#best non-english word tournament

[best-non-english-word-torunament]

Welcome to the best non-english word tournament!

What is this?

This is another bracket tournament, in which we will decide the best word. However, this tournament is also dedicated to linguistic diversity and promoting languages that aren't English, since they are less visible on the internet at large. This means that words in English are banned from competing to make room for the other 6500-7500 known languages (depending on how you count). To avoid other large languages taking over the poll (both counting native speakers and languages the average tumblr user is likelier to know) there will be a limit of four words from every language. Join me and learn new cool words in many different languages as well as vote for your favourite!

Who are you?

I'm a linguistics student and language nerd from Sweden who took lots of inspiration from @ultimate-word-tournament but wanted to focus on language diversity in words. I'll also sneak in some posts about the language situation in the world because it's a fascinating topic. My native language isn't English, so please be kind if my posts are worded weirdly sometimes

What makes a word good?

There are many ways that a word can be good, but here are some examples: it sounds good/feels good to say, the script looks nice, it denotes an interesting concept, it denotes a concept you like, it does something interesting grammarwise or soundwise, it's funny, it's an interesting/fun compound, it has an interesting/fun etymology, it just has good vibes... The possibilities are endless and a judgement probably consists of some combinations of these or others

Rules:

There will be 64 words and a maximum of four words per language

No words in English, but loanwords from English are allowed with good motivation

No conlangs (I love them but the focus is on natural language)

Words from signed languages are allowed and encouraged as long as you can provide an explanatory picture or film for the sign

Words from pidgins are allowed

Words from extinct languages are allowed

No made up words (if it isn't/wasn't used in the language it doesn't belong, neither does words only your family/friend group uses, but slang words are allowed)

Every submitter is allowed to submit a maximum of two words from the same language based on the honor system

Submissions:

Submissions were open until the bracket was filled and are now closed

I will need to do some selection if I recieve more than four submissions from a language and this selection will mostly be based on who submitted first, with exceptions for good motivations or difficulty finding information on a word (like IPA transcription). I will try my best to research all words and languages, but since I'm hoping for small languages it might be difficult to find. There might also be some selection based on including more languages and areal diversity if I get some really good ones between the 64th submission and closing the form, but we'll see.

Some guidelines:

If you're able, please provide an IPA transcription for your word (the International Phonetic Alphabet has a sign for each sound used in any language, which makes transcription of exact pronounciation possible)

Please provide a short motivation on what makes your word good

You will need to provide a translation/explanation of the word in English since that is the language this tournament is conducted in for ease of communication and reach. If the exact translation of a word is part of what makes the word good, please provide that too

Have fun! I can't wait to see your words. If you just want to vote, go ahead and follow me in the meantime

I will tag some other tournaments to hopefully make this reach people who know interesting languages and good words in them. Please consider doing the same if you want this tournament to be as good as possible.

@ultimate-word-tournament @ultimate-sentence-tournament @words-for-cat-bracket @ultimate-poll-tournament @titlesbracket @tournamentdirectory @eurovision-song-bracket @the-shape-showdown @fuckingstupidbracket

[hotvintagepoll]

Propaganda

Anna Magnani (Rome Open City, Mamma Roma, The Rose Tattoo)—don't take my word for it, here are some of the things she was called during her career: "la lupa (the wolf) of Italian cinema," "passionate, fearless, and exciting," "the volcanic earth mother of all Italian cinema," "one of the most impressive actresses since Garbo," "Whenever Magnani laughs or cries (which is often), it's as if you've never seen anyone laugh or cry before: has laughter ever been so burstingly joyful or tears so shatteringly sad?" and maybe best of all, from Tennessee Williams, who wrote multiple roles specifically for her: "She is simply a rare being who seems to have about her a little lightning-shot cloud all her own...In a crowded room, she can sit perfectly motionless and silent and still you feel the atmospheric tension of her presence, its quiver and hum in the air like a live wire exposed, and a mood of Anna's is like the presence of royalty."

Nutan (Bandini, Anari, Seema)— In an era where plump and petite women were considered the height of beauty, Nutan was thin and gangly. While her beauty is obvious today, she was considered somewhat unusual throughout her acting career, which contains over 70 films. Contrary to the belief that female actresses careers ended after marriage, Nutan won four of her five Filmfare Awards after her marriage and the birth of her son. Nutan was known for her gorgeous, emotive brown eyes and her incredible singing voice.

This is round 3 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut.]

Anna Magnani:

An icon of post-war neorealist italian cinema - an unbelievably good actress. Also, the first non-english speaking actress to win the Oscar for Best Actress (in 1956)!

realness!! amid the typical hollywood pristine glamour anna magnani stuck out as sexy in a really real, grounded way. so much so that even shallow 40s hollywood allowed her to come over from italy to be in some high profile movies. an icon

She smoked, she drank, she didn't give a f-. Her acting was described as explosive, with a lot of emotions and drama and they called her a she-wolf. Playwright Tennessee Williams became an admirer of her acting and wrote The Rose Tattoo (1955) specifically for her to star in, a role for which she received an Academy Award for Best Actress, becoming the first Italian – and first non-English speaking woman – to win an Oscar.

Nutan:

[isaacarellanesismyhusband]

tu sais que je t'aime bien, non?

pair: Fred Weasley x reader requested by anonymous

Could you do a Fred x reader? Y/n goes to beauxbatons and it’s during the goblet of fire, so they’re all at hogworts. She knows very little English and doesn’t understand anything the hogworts and even drumstrang students are saying. Her best friend knows English so when the twins come up and introduce theirselves her friend has to translate both ways. Over the course of the year, y/n learns English, she’s not very good with it but it’s much better than what is was, she became very animated when talking to try and help others understand if she didn’t know the English word. She and Fred spent a lot of time together and he helped her learn English, and he was amused with how animated she was. Even if he had no idea what she was saying. He doesn’t even realise that he’s falling for her. But y/n realises that she is and so she would say flirty things in french, knowing he wouldn’t know what she was saying, it gave her a confidence boost. He eventually finds out what she’s saying means, and he finally ‘makes a move’. Y/n had noticed he was about to make a move but she beat him to it. that summer she had moved to England and was there during the order of the phoenix, and the two spent lots of time together 😭 sorry if that’s a lot

masterlist | navigation | p2

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Hogwarts was as grand as everyone said it would be, but it felt like a maze of confusion to Y/N. The enchanted ceilings, moving staircases, and the endless chatter of students from three different schools were overwhelming. Beauxbatons had always been her home—a place of elegance and simplicity. But now, thrust into the heart of a tournament she barely understood, she found herself lost in the sea of English words she couldn’t grasp.

Her best friend, Camille, was her anchor in this new world. Camille had always been the smarter one when it came to languages, her English fluent and her accent barely noticeable. Y/N, on the other hand, struggled. She’d barely picked up a few phrases here and there, but none of it felt natural. She hated how she had to rely on Camille to speak for her, to translate every little thing.

That’s when the twins appeared—Fred and George Weasley, their grins wide and mischief in their eyes. Y/N had heard about them before arriving at Hogwarts; everyone in the school seemed to talk about the Weasley twins. But she never expected them to approach her and Camille during breakfast one chilly morning.

“Hello, ladies! I’m Fred, and this is my devilishly handsome brother, George,” Fred said, his voice full of humor as he gestured to himself and then to George.

Y/N blinked, not understanding a word he said. She turned to Camille, who laughed before translating, “Ils disent qu'ils s'appellent Fred et George. Ils plaisantent sur qui est le plus beau.”

Y/N couldn’t help but smile, even if she didn’t get the joke entirely. Camille continued the conversation, going back and forth between the twins and Y/N. It was strange, not knowing what was being said until Camille filtered it for her. Fred seemed to notice her confusion and leaned in, trying to speak slower, using exaggerated gestures.

It didn’t help much, but it made her laugh.

As the weeks passed, Fred made it a habit to find Y/N whenever he could. At first, it was through Camille, but over time, Fred began speaking directly to her, patiently repeating words and teaching her bits of English. He’d sit with her in the library, their heads bent over books as he pointed to words, mouthing them slowly. Sometimes, she would struggle, getting frustrated with herself, but Fred would just grin and encourage her.

“Y/N, you’re getting better,” he’d say, even if her sentences were still jumbled and broken.

And she was getting better, slowly but surely. Her vocabulary expanded, and she began to understand more of the conversations around her. But there were still moments where she would get stuck, unable to find the right word. So, she started using her hands more, making gestures and expressions to help convey what she meant. Fred found this endlessly amusing, often chuckling as she animatedly tried to explain herself.

Despite the language barrier, something between them clicked. Y/N felt it first—a flutter in her chest whenever Fred was near. She didn’t know how to say it in English, but she knew what it was. She was falling for him, hard and fast. But how could she tell him? So, she started saying things in French, little flirty comments that she knew he wouldn’t understand.

“Tu es tellement mignon quand tu essaies de parler français,” she’d say with a smirk, watching as Fred’s brow furrowed in concentration, trying to figure out what she meant.

He’d give her a questioning look, and she’d just laugh, patting his cheek before walking away. It became a game—her throwing out random French phrases and Fred trying to decipher them. She grew more confident with each one, enjoying the secret power she held over him.

But Fred wasn’t clueless. He noticed the way her eyes would light up when she said something in French, the teasing tone in her voice. So, one day, he decided to do some research. It took him a while—he wasn’t exactly the best at studying—but he eventually found a translation for one of the phrases she said often.

The next time he saw her, he decided to test it out. They were sitting by the lake, the sun setting in the distance, casting a warm glow over everything. Fred had been planning to make his move, but Y/N beat him to it.

“Fred,” she said, leaning closer to him, her voice low, “Tu sais que je t'aime bien, non?”

Fred smirked, recognizing the phrase. “Yeah? Well, I think I’ve figured out what you’ve been saying all this time.”

Y/N’s eyes widened in surprise, her heart skipping a beat. “You… you do?”

Fred nodded, leaning in so that their faces were only inches apart. “And I’ve got something to say back.” He paused, letting the moment hang between them. “I like you too, Y/N. A lot.”

Before she could react, he closed the distance, pressing his lips to hers in a kiss that was as sweet as it was long-awaited. Y/N melted into him, her hands finding their way into his hair as she kissed him back.

When they finally pulled away, both were breathless, their foreheads resting against each other.

“Your English is getting pretty good,” Fred teased, his voice soft.

Y/N smiled, a mix of nerves and excitement bubbling up inside her. “Thank you… for helping me.”

Fred grinned, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “Anytime. And, you know, I’ve got all summer to help you get even better.”

Y/N’s smile widened at that. She was moving to England soon, and the thought of spending more time with Fred made her heart race.

“I think I’d like that,” she whispered, leaning in for another kiss.

The summer passed in a blur of laughter and stolen kisses and Y/N’s English improved every day, but more importantly, so did her connection with Fred. By the time the Order of the Phoenix formed, they were inseparable, finding comfort in each other amidst the growing darkness of the world around them.

And even though she still had her moments of uncertainty, Y/N knew one thing for sure—she didn’t need perfect English to tell Fred how she felt.

Love, after all, was a language all its own.

[aussie-slang-competition]

Aussie slang competition!

Aussie slang words battling it out to see who's best!

RULES:

- Only submit the same word once

- Multiple submissions with different words are fine

- Submissions close on the 21st of November if there is enough submissions and polls will start after(might take a couple of days though)

best constitutes as whatever is the most fun to say, best shortening, nickname etc

inspiration/cool people:

@best-non-english-word-torunament  @ultimate-word-tournament @ultimate-sentence-tournament @words-for-cat-bracket @best-female-villain-tournament @bisexual-protagonist-competiton @best-childhood-book @pinkhairswagtourney :) (sorry if me tagging you is annoying)

[gemstone-bracket]

Welcome to the Gemstone Bracket!

Note: this is a poll based on the rocks themselves, not characters named after rocks.

Rules:

Be civil. It's an internet poll about pretty rocks.

I'm not a scientist, and can't really say what qualifies as a gemstone aside from a quick Google search. I'm probably going to include any pretty rock that could be argued to be a gemstone.

Matchups will be in alphabetical order because I'm autistic and things need to be organized.

You can make multiple submissions for different gems, but please don't submit the same thing more than once.

Submissions will close on June 30th.

Inspired by brackets like @iconic-post-bracket, @best-non-english-word-torunament, @school-of-all-time, @the-shape-showdown, @ultimate-word-tournament, @best-sharks-bracket, @best-animal-bracket, etc.

[ultimate-word-tournament]

Personally, I flat refuse to vote for anything non-English unless it's against something else non-English, even if it's something I recognize, like, and use, e.g. fremdschaemen. Comparing across languages just isn't interesting, and the faster it gets down to all English words, the more interesting the votes will be.

Huh, i find it the opposite! There's so many pretty and interesting words from other languages, and some of them use cool sounds English doesnt even have! I've learned about a lot of cool things from the other languages in this tournament, and I think it'd be a bit boring to just have English words. If you wanted only English words, you could make a different tournament for the best English word, but I'm accepting all languages, cause its interesting and fun for me! (and hopefully for a lot of you, too)

[dhr-ao3]

Fixing What's Broken

Fixing What's Broken https://ift.tt/Y36sLKq by RoseGlasses123 Hermione's dad had lost too much money bidding on quidditch, his daughter being a witch allowed him access to all the games and tournaments. He owed money to the wrong dark wizards and let Hermione pay for it. Taken on her birthday two years after graduating from Hogwarts, Hermione is now a sex slave at a club deep in the dark wizard underground with no way out. She endured horrific tortures and assaults for months, and concluded she would end up dying at the hands of one of her 'clients'. That was until Draco Malfoy shows up one night and she takes a chance on him she never would have years ago. That chances ends with her getting to leave the sex club and land in Draco's house in Muggle London. After two years of being off everyone radar, Draco seems to want nothing more than to stay away from the wizarding world and make her stay with him until she is recovered. However, she is not the only one that seems to need assistance in recovery. **Triggers*** Rape, Assault, Unwilling Sex Salve, Physical Abuse, Nightmare Trauma Words: 5579, Chapters: 2/2, Language: English Fandoms: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling Rating: Explicit Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con Categories: F/M Characters: Draco Malfoy, Crookshanks (Harry Potter), Astoria Greengrass, Theodore Nott, Blaise Zabini, Pansy Parkinson, Ginny Weasley, George Weasley, Ron Weasley, Neville Longbottom Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy, Neville Longbottom/Luna Lovegood, Pansy Parkinson/Blaise Zabini, Astoria Greengrass/Theodore Nott, Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley Additional Tags: Hermione overcoming Trama, Possessive Draco, Draco discovers popcorn, draco living as muggle, draco and hermione are roommates, Fluffy Draco at home, touch her and die draco, Kidnapped Hermione Granger, POV Hermione Granger, Astoria becomes best friend, Pansy is a bitch, Crookshanks is a Little Shit (Harry Potter), Slow Burn, Hermione Granger is Not Okay, Hermione Granger sex slave, Protective George Weasley, Ron Weasley Bashing, Ron weasley stalker, Slytherin found family, Death Eater Draco Malfoy, graphic nightmares, Rape/Non-con Elements, Marcus Flint Being an Asshole, Marcus Flint Bashing, Graphic Assault Nightmares via AO3 works tagged 'Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy' https://ift.tt/aoYwVgR August 14, 2024 at 07:25AM

[cin-cant-donate-blood]

One of the weirder hot takes you get from grammar prescriptivists is that reinforcing double negatives ("you didn't see nothing") are somehow inherently incorrect or a sign of stupidity.

Incoming: a short rant about linguistic prescriptivism and then an excerpt from the Canterbury Tales.

Firstly, there are more languages than English, and in many of them it is the norm that negatives reinforce, rather than cancel each other out. You might say "yeah but not in English," but you're objectively wrong. Several dialects and sociolects of English use reinforcing double negatives, it's just that you're dismissing the people who use them as either stupid, non-fluent, or both (the idea that a well functioning adult could lack fluency in their own native language is preposterous by the way). The racial dimension is too obvious to even be worth diving into.

However, I think the thing that annoys me the most is the resounding ignorance and arrogance of the people who think like this. Sure, the part where you assume that every language and every dialect follows the same grammatical rules as your own is a common enough mistake, but the irony is that by insisting on this, you're showing your own ignorance of the language with a gesture intended to signal your superior grasp of it.

The average linguistic prescriptivist is in my experience not very well educated in language, not its formal rules, not the scientific study of it, and certainly not with its literature. They tend to occupy the "knows enough to think they know something, but not enough to realize how little they know" section of the Dunning-Kruger curve.

Note that this graph is a simple representation of an idea, not the result of a study or anything like that. The numbers and relative positions here are made up. That's how the curve manages to slope back in on itself after the peak.

What I mean is, they tend to know enough to be moderately aware of the formal rules of "standard" English, without any grasp of the real nature of a language (usually conceiving of it as some kind of ideal object that can be "correctly matched with" in an objective way), and even more damning, without a lot of experience actually engaging with that language beyond speech and simple text.

At best, they know some factoids from high school about how you're not supposed to end a sentence with a preposition (it's fine, actually, English is a Germanic language which means it loves shifting word order around) and such.

Anyway, here's a quadruple negative used in a reinforcing manner by Geoffrey Chaucer, arguably the founder of English-language literature, while describing the knight character in the prologue to the Canterbury Tales. A genuinely good writer that, along with Shakespeare and many others, one must presume that these prescriptivists have never read, at least not closely, though they in my experience tend to pretend they have.

At mortal batailes hadde he been fiftene,

And foughten for our faith at Tramissene

In listes thries and ay slain his fo.

This ilke worthy Knight hadde been also

Sometime with the lord of Palatye

Again another hethen in Turkye;

And everemore he hadde a soverein pris.

And though that he were worthy, he was wis,

And of his port as meeke as is a maide.

He nevere yit no vilainye ne saide

In al his lif unto no manere wight:

He was a verray, parfit, gentil knight.

Or, if your Middle English is rusty, here's my rough translation:

He had been at fifteen tournaments to the death

And he had fought for our faith at Tramissene (Tlemcen, Algeria)

In three lists (tournament grounds) and always slain his foe.

This same worthy knight had also been

Some time with the lord of Palatye (the Emir of Balat, Turkey)

Against another heathen in Turkey;

And evermore he had a superior reputation.

And he was every bit as wise as he was bold.

And his demeanor: as meek as a maid.

He never yet no rude thing hadn't said

In all his life to no kind of person:

He was a true, perfect, noble knight.

Anyway, in conclusion, prescriptivists shut the fuck up.

[web-novel-polls]

Webnovel Animal Tournament Submissions 

⚠️ Submissions CLOSED ⚠️

Rules

One animal/character per submission. If you want to submit multiple animals, please do so in separate forms unless you’re submitting a specific group or species (Ex: Hua Cheng’s butterflies from TGCF)

Only the animal, the type of animal, and the novel they’re from are required, but propaganda is highly encouraged

Please submit the English and/or most common way to refer to the novel. If you want to submit a novel without an English translation, please describe it AND the animal. The description is not required but HIGHLY encouraged since this tournament is being run in English.

If you've only seen an adaptation of the novel (manhwa, manhua, manga, anime, donghua, aeni, live action, etc.), you can submit a character from there as long as it's originally from a web novel.

Tag: #webnovel animal tournament

[Last updated: March 27th, 2024]

Submissions

Demy from When the Third Wheel Strikes Back

Type of Animal: Red panda / Divine Beast

Submission: A little red panda who can control plants, for example making vines to climb buildings! Loves good food despite not needing to eat, as a divine beast. Our transmigrator's most helpful companion, tbh U-U (sentences that would get me k-worded by the transmigrator's bf and gf)

Link 

Xiao Lu from Of Mountains and Rivers / Shan He Biao Li

Type of Animal: Snake

Submission: The cutest little snake who follows the MC home. (MC: you are not a cute puppy! *pets it* *is a snake dad now*) Saves MC's life. Grows a little bigger over the course of the novel. Plays a major role in the finale but that's mega spoilers. 

The Sable from Qi Ye / Lord Seventh

Submission 1: A precious fluffy boi. Venomous. Was raised by Wu Xi and later sold by his father-- ahem given as gift to Jing Beiyuan. 

Submission 2: The cutest venomous critter among all venomous critters! Squeaky delightful thing with his poisoned teeth and his poisoned claws and his butt! Also, he saves MC's life against an assassin at one point, making him the most adorable (but no less effective) bodyguard of all time.

Important sable information: https://www.tumblr.com/everythingfox/188985249367  

Luo Yiguo from Silent Reading / Mo Du 

Type of Animal: cat

No propaganda submitted

Kotex Paw Pad kitten from the SVSSS donghua pad commercial

Type of Animal: cat

Tumblr Image Link

Zhuzhi-lang’s snakes from SVSSS

Submission: Good bois helping a good boi

Niú-xiōng from TGCF

Type of Animal: ox

Submission: He is a hard worker and helps the Rain Master out with being awesome. 

Zhuzhi-lang (Non-human form) from TGCF

Type of Animal: Demon snake or heavenly demon/snake

Submission: When Shen Qingqiu (Yuan) meets Zhuzhi-lang, Zhuzhi-lang just wants to help his uncle but his body makes it difficult but he won't give up. He is a very good snaky. 

Li Yu from The Disabled Tyrant's Pet Palm Fish

Type of Animal: fish

Submission: The main character. What do you do when you transmigrate into a dogblood novel as a FISH, and the System tells you to get cozy with the tyrannical (not rly) mute prince or else die a miserable fishy death, but you're not sure how to do that because you're a FLOPPY FISH, and then the prince treats you so well, always feeds you the best fish-feed pellets, so you fall in love with him fr, and you just wanna kiss him with your fishy fishy lips but you're a FISH. Is this bestiality?? Does this count as you having a bestiality kink if you're the beast in question??? 

Fairy from MDZS

Type of Animal: dog

Wiki Link

Little Apple from MDZS

Type of Animal: donkey

Wiki Link

The Victimized Geese Turned Messenger Birds from Golden Stage

Dealer’s Choice

Submission: VICTIMS OF UNJUST WORK CONDITIONS. Fu Shen shoots them down (but doesn't kill them), heals them and gets them working as messenger geese cuz he wants to send a message to Yan Xiaohan during wartime and there were no phones in Ancient China. Good birds who Deserve Better.

Hua Cheng's butterflies from Heaven Official’s Blessing

Submission: The goodest little guys. They're so cute, but they've got the gods shaking in their boots, and rightfully so.

Wiki Link

(Submit these animals to make sure they get in & add propaganda)

Dokkaebi from ORV

The fluffy moderators of the Star Streams in ORV. I think they’re cute-looking, even if they’re a bit fucked up morally <2

Wiki Link

Da Qing from Guardian

Fat black cat rights

[tutubola-moved-on]

if someone had submitted saudade for the best non-english word tournament it would be an easy portuguese W

[one-abuse-survivor]

hey there, milky way anon back after almost a year 🌌

a lot of stuff has happened since last december, i had a therapist for a while although i kind of lost touch after i was away over the summer holidays, a very toxic relationship happened for something over a month (i ended up there because i struggled with saying no), my other important relationship is still committed and holding up, i've reconnected a lot with a person who i got to know a few years ago and then promptly lost touch with because it left school and i didn't have its number back then, and who apparently had some very serious medical issues in between then and now so i'm glad it's still alive and around, and especially that i've motivated it to join the team with whom i play my most favorite absurd sport with.

i've also worked a lot on myself, and come to terms with some stuff concerning sexuality and relationships.

i've found (at least) two people who i really look up to, one of them i know personally and he'd probably be overwhelmed if he knew how much of a positive kind of father figure he's become for me ever since i first met him last march despite us only meeting every few months (he does the same sport but in a different team but we've played a bunch of tournaments in the same mixed team recently) and i've learnt a lot of stuff from him, on one hand things related to the sport (i learnt how to play an entirely new position just from him at the few tournaments we've met at and he's been a real pleasure to play that position with and he's probably one of the people who i play the best and easiest with), and the other is a celebrity who just shares a lot of my mindsets and opinions on things and has had to work through a lot of things similar to what i'm going through/went through and how he's handled that is definitely helping get a lot of new insights

honestly just thinking about it those two people have probably done more good things for my psyche in that year than my parents have in my life as far back as i can remember, especially when it comes to general kind of wisdoms, which are offered without heaps of judgement and non-constructive criticism first and are a lot more understandable, applicable and down-to-earth than what my parents would give me

i've also noticed in that time that i stutter, and that i do it a lot and that it's mostly because my mouth can't keep up with my thoughts, because they are too fast and mostly a strange linguistic mashup of english, german and whatever else. i've also noticed that it's a thing my parents like to make fun of.

and yes, seasonal depression is a bitch and i would not wish this fall i had on anybody but i am fighting back hard this time, surrounding myself with people who i share a mutual respect with and whose company i enjoy. i think i've learnt a lot about myself and my emotional needs and how i can fulfill them better to give this fall's depressive phases a lot less ground to stand on

and lastly, i am now in my last year of school, i think overall i have probably around 15 weeks of school left until finals and graduation which i am really excited but also very stressed and anxious about. especially because i'm terrified of the future because i never expected myself to get that far and actually have one and going on to the end of school i need to start planning what i'll do afterwards

thank you a lot for existing, thank you for taking the time and spoons to read through all those asks you're receiving and carefully replying to them, thank you for being someone i can appreciate and respect as much as i do

Hi again!!! Thank you so much for your kind words. I'm glad to be here and to be able to help 🥰

I really hope your graduation went well! And I hope the future feels a little bit less scary now. It's really common to feel that way when you've gone through trauma as a kid and teen. I personally also used to think I'd never make it past 18. It can be incredibly hard to build a life that you never planned to live, and to find your footing and feel like you're in control instead of spiralling wildly and always tripping over your own feet. But it really does get better with time. I'm rooting for you, nonnie ❤️

I'm glad to hear you've found some role models that help you navigate life and learn new things. I think the fact that abused and neglected teens still need safe adults and role models and tend to look for them outside of the house isn't talked about enough. It can go well if they find adults who are actually safe and want what's best for them, or if they find celebrities or even fictional characters to rely on. But with real people it can sometimes go badly, because they can take advantage or they can put space between you, which can feel like parental abandonment all over again. I hope these role models have continued to have a positive impact in your life!

Also, I'm so glad you managed to reconnect with an old friend, and that it was okay! What it went through sounds pretty scary :(

You don't deserve for your parents to make fun of you for stuttering. That's not okay. And I'm so glad you've been able to listen to your emotional needs and meet them. That's not always an easy thing to accomplish, and you really deserve to be proud of yourself for that.

Sending a big hug your way. Hope things are going well! ❤️

[rivi-ri]

I'm sorry многоꙮчитїй, but, go haikea!

Final round: Haikea vs многоꙮчитїй, mnogoočitii

(poll at the end)

Haikea (Finnish)

[ˈhɑi̯keɑ]

Translation: A feeling of quiet, melancholic, sometimes even mournful longing. "Wistful" comes fairly close as a translation, though it's not exactly the same.

Finnish is an Uralic language belonging to the Finnic branch spoken by 5 300 000 people in Finland, where it is one of two national languages (the other is Swedish though it is less used, Finnish is the main language).

Motivation: It's one of the most beautiful words to say in Finnish, IMO; it has a beautiful flow to the vowels, and it almost sounds like a sigh. It's also an emotion often associated with a lot of Finnish art, literature, music and culture in general, and thus it's a strong part of Finnish identity.

многоꙮчитїй, mnogoočitii (Old Church Slavonic)

IPA not found

Translation: many-eyed

Old Church Slavonic is an extinct language that belonged to the Slavic branch of Indo-European languages. It’s closest related to today’s Macedonian and Bulgarian, but was standardised based on the dialect of Slavs living near 9th century Thessaloniki in today’s Greece by missionaries, who translated Christian literature so they could convert people easier. Old Church Slavonic was then used as the liturgical language of various Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic Churches. A later version of the language called Church Slavonic is still in use in churches today.

Motivation: This particular instance of the word appears once in a manuscript from around 1429. It is the book of psalms, and the word is used in the phrase "серафими многоꙮчитїй," to mean "many-eyed seraphim," as in an angel. the "ꙮ", or multiocular o, is one of my favorite Unicode symbols and also symbols in general. In the next version of Unicode it's going to be updated, because it doesn't even have enough eyes as the original manuscript gave it! Looking past the ꙮ fixation, though, I'm a fan of angels and angelic imagery, as well as eye imagery. A single word for "many-eyed" is really cool to me, since I don't recall there being one in English. It's a useful phrase for more than just angels, like spiders, molluscs...

[hotvintagepoll]

Propaganda

Katharine Hepburn (Bringing Up Baby, The Philadelphia Story, The African Queen)—This woman. I have been obsessed with her for years. I know the urban legend is a popular one at this point of her walking around set in her underwear when her pants were stolen and she was left with only a skirt, but the pants thing is honestly enough for her to be the hottest in the room in my book. She refused to wear anything else at a time when the public in general and especially the studios did not like that. She was independent, stubborn, and so so very capable. Competency kink anyone? Also, if you want one final way that Katharine's entire life was saying "fuck you" to the establishment, it started young! Her mother took her to suffrage events, and she never got rid of that attitude of justice. I feel like I have barely scratched the surface of all the ways she was such a badass that I'm turning into a rambling mess instead.

Jessie Matthews (Evergreen, First a Girl, It's Love Again, Gangway)—known as “the dancing divinity”, jessie matthews was a british musical star of stage and screen in the 20s and 30s - if you're an enjoyer of lavish art deco musicals of the likes of fred and ginger, busby berkeley etc, definitely give her movies a try they are delightful! (tantalizingly there were multiple attempts made to pair her and fred together that never came to fruition - gaumont-british tried to get fred for evergreen and mgm wanted jessie for a damsel in distress.) and for the women in tuxedos enjoyers, her 1935 movie first a girl was the first english language remake of viktor und viktoria, famously later remade with julie andrews.

This is round 3 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut.]

Katharine Hepburn propaganda:

I'm sure one million people will submit her as an iconic Hollywood star but that iconicness might lead people to forget just how insanely hot she was like she had it ALL she was skilled she was funny she was smart she was beautiful AND she was likely bisexual

The single word I would use to explain Katherine Hepburn's appeal is *range*. In her acting career, that meant covering all the ground between lush period dramas and the comedies she did with Carey Grant and Spencer Tracey. In terms of hotness, it meant an uncanny ability to bring anything from a Dietrich-esque androgyny to some of the best Classic Hollywood Glamour you will ever see.

Katharine hep was so cool. The VIBES, the INDEPENDENCE,,, living life on her own terms.

she just had this.... bearing to her, this power. she could be funny, even silly (like in bringing up baby) but also so regal and elegant. she was nobody's fool and dear GOD that's so hot

Fancam link

She’s not only stunningly gorgeous (those eyes that pierce your soul! a jawline you could cut glass with!) but her delivery and physical presence in roles gives off confidence and authority in such a sexy way (truly the biggest dick energy of Old Hollywood). Her fiery energy in The Philadelphia Story? Unmatched.

God she's. She's so hot y'all. She has the range!!!!! Funny and dramatic and lovely

She IS the transatlantic accent. Classically gorgeous and such a strong personality.

She's literally one of the funniest women to ever live! She goes shot for shot with Cary Grant in Philadelphia Story and we damn well love her for it! She's the most annoying creature to ever live in Bringing Up Baby but she's so insane and funny that we simply cannot help but fall in love with her (and root for her to give Grant an aneurysm!)

i know she's accounted for but i really want to be sure someone has submitted the scene in bringing up baby where she's pretending to be a gangster

She simply stuns onscreen; you cannot do anything but be captivated by her presence. Also a non-gender-conforming icon and mild tumblr celebrity by virtue of that one picture from The Warrior's Husband (stage play).

Katharine Hepburn was out here casually changing the lives of young butch lesbians with her gender swag! She wore pants even when people said she shouldn’t, she refused to marry or have kids, and she wore menswear in at LEAST one movie!

If I start thinking about her face for too long I will cry she is so so hot. Katherine is so charismatic and charming in everything she appears in - watch her adopt a leopard and fall in love with her. Also she has the biggest dick energy ever (she and her pal Lauren Bacall share that accolade). Also had an incredibly long and varied career from screw ball comedies to serious dramas - she’s a queen of the screen and I adore her.

Someone's got to mention it, but she's won the most Oscars out of any performer and is largely considered one of the greatest actresses ever. She's got an incredible voice, an incredible presence, and she absolutely steals every scene she's in. She was private person and deemed standoffish and unapproachable, but she was also profoundly concerned for people's rights and was an outspoken supporter of abortion access. Finally, the Katharine Hepburn slacks look is just iconic. I mean look at her.

(I hope someone else submits real propaganda but just in case they don't:) Cries. Screams. Wails. The woman who singlehandedly made me realize I was bi. A real "do i want to look like her. be her. or be with her.' crisis, where the answer was all three. Holy shit please all three.

Jessie Matthews:

Star of British 1930s stage and screen, she introduced classic songs by Noel Coward and Rogers and Hart to English audiences, and then played perky heroines, but today it’s her genderswapping role in First A Girl that probably gets most attention.

[best-dictionary]

Word Competition!

Vote for the best word by rating each one from 1-5. The competition will mostly not proceed like a regular tournament. The winning word will be the word with the highest percentage of the highest rating (a score of 5). Afterward, the crown will be up for grabs again in a final round between every 5-rated word.

All words will be posted with their submitter's identity unannounced unless the submitter of the ultimate winning word asks for otherwise. If you want to be tagged in the announcement of your word winning the whole competition, clarify this when you submit. It's recommended to have record for yourself which word you submitted so you can see how far it got.

Another side to this event is that each word is entered to ChatGPT, an AI chatbot, which I had make up it's own personal system for rating words (playing with it like that is what inspired the competition). Comparing the bot's results and the progression of the real competition could be interesting, at least to me. The thing about that though is not every word will go to the bot- some dirty choices could get me flagged and unable to keep using the it.

The results for each word of both the tumblr competition and the bot rating will be presented in a public online document after the competition is over.

A deadline for submission will be decided once there are a lot of submissions in already (at least over a hundred?)

Submit a word through the askbox, or comments (not reblogs) of this post. (The first option is heavily preferred.)

Kinds of "words" to enter or not to enter:

Name/nickname ✔

Hyphenated ✔

Place ✔

Multiple (i.e. Los Angeles) X

"Made-up"/obsolete (i.e. irregardless, xir, doth, thingamabob) ✔

Non-English ✔

Hieroglyphic ✔

Slang (internet kind, cultural kind, etc.) ✔

Contractions ✔

Vulgar ✔ (may or may end up in bot word list)

Letter of the alphabet ✔

Number (either spelled out or no more than 4 digits) ✔

Unique character combo (i.e. 4ever) ✔

Ubiquitously bigoted or severely disturbing terminology X

Acronyms ✔

Onomatopoeia ✔

Q's & A's:

"Should I consider the same criteria as the bot? Should I choose the best words or my favourite words?"

You can and should do whatever you want!

"Can we provide propaganda?"

Propaganda will not be featured but feel free in the notes!

"How long is this gonna take?"

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

"Can I submit more than one word?"

Probably should stick to 1 or 2 words per person but this won't be enforced.

"Should I provide a definition when I submit?"

If your word is extremely obscure and therefore hard to understand or find a real example of, then sure, if you want. Otherwise, many common words won't be posted with their definitions anyway, even if the word technically has multiple. This is because beauty is in the eye of the beholder

"Is my word too inappropriate?"

We'll probably let you know if we deny it.

WORDS ALREADY INPUTTED BEFORE PUBLIC SUBMISSIONS:

24

Achilles

again

anonymous

ants

beautiful

blog

boston

catchy

daddy

dead

difficult

Dracula

dreamy

fluids

Gehry

genuinely

god

husband

infuriating

invention

judge

jumper

literal

lunch

marsupial

meow

midnight

milf

movies

muttering

notice

nvm

olympic

perplexities

philosophy

princess

problems

scare

soulmate

stray

tatted

text

uterus

wild

yellow

Questions already answered by this post will not be responded to.

[svchengss]

king of hearts | d.sc

PAIRING. dong sicheng x reader

GENRE. high school!au, fluff, slight angst, kind of e2l

WARNINGS. none (lmk if i missed any!)

WORD COUNT. 6.7k

SUMMARY. sicheng’s subtle flirts are not working effectively but it only motivates him to try and woo you more. the devil sure works hard but dong sicheng works harder.

PLAYLIST. king of hearts

TAGLIST. @floraljae @clovdless @mashiihearts @ndr1271 @kunrengui (shoutout to mashi for being a major help in the process of writing this <3)

// just to let you guys know, reblogs and feedbacks are appreciated !! thank you for reading :D

music was blaring through the multiple loudspeakers scattered around the school grounds, booths of various interests that were set-up by the clubs being swarmed by visitors and ecstatic oohs and aahs from the ones playing games can be heard intermittently. the annual school festival of redlands high, an event that is looked forward to by every single student there. or maybe not, you’re quite unsure of the self-made data.

you immediately made a beeline to the dance club booth which is managed by yangyang, the president also holding the title of your best friend. a cartoonish grin crept up on his face when he spots you walking towards him.

“so, what do you think? looks legit, huh?” he crossed his arms together, observing the design of the booth with a proud smile. the set-up is definitely eye-catching, not much decorations going on, adding to the simplicity of the white theme with gold touch-ups. you browsed through the plastered posters on the board, inviting people to sign up for their upcoming audition. looking up to the signboard hanging outside, you showed a thumbs up towards him, muttering a quick ‘perfect’.

“so what exactly is your booth doing? there’s not much… activity going on?” you scratched the non-existent itch on your left eyebrow. the boy in front of you gave you an eye roll before explaining that there will be mini dance games - or just dance as he worded. an amused sound left your lips as you bent down, dropping your signature in the guestbook on the wooden table.

“are you coming to the stage shows tonight? i heard there’s a new band performing,” your ears perked up instinctively upon hearing the words. after your sister graduated high school, nobody paid any attention to keep the band going. the zikas, a trio that made the music club strive back then. either the newer batches were too lazy to make an effort or too scared if they weren’t up to the already high standards of the school.

“i’m going if you’re going,” you simply stated, which made yangyang flash you the same grin from before. you said your simple goodbyes when people started lining up to try the just dance game at his booth. after he reminded you to wait for him by the statue, you went off to check out the food sales, eager to fill your growling stomach since this morning.

you can do this, sicheng. you can do this.

he made sure to double check the tuning of his guitar for one last time before joining the rest of his bandmates on the stage. his tall and slim physique surely left an impact, seeing that some of the audience suddenly became more invested in the performance compared to the others. he’s wearing some band’s shirt - probably green day since it’s quite similar to your sister’s posters in her room, black leather jacket and his black hair middle parted. not to miss the silver pendant necklace on his neck, sparkling under the spotlight.

the moment he struck the pick through the strings of his electric guitar, the drummer and bassist followed after, producing a melody that is pleasing to your ears. he held the microphone closer to his mouth, singing the lyrics as you bobbed your head up and down to the covers they sang - american idiot and helena are the ones you recognized since you’ve heard the songs so often. yangyang on the other hand kept on sipping the chocolate milkshake in his hand, vibing with the music as well.

the next song was a sentimental one which you assumed is a self-composed one, since you’ve never heard this song before. before you know it, the performance is over and the audience have started packing up their belongings to hang out somewhere else or go home.

“good job everyone, we did well,” yuta, who played the bass earlier, high-fived the rest of the band with a sly grin on his face. guanheng chugged the mineral water down his throat before stashing his drumsticks into the bag while sicheng was lost in his thoughts. he doesn’t know why but you stood out from the crowd, only able to see you just now. he wouldn’t say it’s a crush, not knowing anything about you but it definitely made him feel something. a trigger in his heart, not knowing where it leads to. but what he does know is that you caught his attention.

“and you know what he said? i’ll come back crawling to him just like his other exes. what the heck is even that?” you took out the binders from your locker while listening to ningning rant about her love life. since you haven’t had any relationships before, you’re not really a professional in this aspect of life so you just kept your mouth shut to avoid giving useless advice.

“that sounds so rude, he’s such a jerk,” you commented, taking the first bite of your sandwich afterwards. the tea-spilling session eventually came to an end when she reached her class first and you kept walking to mrs. walker’s, english being your first period. nothing exciting really happened in that class except someone got their phone confiscated for texting in class - just the usual things. classes later, it’s finally recess when you met up with ningning and yangyang in the cafeteria.

“first of all, cut him off. block him. everywhere,” yangyang emphasized the last word, knowing how much of an idiot the guy can be. you just scrolled through your socials, double tapping on certain posts that caught your eye. owning a cat looks fun, you made a mental note to bring the idea to your parents later. the bell rang which signals that classes are starting back soon and the same cycle of events continues before it’s time to go home.

you observed yangyang’s sharp moves, following to the beat of the song echoing in the dance room. it’s currently half past seven and he’s still here, beads of sweat running through his hair. and why would he stay in school so late, you may ask? obviously, he’s here for a reason and it being an upcoming dance tournament is the most accurate one. while you’re here, sitting on the floor, back against the mirror and legs straightened out with your phone in your hand. it amazes you how the goofy boy transforms 360°, being all serious when he’s in his element.

“let’s go home, i’m tired already,” he panted out breathlessly, using a cloth nearby to wipe his sweaty forehead. you wait for him by the glass door as he packs up his things when the lights in the music studio also switched off. you wondered it must be the band guys so you paid no attention whatsoever. of course, your predictions were right when you saw two lads stepping out.

since yangyang is taking too much time tidying up the dance studio and the music studio seems unoccupied, you decided to check it out for a bit. it’s been a long time since you last entered the room, always accompanying your sister for her extra practice when you were younger. not much has changed, except some additions of instruments can be seen. not seeing anything in the dark condition as the room is only illuminated by the faint lights from the hallway, you pushed the switches down only to be met by a gasp.

“what are you doing here?” the tall boy approached you, a stern look visible on his fine features. your eyes scrambled around the room in an attempt to find any logical excuses for your ‘break-in’ but to no avail. your tongue was dry, not a sound escaping your throat when you heard yangyang’s voice, signalling your cue to exit the room and escape from the tension building between you and the boy. he just shook his head, the black hair bouncing left to right as he finally caught on.

it’s you, you’re the girl from the crowd. and your name is y/n.

the walk home was filled with one-sided conversations where yangyang kept on babbling about how he should improve the choreography he created earlier while you only added small comments. your mind is filled with embarrassment, too much that you feel slightly mad at yourself. why didn’t you say anything earlier? now, you look like a complete idiot with communication issues in front of that boy.

“yeah, and remember that pasta? we should definitely try it again, it’s like, so good,” yangyang said, earning a nod from you when you saw the boy from last night’s music studio tragedy approaching your table. you tried to look away but it was too late.

“dude, just wanna let you know that mr. park is seeing us after school,” your grip on your fork loosens up when you realized he wasn’t talking to you. maybe he forgot about the incident? you really hope so.

“yeah, totally. thanks sicheng,” yangyang playfully winked at the latter, earning a disgusted look from him who started walking away. he glanced back at you with a smug smile on his plump lips, making you freeze up again.

he didn’t.

“are you okay, y/n? feeling sick?” ningning furrowed her eyebrows upon seeing your sudden change of demeanor. you shrugged her off and continued to consume the macaroni placed on the tray in front of you, mentally cursing at yourself for the poor life choice you’d made. well, at least you know that his name is sicheng, right?

oh boy, you’re in for a long ride.

you can’t wait to go home and snuggle under the covers, today has been a long and tiring one for you. you had three pop quizzes as if all the three teachers intended so, your class had to run multiple laps during p.e. and so on. you’re already planning your routine in your head, trudging your way to the lockers when you saw him leaning against yours, scrolling down his phone.

“crap,” you muttered under your breath.

there it is, the smirk on his face returns when he spots your figure approaching. oh, how you wish you could wipe it off his face. he moved a couple steps backwards to give you some space to arrange your things before locking it, turning your head towards him.

“i’m sorry, why are you here again? and if it’s because of last night, then i’m sorry if it bothered you or anything,” you huffed out.

“what? i didn’t really care, it’s not like you were stealing anything, right?” he squinted his eyes, eyeing you up and down suspiciously, laughing shortly after seeing you get riled up.

“damn, you really need to learn how to take a joke. y/n, right? i’m sicheng, nice to meet you.”

“why exactly are we having this meet-and-greet or whatever this introduction is?” you crossed your arms, waiting for his response. but he didn’t, immediately turning on his heels and making his way towards the stairs, probably going to the studio.

“jerk,” you cursed under your breath, walking out the school building.

“what? you got accepted? seriously?” ningning’s voice echoed against the cafeteria walls, earning surprised and annoyed glances from other students who were either satisfying their grumbling stomach or simply having conversations. yangyang softly nudged her elbows using his, asking her to lower her voice down before telling you to go on. you were quite surprised as well, the acceptance email was not what you expected to receive. when you filled in the application form, it was just a mere shoot-your-shot agenda to see if you’d make the cut. although this is just a camp, you’re still unsure of what lies ahead.

“yeah, it starts next week. but i’m so nervous though,” you sipped the iced coffee in your hands. you’ve only watched videos of people producing their own music from scratch which you start to take an interest in. however, you’ve never done it hands-on before, only having basic music theory knowledge thanks to the piano lessons your parents signed you up for when you were young.

“you’ll do awesome, i promise,” yangyang gave you a reassuring smile, making you release some tension from the overthinking you’ve had since you received the email last night.

“thanks yang.”

now, here you are on the first day of attending the internship camp. you stood in front of the tall mirror hanging on the wall, straightening your cardigan and applying some makeup onto your face as touch-ups. it’s currently 7:40 in the morning, the earliest time you’ve ever woken up on a saturday. your siblings are still swallowed in their states of sleep. you double-checked the contents in your tote bag, making sure that no important things are left behind. you totally don’t intend on leaving a bad first impression on your first day.

after bidding a swift goodbye to your parents who just woke up, you drove your mother’s old honda to the completely new destination - mbyte studios. the tall building with light grey and blue painted walls definitely made it stand out, a futuristic look catching the eyes of the passersby. taking a deep breath, you entered the main lobby before being escorted to a room on the second floor. you assume it’s a waiting room for all participants of the camp, scanning that majority of the occupiers might be college students. you thanked god that the camp takes place on weekends so your high school senior life won’t be interrupted that much.

DAY 1

your eyes widened when you spot sicheng with the same white and blue tag you’re wearing, seated on the sofa. what the hell is he doing here? you avoided acknowledging his presence, trying to make yourself as unnoticed as possible heading over to occupy the seat farthest from his. after quite some time staring at the paintings hanging on the wall, a middle-aged lady with a petite figure entered the room, making you sit up straight.

“welcome to mbyte studios! i’m the assistant director, mrs. hwang. first and foremost, congratulations on being accepted. it’ a pleasure to witness the start of your musical journey embarking here. i believe that we should know each other first?” she gestured for any volunteers. sicheng stood up from his seat, charisma evident in his stance which left quite an impression on the others. the strong confidence in the way he speaks made the woman smile amusingly.

some names later, it was your turn to introduce yourself. the moment you stood up, he immediately recognized you and you were sure you caught him making some faces. the ice-breaking session went well thankfully, mrs. hwang elaborating on the social rules and the itinerary throughout the whole six days. one that caught your attention was assisting the producers on making a track from scratch, just like you had dreamed of.

when it was finally time for lunch break, you shot up from your seat to get away from sicheng as fast as possible but to your dismay, he beat you to it, jogging up towards your standing position.

“i didn’t know you were into music, what’s the sudden occasion?”

“it’s none of your business actually,” you sneered back, obviously not favouring his attention.

“woah, relax. you’ve got quite a temper, don’t you? by the way, we’re having lunch together,” he placed his phone onto a nearby table, pulling a chair for you.

“just eat on your own, i don’t have the appetite,” you flash a sarcastic grin before disappearing into the women’s restroom. he just laughed bitterly at your response before walking towards the food counter, joining his newly made friend, jaehyun. being the same age, they’re easy to click.

DAY 2

“today, we’ll be focusing on the recording process. you’ll be assigned into groups that will have a tour of the whole department. our staff will facilitate each group,” the manager said loud and clear. you remembered his name was johnny. the tattoo on his shoulder really stands out, considering the fact that he’s always wearing a sleeveless shirt.

but what are the odds when your groupmate is none other than the guy himself, sicheng. it’s like the universe truly resented you for having to be associated with him at any event. your group was escorted to the farthest recording studio on the floor. to say that this was a great experience is truly an understatement, making you observe the gears used in astonishment. you hate to admit it but sicheng has a handful of knowledge on this particular topic, always correctly answering the questions directed by the staff. maybe it wasn’t quite surprising upon knowing that his career choice is a singer, not that you care anyways.

again, nothing out of the ordinary happened today, except that you and sicheng had lunch on the same table. of course, it’s not that you accepted his offer but he welcomed himself to the spot. being the quickly favoured participant among the rest, obviously they welcomed him with open hands. he placed himself among the two guys sitting at the right corner, eyeing you whose eyes are still not leaving the article you were skimming through. with the last spoon of food shoved into your mouth, you quietly excused yourself from the group. sicheng just watched your movements in subtle signs of annoyance.

with the final task of doing microphone check-ups, day two of the camp ended with a breeze. you can’t wait to go home, get into a warm bath and spend the night watching netflix. it was a tiring one indeed but you’re not one to complain. pushing the car keys into the ignition slot, the sound of the engine starting is still nowhere to be heard even after a couple of retries. you rested your forehead onto the steering wheel, cursing silently in your head, having to get a taxi and call your mother about this incident. you’re sure to be receiving a handful from her, not to mention her soft but stingful remarks.

“hey, are you okay?” a deep voice interrupts your stressful state of mind. looking up, it’s sicheng with a concerned look on display. you hesitantly shared your problem, making him press his lips together probably thinking of a solution.

“you know, i don’t really know how to fix your broken engine or whatever but i know someone who can. let me just ring him for a sec. and you’re coming home with me.”

and that’s how you ended up in the front passenger seat, sicheng steering with one hand and the other rested on the windowsill. the faint music from the radio can be heard, probably a song by jon vinyl. you’d steal quick glances to see his other hand dancing in the air, enjoying the rhythm of the song playing. besides that, it was silent as both of you are preoccupied with your own things - sicheng on the road while you on your phone. he tried to make small talk but you would say it’s unrequited, only replying with short sentences. after a good ten minutes drive, the sight of your brown painted gate becomes a sign for him to stop the moving car.

“your car is safe with my friend so you shouldn’t worry about it or anything. also, what’s your number? it’ll be easier for, you know the car business of course,” he reached over to unbuckle your seatbelt, handing over his phone to you after. the close proximity made your breath hitch, the dewy scent of his perfume diffusing into your nose. not too strong, he has a good taste.

“thanks and um, i’ll buy you a drink later. just for today.”

“are you asking me on a date?” there it is, the significant tug on the side of his lips making its presence once again.

“stop being so narcissistic and move along please,” you rolled your eyes before giving him a small wave, stepping into your property. sicheng stared at the numerals on his phone screen, a small, proud grin etched on before driving off the lane.

“how was the camp? met any cute boys?” the first thing you hear in the hue of the blue monday morning is ningning’s chirpy voice. sometimes you wonder how she gets all boosted up at this hour of the day. yangyang is the polar opposite, his appearance as if he just got out of bed, the hood of his denim jacket resting on top of his auburn hair.

“it was good and no, no cute boys. but sicheng was there,” you replied nonchalantly, a mischievous grin crept onto her lips. you can almost predict the words that are going to spill out of her mouth.

“what’s up with her?” yangyang yawned, his eyes lazily gaze at you. you just lifted your shoulders, having no idea whatsoever. a ping sound was heard from your phone, notifying that a new message is received.

unknown: hey sicheng here

unknown: ur car may be ready tmr. want me to drive u there?

listening to your heart, you were about to type ‘no’ but remembering the fact that your parents will be busy the whole day tomorrow and yangyang is coming home late once again, you have no choice but to accept the lad’s help.

now you’re back in his vehicle, the same spot as before. you’ve only noticed now that a musical note charm is hung on the rearview mirror, a semiquaver to be exact. you’d say that it looks authentic, gold specks shining when sun rays hit the surface. observing the interior of his car, there are quite a number of small decorations.

“can we get coffee first? my treat for the car and the ride,” you suggested, looking at him whose eyes are focused onto the road. the traffic is quite pleasing today, nobody honking mindlessly at the other drivers and flipping each other off with the famous middle finger gesture. his side profile does look charming, some type of earrings dangling from his ears. if you’re going to be honest, his appearance does seem to be your type. you’re not one to say about his persona though, always managing to bother you at any time of the day.

“sure, wanna go to the new cafe? i heard it’s good,”. you just nodded while he skillfully steered the steering wheel, moving the car to the new destination. you turned your eyes to look outside from the car window, seeing the one hundred and one manners of the citizens. a mother struggling to take her child who’s having a tantrum out of the toy shop, a young couple having their romantic meal in the french cafe. the motion of the car stopping awakened you who was being distracted by your clouded mind.

from the moment you stepped into the place, the interior caught your attention. the light brown painted walls with black furniture complementing each other perfectly, making a retro-like appearance. the funky song playing faintly in the background surely is a mood-setter, just how you like it. even the barista serving you is being friendly, making a couple of small talk in the midst of operating the machines.

you would say that it was a pleasureful day for you. the exquisite taste of latte washing down your dry throat, getting your car back without too much babbling from your dear mother and the gap between you and sicheng closing in for a little.

the last sentence baffled you for a second.

DAY 3

sicheng’s eyes shot open from the short slumber he was trying to get - failing miserably even, upon spotting you enter through the door. he pulled the chair beside him in hopes for you to get his message and take the seat. a frown made its way onto his face when you just waved at him, making your way to another spot a few chairs to the front. he scoffed, head tilting slightly before approaching you instead. you shot him a puzzled look, roughly translating to ask him what he’s doing here.

“i just want to be close to you. now focus,” he redirected his eyes onto the muscular man who just entered the room. he’s a songwriter - the best one in this company to be exact. you were focused on each point he explained, making small notes on your laptop. it’s not always that you’ll get a chance to be guided by a four-time award winning songwriter, might as well gain some benefits from it.

“another tip i have is to use all types of chords. remember, do not stick to the same ones, you’ll lack creativity. for instance, use major, minor, dominant, diminished, and augmented. i promise you, more ideas will be flowing and better quality songs will be produced. you got me?” the questioned, earning buzzing sounds of positive responses from the hall.

DAY 4

another day of group work, you’re given the task to create a melody according to the themes given - for your group, it’s love. looking at sicheng, he’s already on his electric guitar, strumming mindlessly to find the perfect note to start on. the rest of you are now juicing out some thoughts on this particular sense of human nature.

“love gives us thrill, the feeling of excitement, the feeling when you’re uncertain about something but when you have that special someone with you, you’re sure to wing it all,” jaehyun suggests, earning nods of approval from the rest of your groupmates.

“you’re a pro at this, mr. romantic,” you teased him, earning a soft chuckle. a dimpled smile is etched onto his features, rosy cheeks and his eye smile making you fawn. prince-like visual and a sense of humour? a two in one package, totally.

“not really. i guess i’m a sucker for romance movies,” he rubbed the back of his neck. your small conversation came to a halt when you heard a crooked, loud sound coming from the rough strum on the guitar strings. you turned around to see sicheng gazing directly towards the both of you, a sharp one even. jaehyun just blinked his eyes before catching onto the situation unfolding in front of him while you’re still being completely oblivious. you tilted your head in confusion, unsure of what’s gotten into him.

it’s the day that yangyang has been looking forward to since the past few weeks, his dance tournament. you’re seated with ningning on the bleachers, music from the loudspeakers echoing through the walls. with the cheers of the bewatchers whenever someone captivated them with a trick or dance move, usually the risky ones, it truly is a loud atmosphere.

“now, welcoming contestant number 43 to take the stage,” the host announced, you and ningning clapped with all your might, shouting words of encouragement as well. yangyang took a deep breath before lifting his right hand up, cueing for the music to start playing. just then, there’s the sound of someone plopping down on the hard surface next to you - sicheng. he’s looking casual today, a light yellow hoodie replacing his usual dark clothings.

“what are you doing here?” you shout whispered while ningning raised her eyebrows at you.

“didn’t yangyang tell you? i’m here to watch him dance,” he countered your question before darting his eyes back to the boy who’s busy popping on the dance floor, tinashe’s song playing in the background. he ended his routine with a moonwalk, making his way to the end of the stage. you’re confident that he’s going to win the competition, looking at how precise and clean his moves were. all the late night practices he had eventually paid off when he’s announced as the second placer. nonetheless, he’s still proud of himself, not to mention you and ningning who have been with him throughout his whole journey.

“you did well,” sicheng welcomed him with a fist bump which he reciprocated back. you didn’t know that they were this good of friends.

“i’m starving,” he rubbed his hand onto his stomach, making you remember that your stomach has been rumbling since you only ate a cereal bar that morning. you were about to catch up to yangyang and ningning who were walking fast ahead when you felt a tug on your shirt, looking down to see sicheng crouching down to tie your loose shoelaces.

“you might fall,” he placed his hands into the pockets of his hoodies, waiting for you to come along.

“um, thanks,” you muttered out before catching the glances given by your friends, later teasing you about the scene.

roars of students can be heard coherently, filling the basketball court. the basketball captain, a tall one with black charcoal hair is shooting a three-pointer. the players are then called over to their respective sides for whatever strategy their coaches will be implementing in the third-quarter. the home team is currently leading by five points, knowing that the players wearing the significant red and black jersey have been training their asses off for a while now.

but why exactly did you come to the game tonight? besides from the main event happening in the moment, the other reason is now standing in his position, strumming his electric guitar producing a funky sound that vibrates through the walls - a cue for the start of another buzzing stage. sicheng has been bugging you about watching him perform tonight and after quite some time evaluating, why not? when he finally caught you among the crowd, he flashed you a flirtatious wink. right before the band bowed as gratitude to the audience, he gave you a gesture to wait for him at the back of the gym.

“you came! but seriously, thank you,” he rested the sparkly white guitar against the wall, enveloping you into a hug. this is new, you tried to hide the flustered state of yours as you reciprocated his movement. from the corner of your eyes, you can see a black-haired guy approaching the two of you, followed by one with long, white hair and a bandana nicely keeping the fluffy strands in tact.

“ooh, who’s this?” the first one wiggled his eyebrows, later introducing himself as guanheng, the latter named yuta. to your surprise, the bond between you and them are quick to form with guanheng piloting the conversation. not to mention his subtle jokes making you giggle at times.

“well y/n, your little boyfriend here is getting jealous so we’ll excuse ourselves for now. see you whenever,” guanheng banging his drumsticks into the air while yuta gave you a quick wave before disappearing into the store room of the gymnasium. the nickname they gave sicheng surely made you a bit shy.

boyfriend?

DAY 5

you’re seated in front of the computer screen, your chin resting on the palm of your hands and the tabs of different colours left untouched. you redirected your gaze onto the projector screen, the words ‘arrange, mix, edit and master like a pro’ on it. a long sigh leaving your lips, you try to remember what the producer said earlier.

don’t make the song sound too repetitive

a good buildup promises a good melody

you can have a certain instrument playing only on one part for cinematic impact

DAY 6

“i’m hyo and you’re,” she moved the wheels of her chair to the back a bit to take another look at the clipboard resting on the desk, “sicheng, y/n and jaehyun, right?” the three of you nodded in harmony, anticipating for the next order that will be given.

“okay cool, we’ll be brainstorming first,” and she proceeded to explain what the requirements for this project are. you mouthed out the important points she gave, soft rock, heartbreak and drums. you’re on a roll today, contributing your countless ideas during the first few minutes of the discussion. sicheng just looked at you discussing with hyo, your lips pursed slightly. his gaze seems full of adoration, even jaehyun said so.

“any objections?” hyo looked over to the rest.

“i think she made some great ones. i’m sure this project will come out fresh,” jaehyun voiced out his opinions, sicheng nodding after. he went straight to handling the instruments , you and jaehyun collaborating for the mixing process. hyo eventually chimed in on some times, giving small advice whenever you seem stuck in the brain. with the hours ticking by, you’re feeling more satisfied than ever with your earphones in, listening to the final product created.

all of the participants are then assembled in the hall again, waiting for a final speech by the director which formalizes the end of the camp. sure, you’ve earned worthy knowledge throughout the six days. but if you’re being brutally true to the sound of your heart, it would be how you came to learn sicheng’s true antics. he might be the cocky guy who thinks they have the power to do anything but in truth, he’s just some guy with an honest heart, honest intentions to know you better.

summer break, your most anticipated event for the past few weeks. the moment the last bell rang, that scene in high school musical 2 kept replaying in the back of your head, the students doing a parade in front of the lockers picturing how your little heart is doing backflips in your chest right now. all the beach trips ningning planned is making you feel dizzy. you turned around to a voice calling out your name from the end of the hallway, your eyes catching the sight of sicheng jogging towards your spot. he stopped in front of you, hands on his knees catching his breath.

“are you free tomorrow night? there’s a party at guanheng’s and you know, it would be really cool if you join,” his fingers tracing onto each other, waiting patiently for your response.

you didn’t even have the time to process his invitation when ningning crashed her body against yours, yangyang following suit.

“a party? y/n would totally love to come, right?” ningning nudged your arms softly while yangyang tried to stifle a giggle. you were about to mouth out a ‘what?’ before sicheng cut you off.

“cool, you guys should come too. tomorrow at 10,” he and yangyang exchanged finger guns gestures before leaving the three of you. you just stood there in disbelief, eyeing them up and down before ningning dragged you to the parking lot. a stringful of grumbles escaped your lips, making the guy laugh obnoxiously.

“i can’t believe you guys did that,” you extended the seat belt, buckling it to the slot beside you.

“please. but you do want it, right?” you can’t deny, what she said was true. plus, you should have some fun and distress before having to go back to the usual dull routine of yours.

“how do i look?” you turn around, revealing the baby pink crop top and flare pants on your legs. it’s not your best outfit but giving the cliche excuse - you have nothing to wear, the two articles totally complements each other

“you look hot, that’s all i gotta say. right, yang?” ningning lifted her head from the headboard, glancing over at yangyang who’s going over his messages.

“yeah totally,” he lifted his hands, giving you a thumbs up. you threw a jacket onto your shoulders and grabbed the black purse on your dresser, glancing at the wall mirror one last time.

from the moment you stepped into the venue - guanheng’s place, smells of alcohol lingered around your nose, a group of people cheering ever so loudly over a game of beer pong, some already passed out on the couch. not to mention a brownish stain on the carpet - probably from someone throwing up. the mess would take a whole day to get rid off, you note to yourself. your friends are no longer to be found, both of them getting affiliated with god knows what. your eyes scanned the living room for sicheng but his presence is still nowhere to be found.

you decided to step towards the kitchen bar, pouring a drink for yourself. the mixed sweet and sour taste of it remained on your tongue for a couple of seconds. looking over at the snacks served, you grabbed a strawberry flavoured lollipop from the clear bowl. the crowd is cheering loudly for some type of incident happening at the back of the room, the music has been turned up to be a little louder than the volume before and you’re suddenly getting a little bit overwhelmed. you grabbed your purse and stepped out, inhaling some fresh air and looking up to the starry night sky.

“y/n? where have you been?” sicheng approached you from behind, making you a bit startled.

“sorry, hanging out outside can calm me. where did you go?” you popped the lollipop into your mouth.

“some jerk decided to throw up in front of me,” you pinched your nose with a disgusted expression, making him roll his eyes.

“do you want me to accompany you out here?” he offered. you just nod your head, placing yourself on the patio with him following suit. the sweetening flavour empowering your senses. it’s definitely much more calm out here, allowing you to clear up your mind. it’s not that you hate the atmosphere in the house right now, you’re just not in the mood.

“you know, you look pretty,” you turned around to meet his face. his brown eyes brimming with unconfessed love.

“shut up, stop with the jokes,” you lightly land a smack on his arms.

“what if i say i’m not joking?” he looked straight into your eyes, trying to find any emotion inside you. the sudden seriousness is making you feel much more awkward so you forced out a laugh, turning your attention right back upwards. the stars are shining brightly tonight, you can almost spot a constellation.

“i know what you’re doing, dong sicheng. just stop it already, it’s not working on me.” denial, that’s what you’re experiencing in the hot minute.

a gentle tug can be felt on your wrist, his eyes still not leaving yours.

“didn’t anyone tell you before? you’re really pretty. like, i can’t even describe it to you. you’re just,” he leaned over to caress your cheeks, “pretty,”.

what jaehyun said on the other day is true, after all.

love gives us thrill, the feeling of excitement, the feeling when you’re uncertain about something but when you have that special someone with you, you’re sure to wing it all.

your heart is beating so fast, it could fall out of your chest at any moment now. even the faint music blasting through the speakers inside the house can’t flush down the sound of your heartbeat. you’re not used to this, the sudden need of the significant skin to skin contact that symbolizes love between two individuals.

“can i?” his face in a very near proximity from yours, whispering into your right ear with his honey-like voice. you pulled the candy away from your mouth and nod, giving him the approval he needed before he dived in. heat rose from your stomach to your chest. you could only focus on how soft his crimson lips felt on yours, invading your privacy by all senses. you felt the kiss expand beyond your bodies, whirling you round, swirling you into the stars. he pulled away with a soft smile, you thought you could melt right then and there.

“wow,” that was the only word escaping your throat. your jumping heart still hasn’t settled down yet, your very first kiss still feeling surreal. you could see that sicheng is very much mirroring your emotions, his slender fingers grazing over his lips - the one that has come in contact with yours.

“the strawberry lollipop is sweet,” he commented, making the both of you laugh.

a ping from your phone awakened you from the gushy eye contact with him, unlocking it only to find yangyang’s text message. the second part of it made you fluster.

yang: yo r u coming in or what? and congrats for the kiss, we thought we’d have to wait longer for this

[liljakonvalj]

Ok, the poll-maker has declared chaos by this point in the tournament so I'll invite further chaos by inviting you all non-swedes to join this poll.

A brief summary: In Sweden there's a Christmas calender (julkalender) aired every day on in December leading up to Christmas. The story is new every year, but it is a children's show. @weirdthoughtsandideas has now made a tournament to decide which is the best Christmas calender. Three of my four favourites have ended up in the same heat and I need your help. Please vote for the one you find most appealing, here's a brief summary of each calender:

Mysteriet på Greveholm (the Mystery of Greveholm): a family longing to escape their narrow apartment (and the accusations that the dad ruined tv-watching for the entire nation) happens upon renting a castle through december. Turns out the castle is haunted by two ghosts set on keeping the place human-free. The children manages to befriend the ghosts, gets a mission from Santa (via his helpers- who play a surprisingly large role) to rescue christmas, makes an old space-robot come to life, rescues a princess cursed with eternal sleep and stops an evil count with eternal "life" by the use of dental hygiene. There are many things happening and the adventure is high throughout.

Pelle Svanslös (I think he's called Peter no-tail in english): based on a famous book-series for children. Pelle is a cat with only a short stump for tail, which the other cats tease him for. It's a story about ableism and choosing kindness, as Pelle keeps getting out of whatever trouble he gets put in by wits and kindness. It is more of a series of stories than one grand adventure. What brings it together is Pelle's courtship with Maja Gräddnos (one of the cats who were on his side from the start) and the bully Måns losing his power over the other cats more and more as Pelle gets more and more friends. There are no fantasy elements, save perhaps that the cats have a parallel miniature society to the humans.

Trolltider (Troll ages): a story about a village of small trolls and their local witch, fairy and the house gnome (idk how to translate Vätte, Google suggested Goblin but that is another type of vätte then he is), they are all approximately 10-15 cm high. It is just as Pelle svanslös a number of shorter stories strung together by their lives. The witch and the fairy are frenemies, always one small word from fighting each other, but always there for the other or the trolls when needed (though outwardly more grumpily on the witch's part). The house gnome is in charge of the local big ones (humans) home and make sure their lives flow smoothly. And the small trolls mostly just keep up their rituals to ensure the sun returns after winter (they all worship the sun) and in turns help and in turns play tricks on the others or each other. The story is a musical. One of the cutest things about the show is all the props that show how small they all are, the small trolls live in an old handbag and sleep in a shoe, the house gnome uses a thimble as a bucket to water the humans potted plants (the pots are taller than he) and the witch nearly gets trampled by a giant boot when she's out in the forest to name a few.

Pelle Svanslös also shows the size difference between the cats and humans with props, but the cats also seem to be able to make some cat sized items like milk canteens and newspapers, while others are human sized like playing cards and nail files.

Now vote whichever you like the most

DEN BÄSTA JULKALENDERN TOURNAMENT: Omgång 2