#easy nursery rhymes

[monicascot]

أغنية عمور والشرطة بدون ايقاع | قناة مرح كي جي - Marah KG

Our channel showcases the fun song of Amour and the police, as well as a variety of entertaining and educational content for children. From 🌟 music videos and animations to interactive activities and educational videos. Educational children's song goes Amour is on a trip with his family, but because he did not listen to what Mama and Papa said, he got lost and went to the police station to help him find his family.

[sreepadamangaraj]

A new song from Marah KG and the Baby in which children learn a variety of words in both Arabic and English and how to have a conversation with others

[fishyfishyfishtimes]

Do you know much about the immortal jellyfish?

Probably as much as the average person! Well, besides the fact that I can recall its scientific name without looking it up, Turritopsis dohrnii (okay I admit, I put the “h” in the wrong spot). It can revert back to its polyp stage from its free-swimming medusa stage, which is super cool! But you must already know that, since you asked ^^’

[frogwen]

there is smth funny about yt not caring about letting me add ~foreign language~ childrens videos to playlists when english ones are banned...

[johannepetereric]

“🎼Heart and Soul...I fell in love with you🎼”

From what I have of the score sheet I just printed out, it seems that it the lyrics of “Heart and Soul” by Hoagy Carmichael is genderless. So if you wanna sing it to your trans S/O(s), you can without worrying about switching pronouns!😄

[evandore]

hate to admit it but sometimes the only way to get better is intentional practice....

[smol-tired-binch-blog]

I have learned there is a collection of fairy tale-themed Hatsune Miku figures, it's so over for me

[slytherinshua]

BOY DAD INTAK

genre. fluff. headcanons. non-idol au but music-related/piwon related stuff is still mentioned!! warnings. pregnancy/parent/baby stuff. sooo messy i'm very sorry abt that. not proofread. pairing. husband!intak x fem!reader. wc. 1.1k. request. for @blue-jisungs <33 a/n. i wanted to finish this quickly esp with everything going on just so maybe u have smth to distract urself axe ☹️☹️☹️ i love u so much <33 net. @kstrucknet

When he finds out you’re pregnant he’s honestly so shocked

But a good shocked of course

Safe to say it wasn’t entirely planned sjdksjs 

You’re both still very young but even though it was unexpected Intak is ready to be a dad and super excited for it :( 

He’s the best at taking care of you during your pregnancy 

He always was when you were dating but he takes extra steps to make sure all your needs are met

He will always make sure you have whatever food you’re craving 

Plus he’s down to try the weird combinations as well

More often than not they taste terrible to him while you’re chowing down 

But he finds it endearing 

He’ll watch you eat from across the table with his head rested on his fist and a smile on his face

He keeps track of what meds you should be taking and reminds you when you forget

Although his work can keep him busy sometimes, he’d drop everything for you if you needed it 

He will always always make it to your appointments 

Just because he’s not the one growing the baby doesn’t mean he can skip out on any of the steps— it’s his child as well after all

And he makes sure to always answer his phone and check his texts even if you’re updating him about your day he’ll take the time to text you back 

He doesn’t announce that you’re pregnant to the other members until you’re well along in your second trimester 

But it’s met with excitement from everyone 

Probably a look from Keeho and a throwaway “aren’t y’all still young?”

But he’s over the moon excited to be an uncle trust he’s going to be present in the baby’s life

Theo would gift you all the practical things you could need like diapers, monitors, and bottles 

Once the baby arrives Jiung will probably meal prep some food for both of you (which you are forever grateful for) 

Soul finds the most interesting baby toys on the market but despite Intak’s slight judgemental look when he receives them, you think they’re all great

Jongseob is fully composing lullaby and nursery rhymes, except you’re a little unsure of how easy they are to follow once he throws in complicated rap rhythms 

Keeho’s proud of Intak and excited for you— he knows you’ll be the best parents

But as the leader, he’s also more than eager to help out wherever you need it, especially with cleaning or just little things to help you destress when you need it, mainly during postpartum :’)

Intak is extra clingy while you’re pregnant, especially when your bump starts to show

Even if it’s only been a few days since it was visible, he is all over you

You probably receive a million kisses a day, and trust his arms are always wrapped around your waist, feeling your bump with that proud dad smile on his face

Always says his son is gonna have the coolest dad ever, and you can’t even argue with him because you do think Intak is gonna be the coolest dad ever

And when your son arrives, Intak couldn’t be prouder

Definitely cries holding him for the first time, and is probably very emotional the first couple of days

But he is also your biggest support

He’s doing absolutely everything he can to make sure you can rest after delivery; seriously won’t let you lift even a finger

He shows you off even more than before, he just thinks you’re so incredible and amazing for everything you’re capable of, and how good of a mom you are

He’s more in love with you than ever

Each milestone your son reaches is so important to Intak, from his first smile, to his first word (which he’s proud to say was “dada”), to his first steps and first day of school

Intak is one of those dads who is constantly giving all his friends and family updates about your little ones and sharing cute moments of his son with him

He’s so close with his son, and you’re always happy to see them spending time together

Of course, he’s gonna raise his son right!!

From an early age, he’s always talking to his son about doing things for mom; whether it be cleaning the house cause you had a long day, planning a surprise date cause it’s been a while, or buying you flowers because it’s mother’s day

Doesn’t matter if your son can’t even talk yet, Intak will still be talking about every occasion that is important to you

And they plan all the special things together <3

Dressed up in matching suits for your first mother’s day, and your heart melted :(

Intak includes your son in everything, and they just make the best duo, you couldn’t be happier to have them in your life

Date nights with Intak used to be a super regular thing in your early marriage, but it becomes pretty tricky with a kid to manage

You rely on Intak’s friends to babysit a lot, especially Keeho and Theo who are more than happy to compete for best uncle award

You can usually sneak in at least 3 dates per month amidst your busy schedule <3

Intak is the best person ever to comfort his son and also to give the best advice

He’ll always wipe his tears and assure him whenever he stumbles, especially as a toddler/little kid around 2-6

He’s always telling his son how proud he is of him and how he can do anything he ever wants to and be backed by his dad

As your son grows older, Intak gets a bit more emotional about it

Because he’s not as small and dependent as he used to be :(

Especially at around age 5-6, he’s really getting out of his shell, and Intak feels bittersweet about it

Of course, he’s beyond proud of his son for making new friends and trying out new things by himself with the introduction of school

But he also misses those more quiet days when it was just you two and your baby doing everything together :(

Your son starts to develop some of Intak’s habits, and you find it so cute how he’s becoming a little carbon copy of his dad

They share the same interests and can always be found playing together

Definitely starts enjoying music with his son really early on and is always dancing and singing/rapping with his kiddo <3

And also loves to get into sports with his son and compete (although he’ll almost always let his son win)

You find it incredible how they can stay entertained together for hours

Of course, Intak doesn’t have endless energy like his son does, but he still somehow keeps up just running off of love and pride for his kid

Best boy dad you could ever ask for !!!

↳ p1harmony taglist (bolded could not be tagged): @eternalgyu,, @kangtaehyunzzz,, @amara-mars,, @nyukyusnz,, @blossominghunnie,,

@wccycc,, @seunghancore,, @sobun1est,, @bananabubble,, @talkingsaxy,,

@cupidslovearrows,, @50-husbands,, @hursheys,, @mjupis,, @stannwjnss,,

@gong-fourz,, @forever-atiny

[itsonlypolite]

Hi!!! I have a question :] If you where to give the voices human names, what would you call them? I like to think the voice of the hero would be named Theodore. Along with that, it’d be awesome if you gave the princess and the players names :]

Hello!! Thanks for such a fun question, @just-a-itty-bitty-kitty and I talked it over so first, big thanks to Kitty for all their help!!!! We have explanations for the names we chose not only for all the voices but the vessels too! (I also took the opportunity to touch up my old human voice designs!!)

First batch:

Hero -> Robin : This was one the simplest to come up with but I really like it! I love robin based designs for Heros, and this name invokes Robin Hood and Christopher Robin vibes which I really like! :)

Base Princess -> Sarah : Literally means "Princess", it's perfect.

Broken -> Will : Its a pun/reference to his "broken will". Fitting since his ch 2 is all about agency or lack thereof!

Tower -> Adeline : Tower has SO many good name options!!!! We went with Adeline because it means "noble", but other options we considered were Maria or Hera.

Paranoid -> Harvey : Though the name was initially suggested for vibes, it ended up sticking for the reference to William Harvey, an English physician and the first person to describe in detail the pulmonary and circulatory system!! And Paranoid's the heart liver nerves guy!!! What a perfect match :D

Nightmare -> Annabelle : Famous haunted doll!

Stubborn -> Brutus : The name I think says it all, it sounds like "brute" and means heavy!

Adversary -> Vicky : A shorter, sharper version of the regal sounding Victoria! And "victory" is in the name!

Next round:

Cheated -> Jack : Another easy to decipher choice. Blackjack is a card game, and the way he brings in all the other voices and their various skills for his ch 2 route makes him a "Jack of all trades"!

Razor -> Jill : As the nursery rhyme goes, "Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water. Jack fell down and broke his crown and Jill came tumbling after" Jack (Cheated, as well as the other voices) get silenced first in Razor's ch 4, but Razor isn't far behind from being silenced herself, so the order of events in the rhyme matches. Jill also means "sweetheart" which is fun since it matches how she initially presents herself. It also rhymes with "kill".

Skeptic -> Cliff : Just as a climber always searches for new heights to reach, Skeptic is always on the hunt for answers! Also you fall in the Cage's route, "falling off a cliff", you get it. Full name is Cliff Grey!

Prisoner -> Cordelia : Regal sounding + Cord-elia, she uses her chains as cords in her new chapter 3! Full name is Cordelia Grey!

Opportunist -> Oliver : if you asked Opportunist what his name was, he'd tell you the name of one of his many aliases (Malcom, Jacob, Trey, Sylvester, Nick) but his real name is Oliver! It's a sweeter name than expected, just hidden behind many, many, layers. And it starts with "O"!

Witch -> Hilda : Perfect name for a witch!!

Smitten -> Romeo : I'm almost tempted to say someone calls Smitten this in-game, the connection is so obvious.

Damsel -> Daisy : It's the name of the same flower traditionally used for games of "he loves me, he loves me not", a game all about true love - that leaves a flower petal-less by the end. Her full name is Daisy Grey (sister of Cordelia!)

Final section!

Cold -> Cain : Cain's the first killer in the Bible, fits with Cold's ch 1 lead-in! We also considered Isaac since the vibes fit him so well.

Spectra -> Mary : Mary's a sweet name, but combine it with the idea of ghosts and you end up with "Bloody Mary". Fitting for the two sides she flips back and forth with in her chapter. (runner-up was Carrie)

Contrarian -> Shena : Short for "Shenanigans"!

Stranger -> Catherine : And Kathy, Catie, Kate, and Kitty. Chosen for all the different ways you can spell it and it's many off shoots!

Hunted -> Wren : Wren is a species of prey animal, specifically very small birds.

Beast -> Messalina : means "she who has an insatiable appetite", which is fitting! Also still sounds regal, which I love for Beast.

And Kitty and I agreed not to do ch 3s because that would be way too many but just as a bonus round for the two we accidentally did do:

HEA -> Theodosia : means "god's gift", something about calling her a "gift" slots right into some HEA analysis

Thorn -> Briar : Essentially just means "thorns", perfect

And that's it!! Thank you again to Kitty for all the help!!!

[thedinanshiral]

In preparation for The Veilguard i'll be exploring some of the companions we already have information on from other Dragon Age media. I'l start with Lucanis Dellamorte, who already had an impressive introduction in the story The Wigmaker's job from Tevinter Nights, and an implicit silent role in the short story The Wake.

Lucanis Dellamorte, Master Assassin of the Antivan Crows. Grandson of Caterina Dellamorte, First Talon of the Antivan Crows, and chosen by her to succeed her.

His cousin Illario Dellamorte whom he often works with might resent him a little for being the favourite but Illario is Lucanis' favourite to succeed as First Talon, as he's got the "silver tongue" required for the politics of it Lucanis does not.

Both of them are described as lean with dark hair and umber eyes; Lucanis is described as "the kind of man you couldn't look away from- until he looked at you".

Despite the abuse from his grandmother during training that caused him to hate her, now in his adult years he understands her motivation was preparing him for this life, and while on the job still recites to himself the same nursery rhyme she did when they were children. It goes:

One for silence Two for surprise Three for good measure Four's excercise Five for a slaughter Six for the thrill Seven means more sovereigns Eight marks the final kill

Seems it's a rhyme reminding how many extra kills are necessary/acceptable in a mission that didn't call for them? But while Illario also remembers it they don't make any other comments on it.

Focused, centered on duty, Lucanis never misses the mark. He carries multiple knives, daggers and blades he takes care of personally and carefully. Mostly seems to take contracts on Venatori and Tevinter mages to the point he's grown acostumed to their magic and can sense them pulling at/tunning into the Fade. Yes, he can sense where the Veil is thin. The way in which he senses a mage using magic is as an itch behind his eyes, or as an annoying headache. The worse the headache the more magic is being used. He can track Venatori mages by headache alone.

He's not just a killing machine, he also knows his enemy's ways, in this case knowing such a corrupt mage would have to have an artifact in use to keep demons at bay. When he found and destroyed said artifact demons crossed the Veil and destroyed the wigmaker's party. This event is what earns him the nickname "the Demon".

As good as he normally is in this contract he let his personal feelings and morals interfere and rather than fulfilling the contract he prioritized the slaves escaping and the victims getting justice in the form of vengeance, considering what the wigmaker Ambrose had done didn't make him deserving of an easy death. A Magister named Zara Renata ends the story deciding, since the Crow is now a Demon, that since demons can't be killed but controled, and Lucanis showed his weakness -having a heart - , she'll find a way to manipulate him to her benefit.

In the short story The Wake Crows Viago and Teia drag a drunken Illario back to his room after someone's funeral and by Illario's comments seems the deceased was Lucanis. Illario says they were brothers more than cousins, and now in his absence he has no one to follow. He mentions as a child one time Lucanis read a book about wyverns and became obssessed with wyverns, took him hunting and both returned to their grandmother made an absolute muddy mess. It's curious how as affected as Illario is the other two Crows seem very much not, so an alternative intepretation could be the one who passed is Caterina, their grandmother, and now Lucanis is First Talon so Illario is lamenting their relationship won't be the same, at the same time he's lamenting he wasn't the chosen one, when he bitterly says "It should have been me".

Some colorful notes sprinkled here and there: when asked by Illario what he'd do if someone sees his face and talks, Lucanis says he'd just grow a beard. Seems he did:

In The Wigmaker's job when Illario complains about not having being told the specifics of the contract it's revealed Lucanis did inform him via a dossier he wrote himself. This coupled with his childhood wyvern obssession and the rest of his personality presented in Tevinter Nights tells me he's very possibly ND on some level.

During The Veilguard reveals we learn from devs that Lucanis likes coffee and is a good cook. His writer Mary Kirby confirmed on Twitter his VA is good and Lucanis will have an accent like previous Antivan characters did (Zevran, Josephine), said he is "the sole dumpster fire of the crew" and that she wrote him "specifically to be a bisexual disaster of a human" (source). In Tevinter Nights Lucanis recalls he once found himself walking into an orgy during a contract at a party and i quote, italics included "Getting out of that had been interesting", implying he may have joined in some capacity in order to get out of it.

In his companion tarot card we see his colors are black and purple, the backdrop is a stylized design of crows and behind and around Lucanis there's a purple design that looks like a wing made of eyes.

The pauldrons on his outfit also have a design of many eyes.

The back of his outfit has a bird -crow?- design as well, with a bigger single red eye

And it's not known yet how but during combat that part of his outfit projects a pair of purple wings.

This is likely how that ability looks in combat menu

Because of the purple and the eyes motif plus learning he's known as "the Demon" has made some very excited at the possibility he turns out to be possessed by a Pride demon. But as it turns out, knowing how this Demon nickname came to be, and that he's a Crow, spies and assassins who have "eyes everywhere", plus this wings combat ability i think it's safe enough to say no, he's not possessed, he's not another Anders, if there's a Pride demon walking around looking like a man that's more likely to be Solas than this Antivan handsome man.

Another detail is the other crow motif on his clothes, i think these are rather cute

Because of The Wake some propose Lucanis died and a demon rose him back from the dead or that he's possessed by a Pride demon because purple and eyes and all that, but as i proposed back in 2020 chances are Lucanis faked his death to escape his fate as successor to a position he had zero interest in, a role that was being pushed and forced on him with absolutely no consideration to his feelings or thoughts on the matter, or he is now First Talon, reluctanctly. Considering he thinks simply growing a beard is disguise enough and now in The Veilguard we see him with a beard tells me he is in fact hiding his identity to some, either because people think he's dead or because he doesn't want to be identified as the current First Talon.

[monicascot]

أغنية عيني واوا بدون ايقاع | قناة نونو بيبي | Nono Baby

Hi, thanks for watching the video: Aini Wawa song without rhythm | Nono Baby Channel | Nono Bab

[sreepadamangaraj]

The most popular videos include the pope coming home, as well as a group of kids singing along to classic nursery rhymes. The videos are accompanied by colorful animations and fun sound effects. The videos are fun for kids of all ages and foster a love of music and learning.

[burreauxwrites]

“K-I-S-S-I-N-G” - (andrei iosivas x reader)

description: ja’marr and tee tease you about your crush on andrei, employing the good old “sitting in a tree” nursery rhyme. but actually…it turned out to become a reality.

word count: 1.8k

warnings: andrei x reader, reader is apart of the social media team, tee and ja’marr are goofy bffs (joe is the somewhat reasonable one), fluff, kissing, a bit of swearing. really just a cute blurb overall! :)

“andrei and y/n sitting in a tree!”

“ja’marr. tee.” you sighed.

“K-I-S-S-I-N-G!”

you groaned. this would be the very last time you ever told ja’marr and tee anything. at least joe wasn’t obnoxious about any secrets. plus, knowing how hardworking he is, he’d probably have forgotten by time he gets home and sleeps.

upon sensing your annoyance, joe hushed his two best friends down. “okay, guys,” he said, smacking their shoulders, “that’s enough.”

ja’marr caught his breath, looking at you curiously. “okay, but…when did this crush start?”

you shrugged. to be honest, you could never exactly recall when your little crush on andrei started. crushing on people was not exactly your thing. but ever since you became part of the social media team and got closer to the players over time, you just kind of…liked him. he made you laugh the most, and he just had the most charming smile that you’d ever seen.

“don’t know,” you answered, folding your arms.

“well…he is nearby if you want to tell him.” tee nudged your shoulder.

“cmon, man. she aint gonna do that!” ja’marr interjected, making tee laugh.

at that, you gave the both of them a deadpan stare as they burst into laughter again. you look at joe, who seems to be holding back a chuckle of his own.

“yeah, um…i don’t see you telling yoshi that you like him. no offense.” joe added, shaking his head.

the problem is…they didn’t lie. you were extremely introverted as it is; plus, you had this tendency to be very quiet and pretend that you have no crush at all. it was kind of easier that way. but the fact that these three knuckleheads were teasing you made you want to prove them wrong.

and so, you turned on your heels and walked away, leading to some cheers from ja’marr and tee as they started whistling. meanwhile, joe watched, giving you a thumbs up as you looked back.

you couldn’t believe you were doing this.

soon enough, you found andrei, letting out an anxious sigh. you easily could just walk away, and nothing could ever come of this. but here you were.

“oh, hey, y/n!” andrei grinned at you, patting your head briefly.

“hey,” you chuckled, fixing your head as you look at him. “how’s the practice going?” you asked, folding your arms a little. “working hard, or hardly working?”

andrei chuckled; curse him and his attractive laugh. though, he everything that he did was attractive. it was like he didn’t have to try. and that pissed you off a bit. all he had to do was stand there and you’d fall for him. it was pathetic on your part, kind of. but who could blame you? you saw people’s tiktok edits of him. so it wasn’t just you who had the hots for him.

“working hard or hardly working,” he said, pretending to ponder, “i mean, it’s been a relatively easy day. so, i’d say the latter.” he nodded, watching as some of the other players did some drills out in the field. the weather was nice, the wind slightly blowing your hair a bit.

you nodded along as well, also watching the players run some drills. however, you were busy thinking about what on earth to say. conveying your feelings verbally wasn’t your thing. hell, conveying your feelings period wasn’t your thing; you’d rather do anything else than put your feelings into words, especially when it comes to some…crush.

before you could speak, andrei wrapped an arm around your shoulder, looking down at you.

“so. i heard ja’marr and tee earlier,” he said, raising an eyebrow, “seems like they were…bugging you about something.”

fuck. he heard? why must this happen to you?

“it was nothing. just them being ridiculous like usual.” you shook your head in denial.

“really? because ‘andrei and y/n sitting in a tree’ doesn’t sound like nothing to me.” he teased, shaking you a little.

your face burned in embarrassment. quite frankly, you felt like dying. this was humiliating. so humiliating. but at least this saved you a little bit of explaining.

“well. i guess i have a crush on you,” you admitted, sighing a little, “but don’t think i’m telling you this because you know now. i would’ve told you eventually.”

andrei laughed. you were funny. because this whole time, he knew you liked him. it was an obvious thing to him really. you lit up like a lightbulb when it came to filming tiktok videos for the official account, and you let him make all sorts of inside jokes with you. nine times out of ten, you were stoic, all business, very polite. but that little sliver of energy and joy came out when he was around.

“you’re not slick, y/n. honestly, i kind of figured you liked me.” he squeezed your shoulder, pulling you closer.

“oh.”

“pfft, ‘oh’ is correct,” he grinned at your reaction. “if you want though, we can hang out later tonight.”

“yeah…! i’d like that.” you nodded, your voice filled with a bit of excitement.

‘that was cute,’ andrei thought. he knew you enjoyed his presence and all, but seeing you so thoroughly joyed to spend time with him was precious.

“great. i gotta get back to practice though,” he pulled away, ruffling your hair once again, “see ya later, cutie.”

as he headed off to do more drills, you stood there. dumbfounded. in a way, you owed it to ja’marr and tee. if they weren’t being as obnoxious as they were, this probably wouldn’t have happened.

_________

it was late at night, the stars twinkling brightly in the sky. the vibe was pretty casual overall, as you and andrei talked about life events and other things. it was nice, really. mostly because you were with the guy you’ve admired for a while, but that’s besides the point.

the both of you spotted a massive oak tree in a desolate area of the park. deciding to take a bit of a risk you guys decided to sit in it. finding a sturdy branch, andrei took your hand, helping you up and making sure you were comfortable next to him.

but, he didn’t let go of your hand. you didn’t mind though; in fact, it made you quite happy.

“y/n,” andrei spoke up after a moment, looking over at you, “do you know how amazing you are?”

that was a difficult question. because honestly, you didn’t know. you kind of just…existed. you did whatever you felt like doing. but to have someone like you like that and find your unapologetic personality worth liking…it made you happy.

“well…no, but you can tell me more, if you want.” you smiled, curious to see if he’d expand a bit more on his words.

“you’re just…awesome,” he began, looking at you fondly, “first of all, you’re pretty. stunning, even,” he smiled, “but on top of that, you’re just…different. i honestly thought you were just standoffish at first, but you’re probably one of the funniest people i know.”

“funny…? please…you’re the funny one. i only laugh because of you, really.” you shook your head as you nudged andrei’s side.

“then, i’ll wear that like a badge of honor.” andrei laughed, squeezing your hand tightly as you leaned against him.

you sighed, smiling as you rested your head against his shoulder, looking at the stars.

“i just think you bring out the best in me.” you stated, peeking up at him with a tender gaze. “i mean, you make me feel more expressive, more free. i don’t have to be so hardcore all the time around you.”

andrei chuckled, his hand sliding under your chin and lifting your head slightly. the feeling of your skin was soft underneath his fingers, and everything about you looked so beautiful. he was completely enamored by you.

“i’m glad i bring out the best in you, y/n,” he spoke sweetly, his own stare flitting down to your lips momentarily, “i think you bring out the best in me too.”

you let out a faint, contented laugh, leaning into his touch. but his eyes on your lips didn’t go unnoticed by you. you actually…liked it. with an odd feeling of confidence washing over you, you slowly leaned in towards andrei, also scooting in closer to his side.

deciding not to miss this opportunity, he too leaned in, his thumb sweetly caressing your cheek. your lips ever so gently brushed against his for a moment, the sensation sending a shiver through your spine.

you both eventually locked lips, arms wrapping around each other to hold the other as close as possible. it was almost as if the both of you feared the other would drift away.

everything about this moment just felt right. your arms around his shoulders and his own arms around your waist. the kiss was slow and tender, the both of you savoring this moment together; you’d occasionally pull away, sharing a bit of laughter and small pecks on the lip or cheek.

“well…i guess ja’marr and tee were right when they said me and you sitting in a tree.” andrei joked.

“pfft. k-i-s-s-i-n-g?” you added, giggle a little.

“yeah. first comes love, then comes marriage-”

“no babies in carriages, please,” you interject, shaking your head, “i can barely care for myself as is.”

the both of you shared a warm laugh, nudging each other as you joked. you looked at the stars for a moment, catching your breath with a happy smile. and andrei was just as happy as well, his own gaze on you. to him, you were the brightest star there ever was.

“so, cutie,” he started to speak, his hand caressing your waist, “what are we?”

that was a good question. what were you guys? surely not friends; friends don’t kiss in a tree.

you grinned, looking at andrei. “boyfriend and girlfriend?”

“sounds good to me,” he agreed with no hesitation as he stared at you lovingly, “me and you, boyfriend and girlfriend. i don’t think there’s anything better, really.”

and well, you had to agree. there was nothing you wanted more in the world than to be his. though you weren’t the most romantically experienced, you were excited to see where this relationship would go.

you’re interrupted by your thoughts when your stomach began to rumble.

“you’re hungry, huh?” he snickered at the grumbling sound, “how about we go get some burgers. it’s all on me.”

“hmm…do i get a milkshake too?” you ask, raising an eyebrow.

“whatever my favorite girl wants, she gets it.” andrei insisted, kissing your temple.

the two of you climbed down from the tree, heading to the nearby burger joint. in your mind, you knew ja’marr and tee would flip out and tease you relentlessly after this, but you didn’t care. in the end, you and andrei were in fact sitting in a tree, kissing.

and it was the best moment of your life.

this is my first blurb for someone that’s not joe lmao! but i hope you all enjoyed it! <33

[casdeans-pie]

Did somebody say snippet from my current wip?? Misuse of prayer anyone????? I just wish I could get to the part where Cas says, "I really don't think you would want to be doing this with your brother in the room." because Dean is inadvertently doing the angel equivalent of whispering intimately straight into Cas's ear. Angels are so goddamn weird and I cannot wait to write this whole thing.

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Boredom itched under Dean's skin. He hadn't even registered most of what he'd read on the last few pages, just turned over onto a new one every minute or so. His head sat heavy in his hand, elbow planted onto the table next to his book, and he had to resist the urge to yawn as he turned another page.

Dean glanced up at Sam, sat further down the table, with his nose pressed down close to his own book. If Dean had any hopes that Sam might be struggling to concentrate as much as him, he didn't see any evidence of it.

Cas, of course, looked as interested as he always did. He sat directly opposite Dean reading a huge book with an intensity in his expression that would be the same whether he was reading apocalyptic scriptures or nursery rhymes. A fond warmth settled in his chest.

Dean tried to follow their example and return to his own research, but after only a few minutes his leg began to bounce.

Eventually his mind wondered to the book that he'd been writing himself. It had been difficult to think of how he could write a book on Angels and get the information that he needed out of Cas without telling him about it. But a silent room, with all of Cas's focused attention on something else, felt like a perfect opportunity to get some material on prayer...

Dean tried to clear his mind (easy enough, not like he'd been paying any attention to his book) and had to resist the urge to physically clear his throat before starting.

"Cas," Dean thought, trying to make it loud inside his own head.

Dean peeked up, but Cas had had no reaction. Dude didn't even blink.

Huh.

Either his poker face is just that good, or it hadn't worked.

Thinking it loudly wasn't the same as praying, Dean supposed.

He breathed out slowly and stared at Cas, drinking in every detail of him. Praying meant faith, right? He had that. He absolutely had that. More fucking faith in Cas than anyone in the whole world.

"Cas..." slipped out of Dean's mind in a whisper, a plea, a declaration of that unwavering faith.

Cas gasped and jumped so violently that his knees slammed against the underside of the table.

"Cas? You okay?" Sam called over, concern pinching his eyebrows together.

Cas stared intensely at Dean, eyes narrowed, and he didn't even look away as he replied, "Fine, thank you, Sam. I... read something shocking in this book."

Sam looked unconvinced and switched his attention to Dean.

Dean shrugged in a you-know-what-Cas-is-like way, and eventually Sam returned to his book with a long suffering sigh and a small shake of his head.

Cas looked like he was trying not to react, but Dean knew by the hard line of his mouth that he was deep in thought, probably unsure if he'd heard anything at all. Dean had to smother a satisfied grin.

The prayer worked!

"Cas!" Dean prayed again, digging even deeper into the well of faith he had in his best friend.

This time Cas's eyes snapped open and his whole body jolted, as if he'd been struck by an electric current.

"Cas, this feels really weird and I'm not even sure I'm doing it right - but uh, this is a prayer to you, blink twice if you can hear me..."

Cas bowed his head, took a deep breath, and gripped the edge of the table.

Maybe he hadn't heard that time? Dean settled himself into his chair and tried to really think about what Cas meant to him - and how despite everything they'd been through he wouldn't hesitate to trust him with his life.

Amongst the certainty of his belief there was something tangled up in it all that felt much warmer and softer and sweeter. He tried not to examine it too closely, but some of that delicate warmth leaked into his internal voice when he prayed, "Castiel, Angel of Thursday, best buddy - breaker breaker, come in, can you hear me? I feel kinda dumb doing this, but... just give me a sign you're even getting any of this? Over."

For a second nothing happened, and Dean wondered if he'd screwed it up by throwing in the two-way radio stuff.

Dean placed his palms together under the table, wondering if that would help too. "Oh, right. Uh- amen."

Suddenly the lights above them buzzed and flickered dramatically, while a lamp in the center of the table popped and went dark.

Cas bent over even further, touching his forehead to the table, and let out such a long, loud breath it was almost a groan. He stood up from his chair so quickly it clattered backwards and he rumbled a quiet, "Excuse me," as he swept out of the room, before either Winchester could react.

Sam looked at Dean sharply.

Dean threw his hands in the air. "What?"

"Whatever you've done, go fix it."

"I haven't done anything!" Dean said on impulse, but his heart raced in his chest and the back of his neck burned just remembering that low, tortured sound Cas had made before his swift exit. The lights had returned to normal, but the casualty of the lamp bulb lay in shiny shattered pieces on the table. "Okay. Maybe I did do something. I'll go check on him."

[pfhwrittes]

prompt: gaz and ghost on overwatch, watching soap talk to their contact on the ground, and roasting him alive on comms. just stepping on his neck nonstop. soap can hear them but can't react because the contact spooks easy -391780

@391780 i LOVED this prompt. nothing makes me happier than Ghost and Gaz banter (there's so much of it in the drafts for misery and festivals). hopefully this little blurb satisfies the prompt!

-- “Permission to speak freely, sir?” 

Soap’s earpiece crackles as Gaz opens the comms, distracting him for a second from the twitchy man in front of him. 

“Go ahead, sergeant.” Ghost rumbles.

“You ever realise that Soap stands with his hip cocked?” Soap can hear the shit eating grin in Gaz’s voice. The sleekit wee bastard. 

“Hm. Looks like a teapot.”

“A teapot, sir?”

“Like the nursery rhyme.” 

The comm crackles again as it cuts off Garrick’s stifled chuckle. 

Soap shifts his stance, subtly redistributing his weight to rest evenly and bringing his hands up to loop his thumbs into the shoulder straps of his vest. There, now he can’t be called a fuckin’ teapot. The informant flicks his eyes over Soap warily. 

The comm clicks on again.

“Think he heard us, sergeant?” Ghost asks, amusement lacing his tone.

“Can’t be sure sir, it appears Cap has taken Soap’s place temporarily.” Gaz’s voice wobbles with repressed laughter. 

“Can’t see it myself, Garrick.”

“Why’s that, sir?” 

“Doubt Price would dare show ‘is face if he had a mop like that on his head.” Ghost deadpans. Soap feels his eye twitch as Gaz chokes back another burst of laughter. Cheeky fuckin’ cunts. 

“Looks -” Gaz cuts off the comm before flicking it back on, “looks like he lost a fight with a pair of clippers -” the comm cuts off again and Soap swears he can hear Gaz wheezing somewhere above him. 

Soap moves one of his hands to scratch at the back of his helmet with his middle finger, aware of the way the informant tracks his movements. If those pair of wallopers blow this op, Soap swears to himself that he’ll dye every single one of Ghost’s balaclavas pink and sew a Saltire on the front of Gaz’s cap in place of the Union Jack. 

Abruptly the tone on the comms change. 

“Garrick.” Ghost snaps, the teasing lilt to the banter is gone and in its place is the hard tone Soap’s heard before when things are about to get dicey. 

“I see ‘em.” 

“Keep them in your sights, I don’t like the look of -” whatever Ghost doesn’t like the look of gets cut off as an explosion sends a shockwave of sound and dust over Soap, forcing him to cover his head from flying debris. 

- 

Much later when the three of them are getting chewed out by Price for “missing a whole fucking truckload of insurgents because you three were too busy dicking around on the bloody comms” Soap decides that his little sewing project isn’t nearly enough in the way of payback.

[the-northern-continent]

Rhythm and Breath in Dragon Age: Inquisition

Inquisition plays around with a couple recurring rhythms:

iambic pentameter (dagger skill tree, Maryden)

trochaic tetrameter (Saga of Tyrdda Bright-Axe)

the cadence from the song Hallelujah (Solas)

Many folks have already written technical comparisons of these different rhythms, but I specifically wanted to talk about how they handle breath.

Without even paying attention to the word content of these rhythms, the breath patterns help set the mood. Are my breaths regularly spaced? Am I gulping for air? Am I breathing slowly and calmly?

As we go through the different rhythms, try reading them aloud to see where your breath lands.

Iambic Pentameter

Iambic pentameter is a five (penta-) foot meter, where each foot is an iamb. An iamb is a two-syllable “da-DUM” sound, an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. So each line has 10 syllables total.

Here’s an example from the dagger skill tree, with the feet color-coded:

You leap through shadows to attack your foe

With deadly strikes that hit them from behind.

Before your target turns to face your blow,

You move to stealth, impossible to find.

If we read this aloud, we find that 10 syllables is a lot! There are very few mid-line commas, so we naturally want to breathe between lines. But each of those breaths needs to last for ten syllables. If we don’t want to pass out, we’re reading the lines a bit faster than we normally would.

The iambs add even more forward momentum. Since we need to save more breath for the second syllable in each pair, we hurry slightly faster over the unstressed syllables.

Because we keep repeating that same syllable count and stress pattern, the overall effect is one of speed and precision. This is a rogue rapidly making blow after blow after blow with their daggers, hitting every single time. This is Maryden rattling off each sentence with perfect poise and musical training. There’s no time here for thinking; no room for mistakes. The next line is going to be ten syllables too. And the next. And the next.

Trochaic Tetrameter

By contrast, the Saga of Tyrdda Bright-Axe only has 4 (tetra-) trochees (DUM-da) per line. On every other line, the final unstressed syllable is dropped (catalexis).

That’s a lot of jargon, let’s color code the feet:

Tell the tale of Tyrdda Bright-Axe

mountain maker, spirit’s bride:

Free, her people, forged in fastness

made in mountains, hardy hide.

This is a classic meter, often found in nursery rhymes and folk songs. Because there’s only 8 syllables per line (plus lots of mid-line commas), we can read each line at a casual pace, without speeding up. The catalexis adds extra emphasis to the rhyming lines, since we get to the last (7th) syllable with more breath to spend. And even within each foot, we don’t have to manage our breath as much, because the stressed syllable comes first.

This creates a comfortable rhythm that lends itself to memorization and recitation. We can easily imagine this saga being passed down beside a campfire.

Hallelujah

Since the Hallelujah cadence comes from music rather than poetry, it has an additional kind of stress, the mid-measure secondary stress.*

We don’t exactly have feet, but we can color code each measure:

I lay in dark and dreaming sleep

while countless wars and ages passed.

I woke still weak a year before I joined you.

For the first two lines, each measure is 4 syllables long, so we get 8 syllables in each line, similar to the Tyrdda poem. If we read it aloud, it’s easy to do it slowly and thoughtfully. The secondary, quieter stresses also create an echoing effect, which emphasizes that Solas is thinking about the past.

Then the last line goes absolutely bananas. It abandons the unstressed-stressed repetition and gets much longer, flying up to 11 syllables — even longer than the 10-syllable lines in iambic pentameter.

Additionally, Solas tends to glue the first two lines together, which is SIXTEEN syllables, so they sound closer to an octameter** than the tetrameter(ish) sound of the original song.

The overall effect is of someone trying to be measured and thoughtful, but partway through he gets hit with nostalgia and the lines spill out in a long breathless rush. Bro has to speak quietly so he doesn’t totally run out of air.

*Music theory sidebar: Leonard Cohen’s original version is in 12/8 time, so the secondary stress isn’t as prominent. It shows up in one or two verses, but not all. A lot of the subsequent covers, including k.d. lang’s, sound more like 6/8. That means every measure has a 2-beat count: 1-2-3 4-5-6. I think the 6/8 version fits Solas’ speech pattern a bit more. But he’s not singing, and secondary stresses are harder to place. Syllables don’t have to align 1:1 with melody notes (in fact, in Hallelujah there are several places where the syllable alignment changes from verse to verse). So someone else could easily hear a slightly different stress pattern.

**This implies a cursed version of Solas where the last line is omitted and he’s actually syncing his speech to Modern Major-General.