#be used to their class or want to take thing at an average pace

[windupbastion]

(=w=) i got my feefees hurt im never playing xiv again.

[ghostykapi]

three against me (the trio's love)

misamo & fem!reader // college au

thank you for @cry4mina for the misamo pictures and for being delulu with me about misamo <3 MISAMOOO

when you said you wanted your college life to be eventful

you didn't expect the universe throwing you three girlfriends, each with their own side of how they got you locked with them

it starts during the first semester of your 3rd year, when you were in a small cafe, getting to a headstart in your pile of homework

it's perfect, a iced coffee by your side, three readings beside you, your laptop on the coffee table in front of you and phone silenced, muting whatever the onslaught of messages nayeon is sending that you can't even be bothered to check

you needed this, you couldn't handled anymore 'dubchaeng babysitting!' when the duo would just make your head hurt with the amount of crazy ideas they had. the change of pace for the day is much welcome, especially knowing that jeongyeon took over with the lure of seeing a band a cafe next university over

it's nice, you can feel like you are in control for even just for a bit

then the cafe's noise dies down when the door chimes

it's too silent

fuck.

you brace yourself at the trio, who’s presence can make the entire student populous go on their knees. the mere whisper of their little group brings the entire college either trembling

misamo.

you can feel her gaze land on you, despite the only indication that it is one of them without looking is the whispers within the cafe. even the baristas know them

hirai momo. softball player, the star athlete that brings medals and more recognition to your university. average grades, stellar performance when she steps on the field and can land a nasty punch

with each step you hear her take, the more you have to remind yourself not to look. you can hear her giggles and the way your heartbeat is now in your ears

minatozaki sana. influencer and model, the unspoken leader of their group. through her bubbly and charming personality, she uses her wit to become the face of the university. part of the top 10% of the whole university, the inspiration to study hard and diligently

you feel a hand on your shoulder, the firm grasp rendering you unable to move, yet it's how you know who it is. she hums in delight at your sharp intake of breath, knowing that you don't need anything else to tell her apart

myoui mina. rising entrepreneur of 3 different business ventures, the deadliest one from the trio. always calculating, always 10 steps ahead of her peers and competitors. sweet, kind, and demur, she brings class to whatever she does

that includes sitting beside you, her bag gently landing on the table, your proximity leaves the others questioning your relationship, but all you know is that you must have done something at your shared class with her yesterday for her too approach you

"i hope you don't mind" she starts, eyes confident and you want to scream and cry because she's wearing a suit. typically worn when she's fresh from visiting one of her businesses. "i heard you were well versed in code"

"programming is my major yes" you keep your voice leveled, after all, being a woman in such a male dominated course has made you what your flock of admirers say, freezingly cold.

"i have a proposition for you" mina starts, keeping a dangerous game of who can keep the eye contact going "you help me with homeworks and projects while i give you money per assessment made"

while mina has a fair share of students that matched her energy, something in your gaze makes her crack a bit

"what makes you think i'll say yes?"

"you can't say no to me"

"yes i can. here watch i'll say it"

and mina can't deny it when she feels her heart start to race when you get closer to her. faces barely a few inches apart

"i don't do things for money. so no"

and you pull back, ready to put back to attention to your homework when mina speaks up

"every time you have to help me i'll pay you in food"

oh goodness free food

"ok i'm in" you hum, hands typing away on your laptop "we start in two days, send me an address and i'll met you there myoui. now shoo, i have to catch up to my work"

she stares at you with a blank gaze, but inside she's dumbfounded at your boldness

nevertheless, she stands up to leave you be, but before she's out of earshot, she says something you don't quite catch

"what?" you ask

"you should call me mina. myoui is too professional even for my taste dear"

three days later, it's momo who bugs you after your morning class

she slips up right beside you, the lack of dress code in the university gives momo a chance to wear a body hugging pink dress, something that makes everyone go crazy. what you don't like is how every guy is looking at her in ways you want to pluck their eyes out

filthy bastards don't deserve to gaze at her at all

"momo" your ears are red because everyone can clearly see you both in the halls, her arm around your waist as you slowly walk to the next building for your next class "what are you doing?"

"accompanying you to class" momo won't admit it, but ever since mina said you were, in her words, 'pretty and sufficient', she had to see you

"why?" you ask, glaring at every man who's looking at her too creepily, making them scurry away

"just because, plus our classrooms are right beside each other" she relaxes more with each less man in the hall, you notice it

"fine" you huff, and before she can even say anything else, you remove your jacket, giving it to her "wear this for today, i don't want any man to look at you. you're too gorgeous for them"

the rest of the walk is silent on the way to both of your classrooms. only thing you can hear is the squeak of every sneaker from each man running way and the whispers in between students

it's the most peaceful walk momo has had since becoming star athlete

so when you wave at her from the door before disappearing to go to the classroom beside her's, she feels like she can breath without panicking

she hates taking anything math related, but she might bare it more when she knows your beside her classroom

she's hooked

later that afternoon, while you lounge around the student council office sipping a red bull, someone barges in, scaring your team who's having a heated debate on who should the rest of the papers

"fucking jesus who the fuck-" ryujin is silenced from who she sees at the door

minatozaki sana, the ever persistent and one of the most notable member under the team of the president.

"someone sent you flowers?"

not a question you were expecting, even your team is gawking at her

dressed to perfection, you can't catch her in a regular outfit at any point, which is kind of ridiculous. sana doesn't care, always styled like she's going to a fashion week in europe. today she's wearing that white dress that she just wore in her feature in some magazine

what is it with the trio and wearing designer clothing every time they are at university grounds? specifically when they are within your eyesight

"pardon?" you know the amount of admires that still try despite cold rejection, even hailing from different courses. hell you think someone from the university over sent you chocolates once, you gave it to your team though

"did you accept some stupid boy's flowers?" sana repeats, anger in her eyes, an emotion she barely shows, and possessiveness in her body language, something you see glimpses of when someone gets close to mina and momo that she doesn't approve of

"minatozaki you know i don't do that" you say calmly, your team in awe at how you keep a calm attitude "if the suitor doesn't have the guts to face me, then they do not deserve my limited time"

"then you'll entertain if i do right?"

you can hear felix and lily choke over their pizza behind you

"you are not serious" you look at her like she's crazy (she loves being called that, you learn from mina later on)

she gets closer to you, faces barely an inch apart, any slip up from her leaning way to closer over your table and she can just kiss you

"try me, i'll see you at tomorrow's meeting miss vice-president"

when she leaves the office, it takes you and your team a total of 5 minutes to recover

"jesus what the fuck was that"

"ryujin shut up, go back to bickering with lia"

no one has ever said no to the trio

maybe a few people had

they're just not as pretty, charming and confident as you

maybe that's why mina keeps sitting beside you during your shared programming class even oustide 'tutor' hours, why momo's insistent at being beside you in between periods to carry your items on days your classes line up, and why sana shows up in every weekly meeting with an expensive gift or a trinket, challenging each suitor head on.

women like them are gonna be the death of you

"you have some crazy women that like you" jihyo jests beside you, giggling at how sana is glaring daggers at how close you both are. you both are now taking a break along with the rest of the internal team to finalize some papers

"yeah well" you don't like to admit it, but ever since their persistence to always either be near you, you have been starting to crack bit by bit "can't really escape them y'know"

"i think you would look cute with them" jihyo hums, swinging her pen between her fingers, making someone across the table keep her stare at the president "misamo and their girlfriend who sucks ass at karaoke"

"ok that was one time" you huff, jihyo's snickering makes sana look up from her phone, jaw tensing up at how close jihyo is "clearly i let you win because you liked it when tzuyu said she's treat you out if you win right?"

that shuts her up. the said tall woman is at the other side of the room, watching the president's face get red, wondering what you just said to make her like this

"get back to work" jihyo then shoos you away, your laughter making jihyo flip you off before returning to work for herself

before you cam even return to work, your eyes meet sana's, her expression unreadable. you wonder what she's thinking of

you look away, a light blush on your cheeks from her intense stare, busying yourself once more with the papers

to sana, witnessing your smile and laughter rewires her brain, heart pleading with her to speed up whatever this stage the three of them are in. each day that passes drives the three of them crazy

mina is messing up in her calculations, momo is missing her shots and sana is losing her composure on the daily

she needs you. they need you.

when sana heads home that night she keeps thinking about you. even when she lets her girlfriends debate what their late night dinner should be (mina wants tacos, momo is craving for some pasta). she blurts out in the middle of it

"do you think y/n would say yes if we offered her sushi as a late night dinner?"

the two stop at their bickering to look at sana, who's eyes are begging for the next move. she's getting itchy and desperate to make it

"satang" mina reaches out to her, letting sana wrap her arms around her waist as momo hugs them both "did something happen?"

"it's just" sana doesn't even try to hide it at this point, knowing that the three of them are nearing their breaking point "i saw her laugh today and it really made me think that 'i want to make her laugh with us' and i-i don't know but it has been driving me mad"

mina hums in understanding and momo speaks up, ready to take that push

"then let's go"

staying late even after meetings is normal for you to catch up with the papers, but for the past few days, you have been staying late in the office to busy your thoughts

mina hasn't been looking at you in the eye or been acknowledging you

momo hasn't been accompanying you to class

sana hasn't shown up to a single meeting this past two weeks

trying to silence your head, you decided to throw yourself into your extra curriculars every night. this night, you are working alone, the only sounds that you can hear are your aggressive typing on your poor keyboard, the music coming from your small speaker and the voices in your head making your heart ache

and now a knock and the door swinging open

"if you have any concerns please drop them by our social media accounts, email, or even the drop box by the-"

you stop your next words when you look up

mina.

you want to curse at the woman, for deliberately avoiding you. it was worse with her, because at least with the two you didn't have the urge to scream because they simply did not show up.

momo.

even clad in that handsome suit, she's still wearing that jacket you handed over to her. devastatingly handsome and gorgeous, you wonder why did she have to leave you wondering in the noisy university halls

sana.

meetings are still the same, but jihyo keeps on asking why your eyes have been straying, always going back to the door. waiting for that laugh to annoy you, waiting for a snarky remark to any stupid men flirting with you, waiting for anything from her

you really want to throw a chair at them for just showing up now and pissing you off

you don't though, because you missed them

each in their own suit, each with their own gift, each one with a nervous smile that no one will ever see, each one wearing their hearts up their sleeves, and each with the same question you didn't know you wanted to hear until now

"we like you. would you like to go out with us? dinner tomorrow night, our treat"

you can't say no

"you guys are horrible at courting. pick me up at 7"

bonus:

in every first date you've been on, you never come over to your dates home. that changes and ends with them

"hirai" you're trying to keep your breath stable as her hands are playing your hair. eyes hazy, but clearly on you, her self control out the door, just like yours

"myoui" she's behind you, her hands on your waist, murmuring what she's been thinking about for the past days. it's all you, and it makes you melt

"minatozaki" you let her kiss you, silencing your worries and doubts, silencing anything that makes you question them. the heart finally getting what it wants

"you my love, deserve to be ours"

[glitterjay]

— cute sub psh

⭒ what happens when you find out your sweet and caring boyfriend has a darker side he's been hiding? | mlist!

⭒ sub!sunghoon, afab!reader, begging, denial of orgasm, masturbation (m. receiving), pet names, hoon has a praising kink, suggestive content under cut mdni.

⭒ taglist: @hollyoongs @moon7jay @wondipity @defnotfertilizedtoesw

you and sunghoon had been dating ever since your senior year in high school. he was the sweetest, most smartest boy that could ever exist, and honestly, you were just the average normal girl who tried not to fail more than one class.

the relationship was wonderful. he'd always take care of you. your parents were basically in love with him as well, always thanking him for doing what he's doing to protect you in any way. little did you know there were dark thoughts behind that angel facade.

you and sunghoon had agreed on a sleepover at his apartment. his roommate was gone for the weekend, and you both took this as the perfect opportunity to spend time for yourselves. your boyfriend was in the kitchen preparing more snacks and popcorn while you stayed in his bed looking for a show or movie to watch.

the screen showed various opttions, one of them getting your attention almost immediately. the communication between you and sunghoon was probably one of the things that kept it so steady. you guys had talked about being intimate with each other beyond make out sessions, but you never really had the opportunity.

with 50 shades of gray displayed on the screen, an idea ran through your mind. you went through his closet quickly, finding a long white t-shirt that would obviously fit you like a baggy dress. you took your cute sponge bob pajamas (with a small pout since sunghoon was wearing matching patrick star pajamas) but your idea was more important.

you grabbed your phone from the nightstand, connecting it to the small speaker beside the tv and playing the soundtrack from the movie. you laid on your side across the bed, intentionally riding up the shirt so that part of your thigh showed a little. right on queue, sunghoon's footsteps started getting louder and closer.

"hey, baby, have you seen my-"

his words got caught on the back of his thorat. the sight was definitely erotic, and his cock twitching was clear evidence of that.

cute sub! sunghoon who asks you to rub his dick faster and harder.

cute sub! sunghoon who moans loudly when you call him a good boy.

cute sub! sunghoon who is gripping the bedsheets for dear life.

cute sub! sunghoon who feels like cumming every time you praise him.

"b-baby, please please please. 'm so close," he said. his hair was sticking to his forhead, glistening with the sweat that was dripping down. your hands were doing wonders to his cock, and hebwas very vocal about it. "hmgh! im- im gonan cum"

suddenly, your hand stopped moving. resting at the base of his dick. sunghoon's head shot up, tears threatening to fall any second. "no, no, no, no! why! i- i was so close!"

"darling, darling please," he took your hand into his, moving it at a fast pace again. his hips bucked up as he moaned loudly. "i'll pay you back, just please let me cum."

if you were being honest, seeing him in the verge of tears turned you on even more. it was going to be a fun and long night.

© glitterjay | tumblr

c's note: if you have any suggestions or ideas, or want to be added to the tag list, feel free to use my ask! reblogs, comments, and feedback are very much appreciated <3

[rigelmejo]

There are so many anazing free resources to study languages. So many.

I think it often just comes down to: some people don't want to actually learn, some people don't want to put in the effort and hours it takes to improve at a brand new thing, some people fear imperfection, some people just aren't good at finding resources on their own (libraries can help! Even just a quick search on reddit or language learning blogs can point you to some good resources!), and some people really struggle to make their own study plan or motivate themselves (and in these cases STRUCTURED resources may work best for you - either actual classes with grades to pressure you, or Coursera/linkedin/etc Massive Online Open Courses - which can be free but still paced like classes you pay for, or getting a textbook or copying someone else's study plan Exactly same time spent per day same activities everything).

There's also a lot of amazingly well made paid resources to learn a language. I'm telling you right now its not Glossika, or Rosetta Stone, or Duolingo, or any other "many languages X dollars a month subscription" apps. Some of those may be okay, and even work great if you're a beginner and quickly finish them and then go find intermediate stuff to study. But usually you can look up resources for the Specific language you're learning and find amazing resources specifically tailored to it. (Examples: Satori Reader app for learning to read Japanese is extremely well made and much more useful for Japanese than a broad LingQ app subscription, Pleco one-time purchases of Graded Readers and Dictionary add ons are much more useful for learning Chinese than LingQ, you get the idea). While the general "resource made in many languages" resources are fine, and work in a pinch if they're the cheapest or the only resources you can access (for example I really like Innovative Language Courses in the Hoopla library app, the Teach Yourself books, and the FSI/DLI old textbook/audio courses, since I can find the resource type I wish to study and find them free in pretty much any language I need to), usually the best resources for a particular language and particular goal in that language tend to be more specific.

Dreaming Spanish is like $8 dollars a month, and assuming you DO want to learn a language, you'd probably be putting in at least 15 hours a month (a half hour of daily study on average or more) making each hour of listening learning material less than $1. You might be listening to 60-90 hours a month if you're going at a pace like me with Chinese, which would make it even more worth 0.13-0.09 dollars an hour of study material. That's way cheaper than a tutor, or a college course, so if you stick to the plan it will work and it will be budget friendly. It's cheaper than Netflix.

Compare that to Glossika Japanese, which I fully completed after 128 hours, at $13 a month, and I was really not enjoying Glossika as it bored me to tears so I took like 6 months so I spent $78 dollars on fucking Glossika, or around 1.64 dollars an hour. Still maybe a decent price now that I'm looking at it like this... except I could've studied the same material completely free with japaneseaudiolessons.com and Nihongo Con Teppei podcast, and maybe I would've been less bored and studied more hours.

My point is: in many cases free options and paid options exist specifically for your language goals, for the language you're learning, and finding ones that support your goals and that you can enjoy will cause increased study time per day, more progress in less months, and more enjoyment.

It does take a bit more work to look up resources, yes. If you take the time, it is rewardingly helpful.

Someone asked on reddit the other day how to learn French free without Duolingo. They mentioned they had no money, weren't making much progress and didnt like the switch to AI, and wanted to know what to use to improve. Some people mentioned youtube - which is a great suggestion! It still takes some searching on youtube stuff like "learn french" "french listening" "french reading" "french comprehensible input" "french lessons" and exploring until you find something that works for you.

I suggested: French Comprehensible Input channel, Le Francais Par Le Methode Nature (textbook with 2 audio-text playlists on youtube), Coffee Break French (a podcast with french lessons - not on youtube but free and covers what beginner classes would cover), Language Transfer French (free podcast for learning French grammar basics).

And then later once someone knows some basics and can move into intermediate materials: Francais Avec Fluiditie, Inner French, and regular French speaking youtubers. All free materials, all available online with a quick search, all can help one to learn French and improve. If they had a different goal than me, or different learning preferences, then continuing to explore until they found resources more suited to them would work.

Just the fact you are on tumblr, following people who share resource links and saving whatever resources are useful to you, already means you are putting in effort to learn a language and effort to find study resources that will work for you. Which is hard! It is a slog to find study resources that suit you, and come up with your own study plan to tackle your goals.

[wisteriaiswriting]

could i get a romantic match-up for tf2 please?

not comfy giving my name. im an adult trans guy, would wanna be paired with one of the dudes tho i am into anyone, pretty boring for the most part, im a social recluse who only talks to ppl in my uni class, and i like it that way. kinda shy, kinda snooty.

i do art, writing, dabble in music--im a creative at heart, though ive had major burn out recently. i collect dinosaur figures and i have a bigger plushie collection than i care to admit. i play games sometimes, usually world-builders or fps, and like to binge long yt video essays

i have a pet cat who i take for walks in a bag here and there, though shes not quite used to it yet. shes a diva and loves pets

i have narcissistic personality disorder, along w other things, so while i dont tend to say it aloud i do have a bubbling superiority complex & fragile ego. i crave compliments and validation. i will never see anyone as a total equal, only second best, so id want a partner okay with that concept. i try to hype other people up instead of tearing anyone down out of jealousy, i want positive spaces w lots of compliments and uplifting to be more common, makes those of us with egos blend in more

^ same vein, i have low empathy and am apathetic to most issues, including people. i do have random spikes of it tho and will cry over the dumbest things at random times

im a total night owl, were it not for life stuff id be up exclusively at night. i like the quiet, though i do get paranoid sometimes

i mean this in the nonsexual way, i like to take a "dominant" role in a relationship--having someone with me makes my anxiety disappear if i have to "take care" of someone. idk how else to describe it but i want to be a caretaker

not comfy giving full appearance, but im abt average height i think, long hair i refuse to cut ever, scruffy facial hair, stronger than i look esp my core

qickfire stuff--mediocre cook, terrible navigator, good listener & giving unbiased advice, holds grudges, like going for runs and hikes, loves to brag

hope thats good enough :) ty

I match you with...

Engineer!

He never considered himself a cat person, (I believe he grew up with dogs) but adores your cat. Definitely takes her for walks around the base.

Many of the mercs wouldn’t be completely okay with being seen as second best and not equal, but Engineer is one of the more accepting ones.

He is one of the better mercs when it comes to compliments, so he’ll give you plenty for doing… anything really.

Understand you being a night owl as he’s the same, that also means he’s there for when you become paranoid. In those quiet moments he’ll play some of those video essays, constantly switching between topics each night.

Doesn’t mind letting you take control pretty often, it’s a nice change of pace. But sadly that doesn’t mean he’ll let you care for him all the time, he’ll do the same every so often, letting you do it majority of the time.

He appreciates the advice, as he needs to hear it every now and then.

[irl]

PSA for anyone wanting to attend protests:

FIRST AND FOREMOST DO NOT BUY YOUR GEAR ONLINE AND ESPECIALLY NOT FROM INFLUENCERS???? Holy hell, I really did not feel like it had to be said, however, I’ve personally been seeing an uptick in content aimed at selling me “protest gear”, and the comments are almost always flooded with positive reaction.

I repeat, do NOT buy your gear online and especially not from an influencer. Also, probably don’t buy it from places like Walmart, either. They don’t need your money and they will be more than happy to give your information over to the government if asked. Use cash and go to thrift stores where you can, and shop local. If you HAVE to go to Walmart or a box store like that, take simple precautions like absolutely definitely using cash and wearing a hat and surgical mask, cover up any defining characteristics like hair or tattoos.

Do NOT wear platform boots that are too big so that “they won’t know how tall you are or be able to tell your footsize”. You’re not preventing yourself from being identified by doing this, you are making yourself an active liability and danger to the people you’re protesting with and yourself.

Always wear shoes that are comfortable that you can run in. This is not a fashion event, do not try and upstage. Your goal is to look as average as possible and cover your distinctive features as much as possible, and making yourself tower over others will put a mark on you and as soon as you need to pick up the pace, you’re going to fall and hurt yourself or others and risk being caught.

Speaking of being a risk to yourself and others, I have no idea why people are suggesting others to get stiletto nails, but, like? Don’t? You’re more likely to hurt yourself or your peers with those things, and it puts you at a much higher risk for other possibilities (such as damaging your hands, not being able to access medical supplies, not being able to wear gloves, etc). You’re not Catwoman, cut them short and wear heat resistant gloves.

Also, please, for the love of God, I want to see this dazzle make up trend die. Do not wear dazzle make up, you will probably not fool any government AI in their cameras, and you’re only making yourself an easy target for the police in front of you.

In fact, really, don’t wear any make up. Like I said, this isn’t a fashion event, and wearing make up will put you in danger if they start lobbing tear gas at you as the make up will collect more of those irritants and hold them against your skin than your bare skin would.

Now for the straight dos.

Remember to cover your hair. The best thing you can do is a shower cap and then a beanie on top of it. The shower cap will protect your scalp and hair from irritants since it’s nonporous, and those kinds of particles are hell to get out of your hair once it’s in there.

Remember to cover your face. Get a ski mask or a surgical mask. Wear goggles, a good pair not a dollar store pair. Ski goggles, motorcycle goggles, and swim goggles will be your best bets. Make sure they have a good seal on them, these are to protect your eyes from irritants.

Remember to cover all of your skin, I don’t care whether or not you have visible tattoos. One, it will help protect the people that absolutely need coverings, and it will 1000% protect you. It’ll put a barrier between you and the world, so if you get shoved down, the road rash won’t be as bad. If tear gas gets brought out, it won’t burn as much.

Make sure you are well equipped. Protests can last from hours to days. You do NOT have to be there from start to end. Plan how long you are going to be attending and pack accordingly. Make sure you have plenty of water to keep from dehydrating, and also to help rinse eyes from tear gas.

NEVER USE MILK WITH TEAR GAS.

If you know street medicine, make sure you bring your medkit. If you’re interested in learning street medicine, take some classes and read the Street Medic Handbook, the PDF is free and easily found with an internet search.

Stay safe out there, and keep each other safe

[callsignfate]

Oddest place for a breather..

Day Eight of Writemas/Birthday posts!

If you want to see the scheduled posts go here

If you want to see more posts like this go here

♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤

Valeria wasn't a college person, but that didn't mean she didn't visit her friend on campus to go to some party with her after her classes.

She paced the hallways and random empty classrooms endlessly because her friend had forgotten about a lab she had to do. Bored, Valeria ended up in a random art class, glancing at the art as she made snide comments in her head about some of them. Her scowl deepened when she heard a group of people run by for the third or fourth time.

Her eyes rolled as she scoffed and continued walking through and looking at the art until she heard a subtle thump in a long set of white cabinets. She paused, looking at them for a moment before walking over to inspect, thinking something had fallen.

She jumped back in shock, finding a below-average-sized person curled in a small ball with an equally horrified expression that matched her own.

"Shh, don't say anything; I'm hiding," you immediately said, attempting to shut the door on the cabinet again.

"What are you doing in a small cabinet anyway? Why are you hiding?" Valeria questioned back immediately, moving her foot to stop the cabinet.

You looked out of the wide-open door now with a nervous glance before letting out a long sigh.

The distant sounds of the people you were avoiding grew fainter as they moved farther down the hall. Valeria couldn't help but chuckle. "Well, since you're already exposed, might as well come out of there."

You emerged from the cabinet, dusting yourself off as if it was a completely normal thing to be doing. "Thanks for being my accomplice in this covert operation. I owe you one."

Valeria raised an eyebrow. "What exactly were you avoiding that required such extreme measures?"

You sighed, "Let's just say there's a few persistent individuals who can't take a hint. I needed a breather."

Valeria smirked, "Well, you found the oddest place for a breather. Now, shall we join the land of the living again?"

As you both walked out of the art class, Valeria couldn't help but appreciate the unexpected camaraderie. Your eyes met, and a playful glint appeared in hers. "So, do you make a habit of hiding in cabinets, or was today a special occasion?"

You grinned, matching her playful tone. "Only on days that end in 'y.' It's my signature move."

She laughed, the sound echoing through the hallway. "Well, it's certainly a unique talent. Got any other tricks up your sleeve?"

You paused, giving her a sly look. "Maybe I'll show you someday. It's a secret stash of skills."

Valeria arched an eyebrow, intrigued. "I look forward to it. Maybe next time we'll find a more spacious hiding spot. Cabinets are so last season." Valeria said before she added a playful wink at the end.

You grinned at Valeria's playful suggestion. "I'm up for the challenge. Spacious hiding spots with a touch of finesse, got it."

As you both continued chatting, Valeria smoothly transitioned, "Speaking of challenges, how about joining me for the rest of the evening? My friend's lab should be ending soon, and I could use a plus one for the party I'm headed too."

You raised an eyebrow with a smirk. "Is this your way of ensuring I don't hide in any more cabinets?"

Valeria chuckled. "Consider it a strategic move. Besides, I think you'd make an excellent partner in crime for the evening."

With a playful nod, you agreed, "Partners in crime it is, then. Lead the way."

♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤~♤

If you want to see the scheduled posts go here

If you want to see more posts like this go here

[thenewfuture-extras]

What are your thoughts on the most recent Despair Time episode? Especially when compared to Mod Bubbles?

Yeah sorry about that, I’ve been pretty busy this week and also tired from work so I didn’t get the time to do this properly. And I was also waiting for the thumbnail to come out like for this episode, but it’s just the generic deadly life picture like in the previous episode; possibly indicating that there’s no new CG in the up coming episode. Alright so let’s get this started!

Also, real quick…

HA!

Anyways, we start off by confirming that yes, Levi’s secret is that he is a killer. And a pretty ruthless one at that too. As well as the fact that he seems to have AntiSocial Personality Disorder. Which would explain some scenes with him earlier on in the episodes last week; constantly wondering and worrying if he’s acting the right way around others. And as for his killings….he seems to not care…

The cast reacted accordingly, finding it peculiar that Levi not only killed multiple people, but one of which was his father. And he just seems to not….care. But that’s what it is to him. He couldn’t care less. Not because he doesn’t care about the consequences, he quite literally cannot comprehend the empathy about it. As well as him listing down his other various crimes like blowing up a car seems to suggest this is just…an average day for him. Which brings us to Ace…

Oh my goodness, the AceVi shippers are in shambles. Someone check on them.

Despite Ace feeling rightfully hurt that Levi has threatened to take his life at the last class trial, and once more here, he still thought as Levi as a friend. Levi constantly checked on him to make sure he was okay, and even helped in treating Ace when his neck was bleeding. And in the end, Levi admitted he wouldn’t care if Ace died. Ouch.

On top of that, it seems like Ace has his own share of grief and heartache from a past friendship. The trauma thickens…

Anyway, after that we finally get all the secrets!

Yaaaaaaaay! Finally, after so long and theorizing! It’s finally revealed for the world to see!

OH YOU MOTHERFUCK-

Anyway, one more thing of more here is Arei and David. David reveals what happened that night with the two of them, to no one but the audience mind you, and it’s….kinda sweet.

Arei has been trying to change and trying to be this idea of a “good person” is. And now that she’s knows David’s secret, she doesn’t feel the need to beat herself over it because she can still change…just not a the quickest pace she thinks it is. And that’s okay.

No one is entirely good or bad. The black and white morality system that society has placed into others is outdated. It’s a matter of perspective. Every person is hiding some skeletons in their closet, some huge black tar of a stain on their life that they try their best to cover up and avoid. Many of you will recall earlier this year, I dealt learning something similar. And while I’m not going to dwell on that dark part of my life anymore. This idea of shape you have of others and sometimes reflect on yourself…it doesn’t exist, it never did. And trying to convince yourself that it does is only going to hurt more.

Here…Arei is coming to terms with the things she’s done and not regretting it because she can still change in the end. It’s not too late for anybody. She’s no longer going to beat herself over it or condemn herself for it…and that’s fine.

“You can still be good, and be the person you want to be”

Hoo boy…anyways, after those tangents are finally over and dealt with we finally move onto…

OH MY GOD!!! FINALLY!!! A NON-STOP DEBATE! What is this, the second one we’ve had so far here. It took us 4 episodes and a year and a half, Rico ally progress with the murder. It’s so over, this cast is cooked!

So it seems the murder method has something to do with the spinny thingy-

“Carousel”

Carousel to take some long rope to it and tie up Arei’s neck with it so it breaks when they want it to. I’m a little confused on the logistics of these things but like I said, I’m dumb as fuck. And it also just is quite scary how some fangan writers can be what their murder methods…Yeesh.

But all this speculation puts someone in the hot seat.

DUN-DUN-DUUUUUUN!

What really happened with Nico’s previous murder attempt? Who is the true Blackened of this case? Will this cast have a scrub debate before episode 20? Find out the answer to all these questions and more, tonight! On DanganRonpa: Despair Time! Fridays at 7pm!

On Channel Zetsubou!~

-Mod

[kyogre-blue]

Roundup of manhwa I've been catching up on and/or rereading recently. These are unfortunately mostly on Asura Scans, so linking or bookmarking them is useless. I really hate that about their site.

The scores are in regard to what I expect of the overall genre, not general quality per se. I'm not expecting deep, profound writing here. The range is A to F, with A being an easy recommend, B having some flaws but also having some really strong points that make it worth reading, C being extremely average, not terrible but not really doing anything well enough to recommend, and D being largely a waste of time. F is for outright offensive. But there won't really be many failing grades on this list because I just drop them and forget lol. Plus minus is based on my personal enjoyment.

Return of the Disaster-Class Hero, ch74 - Rank: B+. I really enjoyed it, but it's just that the different aspects are overall passable to good (art, humor, battles), plus it has some presence given to supporting characters (Hugo, Sungjae) and relationships, which I happen to enjoy. Additionally, the story actually advances, which can't be taken as a given lol... Unfortunately, the manhwa has been on hiatus since Aug 2023 due to the artist's health and later passing. It's unclear whether it will continue, or how it will look or progress if it does.

The Novel's Extra, ch93 - Rank: C. I was initially going to rank it higher, but while the art is nice and the characters are passable, the pacing is a mess. I genuinely couldn't tell you what the direction of the story is even supposed to be, despite how many chapters it's been. Have we even advanced at all here? I sure don't know.

The Protagonist's Younger Sister, ch33 - Rank: B, though this notably has the lowest chapter count here by a wide margin. Cute story and I like the protagonist family. It's just that it has always updated very slowly, and I'm not even sure it's still updating, so the pacing feels dragged out even if it's actually fine as a whole. But like I mentioned separately, the story has only just passed basic setup, so I don't even know for sure where it's going in the long term.

SSS-Class Suicide Hunter, ch113 - Rank: A. If I have to pick a manhwa I consider most overall impressive among those I've read, it would probably be this one. It has a very strong sense of its protagonist and what it wants to say, and it uses very distinctive arcs with strong supporting characters to do it. The murim arc was obviously a standout, but I think the romance genre arc that is wrapping up was impressive in what it dared to do. They really said "yeah, the protag falls in love and gets married, this is part of his growth as a person." I genuinely did not expect that they would go through with it and let him actually stay married. That's a thing they did. In general, this is just a very solid story, and I hope they are able to adapt it in its entirety, though that will probably take years to come.

I’m a Martial Art Villainess but I’m the Strongest!, ch92 - Rank: B. This one has a female lead (and thus a prominent romance) but it also does a lot of fight scenes and training and stuff like that. The fairly unusual (in my experience) combination of elements works well for me, though the actual contents are fairly average, nothing amazing or terrible, just okay enough. I think my biggest take away aside from the genre combination is the ML's big boobas. I seriously want the MC and ML to bang, they deserve it.

Ending Maker, ch56 - Rank: B. Actually, this one hasn't had any progress since I caught up on the TLs a while back, but I wanted to note it. I like how much focus is given to the relationship between the MC and his love interest, and I don't really have any major complaints. However, I hope they're able to flesh out the plot going forward. It's been very "go to a place, get a thing" without really giving any major weight to anything that's happened, and the supporting characters haven't really left an impression either.

The Duke's Redemption, ch50 - Rank: B-. This one also hasn't updated since I caught up on it a while back, but adding here. Pros: strong focus on the relationship between the MC and the duke, setup for potentially interesting conflict with Serpens not being chosen as the hero per the OG plot. Cons: art is kinda mid, the actual story so far has been largely filler or not very interesting in and of itself. They've built up the foundation of Shion and Serpens as a relationship, but the stuff around that could have been done a lot better.

Doctor's Rebirth, ch150 - Rank: C+, though that's being generous tbh. It is the definition of extremely mid. However, it does make me lol at least somewhat regularly about how gay the entire supporting cast is toward the MC. Truly peak shounen experience. Whether it's his master, his master's assistant (love triangle), the original novel's demonic hero protag, secondary novel villains A through D... they all want him so bad. It's very funny to me personally.

The Extra is Too Strong, ch50 - Rank: D+. I'm adding the plus purely because I spend a lot of time lolling about how buff absolutely everyone is. This includes the one notable female side character and background female characters. That aside, I'm curious what they're going to do with the original novel's protag. He's mentioned several times and with quite a bit of detail about what his deal was, plus he has a non-standard design, so I feel like we will eventually meet him and something is planned for that.

Return of the 8th Class Magician, ch81 (complete) - Rank: C. I know there's other series with a very similar title, so to be clear, this is the one where the MC has long light brown hair (lol) and regresses uses dragon tongue. A complete story that has no particular flaws, but tbh I don't think it has any particular strengths either. The thing I remember most about it is that, around chapter 60 or so, there is a note from the artist that directly says they're about to start deviating from the novel they're adapting. Immediately the main villain is introduced, dragon lore gets updated, and the MC's father is brought up, so you can just tell, yeah, his father is going to be a dragon. And he is. I didn't have any issues with the manhwa-original (presumed) ending, it was done more smoothly than I would have expected, but the whole story just didn't serve anything to make me really excited. Fine read tho, if you've got some time to kill, and the MC is quite pretty.

Trash of the Count’s Family, ch121 - Rank: C. The art is nice, and I liked the initial sections, but the pacing is a mess and nothing meaningful seems to happen. The biggest issue is probably that the MC is just not a type I care for, and the supporting characters don't feel like they're fleshed out enough to stand on their own. The entire story, with over a hundred chapters, has been just endlessly picking up power-ups in preparation for the supposed war, but 120 chapters in and we're still not to the actual war, so... I do think that I'm finally seeing the appeal of the crown prince, so there's that.

The Newbie is Too Strong, ch90 - Rank: C-. This is also a pretty basic series, but the popoi are cute, the MC doesn't annoy me, and I am legitimately interested in the plot mysteries. Also, it does seem to be promising to introduce some recurring side characters in the future, so there is some room to grow.

Overpowered Sword, ch88 - Rank: C. It's a shounen, functionally. I enjoy it in a brain off way, and I will say that I first shipped Leon with Eclid, but now I keep thinking that Karen is good, I ship Karen. However, it has a weakness in that the arcs aren't particularly interesting in themselves. Not enough emphasis on fucked up backstories for the villains and new allies, I guess. Shounen runs on fucked up backstories.

Of All Things, I Became a Crow, ch107 (complete) - Rank: C+. This is a female lead transmigration romance. It's cute! I like it well enough and it's complete. Not really a lot else to say.

[americanrecord]

Hi, Kelsey! I hope you’ve have a nice holiday season. I was wondering if you had any tips for me? I’m starting university again after dropping out three years ago. I’m a pretty anxious person and am already feeling overwhelmed with my upcoming courses. How did you deal with pressure? Thank you ❤️

hi, ella! i have had a nice holiday season (despite the weird health issues going awn)!! and i hope you have too :-)

of course, i have tips! first of all, congratulations for making the decision to go back! that’s really exciting and a really big step toward wherever in the future you want to end up. i’m not sure if you’re going to attend online or in-person (either commuting or through living on campus), but i’m pretty sure all of my tips will be mostly applicable for all forms. (edit: they were mostly on-campus)

i also totally understand the anxiety. i got a little lucky when i was thrown into college life during the peak of the pandemic because we were all kind’ve bound to our dorm room and made to socialize, so i had nothing to do (beyond write fanfic lol) besides make myself be social with the other girls. however, i did experience really heavy bouts of anxiety when i was put back into standard in-person classes after a few years of luxury in online schooling (i found this method just agreed best with me — working at my own pace and not having to prioritize socializing. i actually became much more introverted during college/post-pandemic), just because i found it very difficult to make friends in an environment where nobody—including myself—really wanted to be there.

but i won’t start there.

firstly, i’m not sure if this is applicable to you, but do not mind any sense of “feeling behind.” it’s not like high school — absolutely nobody judges anybody of any age being in any level of a college class. in my upper level classes, i regularly had 35+ year olds either finishing their degree, returning for a second degree, etc etc, and that was just life. in college, absolutely nobody is working on the same time table and nobody will bat an eye at you saying “yeah, i decided to come back” or even if you just say “i took a few gap years and worked instead while i figured out what i wanted to do.” that is — if they even ask! most of the times, people don’t. you’re just going to be ella from class in their head. nick, this man from my writing class, was 36, and he was nick from writing class in my head all semester (until he read out some really misogynistic work he wrote that he praised as real literature and also rewrote the work of other students, then he was just nick the arrogant asshole.)

find your schedule. you unfortunately asked the loser for advice, so i’m going to address school first. i know that can definitely be a source of anxiety - either the desire to do it perfectly or just from the overwhelming sense of having an average of four or five class loads dropped onto your lap at once. i will say that the first thing i learned about college was that i had more free time than i ever conceptualized having. i also did not work a job. but even my friends who did — always had several hours of homework/tv/what have you time per night. the monday/wednesday, tuesday/thursday set up of each class is very helpful, i found! in between those class blocks — use it to eat and study. like, please. this might’ve just been what worked for me, but when i used the several 5-6 hours during daylight between clases + before dinner to exclusively work (i rarely even had working lunches), i was always able to have my work done before dinner and therefore take so much stress off my shoulders when i knew i’d have all night to unwind. doing that homework in general is just a great way to take off needless anxiety. it’s the only way i ever felt okay to walk into class unless i had something figured out with my professor.

other miscellaneous homework tips are to: (1) do the readings at first and keep doing them unless you get to class and realize they really don’t matter and won’t be showing up at any other point to bite you in the ass. most of the time, they do matter and are necessities for those who want As. (2) stay organized. find a rhythm. take notes by hand for better retention and use them to create study materials later (rewriting flash cards or rewriting quizlets were what helped me. rewriting in general.) (3) do not force yourself to stay up to an ungodly hour to study or do something (unless this really does work for you) because the chances are that your retention rate will be obliterated or the dip in quality will be noticeable. just get up early the next morning. (4) if you’re worried about missing out on socializing because you’re always holed up & working — offer to do homework with somebody else. my roommates and i would have “homework parties” where nobody talks/everybody has headphones in, but just being in the same vicinity was a motivator/a good way to not feel isolated. either that or just go sit at a library or in a cafe so you feel surrounded by people; the library was my personal go-to. i lived there my last semester on campus! #lawclasses

interact with your professors! it will only benefit you as a student. shoot them emails when you have questions or stay behind after class, introduce yourself, and ask your questions in person. going to office hours or basically doing anything to establish yourself beyond a name on a roll sheet and a vague figment at a desk is a great look in their eyes. it will make them friendlier, more likely to give you assistance or cool extra materials, or even much more sympathetic in times of need (like when you’re struggling with due dates or toward the end of the semester.) literally every professor will tell you their least fave student is the silent and absent one who shows up four days before the end and goes: please, mrs. so and so, can you turn my D- to an A :)? no! all my professors that i worked closely with, either through frequent communication or just through writing projects are the ones that live with me. my last writing professor and i got along so well that they invited me to work on their book with them. it never came to fruition because both of our schedules fell through, but just the idea of being asked was really special to me and it was only because i made the effort to make myself a real person in their eyes. sorry for all the personal anecdotes btw, it’s the only way i know how to relate.

GPA, at the end of the day, is not the end all be all. you do not need a 4.0. it’s a very good thing to have, but you don’t need it and you won’t be left out of future employment if you don’t have it. just do your best. a B in that really hard class is an A in a blow-off class. if you do all that you can do & take advantage of all of your study materials + do all the work, you’ve done the best you can as a student. the world will keep turning if you don’t get a perfect mark, and i like to think it turns smoother when you can reassure yourself you’ve done your best.

know when to take a break. burnout is real. it’s so real. my sister just experienced it so bad because she was working at her interior design coursework for like 14 hours a day, 7 days a week (she’s a perfectionist to a fault). don’t do that. don’t neglect copious amounts of sleep, or food, or hygiene routines, or social hours, or brain-numbing time because all of that is as useful and important as time devoted to studying. it’s the only way to guarantee that you will survive long enough to continue studying! just save a certain amount of time per day for yourself and your interests and your mind just for your mental health.

if attendance isn’t mandatory and your mental health needs it, it’s okay to skip a class here and there. it’s always best to do this strategically - when you know you won’t be missing anything or if you have access to whatever materials you missed, either through the class site or a friend — but sometimes those days off are the only way to recharge. i would sometimes skip my classes without mandatory attendance to just work in advance on those very classes. if you have a better way to devote your time (genuinely better) and won’t get knocked for it, it’s not the end of the world to miss the class. i didn’t embrace this until my very last semester on campus, always way too anxious to miss.

this is all that i can think of off the top of my head. please let me know if there’s something you’d like me to hone in on, but this kinda covered all the getting started bases!! i know you will do great and that you will find your niche and your schedule, but if you ever need me for anything, you know where to find me!! another thing that got me through college, perhaps the only thing that did so mostly happily, was tumblr!! it’s why i never felt lonely! 🩷

remember, life exists outside of academics! you are worth so much more than a letter grade or a number <3 what matters to employers is you got the degree!

[blogofageminimoon]

self reflection: school & academic validation

growing up, i was a relatively good student with good grades. i met homework deadlines, studied for tests and i cared about my grades. i put in effort.

in high school (gr 11-12), i started to slack off and procrastinate. i was just tired of school. my grades dipped a bit; i was originally getting low 90's on average. i started averaging in the 80's but i did have some tests and classes which were outliers. i sucked at math so that dropped my average. i was so insecure and always compared my grades to the other students with 95%+ averages. i watched a lot of studying pages on youtube. i aspired to have cute handwritten notes and stationary and planners and all that. don't think it helped me with productivity. i think i was pressured to do well because of my peers and my family. i used those youtube videos as "motivation" but i think they just made me more stressed and insecure.

in university, my grades dropped to 70-80's on average since the content was harder and i continued to procrastinate. when i studied, i studied hard, but not "smart." no wonder why my grades weren't what i expected them to be. i did not reassess where i could do better when i received low marks. i was running through a constant flat line. no progress. also, i had no social life which got me nowhere. i just ended up with mediocre grades.

i'm post grad and my views on education have changed so much. i'm over trying so hard to the point where your mental health declines. i also hate the school system and studying things you aren't passionate about, especially in high school. i enjoy self learning at my own pace but i don't think i want to go back into the formal education system anytime soon. a lot of my old peers in my cohort are on to getting their master's degrees right now. deep down, i do feel some pressure to get mine but i can't even get my master's if i wanted to. i never networked in school and i don't have any academic references. although at this point, i don't think i even want to do a master's degree and experience that deja vu. the craving of academic validation. similarly to my self reflection: career post, i'm over planning for the future. i'm going with the flow.

i'm still passionate about life and learning. although, i think i just want to take it at my own pace. it's also more fun when i engage in topics i'm interested in. all that matters is that i finished school, i got my degree, and i have a full time job which i'm happy with. so fuck school, fuck good grades, fuck the comparison, and fuck the competition of being the best of the best. i'm just getting by and trying to focus on bigger and better things.

[vaporhub23]

Is the IVG Pro Pod Kit Worth It in 2025? Our Honest Take on UK Vaping's Latest

Alright, let's get real about vaping in the UK this year—things are shifting big time. Disposables are on their way out, everyone's talking green, and folks want gear that's more than just a quick fix. So, enter the IVG Pro Pod Kit—is it the hero we've been waiting for? Spoiler: It might just be.

This isn't your average throwaway vape. The IVG Pro Pod Kit is a refillable, rechargeable pod setup that's all about massive puffs minus the eco-guilt or the hassle of constant trash.We put it through its paces, and here's the scoop.

Why All the Buzz Around IVG Pro?

If you've vaped at all, IVG Pro Pod Kit probably rings a bell—they've been killing it for years. Now in 2025, they're stepping up with a pod system that's smart on the planet, packs a punch, and won't break the bank.

It's IVG's way of saying: longer sessions, killer tastes, and value that lasts.

What's Inside the Package?

Here's the lineup:

1 x IVG Pro device

1 x 2ml prefilled pod

1 x 10ml refill bottle

User guide

(Heads up: No USB-C cable—grab your own.)

It's got this cool matte-metal vibe that feels sturdy, not flimsy. Plus, a tiny screen shows battery life and such. And that refill setup? Total game-changer.

Design That Just Works

Think sleek and simple with a tech twist. It's small enough for your pocket, curved for easy grip, and has a window to check your pod level.

The pod snaps in with magnets—no fuss. Mouthpiece is comfy, like a classic MTL. Scan the QR for a quick video guide—smart move for newbies.

Overall, it punches above its weight class in quality.

Setup? Piece of Cake

Forget complicated instructions. Here's how:

Remove seals from the bottle and pod.

Snap 'em together—nice click!

Slide the pod into the device, and you're good.

No buttons, no hassle—just draw and enjoy.

Battery Life and Charging

That 1000mAh battery? It held up for nearly two days on casual use. The screen keeps you in the loop, and USB-C charges it quick. (Again, cable not included—raid your junk drawer.)

How It Vapes: The Real Deal

This is where it shines. The mesh coil nails the flavor—sharp and consistent from start to finish.

Draw is a relaxed MTL, great for ex-smokers or anyone who likes it easy. 20mg nic salts hit smooth and quick, no roughness or coughs—just pure satisfaction.

Flavor Roundup: The Stars of the Show

We tried a bunch, and they're all solid. Here's a taste of the standouts: (Explore all flavors)

Top Choices:

Fresh Menthol Mojito: Minty kick with mojito flair—fresh and hooked us fast.

Tobacco: Creamy with vanilla and biscuit notes—way better than your average tobacco vape.

Fizzy Orange: Zesty citrus with a bubbly edge, like soda in vapor form.

Tropical Hits: (Shop tropical flavors)

Double Mango: Juicy, sweet mango explosion.

Pineapple Ice: Cool pineapple vibe, more juice than candy.

Kiwi Passionfruit Guava: Layered tropical mix—super balanced.

Sweet Treats: (Shop sweet flavors)

Fizzy Strawberry: Chewy strawberry with fizz, like old-school candies.

Blue Razz Retro: Slushie and bubblegum mashup—pure fun.

Fruity Freshness: (Shop fruity flavors)

Double Apple: Sweet red meets tart green—crisp all the way.

Lemon Lime: Zingy citrus burst, candy-like and bright.

With over 15 main flavors and more refills dropping, variety is endless.

Is It a Smart Buy?

Crunch the numbers: 12ml juice total (2ml + 10ml), up to 10,000 puffs (we got about 5,300—still impressive), reusable device, top-notch tastes from a trusted UK brand, all under £11.

That's value—cheaper per ml than disposables, and way kinder to the environment.

What We Dig and What We Don't

Loves:

Awesome flavor range

Easy-peasy refills

Solid battery

Huge puff potential

Smooth nic delivery

Could Improve:

Stuck at 20mg—lower options would be nice

No adjustable airflow

Cable not included

Some plastic in packaging

Our Final Call: Go for It?

If you want low-effort, high-reward vaping with tons of flavors, the IVG Pro Pod Kit is a winner for 2025. It mixes disposable convenience with reusable smarts—ideal for quitting smokes or daily use.

Ready to level up? Snag an IVG Pro and ditch the waste for good.

[rigelmejo]

If you are learning any language, well first of all with ANY method, but in particular with a Comprehensible Input Lesson heavy method like Dreaming Spanish: you do not need to rush.

You see "1500 hours" on the Dreaming Spanish roadmap (or 3000 for a language very unlike ones you know) and you get scared, I get it. But sincerely, no matter what method, no matter the path, it would take around that long to reach that level of language skills.

If you were taking Spanish college classes, you would find it very reasonable to take 4 years to reach 1500 hours in Spanish, your class hours combined with self study and immersion time - a path many a traditional student has taken. If you were taking Japanese college classes, you would find it reasonable to take 4 years to get to an 'intermediate' level of language skill, and then another few years self studying and immersing on your own, for a total of 8+ years to reach that level of language skills.

So 1500 hours? 3000 hours? You don't have to rush to the finish line. It's normal for people to take 4-8+ years to get that many hours of engaging with the language they're learning.

If you do Dreaming Spanish for 1 hour a day, then you'll finish in around 4 years. Which is the same pace a traditional classroom learner would take, if they studied enough outside of class time to be around ~1 hour Spanish a day on average. If you studied Comprehensible Japanese, and then other learner materials, and then learned from materials for native speakers you understood, for 1 hour a day - then you'd finish in around 8 years. Which is a normal pace.

Just 1 hour a day, steadily continuing, will get you to your goal in the same rough amount of hours any other path would. In the same amount of years. 1 hour a day for ~4-8 years, is a reasonable investment for learning something, and a fair effort to expect of oneself.

Now 30 minutes a day... that would end up Spanish B2 fluency in ~8 years, Japanese B2 fluency in ~16 years, which I think is more than most people hope it will take... but it is, genuinely, how much time it takes many people. Because they just can't spare more than a half hour per day on learning a language.

If you're very enthusiastic and want to do The Most, sure you can do 2 hours, that's also probably a reasonable amount to dedicate to a goal per day you really wish to achieve. That would set you up to reach Spanish B2 in ~2 years, and Japanese B2 in ~4 years. This is probably the path a lot of dedicated young people take, who have the spare time in their lives to really push toward the goal quickly.

(I am not even going to suggest 15 minutes a day, because I'll be honest... to be reasonable with the time it will take to reach 1500-3000 hours, you must eventually dedicate more than 15 minutes a day, at least once you're no longer a beginner... If you are intermediate and can't even spare 30 minutes to watch a show episode, read a chapter of a novel, read a news article, watch a youtube video, chat with a friend, do you even use the language? What's the point in being intermediate if you never use it? Your schedule must be absolutely swamped, in which case feel free to just take some days/months/years off studying until your schedule frees up, like with any goal. That's what I do when I'm this busy. You're allowed to learn on and off, to take months or years off, and then come back).

I'm always ranting about 0.5-2 hours of study a day (on average) for steady progress. 1 hour of study a day on average as a great fucking goal to have. This is why. 1 hour will get you where you want in 4-8 years, which is a commitment we already regularly take for other things we're learning in life, it's similar to the time we spend committed to learn something in school over the years. 1 hour is not an unreasonable amount of time to carve out, in order to learn something you really want to learn. Most people can carve out 0.5-1 hour of study time.

(honestly I have that time in the morning getting ready for work, listening to the language - and I have that time to commit during my commute to work and back, during chores, while exercising, an hour to spend watching something in Chinese instead of English when I'm watching TV, an hour to spend reading something in French instead of in English, it all adds up).

I wrote all this because i've seen some people doing Dreaming Spanish who feel like failures because it's taking them more than 1 year to reach 1500 hours. They're doing fine! It's normal to take 4 years, or more, to reach 1500 hours engaging with the language you're learning!

[wiseinfinitypioneer]

Is the IVG Pro Pod Kit Worth It in 2025? Our Honest Take on UK Vaping's Latest

Alright, let's get real about vaping in the UK this year—things are shifting big time. Disposables are on their way out, everyone's talking green, and folks want gear that's more than just a quick fix. So, enter the IVG Pro Pod Kit—is it the hero we've been waiting for?

Spoiler: It might just be.

This isn't your average throwaway vape. The IVG Pro Pod Kit is a refillable, rechargeable pod setup that's all about massive puffs minus the eco-guilt or the hassle of constant trash.

We put it through its paces, and here's the scoop.

Why All the Buzz Around IVG Pro?

If you've vaped at all, IVG Pro Pod Kit probably rings a bell—they've been killing it for years. Now in 2025, they're stepping up with a pod system that's smart on the planet, packs a punch, and won't break the bank.

It's IVG's way of saying: longer sessions, killer tastes, and value that lasts.

What's Inside the Package?

Here's the lineup:

1 x IVG Pro device

1 x 2ml prefilled pod

1 x 10ml refill bottle

User guide

(Heads up: No USB-C cable—grab your own.)

It's got this cool matte-metal vibe that feels sturdy, not flimsy. Plus, a tiny screen shows battery life and such. And that refill setup? Total game-changer.

Design That Just Works

Think sleek and simple with a tech twist. It's small enough for your pocket, curved for easy grip, and has a window to check your pod level.

The pod snaps in with magnets—no fuss. Mouthpiece is comfy, like a classic MTL. Scan the QR for a quick video guide—smart move for newbies.

Overall, it punches above its weight class in quality.

Setup? Piece of Cake

Forget complicated instructions. Here's how:

Remove seals from the bottle and pod.

Snap 'em together—nice click!

Slide the pod into the device, and you're good.

No buttons, no hassle—just draw and enjoy.

Battery Life and Charging

That 1000mAh battery? It held up for nearly two days on casual use. The screen keeps you in the loop, and USB-C charges it quick. (Again, cable not included—raid your junk drawer.)

How It Vapes: The Real Deal

This is where it shines. The mesh coil nails the flavor—sharp and consistent from start to finish.

Draw is a relaxed MTL, great for ex-smokers or anyone who likes it easy. 20mg nic salts hit smooth and quick, no roughness or coughs—just pure satisfaction.

Flavor Roundup: The Stars of the Show

We tried a bunch, and they're all solid. Here's a taste of the standouts: (Explore all flavors)

Top Choices:

Fresh Menthol Mojito: Minty kick with mojito flair—fresh and hooked us fast.

Tobacco: Creamy with vanilla and biscuit notes—way better than your average tobacco vape.

Fizzy Orange: Zesty citrus with a bubbly edge, like soda in vapor form.

Tropical Hits: (Shop tropical flavors)

Double Mango: Juicy, sweet mango explosion.

Pineapple Ice: Cool pineapple vibe, more juice than candy.

Kiwi Passionfruit Guava: Layered tropical mix—super balanced.

Sweet Treats: (Shop sweet flavors)

Fizzy Strawberry: Chewy strawberry with fizz, like old-school candies.

Blue Razz Retro: Slushie and bubblegum mashup—pure fun.

Fruity Freshness: (Shop fruity flavors)

Double Apple: Sweet red meets tart green—crisp all the way.

Lemon Lime: Zingy citrus burst, candy-like and bright.

With over 15 main flavors and more refills dropping, variety is endless.

Is It a Smart Buy?

Crunch the numbers: 12ml juice total (2ml + 10ml), up to 10,000 puffs (we got about 5,300—still impressive), reusable device, top-notch tastes from a trusted UK brand, all under £11.

That's value—cheaper per ml than disposables, and way kinder to the environment.

What We Dig and What We Don't

Loves:

Awesome flavor range

Easy-peasy refills

Solid battery

Huge puff potential

Smooth nic delivery

Could Improve:

Stuck at 20mg—lower options would be nice

No adjustable airflow

Cable not included

Some plastic in packaging

Our Final Call: Go for It?

If you want low-effort, high-reward vaping with tons of flavors, the IVG Pro Pod Kit is a winner for 2025. It mixes disposable convenience with reusable smarts—ideal for quitting smokes or daily use.

Ready to level up? Snag an IVG Pro and ditch the waste for good.

[cmatarchive]

Euro-Country reviewed by Stephen Byrne for GoldenPlec

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"...a sophisticated step forward from an artist who continues to carve her own path towards the centre of pop culture on her own terms."

Full review under cut:

Euro-Country, the third album from CMAT, finds the Dunboyne songwriter deliver her most captivating and compelling collection of songs to date with a mix of earworm melodrama, tear-jerking dating disasters and lashings of self-deprecating humour.

Alongside all the hi-jinks we’ve come to expect courtesy of CMAT’s quizzical world-view, she also delivers her most devastating ballad to date, ‘Lord, Let That Tesla Crash’, a stunning exploration of the non-linear path of grief rather than a poke at the expense at world’s biggest fan of ketamine. The bravery to expose herself in such a way perhaps better than any other track on the album illustrates her growing scope as a songwriter.

The album begins in the most unexpected fashion. The zen-like shoreline soundscape of ‘Billy Byrne From Ballybrack, The Leader of The Pigeon Convoy’ with its one-sided phone conversation about westerly wind, gives way to the Irish language verse of Euro-Country’s titular track as the album cracks into life.

It’s an oddity on first listen, but Billy Byrne clicks into place as Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson delivers her now infamous line, “I was 12 when the das started killing themselves all around me.” It becomes patently clear that The Leader of The Pigeon Convoy represents the ordinary man who lost everything during the crash, and how Ireland writ large lost its way during the Celtic Tiger.

It’s a set-up and payoff that hits hard when it arrives, and a timely reminder why Bertie Ahern should never be the President of Ireland and that no matter how hard political figures try to sweep things under the carpet, the children of the recession suffered and will not forget about it. The kids currently growing up in hotels won’t forget about it either. Pearl-clutchers be warned! Songs about that will be on the radio long before trains start arriving at Dublin Airport.

There are affectionate celebrity name-drops for Kerry Katona, Cerys Matthews and Princess Diana woven throughout the album. Cú Chulainn is even used as a vibe check for her state of mind. Poor old Jamie Oliver becomes the comedy villain/affectionate victim of her hunger pains in the petrol station deli queue. It may make no sense to the average listener, but it’s a thoroughly impressive flight of fancy, dripping with illuminating Easter eggs about her life as a walking talking Snickers advert. It’s with moments like this that CMAT’s love for the observational, truth-in-fiction lyrics of XTC shines through with ‘Finglas, Tennessee’ becoming her personal Barrytown to populate as she sees fit.

Noel Gallagher would no doubt approve of mid-paced acoustic sad banger ‘Coronation St.’ which is reminiscent of Oasis’ theme song to Caroline Aherne’s working-class masterpiece The Royle Family. Here, CMAT recounts a maudlin time in her life when she lived in a flat backing onto the beloved Manchester soap’s set in the build-up to her meeting Charli XCX and the superstar telling her to move home and make music with her friends if she really wanted to be a musician.

The pure pop perfection of anti-troll anthem ‘Take A Sexy Picture of Me’, CMAT’s most successful song to date, highlights her ability to recycle her sorrows into potent, universal dance move ready moments. ‘Ready’ meanwhile sees CMAT go full ‘80s power ballad with lashings of delicious throwback harmonies for added measure. Arguably CMAT’s finest vocal performance to date, it’s the kind of positive “You can do it” explosion that would’ve pushed Cindy Lauper or Annie Lennox to the top of the pop charts back when radio had its finger on the pulse.

Elsewhere on the album CMAT leans into her country aesthetic on ‘When A Good Man Cries’, ‘Three Six Foive’ and the Titanic themed ‘Iceberg’. Here, as throughout the album, it is the meticulous attention to detail being paid to additional instrumentation and vocal layering which elevates these songs from CMAT’s previous work.

Euro Country concludes with one last twist, the piano centred ‘Janis Joplining’ which finds CMAT stretching her musical wings with the type of jazz motif you’d expect to find anchoring a Fiona Apple track. And when you consider that she was also involved in the finest moments on Blossoms’ recent album Gary, it would be fair to say that CMAT is in the songwriting form of her life.

Euro-Country is a sophisticated step forward from an artist who continues to carve her own path towards the centre of pop culture on her own terms. What more could you ask for?

[dsiminstitute]

Digital Marketing Course in Jaipur: Duration, Fees, and Syllabus Explained

As the digital era has come at the age of its peak time, organizations are moving online and therefore, digital marketing is a very much in-demand skill for those who wish to begin their career in this. Jaipur, Pink City, is also becoming the center of attraction, when it comes to taking digital marketing courses with piles that meet the increasing demands of professional experts. If you want to learn digital marketing and know more about the best digital marketing institute in Jaipur, then the blog below will give details about the duration, fee and course of the course.

Why Digital Marketing?

Let's see why digital marketing is an in-demand profession. The world is shifting toward online media for business, and any company needs to be on the web. This has produced a huge demand for digital marketers who can deal with online promotions, social networking sites, search engines, email marketing, etc. As an entrepreneur, student, or career changer, digital marketing is a lucrative proposition.

What is Digital Marketing?

Digital marketing is essentially a process of marketing products or services using a host of online media. Social media, search engines, emails, websites, and mobile applications are few examples of media that carry out digital marketing. The intention is to reach out to more people, make them aware of brands, and sell and cultivate the customers for a lifetime. Major areas of digital marketing include search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing (SMM), content marketing, email marketing, pay-click (PPC) advertisement, etc.

Course Duration of Jaipur Digital Marketing Institutes

The very first thing which comes to our mind while considering a digital marketing institute in Jaipur is the duration of a course. The duration of a course, in most instances, has the possibility of varying according to certification or level of skill to be achieved.

Short-term Courses: If you want to learn digital marketing in a flash, there are institutions that provide short-term courses lasting 1 to 3 months. These are perfect for newbies or entrepreneurs who need the basics on how to operate their online business.

Advanced Courses: For individuals who want to learn more of digital marketing and prefer wider study, advanced courses can take 6 to 12 months. Advanced courses generally provide more experience and practical training in most areas of digital marketing.

Weekend Classes: Weekend classes are also arranged by some institutions so that professional workers do not need to give up their regular jobs to seek training in digital marketing. Weekend classes are typically 3 to 6 months, depending on the course curriculum and learning pace.

Fees for Digital Marketing Courses in Jaipur

Jaipur digital marketing course certification fees primarily depend on the institute, i.e., full-time or part-time, course duration, and the type of course. Digital marketing courses are generally ₹15,000 to ₹50,000 on average. Breakup:

Short courses: The fees for level foundation courses can be ₹15,000 to ₹25,000. The courses give an idea about basic digital marketing and are a good entry point for those interested in the subject.

Intermediate to Advanced Level Courses: Depending on the more advanced and higher course of digital marketing that you have enrolled for, you might have to spend anything between ₹30,000 and ₹50,000. These courses give you a higher level of knowledge when it comes to digital marketing tools, analysis, and methods appropriate for professional individuals.

Corporate or Custom Training: If business organizations or individuals require their own customized digital marketing training, then the fees are more. Custom training programs will be ₹50,000 and above.

Jaipur Digital Marketing Course Syllabus

Jaipur digital marketing course syllabus will include all subjects of digital marketing in general. Below is a rough idea about the most important topics which are covered most in the course curriculum:

Introduction to Digital Marketing

Introduction to digital marketing and the role of digital marketing

Understanding digital marketing channels

Benefits of digital marketing to business firms

Search Engine Optimization (SEO):

Understanding SEO theory and how search engines work

Keyword research and on-page optimization

Link building techniques

Local SEO and mobile SEO

Social Media Marketing (SMM):

Introduction to social media websites like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn

Planning and management of social media campaigns

Understanding social media analytics

Content strategy and engagement strategy

Content Marketing

Client's role in web marketing

Instruction:

How to create and distribute content

Form and format of contents (videos, infographics, blog posts)

Employment of content and content plan in search engine optimization (SEO)

Email Marketing:

Email marketing's foundation and how it works

How to create an email marketing campaign

How to leverage the use of using email automation

How to measure email marketing performance

Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising:

PPC and Google Ads foundation

How to create and manage campaigns

Bidding and budgeting processes

Measurement of returns on PPC and ROI optimization

Online Reputation Management (ORM):

Online reputation management and reviews about your business

Reputation and review management on the web

Measurement techniques and tools for the web presence

Analytics and Reporting:

Utilization of tools like Google Analytics

Measurement of the performance of websites and user participation

Measurement of success in digital campaigns

Affiliate Marketing:

Introduction to affiliate marketing

Establishment of an affiliate program

Affiliate partnership and management

Practical exposure and internships

All the top Jaipur digital marketing institutes offer practical exposure either in the form of an internship or live projects. Practical exposure makes you learn how to implement the concepts that you study in school. Live projects also make you learn how to create a good resume and industry-ready.

Conclusion

Digital marketing is one of the newer and most promising career paths with plenty of career opportunities. There are some locations in Jaipur where you can do full courses in digital marketing from which you can gain the needed knowledge to reach your desired goals in this field. Either you are new to digital marketing or have knowledge about it, you can enroll in any course according to your fitness in terms of course duration, course fee, and course syllabus.By joining a digital marketing certificate course in Jaipur, you are halfway to getting a good job in this new domain. Be practical and join a well-known digital marketing institute in Jaipur that can give you the perfect combination of theoretical studies and hands-on training to make you a digital marketing professional