year's, Viktor's birthday, or even Christmas together — not that Viktor cared about the latter, but a chance to celebrate was as good as any — so, unlike the subtle domesticity of his pampering of Yuuri these last days, for Valentine's Viktor wanted to properly wine, dine and spoil his timid and frugal lover.

Yuuri may have felt the same, since he didn't protest the moment Viktor asked about taking the day off.

Viktor had long anticipated this day, and planned accordingly: Taking a walk with Makkachin through St. Petersburg's most pleasant plazas and boulevards. Comfortable lunch at a cafe with a beautiful garden view. A gift of diamond cufflinks for Yuuri — that he seemed awfully flustered about until Viktor pointed out it would match his own. Dinner at a high-end restaurant with more dinnerware than any person should actually need and fragrant wine that tinged Yuuri's cheeks an adorable shade of red. And finishing with box seats at the ballet theatre.

All very fancy, all very expensive, all worth the adoring look Yuuri had by the end of the night.

They had barely made it through the apartment's doorway when Yuuri pinned him to the wall, capturing Viktor's lips on his own in a breathtaking kiss, still sweet with the taste of wine.

Viktor hands were drawn to Yuuri's hips almost unconsciously.

"Y-Yuuri..." Viktor stuttered when they broke apart for air. Yuuri drew away from his lips but not from his flesh, kissing a trail along his cheek and towards his neck, hands working to undo Viktor's tie.

A well-placed love bite between his ear and neck had Viktor unable to stifle a cry. Yuuri's chuckle afterwards had something else stifling.

Such Eros was going to be the death of him.

"Viktor..." Yuuri hushed against his skin, "Won't you take me to our bedroom?"

Viktor's thoughts stopped for a moment, focusing on Yuuri's wording. Our bedroom. Not "your", not Viktor's, our.

Driven by elation and impatience, and with a bit more strength that he intended to, Viktor lifted Yuuri in his arms and carried him all the way from the hallway to the bedroom, drinking in the sound of Yuuri's surprised cry and laughter.

There was something simultaneously romantic, cheesy and domestic about carrying Yuuri bridal-style to their bedroom, and seeing Yuuri in the same state with the way he laughed and wrapped his arms around Viktor's shoulders, that had the latter dizzy with giddiness.

For the next few seconds time moved in flashes. Like images from a camera, the transition was lost. One moment they were falling on the bed, Yuuri's hands cupping around Viktor's face to capture his lips once again, then their clothes were being shed one by one, discarded on the floor without a care, until finally it was just them and the expanse of uncovered skin pressing against each other.

The pads of Viktor's fingertips burned as they traced the curves and dips of Yuuri's skin, his palms tingling pleasantly at the softness of his lover's flesh. Hands were joined by lips and teeth, and then Yuuri's encouraging whispers became hitched.

Viktor would never get tired of the way Yuuri's voice shifted in their lovemaking, curling tenderly on each enunciation of his name.

"Viktor... please," Yuuri whispered, choking on an involuntary moan, "...closer, please."

Viktor lowered until his face was close to Yuuri's, and immediately the Japanese's hands wrapped over his shoulders to draw him into a clash of lips. Viktor happily surrendered, his own tongue chasing after his lover's and deepening their connection, while his dexterous hands caressed Yuuri's cock and thighs.

It was a strange but pleasant feeling. Viktor forsook his body's pleasure and focused on Yuuri's, and yet his heart felt more fulfilled for it, granted a pleasure his body alone could never take.

When they broke apart, taking heavy breaths to fill their emptying lungs, Yuuri was the first to speak.

"Viktor... you... aren't you going...?" He said between pants, his leg moving so the skin of his thigh brushed against Viktor's neglected cock, making the other hiss on contact.

"Ah, Yuuri... It's ok, let me focus on you tonight..."

After hearing his words Yuuri's body relaxed, all muscular strain let loose as his body dropped over the mattress and pulling Viktor's upper body down with him where he caught his lips on another, tender kiss. Before Viktor could continue worshipping his body, Yuuri hooked his legs around Viktor's hips, trapping him.

Viktor was surprised, and the feel of his cock brushing against Yuuri's firm thighs coupled with their passionate kiss make him feel lightheaded. When Yuuri finally let him go, his eyes, while still darkened with lust, held a sparkle of determination.

"No... Not just me... I want Viktor too..."

With his legs, Yuuri pressed their bodies together closer, hips bucking against Viktor's thighs and making both of them gasp. He began to grind against Viktor, as one of his arms unwound from Viktor's shoulder to touch his cheek.

"I want you, Viktor... Inside..." Yuuri whispered, kissing the side of Viktor's face as the tip of his fingers traced along his cheek and down his neck.

"Yuuri--" Viktor said, but Yuuri interrupted.

"Please, Viktor."

And how could Viktor deny him like this?

Viktor sighed and smiled, arms winding behind Yuuri's neck and sucking at the skin of his neck, "As you wish, my love."

Yuuri's legs relaxed, enough to allow Viktor to rise a little bit while remaining hooked behind his back. His arms let got completely, but not before giving Viktor a sweet peck on the lips and a content — and somewhat mischievous — smile.

Viktor's right hand came to rest behind Yuuri's thigh. He looked at his lover for approval, and found it in his excited gaze before Yuuri even voiced it.

"Take me, Viktor. I want you to feel good too..."

Giving so much love and being given in return... Viktor could never describe what making love to Yuuri was like with just actions. To make love to Yuuri was a feeling, like the last winter snow melting under the long-awaited sun of spring, like holding the most precious treasure between your hands, like the first breath of sweet air after breaking out of deep waters.

Like coming home after being lost for so long.

By the end of the night their arms are wound around each other, undisturbed by the heat and sweat clinging to their bodies, catching their breath on the same air, hearts beating in synchrony.

Again, Yuuri is the first to breath the silence.

"Viktor, thank you... For everything..." He whispers, tracing invisible lines over Viktor's chest.

"What do you mean?" Viktor asks, still too drunk on their love to discern the meaning of Yuuri's words.

"You've done so much to make me feel welcome..." Yuuri replies between breaths. "I... When I came here I thought... It would be the same as before..."

He lifts his head from Viktor's chest to rest by the side of his face. The sight of Yuuri's adoring smile has Viktor's own lips pulling to match, to correspond.

"I used to get lonely... Whenever I was away from home, even within Japan." Yuuri continues, his breath evening out. "I used to think it was just my emotions trying to get the better of me again, so I just... ignored it, even when it hurt too much. But since I moved here... I haven't felt like that even once, and it's thanks to you..."

His sweet smile turned into a cheeky smirk then, "Don't think I haven't noticed what you've been doing. You even got Phichit giving you ideas, don't you?"

"Yuuuuuriiiii," Viktor whines with comical intent, "Don't speak another man's name when we're like this!"

"Don't change the subject!" Yuuri replies, all the edge of his words dulled by the cheer of his expression.

But Viktor very much wanted to change the subject, to continue to hold, kiss and caress his adorable lover.

Yuuri wasn't voicing any complains once Viktor resumed either, only one suggestion.

"Maybe we should take a bath... In the tub would be better, I don't think I can stand right now..."

"I can carry you again if you want to~ " Viktor was quick to answer.

And Yuuri didn't refuse. 

[northernrainforest]

Alaska Day

This week we celebrated Alaska Day. So here’s a pop quiz.

Which is true? On October 18 in the year:

a)    1867, commissioners arrived in Sitka to raise the flag denoting the sale of Alaska (for $7.2 million) by the Russians to the United States.

b)    1958, President Eisenhower signed the Alaska Statehood Act, making Alaska the 49thstate.

c)    2003, nine out of ten people in Ketchikan bought the same pair of brown XtraTuf rain boots, which they have proceeded to wear almost daily ever since.

If you guessed A and C, you’re right! (Also, ahhh... multiple choice!)

I didn’t know Alaska Day was, as the kids say, a thing until last weekend. Someone mentioned it in passing, and I started noticing signs indicating which places would be open and which closed on Thursday the 18th. (As an example: the Rec Center was closed; the Thai restaurant was open.) Growing up we celebrated Brooklyn Queens Day (with a day off from school!), which on the one hand seems hilariously parochial. On the other hand, without even looking at the numbers I’m going to go out on a limb and say ten times as many people live in Brooklyn and Queens as live in the entire state of Alaska. (Just looked it up: approximately 5 million people live in the two boroughs, while 739,795 people live in Alaska. Not quite ten times, but pretty close for a complete guess, if I do say so myself.) And imagine if Russia still had a foothold in North America (and a big one at that) – the purchase of this state by the US is about more than a tract of land. The night of the 18th, Flo turned on a local TV station that was airing footage of an Alaska Native conference taking place in Anchorage. People of all ages stood up to represent their tribes, performing memorial dances. It was moving to see them, the kids especially, singing and chanting in languages I’ve never heard before, stone-faced and solid, embracing the cultures that two successive nations tried to obliterate.

I’m not sure what my point is, except to say how little I actually know about the state I just moved to. I spent all of fourth grade studying New York City history. One entire year of my history education, spent studying the city I lived in – admittedly an important American city, but a city nonetheless. All I knew about Alaska (until probably college) was the name of the capital and the fact that, weirdly, it was connected not to the US but to Canada. As an adult I’ve read some fantastic books that take place in Alaska, my favorite being The Yiddish Policeman’s Union. I LOVED that book and between that and a random Sandra Bullock movie I once saw on a plane, I’ve always wanted to go to Sitka.

Cleary this is not a cohesive picture of the biggest state in the country. (Again, I’m not sure when I figured out how much bigger Alaska is than Texas, but it was solidly into adulthood; it’s not only twice as big as Texas, it’s one fifth the size of the entire continental United States.) And I certainly had no idea that there was a part of Alaska, the part I now live in, that hardly sees snow in the winter, and rarely even drops below freezing. I’ve had so many phone calls with customer service reps in the last few months, whether changing my address or attempting to order something that may or may not ship to us, in which the person on the other end of the line talked immediately about how strange it will be this winter when the sun never comes up, or when we’re buried in snow. So I’m not the only one whose understanding of this vast place is colored by movies and a prevailing sense in popular culture that it’s uniform across its vastness, and that it’s also somehow “other.”

There’s still so much about Alaska that I don’t know. And still so much I don’t know about Southeast Alaska, and Ketchikan, and even my neighborhood. Small children, we’re told, start thinking about the world by looking at their household, then their street, then their neighborhood – in other words, they go in concentric circles outward, ostensibly because it would be too hard to digest it all. I’m doing that too, while simultaneously taking an outside-in approach: attempting a crash course on thousands of years of history about 663,268 square miles, while at the same time learning which pizza place in Ketchikan is the most reliable (Ward Cove is winning so far), which pumpkin patch the most fun for a four-year-old (the one held by Search and Rescue.) The micro and the macro, as it were.

In super local news, Flo caught a couple of fish today and by the time Ladybug and I got home from a day-off-from-school play date, he had fileted them and they were ready to cook up for dinner. They were delicious – and free! (Unless you count the cost of a non-resident fishing license – we have to wait til we’ve been here a year to get the really cheap resident rate – and the mountains of gear. In which case, dinner was very expensive.) He and Ladybug are also in the process of rehabbing a ten-dollar garage sale dresser. The scraping and sanding and priming and painting are not the kind of thing we could have done easily in a small apartment in a big city, but here it makes perfect sense. I’ve rarely seen my little one more engaged in a project than watching her attack these old drawers, uncovering (much to her delight) flowers that were painted over long ago. Every drawer has brought the question: will we find more flowers underneath? Whoever painted them in the first place had a very clear idea about where they should be placed, but from an outside perspective there doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason.

I don’t feel like an Alaskan yet – not by a long shot. But slowly we’re doing things that help us weave ourselves into the fabric of this place, and this place into the fabric of us. Texting a handful of friends to see who has a sander we can borrow (the answer is: all of them), and coming home to see Flo ratcheting the bear straps tight over garbage cans filled with fish guts – these are not things we did in Los Angeles. The 49thstate is vast enough to give a person the sense that there are more adventures waiting.

Including a big one, coming in early February: a baby boy, the first of our little clan to be born in Alaska. He’s the one whose tiny socks and cloth diapers and “Alaska Grown” onesies will be fitted neatly into repainted dresser drawers. Next year on Alaska Day, he will be eight months old, sitting up and crawling and smiling. He won’t know what it’s like to be from Brooklyn like I do, or from the heartland like his dad does, or from sunny California, a place his sister will always vaguely remember. He may leave this place someday; we all may. But this place will not leave him. For now, his tiny heart beats thousands of miles from the rest of the country, in this, his homeland.

[aftgonice]

Writing Tips - YOI Edition

I decided to start my little series of writing tips with a Yuri On Ice specific post because that’s the fandom I’m most familiar with. While I’ll make examples from the anime, keep in mind that most of these things can be taken in a more general way and applied to other fandoms as well.

These are only tips and if you don’t follow them that’s perfectly fine, your fanfiction is valid.

LANGUAGES:

Different characters speak different languages with each other, and implementing that in your fic can make it feel more realistic. That doesn’t mean that you have to include a full dialogue in a language other than the one of your fic (although a few words thrown here and there like terms of endearment are always good, and even a couple of full sentences are fine, just remember to translate them in the notes), but there are ways to show this even if you don’t do that. Simply have your POV character hear a dialogue and not understanding it, and asking about it later (or just wondering about it in their head). Another small thing is to not have the POV character be surprised by this (unless for very specific reasons): they’re used to being in international environments and to hearing different languages being spoken by other skaters, so it’s usually not a big deal to them.

Another tip is to understand what being bilingual (or tri- or multilingual) means. We don’t randomly start mixing two languages. The only instance where I’ve had that happen to me is when for some reason a word in one of the language I speak has to be in my sentence, then it might happen that I actually keep talking in that language. 

Example:

“Gli ho detto che è bravo nel multitasking, and like-”

As you can see, the “and like” is some of those things we’re used to saying to connect sentences (like “you know” and other stuff), so it’s something easy to slip into if we’ve just said a word in English. You also see I stopped the sentence there because that’s what I feel happens, you don’t go on speaking in a different language for ten minutes, you usually notice right away and stop yourself.

That’s a very specific example of course, but what will mostly happen in your fic is that a character will switch back and forth effortlessly.

Examples: 

Yuuri is talking to Victor in English, then his mom brings them homemade katsudon and Yuuri thanks her and holds a short conversation with her in Japanese. Then he goes back to speaking to Victor.

Yuri and Otabek are speaking on skype in Russian. Otabek’s sister enters his room and asks him in Kazakh to help her with her homework, and he tells her (in Kazakh) that he’ll be right there, then he proceeds to explain Yuri what happened in Russian and they say goodbye and hang up.

Yuri and Victor are talking at the rink in Russian, then Yuuri skates towards him, and both Yuri and Victor switch to English to include Yuuri in the conversation.

Who speaks what language:

Generally speaking, all skaters interact in English.

Victor, Yuri, Mila, Georgi, Yakov, Lilia, Nikolai all speak Russian among each other. They might use English around other people if they don’t want to be rude to them, but in general they’ll have a tendency to keep speaking in Russian to each other, no matter how fluent in English they are.

Victor speaks fluent French as well as Russian and English, so it’s safe to believe that he and Chris speak French when they communicate.

Looking at the Japanese side of things, Yuuri, Yuuko (probably her husband too), Minako and Mari all speak fluent English, contrary to Yuuri’s parents who don’t appear to speak it at all. The triplets are 6 years old so they most definitely only speak Japanese. I headcanon that Minami doesn’t really speak a good English since he doesn’t appear to have competed much or at all outside of Japan, but I don’t think we have enough info about him so do what you want with him.

Otabek’s first language is Kazakh. It uses the same alphabet as Russian but it’s a different thing, but Kazakhs generally learn Russian and Otabek is definitely fluent in it. He’s also lived in the US and in Canada so he’s fluent in English as well. When he interacts with Yuri you should keep in mind that they’re speaking Russian.

Of course, when writing post-canon, it’s entirely possible and even very likely that the couples (or even friends, for example Yuuri and Phichit probably learned a little of Thai and Japanese respectively) pick up each other’s languages. Victor will learn Japanese, Yuuri will learn Russian, Emil will learn Italian. I headcanon that in some couples only one of them will learn the other’s language (for example I don’t think it’d be very useful for Yuri to learn more than a little basic Kazakh), but that’s absolutely up to you.

Another thing I personally like to do in my fanfics whenever there’s characters with different nationalities is to remind the reader that everyone has different accents. You don’t have to point it out in every sentence, but even just doing it once in your whole fic will make it feel, once again, more realistic. Another accent fun fact: at the beginning it’s hard to understand an accent you’ve never heard before, but it gets easier the more you keep hearing it. Try to think of ways to show that in your fanfic if that’s something you want to do.

NICKNAMES: 

Another important aspect in YOI is the use of nicknames, like Yurio or Katsudon. The thing is, not everyone uses them, and not in every context. If you want to use them in a fic and be true to canon, learn who uses them and why.

Yurio 

is a nickname given by Mari to Yuri P. to avoid confusion between him and her brother Yuuri. Yuuri, Victor and Yuuri’s family and friends are the only ones using it. Yuri hates it. He wouldn’t use it for himself, so avoid using it in your fic unless:

the characters I mentioned above are talking to him

one of the characters above is also the POV character (especially if it’s first person)

Yuri himself is complaining about it

Especially avoid using it when:

it’s Yuri’s POV

it’s the POV of someone close to Yuri or who knew Yuri before canon (like his grandpa, Yakov, Mila, etc)

it’s Otabek’s POV. He’s his friend (or more) and he would use his given name (unless for some reason he wanted to annoy him - which he probably would at some point lol)

Yura/Yurochka 

I don’t feel educated enough to talk about this myself, I could only say what I saw in the anime but you should definitely read this post because it’s well done and explains who would call Yuri Yura or Yurochka.

Katsudon

Only Yuri calls Yuuri Katsudon (sometimes he switches it for pig). Victor called Yuuri little piglet or something at the beginning of canon, but definitely doesn’t do it later on.

(Beka)

This is not canon yet, but it’s a really widespread nickname for Otabek within the fandom, that only Yuri (or Otabek’s family) uses.

In general, I think nicknames rub off on the people we talk to. So for example, when I write Otayuri I sometimes have Otabek think of Yuuri as “Katsudon”. Why? Because at least at the beginning he would only hear Yuri talk about him, and Yuri would refer to him with that nickname. He would probably not call Yuuri like that directly in a dialogue, but that’s all just speculation. I just added this bit because I think it’s one of the many ways to both build someone’s characterization and show instead of telling the kind of relationship two characters have.

Other writing tips: (coming soon!)

general pt.1 | general pt.2 | plot | dialogues | characterization

[jeglaerenorsk]

Linguasks - <3

I saw this https://wrathofabooklover.tumblr.com/post/161285551438/linguasks And it seemed so cool so I wanted to answer them hahaha...  And also then you have an introduction to men and get to know me a little closer. So here we go ^_^

1: What is your native language? Norwegian, norsk. 2: Have you learnt any other languages? If yes, what are they? English and Spanish. I have also the last years focused on understanding Danish and New Norwegian.   3: Have you ever read a book in a foreign language? Yes, today I mostly read in English.  4: Did you learn any languages at school? If yes, what were they? I learned English. I was suppose to learn both New Norwegian and another foreign language but my disease got in the way. 5: What is the prettiest language? Greek! I think it is really beautiful. 6: What is the ugliest language? Ehm.... No comment... Beauty is in the eye of the beholder... :P 7: Have you ever made up your own language? Haha... Yes, but I dont remember any of it, we were kids and I think it was a school assignment. 8: What languages do your parents speak? I was raised by my mom and she speaks Norwegian, German, French, Swedish, New Norwegian and English. Not fluently but she had German and French and English at school when she was young so she still remember a lot... She sings sometimes in French & Swedish haha... So as a kid when my mom spoke Swedish or German or French, I kind of hated it because I didnt understand and I thought she was overly dramatic.  9: If you were granted a wish that allowed you to instantly be able to speak any language, which would it be? 10: Have you ever tried to learn sign language? Yes! I think its beautiful. And I wanted to learn it so bad but found out that the signs are different in other countries so it doesnt “help” if I learn Norwegian sign language because I cant communicate with everyone so I got discouraged.  11: Have you ever watched a movie with subtitles in a different language, or vice versa? Yes, I have watched movies with these subtitles English, Swedish, Spanish (stress, it was gossip girl and they spoke so fast!) and New Norwegian. I have watched movies with different languages, Thai, Hindi, Norwegian, Icelandic, English, German, French, Portuguese, Sami etc.  12: Choose a Scandinavian language you’d like to learn. - New Norwegian. 13. Choose a Slavic (eastern European) language you’d like to learn. - (Norwegian oj). I really like Romanian, but I would say Russian because of culture and history. I am so fascinated with the Russian language. If this also include the Balkans then Greek ^_^ but Croatian is pretty too `_`, but oh... Greek and/or Russian.  14. Choose an Asian language you’d like to learn. - Easy, Arabic. 15. French, Spanish, Greek - which is the best? - Greek! 16. German, Dutch, Italian - which is the best? - Italian! 17. Have you ever been embarrassed by a native speaker of the language you are trying to learn? - Yes, its an awful feeling. When I have tried to speak Arabic and French.  18. Name a dead language that you wish to make a come back. - I dont know, I actually had to search this and I didnt know so many languages is gone... :( 19 to 25, I havent answered... 

[ggadget-blog1]

CHALLENGE 001: THE SORTING HAT

Personal Questions

My real name is Jennifer Hachwrench, but I am used to being called Gadget. I was born on July 18, 2000 in Los Angeles, California  

According to the test, I am an ENFJ.

My nickname is Gadget, which Dad came up with because he says it is a more fitting name to call me. It is Jenny, too but it is only my mom that still calls me that.

I am a 16 year old girl whose height is 5′2″, who weighs 52kg and who has blonde eyes, green eyes & white skin.

I usually wear skirts with whatever top I feel comfortable in, and dresses with my maong jacket. I don’t like wearing jewelry so no.

Honestly, there is nothing I don’t like about myself. Don’t get me wrong. I occasionally get insecure about things. I just don’t dislike it.

It’s definitely my smile.

Right now, I live on campus but my real home is in LA with my parents. If you take a look at my room here or at home, it is neat and quite girly.

When I was still a kid, my parents always bought me toys and according to my mom, out of all those they bought for me, it’s this toy hammer that I loved playing with. I guess young me already knew what she wanted to be in the future. Up to this day, I keep that toy hammer with me.

I am going to choose idealistic.

Familial Questions

I was an only child for majority of my life but 5 years ago, my mom gave birth to my baby brother. His name is Jeremiah and he is my first love.

My father is Grant Hachwrench and he is one of those parents who spoils his kids. He’s quite hardworking and is the owner & CEO of Wrench & Co. My mother is Julienne Hachwrench and she is the kindest person I know. She does not spoil me as much as Dad does because she wants me to learn to stand on my own, but she loves me just as much as him. She is my inspiration. With both my dad & my mom being independent and strong, a lot of people are surprised that they are still married and in love. I, on the other hand, knew they would stay this way.

Jeremiah is my 5 year old little brother. He is angel who loves putting lego blocks in his mouth. I don’t think he’ll go down the path that Mom, Dad & I are going but I still think he will go far in whatever path he chooses. He is quite smart and I can sense that he is creative.

Jer has not done anything bad to me, but I have done something bad to him. I let him grow up without me being in the same home as him. I really wish I could stay and watch him grow up, but this is the sacrifice I have to make in order to fulfill my dream and help my parents provide a good life for all for of us.

I last saw them during Christmas break and it makes me sad that it has been that long but I will see them again soon. That is a promise. They are all still in LA.

I have only one answer to this, and it is definitely Terrence. He was my first friend here and I connect to him in a way that makes me feel like he is part of my family.

Childhood Questions

My mom brought me with her when she visits my dad at work and I remember the very first time she did so. He was pitching this idea for one building and when he finished, I clapped for him. Ever since, my dad called me his lucky charm because it was on that day that he got promoted.

It’s definitely my toy hammer.

I don’t know if you would consider this a game, but I loved building things with lego blocks growing up.

I was an only child until 5 years ago and my parents were busy so I would say my best friend was my neighbor.

It was that day when my parents took a day off and brought me to the beach. I drowned on that day but I still loved it because it is the first day we spent time together as a family in my eyes.

I did not have any bad childhood memories.

Adolescent Questions

I think that authority is needed in order for things to be done, and they should be respected. I also think that even if they have more power than other people, they should still respect everyone else and give them a chance to work & express their opinions as well. I think it’s watching my dad lead other people democratically in his company that affected the way I see authority.

I am going to choose bookworms, or dreamers if that is a clique here.

When I was highschool, my goal was to graduate with honors and make my parents proud. Now that I am in university, my goal is to create one building that will be famous and to have such a good track record in my studies that when I graduate, I will be offered a lot of good career offers. I just want to help my parents create a good life for all four of us.

My favorite memory was when WDPA offered me a spot. It’s not everyday that someone like me gets a spot in a prestigious school like the one I am in. My worst adolescent memory is the day that I left home to study here. Mom & Jeremy were both crying and it broke my heart.

My parents surprised me with a car two years ago. It’s a pink Ford Thunderbird.

Occupational Questions

I was told that being a tutor should be considered a job, even if I volunteered to be one I love it because it gives me a chance to help others and learn as well. I tutor for free so all my money comes from my parents.

Well, I volunteered as a tutor so I have no boss.

I consider those I tutor as my co-workers. Most of them are not like me but that does not mean we don’t get along. I try my best to make our “working environment” good for me & my co-worker so that we get work done.

Nothing. Everything I learned is an asset for me so why hate it?

I do both but I only spend it when I need to or when I feel like I deserve to. I don’t like putting the money of my parents to waste, after all.

Likes & Dislikes Questions

I draw, I read, I watch movies, I listen to music (and sing along) and I build. If you need me, you now know where to find me.

If I answer this question, I may never finish. I am going to answer this with my favorite artist which is Colbie Caillat. I think my song is Dancing in the Moonlight by Toploader just because.

I do care about politics and when I vote, I vote for the person who I believe can be a good leader and a good follower at the same time.

Do you know those wee small hours in the day when people are asleep? I love that time because that is when my mind is at its peak and when I feel at peace. It is that time when I am the happiest.

I love ice cream and Thai food, especially chicken pandan. I don’t like anything raw.

My favorite drink is definitely any berry smoothie.

I don’t know why but my favorite animal is a elephant. 

I have a dog at home. His name is Ben.

Listening to my mom’s lullaby for me is relaxing.

Have you ever come across drivers who don’t use a turn signal? Any driver like that is a pet peeve of mine.

Sex & Intimacy Questions

I am straight, and I don’t think I can explain why I consider this.

I haven’t had sex.

Honestly, I was too focused on my studies that I don’t know if I have a crush on anyone.

I don’t think there is such a thing as a perfect romantic partner. As long as he is someone who has a good heart and who accepts me for me, he is good enough for me. There is no such thing as a perfect date, either. As long as I am with someone I have feelings for, I will be happy.

I definitely do. I see this happening when I am capable of supporting myself and my family as well.

Intimacy is more important for me because it is the intimacy with someone that makes a relationship strong. Sex is nothing without intimacy for me.

I have not been in a relationship with someone.

The worst thing I’ve done to someone is leave him behind.

Drug & Alcohol Questions

I actually have not gotten drunk.

I will answer this when I experience it.

I just drink when there is a special occasion.

I like beverages that are a mix of alcohol and something sweet. My favorite is White Russian.

I have never tried it and I don’t plan on trying it.

I think everyone can consume alcohol and drugs every once in a while without jeopardizing their lives. But, even with that said, I am against drugs. I just am not comfortable with watching people get high.

Thoughtful Questions

I don’t think I can answer this just yet.

One person told me that everything about me is social so I am going to answer this question with that. I love that people are different so whenever you talk to someone, it’s not going to be like any other conversation you had before.

I think that I am both a good leader and a good follower because I can’t be a good at being one thing without being good at being the other.