#gosh i love analyzing this game i need more

[rubberbandgirlme]

another interesting piece of exchange between mhin and leander that caught my eye 👁

indeed, it seems baffling that leander, our reliable man, our nice guy, the nicest of the nicest, just forgets to warn mc about such a tiny little detail, easily forgettable for sure — that eridia's streets are unsafe at night 💀

he quickly covers it up by flirting — and boy, can i wait (can't, need this game right now) to see more of such instances, because he seems to master this craft, and it is working on most people, — hinting at mc's beauty and/or the intimate (and it is intimate for mc, whether you like leander or not) moment they shared.

but do you know the most important, tasty nuanced thing this tiny, blink-and-you-miss-it dialogue reveals? leander doesn't care about mc, about their life and safety; he's niceys, it's all just an act. sure, cap, you might say, we already know leander is a manipulative titty shit, what's new? but look at it another way: we know this because rss kindly backed us up with all this additional info and content so we don't starve to death while waiting for the release (rss, i would have gone through content drought anyway. this is not a shade, take your time, i love you). now imagine playing this game for the first time without a pile of lore stacked at the back of your mind and seeing these discrepancies in his behaviour (check out my previous post on this), foreshadowing that he's not as good as he seems and his path might be dark and gritty as hell.

and now, my fellow leander girls/gays/whoever else is there, imagine how it would feel when leander cares (faints).

[oleander-neruim]

I want her to be happy and to feel love and warmth and I will be maiming over it.

Headcanons/Rambles under cut:

Close Ups:

Base Lining & Sketch:

I want to analyze her character for science. I want to dive in so much about how her character/perception is pushed down in the game due to who's perspective we're watching. Gosh.

Anyways

Headcanons

• Soft, caring, can and will meticulously pick apart your life in a way that either makes you feel like you need to go to a therapist or curl on the floor and cry 👍. Not always malicious. She's just a really good observer.

• Has a resting look that makes her look sad or quiet and what not but she just has those big ol sad eyes.

• She remembers everything she reads (I don't recall if Eidetic/Photographic is the correct term, but something like that). She reads manuals and contracts and every small type of information so that she can always referr back to it.

• Her great memory also adds to her and Daisuke's friendship. With her being patient enough to listen to his miles long rambles, he can explain a lot of modern/"younger generation" stuff so that she slowly but surely can actually understand what he's talking about. He usually talks about games, things he sees on the internet and more political topics when the conversations fall into it. Daisuke has gone into in depth discussions about gender identity & sexuality to the point where Anya has heavily questioned her own identity (had she had the time to live with it more, she would've started using They/She Pronouns. For the sake of my babbles I won't do that here but. But). She's debated a lot about how she feels about her orientation.

• I believe she's had many passing thoughts about using the gun on Jimmy or Curly or herself (given that she had the code smh). Upsettingly intrusive thoughts about what she could do, but nothing she's ever gone through with.

• She hit her head hard during the crash. Possibly concussion level hard. It made it harder to get Curly stable but she managed as much as she could.

• id like to think Daisuke helped her open up more. Him being really good at reading people and very insistent on chatting/being friends with her until she finally gave in. She feels comfortable being more casual with him. He's not an older peer or her boss so she doesn't worry having to "prove herself" with him. They can just be friends casually shooting the breeze and all.

• Daisuke also convinces Anya that Swansea is more of a softie then he let's on. Before Daisuke joined, Anya was polite with Swansea and knew he wasn't as rough as he let on, but she was still distant and didn't see him as someone who cared much for his co-workers. Daisuke insisted and would go on his rambles about times he caught Swansea being soft or caring in his own way, just not wanting to show it cos he's a stubborn old bustard. Anya started to see that eventually, and started to feel she could let her guard down more with Swansea and trusted him more.

I could probably go on but I have to end this post eventually gosh--

I'll be back.

[biribaa]

I just really want a fic or something where Squid is secretly crushing on a player who falls asleep while playing the game, just.

I really like Squid he needs more love.

Idk what title give to this one. Enjoy.

TW/CW: None.

The time on the screen read two in the morning, and you can already feel your eyelids getting heavier, heavier and heavier every second that passed in your bedroom in the dark, the only illumination being your computer screen with the variations of pink flashing. It felt like the earth's gravity was against you and it just pulled you down further and further down. Just twenty more attempts...

And you've just noticed Squid being quieter than he should be... The AI went out of death voicelines to mock you, perhaps? You didn't know if you liked it or not, Squid was a pain in the ass sometimes, but you would feel guilty if you don't admit he's hilarious, even cute sometimes.

Damn, you feel that every second that passes the chance of you fainting increases more and more, you just have to finish this level... And maybe another one too.

And as you felt closer and closer to your erasure, Squid thinks, watching you. Gosh, he felt so, so stupid for falling for another human. How could he, after all that happened.

The worst part is, the AI knows you are probally the most stupid of all the other stupid gut buckets he have seen. You know he's a bad one, you know he literally killed half the human race. And yet, here you are from the start, with all the patience passing all levels, no angry yelling, no hitting the table because of rage, no ranting to your friend how much you hated him by messages, nothing.

He hated you because you had common sense. Nothing to hate. No reason to exclaim 'Ha! I knew I wasn't in love! Love is dumb anyway'.

Squid hates how he thinks about you everyday, asking himself what things you would like to get as a gift, what makes you laugh, what kind of animals do you like, your favorite movie, shows, books, game, maybe even musical, what type of clothes you got in your cabinet... He feels dumb, he shouldn't feel like this, but his inner programming says the contrary.

Could Squid find a way to acess your camera? At least he could try to get access to your microphone. He's the doom of humanity, stuff like these are super easy.

In the middle of the process of Squid accessing your camera, he notices the lack of movement in the snail, he would question it, but was already dealing with another something.

Of course Squid was right, it wasn't difficult at all! Piece of cake. The AI ​​would be lying if he wasn't feeling a little excited, he was wondering if you had long or short hair (maybe even no hair at all!), or how your room looked like. What color is you skin, or maybe your eyes, or if you had a animal. And when Squid finally saw your face, he only comes across a human body unconscious in a chair with closed eyes.

...Not what Squid expected...

You still had your headphones on, so carefully, Squid turned the volume down slightly without you notice. And so, he analyze your physical appearance, not bad...

Squid looked at you one last time, opening a grin. "Good night human."

Everything was dark, Squid could barely see your bed, or anything that is present in your current area. It was better to save this one for later, you don't deserve to suddenly wake up because of a game. Screen lighting dimmed, Squid wished he could take you to his bed, but he wasn't able to (for now, at least).

[myfairkatiecat]

Keefe (for bingo)

AHELDHKAUSHDKJAAHJSSHAKSBDKHSKSDSHAJAHDLDUSBSKSJSHALSHDHSKA

OK I CONTRADICTED MYSELF A LOT SO LET ME EXPLAIN

this is my favorite character of all time in any media, right up there with Anakin Skywalker from Star Wars, Nicholas & Nathaniel Benedict from TMBS (showverse) and Lancelot from bbc Merlin. Actually probably slightly above all those characters which is SAYING SOMETHING.

Is he comic relief? Yes.

Would I be his friend? Yes.

Has he done nothing wrong? Yes!! No he’s done many things wrong he’s so precious to me ok but the law he’s broken the law I love him so much he literally betrayed his friends I will always love him he has sooo much to answer for I’m glad Sophie forgives him after she chews him out she should chew him out longer but I suppose Fitz does that for her He has so many apologies to make but like he’s also done nothing wrong look I’m aware of my blorbo’s mistakes he’s honestly not as problematic as the tumblr fandom makes him out to be sometimes, and I MEAN that, but he’s also not as perfect and sweet as the eleven year olds on Wattpad make him out to be. He’s a LOT okay, you can’t analyze Keefe Sencen without the everything

Are my opinions unpopular? Yep! The other keefe girlies hate my opinions bc I acknowledge his character flaws and the Keefe haters hate my opinions bc I acknowledge the fact that he’s NOT an antagonist and actually has a lot of really good traits, and that’s NOT me making excuses. Also what are y’all on about saying he doesn’t get held accountable for his actions, like yeah Sophie forgives him pretty fast but not until she’s yelled at him, and the rest of his friends do NOT bounce back to normal (Fitz)

Do I relate to him? Yes, unfortunately. I have Fitz’s trauma and Keefe’s coping mechanisms (they aren’t good coping mechanisms but they’re literally mine)

Is the fandom wrong about him? Yes, the Keefe fans and Keefe haters alike. Don’t flatten this guy there’s SO MUCH THERE. (I’m not talking about my Keefe-negative mutuals—if I follow you, you didn’t flatten his character, I am very serious about Keefe Sencen)

Do I want to adopt him? YES I mean I’m literally his age but if I was old enough to adopt him I totally would, get that kid away from Cassius Sencen and kill Gisela Sencen. Honestly tho I’d settle for an Elwin adoption, dad!Elwin rocks

Did he need less screen time? *sighs in resigned Keefe fan* probably…objectively…yes…

Did canon do him dirty? I debated filling in this one. Because Shannon has made him a SUPER complex character. But also I swear if the ending of stellarlune isn’t the last time he steals something from Sophie to carry out a reckless plan he told no one about, I’ll riot. Don’t give him forward character progress and then erase it! If it’s a momentary relapse of bad habits I’ll allow it but I’m starting to want Shannon to let Keefe grow from all of that. Cause she keeps letting him get better—and then slip back. (Which isn’t unrealistic and I can work with!! I love him! But SHANNON PLEASE)

Do I want to study him? I want to get a full on PhD in this guy’s character arc actually

Did he need more screen time? Heh. Uh. Objectively NO. But also this amount of page time has allowed us to learn so much about his character complexities?? Like I’m torn between missing the other characters and eating up his character arc. Currently I’m gonna hope book 10 expands the other characters more bc I need more of them and 9.5 can feed my Keefe brain

Would I hit him with a golf cart? Listen my friend made this bingo game (hi Bods, if you’re reading this) and I know exactly what the actual intention was behind this square. But like. I want to slightly run into him with a golf cart. Just enough to slightly injure him and make him rethink his life choices (affectionate) (actually in the words of@phtalogreenpoison “I’d like to microwave Keefe. Just shortly”)

Does he need therapy? OH MY GOSH YES. I have thought this about other characters but SPECIFICALLY KEEFE HOLY GUACAMOLE GET THAT GUY THERAPY

Is he insane? Define insane. But I love him anyway (what is going on in his head half the time 😭)

Am I rotating him in my head 24/7? WELL YOU’VE READ THE POST WHAT DO YOU THINK

Do I have so many headcanons? Oh you guys don’t know the half of it. I have. So. Many. SO MANY

Is he wasted potential? Uhhhh I have too many thoughts on this to actually put it on this post. Genuinely love what Shannon’s doing with his character, like I said. But at some point she needs to. Address the things. Or he just becomes a guy with all these complications introduced that just kinda sit there and continue to change and grow and Keefe is the complex character to end all complex characters but Shannon you need to DO SOMETHING WITH THE MASTERPIECE OF A CHARACTER THAT YOU HAVE CREATED

The amount of bingos holy moly

Anyway

Keefe means a lot to me

Thanks for the ask anon!

[ratstuckinamarble]

9 fave characters tag game:

Thanks @kiose (hi captain :D ) for tagging me!

This was surprisingly difficult XD A few characters came to mind immediately, but for others I had to dig into years old memories.

...I feel like you could analyze my brain with this knowledge, gosh.

Imma tag you folks: @a-dauntless-daffodil, @bluebelleisabelle, @grave-bride, @lulughoul, @sketch-the-spectre (I know you can't see when people tag you but maybe you happen to run across this post and wanna do this too :) ), @anonymouscringe, @adorkabledemon, @ectopunkart

No pressure! Participate if you feel like it ^-^ And anyone else who wants to is free to do this too! I'd love to see what's important to y'all.

Character names:

Frankie Stein and Lagoona Blue from the g3 monster high animated series (please don't be cancelled T-T).

Falin Touden from Dungeon Meshi (the way my mind latched onto her the second she got resurrected. I need her to get more scenes hgnn (Marcille was a close second but she didn't make the cut. Sorry girlie))

Twilight Sparkle and Rarity from My Little Pony (fourteen year old me this one's for you)

Entrapta from She-Ra (don't really like how that show treated her tbh but she was a joy)

Luz from The Owl House (top tier protagonist I have too many words and thus shall say none)

Tecna from Winx Club (I have such fond memories of that show but it's also SUCH a fever dream oh my gosh XD)

Peridot from Steven Universe

[tunastime]

for the ask game!!

"It's true, isn't it?"

“I don’t think so,” Etho shakes his head. He looks into his hands, picking at a chip in his nail. “I still loved you. Still love you.”

“Sure.” Bdubs doesn’t sound truly convinced, but he says it in a gentle voice that Etho’s only heard when Bdubs is making sure he’s okay when he hurts himself, a voice he heard a lot in the death game. But it doesn’t bite any less. Etho sighs.

“Why are you here, Bdubs?” he says, finally turning to him. “When there’s a perfectly good version of you asleep somewhere, alive.”

“Because you’re dreaming about apologizing to me, your brain’s stuck on hallucinating me,” Bdubs says, furrowing his brow. “Because you feel bad.”

“I don’t...I don’t think I feel bad.”

The shape of Bdubs’ face finally comes into view, the one he knows from outside the games, unbruised and awake.

“You sure?”

laurie belaurie only you would choose this fic and it means so much to me that you did!

this is from Night Swims (previously called You're My Favorite Ghost), and it takes place right after Hot Tea! gosh, this fic was so fun for me, I really dived right into how ethubs works as characters and tried my best to analyze etho without having bdubs there.

through this entire fic, etho's guilt and despair manifests physically as the "ghost" of bdubs, who follows him around his modded world. tldr: he can't sleep, and his guilt makes it worse! I originally got this idea after a beloved mutual (nightbug! hi!) sent me an ask curious on how etho dealt with the loss of bdubs post last life, and honestly. until that point, I don't think I'd realized that etho just. doesn't really go back to hermitcraft after last life. not in his videos, not really. he jumps straight into modded. and so I started writing!

this scene in particular is really interesting to me, because etho isn't really good at dealing with complex emotions, to me--he can, but he's a lot more likely to just pretend they don't bother him all that much. he's real easy going, real cool and chill, and I think there is a point where things get to him, but when they do, they really get to him (something I talked about in Spacer!). he tries hard to keep it at bay by working harder ("With no left over time for thinking too hard. With no left over time to mourn. Right.") but there comes a breaking point (this section) where he's forced to confront his feelings.

it was purposeful to have etho confront his feelings in a way that wasn't internal--that is, bdubs' ghost being the reason he "can't keep doing this" and eventually sends a letter to bdubs. so while he's trying to work and trying to put it off, those feelings get to a point where he's forced to do something about them, or risk making himself miserable in his condition. I think etho, alongside tango, are two characters that put big, difficult, complex feelings aside to deal with later, only to never come back to them. at least I think so!

this fic is actually titled after the half alive song Night Swims, chosen in post. the song is more of a spoken word piece, and I think it's descriptions of needing to shed feeling and take a break from the world, and from yourself, is really pertinant to what etho was experiencing. he's suffering through grief and self-doubt and anger with himself and isn't able to fully realize it. instead of facing those feelings head on, he takes a break, and in doing so, accidentally makes that grief worse by feeling like he's running from the source. it's only in Back Around, the follow up fic to Night Swims, that etho feels strong enough to face those feelings and return to hermitcraft, to season 9.

anyway! i'm still insane about ethubs to this day. i always meant to write another half alive inspired ethubs fic...

(x)

[ermbabyel]

Hey!!! I was looking over your profile after I got your second request, so I wanted to shoot you my info and see your matchups!! I love reading other people's work! If you are too busy or swamped, though, you don't have to do mine!

I would like to be matched with Mystic Messanger ( I just got into this) and Obey Me!

Your name/nickname

Luna, course, you can also make it a Y/N for other people's enjoyment, I do not mind.

Age

23 in June! Gosh, I feel old, but I am not that old, lol

Sexuality

I am Pansexual; I love them all with no specific preference; I am currently dating a man, though.

Pronouns

She/Her

Preferred age range for your ship

No one under 18, and also for Obey Me, no Luke. I read him as a child so he is a child in my head I know he's an angel and probably hella old but no.

Likes/dislikes

I love to read and write. I am big into celeb gossip mainly cause I like to psycho-analyze everything. I graduated with my bachelor's in psychology and love the human mind. Due to this, though, I have been told I am very manipulative and read people too well, so I am off-putting. I like people who love to help others and be reasonable. I love an open mind.

Hobbies

Studying especially psychology or technology. Writing stories or reading romance novels. Nature walks, especially in national parks. Magic the gathering. FPS video games.

Love languages

My most extensive love language is Physical Touch

The second would be Words of Affirmation

Ideal type

I don't have a 'type'; I love people for their personalities. If I had to hammer down who I am drawn to, it would be mysterious people. I think they are fun to get to know, and I love to be an outlet for them to express themselves.

A summery of your personality

I am a big goofball; however, I am very serious when I need to be. I work first and play later 90% of the time. I do take breaks, though, to allow myself to fully relax and just be me. I have lived in my mother's shadow my whole life, so I work hard to make a name for myself outside of the name she gave me and her name. I am driven to succeed and help those around me. I tend to be so overly considerate that I end up being walked on, however if I realize I am being walked on I will psycho analyze which is where the rumors of me being manipulative and off putting come from.

astrology sign

Gemini, I know they have a bad wrap, but some are good. I at least hope I am not considered bad.

Aesthetic/style

I have shoulder-length brown hair, pale skin, and light blue eyes, but everyone in my family says they are gray. My style depends on where I am; if I am at work, I wear jeans, a T-shirt, and tennis shoes, and my hair is up in a bun. If I am at home, I wear boho clothes and have my hair down. If I am out on the town, I am super girly with heels, a skirt or dress, and full makeup with curled hair.

Anything else you can think of

I suffer from a speech impediment, and though I have managed to control it better with time and practice, I still lisp whenever I am angry or really, really tired. I also suffer from Dyslexia, so I have to use Grammarly to help with my spelling and grammar.

Thank you so much for your requests from me. I really appreciate them and love writing them. I hope to have your match-up within the next day or two!

Hello~! I’m so excited to do a match up for you as well! I hope you enjoy your matches :3 Also a fellow Gemini, how exciting! ♊️

Your Mystic Messenger Lover Is…Jumin Han~

You like mysterious people? Jumin is your man! Plus, Jumin is a libra and they are very compatible with Gemini’s. Jumin might be a hard nut to crack because of his upbringing and has been instructed to be the next heir to his father’s company since a young age. But, you are able to see through all of that, which might catch the CEO in line off guard…but he will definitely keep it calm and collected. No one has ever been able to crack right through him as easily as you have. And he’s impressed.

This intrigues you even more. It will take sometime, but little by little Jumin will feel much more secure with your presence around him. He feels confident in your ability to analyze situations and the human mind, which will come in handy when he needs consideration on a business venture/opportunity. “Luna, what do think about this new cat business I’ve been thinking about? I trust your judgment.”

Even though he seems cold and distant, this man gets attached very fast to most people’s surprise. And you’re not an exception. I get a sense of a calming presence while reading your description and I think that’s something Jumin would absolutely love about you. Being in charge of a company can be very grueling and draining at times. So, when he comes home to you after a long day he won’t say much but give you a sweet tired smile and gently lay his head on your welcoming shoulders. He just wants to feel your touch and presence.

I think you and Jumin are very similar too. He especially understands being in a parent’s shadow as well and would confide in you with that as well. I can see you two being each other’s support system.

Definitely the type to call you “Dear” and “Darling”…..”Darling, would you like to accompany me to a restaurant and wine for dinner this evening? I’ve had a long day and I just want to be in your presence.”

Jumin would also ask you to read him some of your stories you’ve been working on. Hearing your voice relaxes him so much to the point where it’s a nightly routine for you to read him to sleep~!

Jumin would find your speech impediment endearing and would be so loving and patient with you. He doesn’t want you to stress out about it and gives you all the time and support you need. Most of the time you think he reads your mind as well.

Also your biggest supporter. He think you are the most exquisite woman he’s every seen! He’ll even help you pick out your night on the town outfits. “Here Darling, I think this necklace will look stunning with your dress…you just look delectable tonight~.”

You’ll definitely be the one to loosen up Jumin with your bubbly, playful nature. He can help but crack a gentle smile when he see you and seven joking around with each other. The RFA are like a family to him are equally important as well. So seeing his love for his love and second family getting along with each other warms his heart~!

I love this pairing so much~! 😍

Your Obey Me Lover Is…Lucifer~

Honestly I was debating between Lucifer and Leviathan, since I think you and Levi share similar interests. So I think you can be a good match for him as well~

Another mysterious man for you. Lucifer is the eldest brother and with that comes with a sense of responsibility for his younger brothers. Because of that, he has to keep a stoic and harsh attitude when it comes to dealing with his brothers. Even though his brothers tend to be a pain in the ass and sometimes a burden, he still loves them with his whole heart and want to do his best to make sure his brothers are taken care of. But he only shows that side of himself to you~.

He’s also very shocked that a mere human is able to read right through him. It makes him feel puzzled, how were you able to do that? And in turn, that aspect of you intrigues him!

I can see you trying to convince Lucifer to show a little more warmth towards his brothers, but this man can be very stubborn! “I don’t have the time or interest of giving Mammon a cookie for getting a high score on his test, Luna”. But after sometime he comes around. With your help of course as being this vulnerable and sweet if very difficult for him.

He’ll be taken aback when you give him a hug for the first time or holding his hand on one of your many nature walks together. But Lucifer loves it, he’ll even gently reach for your hand when you least expect it and gingerly place a sweet kiss on said hand.

You are the only person in the whole entire Devildom to make this stoic man smile and laugh. And the brothers think you are some Devine creature because of it lol. They are SO perplexed and ask you what your tricks are to get him to smile. Truth is Lucifer just has a soft spot for you and can’t help but to smile when he gazes at you.

Definitely more of a private lover and prefers to show his love for you when others aren’t around. Only in private will he call you such sweet names like “Darling” and “My Love” being the main names for you.

I can see him being interested in a game you’re playing with Levi and wanted to try it out himself. I have a feeling Lucifer is very competitive and he started the game so confidently that he was going to win. But to his surprise, you were the only to beat him. He is DUMBFOUNDED LOL. He might even get a little pouty, you’ll just giggle and peck him on the lips and remind him to not be such a sore loser LOL.

He’s secretly super cuddly and will cuddle up with you in bed after a long day of babysitting his brothers lol. I can see him being passed out on your chest while you’re gingerly playing with his hair. Slowly lulling the most feared demon to sleep. Sure he’s the most powerful and dangerous demon, but in moments like this is when you fall in love with Lucifer even more~.

[logicpng]

Hello, you said you are ok with oc questions, right? If so...

I'd love to know some of Aster's (all 3 of them) favorites, favorite animal to watch videos of or learn about, favorite type of game(plataformer, shooters, puzzle, rpg, etc) to watch,favorite memes if any, favorite computer program or website.

How would they react to sessitive content? (I'm in vet school and heavy imagery is on my screen nearly daily, so I wondered how they'd react

Does Urs have or would like to have any pets? Or plants.

If so do they show Aester pictures of them, via sending the pictures to themself and opening them on the computer? ( and yes I'm asking this becase Rigel asked to see my plants)

gosh that's a bit!! there's a lot to respond to in here (and sadly i don't have the brainpower right now to cover all of this) so i'll just put it under cut

okay so Rigel is fascinated with the natural world in general, despite not being able to interact it for real. he'll honestly enjoy learning of any animal, though he notably enjoys learning about the sheer variety of cat and dog breeds. he finds them cute in general, but the fact that it can be the same species and look completely different is definitely something that stands out to him. (i don't think he fully understands why there's so many yet don't tell him). then there's also bears, but that's more of a sentimental association. as for games, he leans into more simple, casual but fun games you'd find either in flash or shared around on usb sticks back in my childhood

Vega is generally more focused on the internal world of the OS and the machine hosting them. he does however see a bit of himself in felines and big cats. aesthetically enjoys wolves and bats as well. While Rigel can enjoy puzzles too, for Vega games are more enjoyable when he's able to analyze and take a while to think. as long as the processing power allows at least X').

Aldebaran isn't quite decided yet. it's a little difficult to talk about aldebaran's preferences given that he starts out as a more uneven mix of rigel and vega. initially he'd just tell you he likes what both rigel and vega enjoy, but i think once Things Happen and he gradually starts growing into his own person, he takes a liking to birds like peacocks, flamingos, and eagles. not sure about games yet

being software aster doesn't have the natural living being response to certain heavy imagery. i think logically they understand why humans tend to respond badly to this. or, at least they know what sensitive content Is, but it takes them a little bit to understand Why they're given that knowledge and what it does to a human.

software, memes, and websites is sadly where my brainpower on them runs out, so moving on to Urs!

Urs being a newly working young adult doesn't quite have the time or energy for pets. they have to make do with their small teddy bear collection <:).

i think pets aren't something on their mind at this point to begin with, so they wouldn't be able to tell you their preference either. all pets being traditionally kept as pets are quite cute, but they require work to take care of and have their needs met. they do feel a connection to bears (because of, well, his name), but not to the point of wanting one as a pet either!

same story with plants, but they do eventually get a simple succulent to take care of. (no surprise it's the bear paw one). Unlike the previous iteration of the project, the webcam isn't actually busted, so they just show it to Aster through the feed of the laptop!

[usercelestial]

Agree Isaac will be key to Colin's story. I feel Colin's acceptance is strongly tied to his performance and I'm curious how that will develop. He's benched now S3. GOAT Zava may be an issue, in thematic contrast? His cult undid some of Ted's good work. Bet Colin will play again after it's out. (We've yet to see a red?) But it's so touchy, even indirect talk on their chances could have Colin feel liable for losses or feel shame after this shake-up. I want the opposite to show too end of S3. (1/2)

(2/2) At the end of this storyline, I want for Colin to be embraced and free, yes, by his team, and overall at least in a way that is enough and more, if not the world. But I NEED him to be a gosh darn STAR on the field when he's finally free, supported, on solid ground. Being one with the team and self-confident is everything that improved Ted's players that he hasn't gotten to have. He's a strong and capable man! (Jan Maas: In a squad of 20-or-so men it is highly improbable only Colin is gay.)

--

Yes yes yes, I agree like the way that Colin plays and the way he feels about himself are definitely connected. I think it's really interesting the way that Nate describes him as not moving or inspiring people because "he's just there" which, on Colin's part, is definitely on purpose, if possibly subconscious. The chameleon metaphor works in a couple different ways: Colin being a closeted gay man in a room full of straight men and Colin being a gay footballer in the public eye. Colin doesn't want to be noticed, he doesn't want to be seen. If he's seen, people might start to ask questions about his life that he isn't ready to answer yet. So he keeps to the back, he blends in; he's already in the public eye being on the team, he doesn't need to take any more risks. I think that Colin keeping that part of himself locked away and under wraps weighs him down when he plays in a way he doesn't even notice. Colin has probably come to terms with the fact that he has to remain closeted for the sake of not only his career but also his life however that doesn't negate the effects of being closeted and keeping an entire part of his life a secret. With this secret, Colin can't stand out as a player because of the fear of being noticed and analyzed past what he's comfortable with.

Being a gay footballer could also put Colin in a position where he feels like if he fucks up, he'll be scrutinized not only for the way he plays but for his sexuality. We've seen that Colin puts a lot of pressure on himself to perform well and now we can connect that being related to the way people will view his sexuality. Obviously, there's an idea in the sports world that if you're gay, you're not strong or tough enough to be on this team which is where his "I am a strong and capable man" mantra comes in. I remember one sports center scene where they said that it was Colin's fault for giving away possession and letting the other team get a goal. Moments like that where Colin fucks up are going to be attributed to the fact that he's gay. It won't be "Colin gave away possession" it'll be "the gay one lost them the game." I think this perception will also mess with Colin a lot, when he comes out, eyes will be on him, watching for any mistake he makes. (This is just theorizing now but when they know that he's gay and Colin makes a mistake, a fan might his gayness as an insult, making Isaac want to defend him by going up into the stands to punch him?)

When the team finally knows (even if he's outed, I would like to see Colin tell the team himself), I do hope Colin has a moment where he feels that love and support from his teammates and is able to play without the weight of fear and isolation. I hope that after Colin comes out, he has a moment where he feels free and confident enough in himself to let himself play to his fullest potential.

[marinaiguess]

I'm aware it's a strange question, but which continuity do you think Tails has the best tails?

not strange at all! but, yeesh, that's a hard question

Games first, Tails has had his ups and downs, right? From Sonic's sidekick to a little brother to his own hero who would always stick around during adventures and actively help Sonic and help save the world. After unleashed and all the way to forces, i think he kinda fell behind sonic's shadow. Only there to provide help with his knowledge and intelligence (which is not a bad thing per se, he still helped a lot) but didn't put up a fight when needed. Yes, he has his moments, like saving sonic in lost world by getting himself captured, but you can't really remember that when you have the forces moment. (sonic forces you to rememeber). And then frontiers comes for the rescue and we get back the tails we know. Inconsistent.

I think idw has been confirmed to be in the same continuity with the games so I don't need to elaborate more on that, even though, i like him better in the idw than the games as a whole, i think. prime is also going here bcuz im pretty sure it's the same case. (haven't read archie, so, i'm not going to analyze that one).

aosth and satam tails. are they the same? i believe so and gosh this is the cutest tails you'll ever get, little baby who is nonetheless very smart. he's quite dependant on sonic but within expected parameters. he's younger than game tails and didnt go through the "im my own hero" character development that game tails totally forgot about. but also independant enough to take on responsibilities for the freedom fighters and is brave enough to make traps and fight robotnik and his robots. (also he's a savage in aosth lol)

tails in sonic x is like game tails but more consistent right? cant remember at the top of my head, but it's a pretty good tails

boom tails. i adore him. truly his own hero, still a sidekick of sonic's just because theyre all in team sonic. he's a more focused inventor than adventurer but still wont back down from a fight. he needs help sometimes but thats just part of growing up (ah jeez). truly the mind of this team who helps in the action as well. still baby though even tho he tries to be "serious and formidable".

movie tails. i almost forgot about him. very independant cuz he didnt grow up with sonic (probably had to fight those bullies by himself). but even that is debatable due to the fact that he admitted he had been uhhh, stalking sonic? lol. generally, baby, so smol, helps a lot in the battles with his inventions and with his mind and fists.

so. if i had to choose a continuity, i'd go for either aosth/satam or boom tails. very different but some of my fav moments of tails are from these two. that's not to say game tails is not a good one, i love him as well!! thankfully, he's getting back on track. (movie tails, im sorry but youre movie tails) and maybe i'm a bit biased too when it comes to my final choice, who knows.

thank you for the ask!

[auniverseforgotten]

by gosh I’m gonna try— this is gonna be an ASSORTMENT

Seven characters: Bones, Scotty, Uhura, the 3rd Doctor, Tom Bombadil (that’s tree guy’s name right?), Poirot, and…….. Eusine from pokemon.

Just a note that for Star Trek, I am going off the original TOS run, not the later movies or the new movies.

Grocery shopping: Honestly? Bones, picked third. This isn't really because I think he'd be great at shopping, really I think it would be overwhelming since that isn't super needed in Star Trek time anymore what with replicators, and Bones himself rarely leaves the ship.

HOWEVER [ew tumblr why did you format weird], for an entirely self-serving reason, I think he would be great for me specifically bcus he would get on my butt about buying unhealthy food.

I buy waaaay too much junk food but also I am so easy to guilt so if I had a literal doctor looking over my shoulder the entire time? Easily would leave without candy or soda or salty fatty snacks.

2. Have lunch with: Uhura, picked sixth bcus she was really hard to place since what I would love to do is just talk to her for five thousand years. But lunch is the next closest time. She is just really fascinating as a character and I wish she was given more screen time or more of a role than she was?

Like she is so fucking smart. She speaks 37 languages. THIRTY SEVEN. Do you know how much I love languages???? SO MUCH. Like god the amount of skill needed to run communications for the Enterprise? Incredible, she is an incredible person and I would literally just ask her to speak languages so I could hear how they sound and flow and how the phonetics change and the way that alien languages with alien phonetics and linguistics sound on a human tongue-

3. Have "coffee" with: "Coffee" bcus I don't like coffee or. Most drinks lol. ANYWAY. Poirot, picked fourth. This is because I feel like he would be absolutely fascinating to talk with. He is an incredible detective and it would be amazing to watch him analyze things. Plus he has an ego so I could probably get him to boast and show off his skills more than once.

As for why coffee, though: typically it is shorter than lunch and he would eventually get on my nerves. Genius detectives are all well and good in fiction, but while Poirot can be wonderful and sympathetic he can also absolutely be a jerk. Eventually I would need to be able to step away. XD

4. Go thrift shopping with: The Third Doctor, hands down, picked fifth. I love a lot about Three but especially his since of style; he would be wonderful to go shopping with because you know he would be able to find so many cool places. If we're operating outside of canon he's have his TARDIS too but inside of it, we're stuck in one place, but the good news is it's England in the 70s and Jo Grant will be there.

His whole introduction is him stealing someone else's clothes like. Who else lol.

5. Explore a Museum with: Eusine, second decision made. So Eusine, for those not familiar, is a fairly important character throughout the gen 2 Johto games. He knows a great deal about myth and legend, and you cannot tell me he wouldn't be a blast in a museum, telling you about his special interests and it's all stuff that none of the exhibits mention.

He is also SO driven and when I go to museums i GO to museums I am not leaving until I cover every INCH and he will absolutely be able to match my enthusiasm of running all over the place to look at everything. I think it would prob be either a natural history museum or a museum of nature and science. While history is more Eusine's forte, I imagine he would be chill with either.

We would def spend over an hour in the gift shop finding a gift for Morty.

6. Go to the library: SCOTTY I'M SO SORRY THAT YOU'RE SEVENTH but it's because he was a toss up between here and lunch. But honestly the kind of books I love are like. I call them reference but they are books all about Things. One book I have is a replica of an 1800s catalog of wood furnishings like staircases and arches because I find them fascinating.

Scotty's love of the Enterprise and engineering would just vibe well with that I think? I feel like he could show me tons of cool books and give me pointers about what is and is not a good reference for education and for drawing honestly. You cannot tell me I couldn't hold up schematics and ask "could this help me understand the Enterprise to draw it" and he WOULDN'T try and help. He'd be thrilled someone wants to draw his ship lbr

7. Wedding Plus-One: EASIEST one by far: Tom Bombadil, picked first. See it's like this. Old Tom Bombadil is a merry fellow; bright blue his jacket is and his boots are yellow. QUOTING TOLKIEN ASIDE this guy is overflowing with what I'm gonna call a cryptid variant of rustic hospitality.

This guy is so weird. He is a complete unknown and he follows NO social norms but he is so genuine and kind and helpful that people cannot help but love him. If it's a wedding of someone I like, he will be an excellent guest for merry-making and well wish offering. And if it's a marriage of someone I don't, I have a great friend there who will sing and dance with me regardless of anyone else. Get yourself a cryptid bestie living outside of all society and time fr [who is also The most powerful being on the planet]

THIS WAS SO FUN TYSM FOR ASKING CY I will prob be sending you another because this is such a fun one to think about????

Ask meme here

[fullofsunsetwhispers]

Hi! I love your blog, thank you so much for keeping the fandom alive, i just joined this year!

I want to ask you if you think Omi has reading disability, dyslexia? I want to hear what other people the the fandom think. Cause it feels like he has, and to me all four of the monks have ADHD, they just fit the charts.

Hello there! Oh my gosh, thank you for such nice words! Well, I’m here to infodump and throw ideas here and there sometimes with additional drawings, so knowing some folks pay attention to it makes me really glad and it encourages me to post more.

As for your question, usually, I’m not into coming up with disabilities’ headcanons mostly because of my fear that I can get something wrong. However, since you come to me with such a request I’ll try my best to present my outlook on the matter. I may be oblivious to some things so anybody who reads this post – please correct me if something may sound disrespectful/ improper/ or simply wrong from the scientific point of view.

If that’s cleared up, let’s move on to Omi’s dyslexia. Ok, I see your point – cheeseball surely shows some tendencies that may be attributable to such a condition. The most notable one is present in every episode, that is Omi’s failed slang. When someone corrects his mistakes his reactions vary from acknowledging it was something ‘off’ with the word choice/order or simply he refuses to accept the correction, brushing the issue off by telling the others ‘that makes no sense’.

The most troublesome thing in assessing whether it’s a case of dyslexia is the fact we don’t know how advanced Omi is in his native language.

But my assumption is - he has already accomplished fluency in Chinese. He can read and understand what is written and he can talk about it without making mistakes. The additional issue is that monks most probably communicate with each other in English so Omi has to translate the contents of the scroll to his friends.

To my understanding, a dyslectic person has problems in:

dividing words into syllables

spelling

phonetics (they can't differentiate similar sounds, hence the word they want to pronounce may turn out to be a word with a different meaning)

there may occur an evident overactivity, speech defects, writing words in reverse, no ability to apply interpunction rules in writing

there may occur some neurologic problems such as memory loss, and dysfunctional space orientation( for example confusing the left side with the right). Sometimes the easiest puzzle game can't be completed.

and the matter of our discussion: inability to understand idioms. We may also include the inability to understand jokes, math, and reading a-loud.

So, it seems as if only overactivity and inability to understand idioms track in Omi's case. I can also add confusing lefts and rights and directions whatsoever but as far as I can remember Omi can tell lefts and rights in battle. Only when he uses directional words in a conversation, he utters something like 'upside up' 'I won't let you up' etc. As a consequence, we can assume Omi can't grasp the metaphoric and idiomatic meanings, but I would not take that for granted either. Because we have Master Fung's sayings, Chase's riddles and not to mention that official language presented in old scrolls and... aren't they metaphorical to some extent too???? And on top of that Omi proved he can say a lot of puns to their enemies to mock them.

Y'know, I'm no expert but the fact there is so little evidence in the show isn't helping either. It's a cartoon - rather old cartoon and who would have thought about proper representation back then?

This analysis can't go further until I tackle the issue of dyslexia and bilingualism. In one source, it is said if the child is dyslectic it is almost certain it would show these symptoms also in learning L2. However, the other source states bilingualism enhances many abilities such as problem-solving as well as the capacity to analyze different aspects of language (a skill that is needed for reading and writing). And tbh if Omi has dyslexia this clearly applies to him. Because I get the impression he's also fluent in English and he figured out the rules quite successfully (apart from idioms and some phrases, of course).

I've made a list of Omi's mix-ups.

I smell bad = stink

in your head = in your face

it’ll be cold, dude → Kimiko says ‘cool’

rutted timing = rotten timing

remove the led = get the lead out

push your arm = i’m pulling your leg

piece of pie = piece of cake

skating = surfing the Net

obtain game = you’ve got game

peace on = peace out – saying goodbye

check me in my friend – check me out

dilly our dallies – dilly dally

it’s time we get to the top of this – (the bottom of this)

but you’re going up – he means you’re going down (you must be defeated)

event turning - turn of events

do we look as if we were born next week? - last week

I’m in heat – No Omi you’re on fire!!!

I’m very much top-tip – correct – tip-top

I won’t let you up = I won’t let you down

Jermaine: You must be tripping! Omi: I’m not taking a trip!

I order you to spill your internal organs – spill your guts

The luck is spitting on us = the luck is shining on us

blond leading the blonde = blind leading the blind

we punish their watches = clean their clocks

you’re gonna chew on that sentence =you’re gonna eat those words

Oh that thing is very icy – very cool

spoon over the wu = fork over the wu

The majority of mistakes are the result of Omi confusing English phonemes OR he uses synonyms to compensate for a lack of the appropriate word. However, what is interesting, is his word choice in several instances relies more on imagery and association. For example, in 'The luck is spitting on us' Omi associated shining with the way light can cover all of our bodies, just like the spit. 'the thing is very icy or heat-fire? - the same elements that remind Omi of the feeling of coldness or warmth but used in a more metaphorical sense. My boy may have made a mistake but he was close anyway. Spoon instead of the fork? They are both kitchen appliances. Tripping and trip? Almost the same words but with the -ing ending so in this instance Omi couldn't recognize the category of the word (verb vs noun). What I'm trying to say, Omi has developed a certain pattern that only he can understand to make his communication slightly better and I'm proud of these attempts.

So, I totally agree with flycotte these speech patterns are connected with dyslexia. Omi mixes the phonemes (rutted vs rotten or blond vs blind), and confuses the order of elements in phrases. The top for him is the bottom, so he also confuses directions, and sometimes he adds to the words wrong prepositions.

But you know? he makes those mistakes IN ENGLISH. Omi is quite young, so what if these errors arise because he can't accustom to L2 yet? I've read somewhere that for Chinese speakers English is difficult to learn. You have to switch from the pictorial alphabet to the English one. Reading problems in L2 acquisition arise due to inability to match sounds to letters accurately. If you're Chinese and want to learn English you have to develop an entirely new sound-letter mapping. Omi is rather a fast learner but what I admire about him is his dedication to learning and I hc he would practice writing in English for hours. I really like the last sentence from that article because it sums up Omi's approach to being understood by others

'You don’t need to have perfect grammar in order to communicate. In the beginning, making yourself understood is what counts.'

In Omi's case, he mastered the grammar but slang and minimal pairs are yet to be learned. Taking into account English isn't his first language, he's doing good.

On another note, I do believe Omi's failed slang is to some extent attributable to that there are no Chinese equivalents of these phrases/sayings. Or Omi has never learned the Chinese slang expressions because of the fact before meeting with Raimundo, Clay and Kimiko he has never left the temple? Considering how Master Fung speaks in a formal manner along with Master Monk Guan, you kind of see where Omi picked it up from soooo maybe Omi overuses English Slang expressions to appear more knowledgeable (and impress) his friends!

The last thing I wanted to analyze is his handwriting. He wrote one and only letter in the show so let's focus on that.

As you can see, Omi isn't confident enough with lowercase letters. He prefers to write in uppercase, in some places he's not sure how to divide words, and sometimes letters are too close to each other. More drastic errors are the lack of the pronoun (I think 'I must leave would be more correct) and that weird line that is supposed to replace 'R' in some words (orderR and futuRe). Omi also forgot about the letter 'i' in 'friends'. Overall, Omi tries to remain punctuation but my little dude could've made a couple of shorter sentences instead of one long one.

This piece of writing could belong to a dyslexic child but I wonder if I saw the same message in Chinese (and most importantly knew Chinese) and compared it with the letter written in English, would there be the same amount of mistakes?

So, yeah I would rather opt for the possibility ‘Omi isn’t dyslexic. He’s in a process of learning English and his errors are failed attempts to recreate a more ‘lively, casual’ type of speech.’ However, there are, in fact, many hints he might be dyslectic as well. In fact, it's a matter of his motivation and the guidance of his fellow monk friends whether he manages to eliminate these speech/writing habits. The results of his efforts will all be revealed in Omi's adulthood but since there won't be any XS continuation with the main cast as adults we can only speculate.

To wrap things up, Omi is one determined fella who tries his best. Dyslectic or not, he takes learning very seriously so I do believe he will keep on improving his English in the same way he's fixated on improving himself as a warrior regardless of his disability. In fact, that would hype him up even more to be better at expressing himself.

[spaceageloveblog]

Life's too short.

Woke up early for my Sunday morning run, 5:30a. First long run of my 12-week half-marathon training program. The next 10 Sundays will all be longer.

Make coffee, use the bathroom, weigh-in. Somehow I'm 5 lb. heavier than I was on the first of the month. Darn. I have been overdoing it on the cheese. On the other hand, on that particular day I weighed in pre-lunch after sweating in the sun. So maybe it's not that bad.

Do Wordle, do Connections, coffee is ready. Lounge on the family room sectional, sipping coffee. Start to go through the rest of my normal routines. Already made my running playlist last night, a few songs from my favorite The xx album, then the entire Romy album which I listened to for the first time on Friday, then "Gosh" by Jamie xx. 59 minutes, perfect length for a 6-mile training run.

Open my computer, update my tracking sheet, only thing left to track is sleep. Mark "1" because I had to wake up in the middle of the night to pee. Blame it on the late dinner. Didn't finish until 9p, I like to finish by 8p at the latest, preferably earlier.

Ate dinner late yesterday due to a miscommunication we had. Asked her if she wanted to go out. There was food in the fridge for the kids, and they'd be happy to spend the evening at home playing video games and watching YouTube. She couldn't think of anything she wanted. We went back and forth for a while, and it seemed to me she was on the precipice of accepting one of my restaurant ideas but always stopped short.

And then for the next 2 hours there was a series of phone calls she made or received, I don't know for sure. I halfheartedly tried to get her attention but no success. Finally at 8p she was free and figured I'd already ate. I said I was waiting for her. She asked why. I'm like, would you have just eaten dinner without me on Saturday while I was on the phone?

She said fine, let's go out. We got in the car. Started to drive. Want do you want? Not that hungry she said, maybe she won't eat. Huh? How about the Greek place, I said. Sure, she said. We started to have an actual conversation about her work stuff. Feels normal. It's been a normal Saturday, things are fine. Pull into a parking spot. Are you just going to get takeout she asks, can I just wait in the car? I'm like, what? I don't want takeout that bad. Let's go somewhere else. She doesn't want to go anywhere she concedes.

In fairness to her, I've been obnoxious about dinner recently because we haven't been drinking alcohol. That is, I've been making every dinner out into a referendum on drinking. Analyzing, complaining, etc. So she admitted she wasn't really interested in having dinner with me lately. I drove us home, heated up some leftovers for myself and we didn't talk the rest of the night.

Watching YouTube while sipping my coffee in the morning, trying to wake up and prepare myself to run. Figured I should get off the couch around 6:30 or 6:45 to beat the mid-September Central Florida heat, but it was just before 7 and I was still watching Sopranos clips. She woke up and poured herself a cup of coffee. Great, I thought, I'm going to get up right when she sits down and she'll think I'm avoiding her, which I'm not. But instead she avoided me by taking her coffee and sitting outside.

So I did get up. Brushed my teeth, washed my face, got my running gear on, opened the slider to the back patio slightly, told her I was going to run, love ya. Love ya too.

A few miles in, Romy transported me to another place. The sound of her new album reminded me of Ibiza. Simpler times. Happier times. Well, now that I think about it, I remember we fought there too. I think it was about me staying out too late the first night and ruining the first beach day. But I wasn't thinking about that on my run. Just the warm sun, the cold Mediterranean water, the dance clubs, the music.

Romy sings to presumably her partner about not needing to be so strong. It makes me want to communicate more clearly that although I seem like I have it all together, I don't. But I need to be strong for her and the kids. I want to believe she'd welcome me being vulnerable with her, but that doesn't always go so well. Usually it's in money conversations that I express vulnerability. But I think she interprets it as accusations and she feels guilty about her spending. Maybe if I was vulnerable about life and happiness it'd go better?

Romy sings about advice she receives to enjoy your life. That what's our life has been missing, joy. Too much of a slog lately. I come back from my run inspired to talk to her. After I get out of the shower I sit next to her in silence as she watches Say Yes to the Dress and I reread my notes on the Courage to be Disliked. After a few minutes she gets up, turns off the TV and leaves the room. I keep reading. All problems are interpersonal problems, discard other people's tasks, seek community feeling.

I decide to to tell her I'll join her and dad at BW3 to watch football after church. They had planned to go watch the Bengals. That's another sore subject. It's annoying she cheers for the Bengals. But maybe I should chill out and accept it. I mean, I should have a long time ago. The Steelers will be on TV too, and we could all watch the games. I could drink beer again, life's too short.

But my conversation doesn't go like it did in my head. She says I probably shouldn't go because she's going to watch the Bengals and it's a bar. And I sort of dropped it.

We drive separately to church because our daughter needs dropped off at a friend's after. So I leave 15 minutes early with my oldest son to practice his driving in the elementary school parking lot that's on the way to the church. My son and I get to church first. She shows up a few minutes later in a Bengals T-shirt and earrings.

Church opens with a testimonial about joy. I start to reflect about how have I arrived at a place in my life where I will be spending Sunday morning with my family at church, but then skip watching football and drinking beer. That would be the opposite of joy. I want my life to be the new Romy album not the new Spanish Love Songs album.

So I rehearse a redo of the conversation I had earlier with her. I will listen and hopefully end up in a place where I say I'll drop our daughter off then meet everyone else at BW3. But it doesn't go that way. My oldest says he's so excited for B-Dubs. He'll ride with me. I say I'm taking our daughter to her friend's. He said that's OK. I say I might not be going to B-Dubs. I ask her if the boys will ride with her. She says whatever. They do. My daughter and I go our separate way. Conversation was over before it started.

I drop my daughter off. Think for a moment of just going to B Dubs, ordering a beer and sitting at the table with them. But I chicken out. Decide I'll grab myself a healthy lunch at Bolay then go Publix to get stuff to cook for dinner tonight and tomorrow. Might as well do something useful while I've gotten myself into this quagmire.

In line at Bolay, after the sweet potato noodles and kale salad are already in my bowl, and I am waiting to give them my vegetable selections, she texts me and asks me if I'm coming and need a seat. I said no thanks, I will get lunch on my own. She said she missed me. I said I missed her too.

Listening to Ryen Russillo's podcast driving from Bolay to Publix. He's recounting his trip to Europe last month--Barcelona and Ibiza--coincidental timing to my thoughts from the Romy album. I am picturing myself doing this solo traveling. Lots of eating dinner at the bar. It sounds fun but I'd want a drink. It was at this precise moment that I locked in on life being too short, and not drinking was creating more problems in my life than drinking was.

I have stopped looking forward to things. Not just tangible things like a dinner out or a weekend away, but also hypothetical things, like I couldn't picture a hypothetical trip to Mallorca without relaxing at the end of the evening with a nice meal with a nice drink. So much of life is just our internal thoughts and daydreams, and I am having a hard time envisioning future good times because I picture myself actively avoiding drinking, ruining the good times. Even when I drive by hole-in-the-wall local restaurants, thinking maybe we should explore that place, then I picture ordering ice water and the fun thought goes away. Life's too short, I should let myself have a drink every once in a while.

Maybe I will fail by reintroducing alcohol due to my all or nothing personality. That is, I say I want to be able to drink when situationally relevant, but that leads to 3 beers at home on a Tuesday. But I have to try, because I am being a miserable person. And I can watch all the online content creators that gave up drinking and they're probably right, but they replaced it with other things in life. I would like to replace it with hiking and biking and kayaking. But she is not interested in that. She is interested in date nights on Park Ave and weekends at the beach and vacations in Europe. And I'm interested in those things too. But she is OK with those things without alcohol, and I am interested in those things if I can have a couple beers with dinner.

She texts me again and ask where I am. I tell her Publix, getting something to grill for dinner. She says OK. I tell her maybe I will stop by for the second half if the Steelers can score a few points, per the ESPN app on my phone, they're down 20-0 at this point. I add "lol" to the end of my text message response. Steelers snag a TD right before the end of the first half on my way home. I drop the groceries off and head to B-Dubs to watch the second half.

By time I arrive, the second half has already started and the Steelers have already given up another TD. She's in a booth, with her dad and stepmom all in Bengals gear. My boys are there too. Youngest playing on his phone, oldest engaged with the Steelers game but frustrated in lighthearted way. The Bengals aren't playing well either. They'd end up losing by 21, the Steelers by 23. Before that, while her stepmom wondering aloud if she should complain to the waitress about the $2 upcharge for celery that she wasn't aware of, and I introduce her to the concept of "charge it to the game" which I don't think she understands.

While they still talking about the bill, I get up, head to the bar and order a Heineken draft. I come back to the table and say "life's too short" probably more under my breath than actually out loud, and drink the beer.

[shitpostingkats]

Hi! I recently found your blog, and I just wanted to say that I adore your commentary on all things Yu-Gi-Oh. So much. Words cannot express it. Partly because your insights and takes are just so good and also partly because it’s so incredibly refreshing to see someone who has good things to say in this fandom instead of focusing only on negatives and/or fighting about so many simplistic things.

(It’s also great to see that I’m not the only one borderline obsessed with/constantly analyzing these card game shows and their characters, but that’s an entirely different subject…)

Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks for all the wonderful commentary, and keep up the great work! You’re legit the only reason I even came back to this hellsite after over almost two years away from it, after accidentally stumbling across one of your posts through Google. Seriously. I can’t stand Tumblr, but I might just start a YGO blog here for the sole sake of spam-hearting/reblogging your posts.

PS: And also, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how fricking refreshing it is to find someone who actually gets the characters. So thank you so much for that, too. Like, I mean, specifically Jaden/Judai and Yusei. Seriously, the amount of time I’ve gone on and on about how both these boys are actually great and valid and not at all like what some parts of this fandom would have you think only to try to be shut down with a dime-a-dozen, repetitive excuse that I’ve outargued countless times and yet — sorry, it’s just… it’s great to see that someone actually more or less see where I’m coming from. I’ll stop there, because if I start on a rant about how and why both Judai/Jaden and Yusei are surprisingly really deep characters I’ll be here forever. I would very, very much love to read more of your essays on these blorbos, but, of course, no rush.

Oh my gosh thank you so much for the kind words! ❤️

It legitimately means to world to me to see people enjoy and resonate with my funny little musings. While I started this blog as a place to just record/organize my hyperfixation essay nonsense, a nonzero part of it was to put my thoughts out there and hope it reached an audience other than my non-yugioh obsessed friends who lovingly put up with me spamming our discord with no context analysis.

One of my fondest loves of the internet is picking apart and examining stories that maybe weren't intended to looked with such scrutiny. Especially ones that get a bed rap for being "bad writing" or "dumb". Flawless cut diamonds, while pretty, aren't the only gemstones with facets.

I also made this blog as a place where I can wax poetic bullshit to my hearts content.

But yeah, the internet can be a pretty rancid place, and I really get bummed out seeing such a strong focus on beating down stories rather than lifting them up. I wanted my blog to be a safe place to just discuss anything and apply depth and positivity to whatever took my fancy. And what is absolutely rotting my brain right now is these silly card game boys. Hearing that other people not only read, but enjoy my bizarre combo of pretentious lit. student, heart-of-gold dumb-of-ass, and astonishingly attention-deficient, makes me know I'm doing the right thing, and that other people need that kind of space too.

(I swear, I didn't mean to write this entire response without mentioning the blorbos of the hour themselves. Rest assured, I will be posting a ton more thoughts on them, and your ask has only bolstered my resolve to do so. They are. So good. Always feel free to barge into my house and just start infodumping about the yugioh kiddos. I care them. And I care that other people care them. <3)

[ramblings-of-a-mad-cat]

What are your thoughts on Ismelda?

Ismelda Murk is...actually one of the more developed characters in this game, and boy did that kind of creep up on all of us.

Looking back on where she started to where she is now, and especially comparing her journey with Merula's (as it's the most obvious comparison to make) she's doing remarkably well. Ismelda is so gosh darn human that I can't help loving her. She's a total deconstruction of the Slytherin stereotype - compared to Liz, who challenges it, and Barnaby, who completely averts it - Ismelda, you could make a case that she is the way she is because she was placed there and treated as such. A product of her circumstances. Is that an excuse? No, but it does explain a lot. And analyzing why a character acts the way they do is one of my favorite pastimes.

Ismelda was a lonely, embittered little girl with parents who didn't love her and a sister who never made time for her. (And inadvertently sent the message that she didn't love her either.) Consequentially, Ismelda had no frame of reference for relationships when she came to Hogwarts. She didn't have a positive presence in her life. She came to school and met Merula, and oh boy, did that not help. Especially since I don't think the two of them were that close until Year 3 - before that, Merula spent all her time with Tulip. I think Ismelda learned a lesson at this time - that she was nobody's first choice and she never would be. When she was chosen, it was out of necessity. But hell, she needed a friend too, so why would she care if Merula was only employing her as a lackey in place of someone else after she got dumped? At least she had a chance to socialize, and hang out with that really cute bloke. Shame he was too thick to catch on to her feelings...and too thick in general.

Ismelda was never taught the value of love and kindness, she came to school without any understanding of how to treat people, no examples. Then she was sorted into a House that is more isolated from any other, and filled with people who came from Death Eater families, including but not limited to Merula. Everyone else? They were terrified of Voldemort and glad that he was gone. So Ismelda found a strategy to shield herself. I think she learned to be rude and scary back at home, as a defense mechanism and form of revenge on her family - but once at Hogwarts, she further molded this persona into the "budding Death Eater" we see during her first appearances. But it's all just a mask. One that Ismelda wears for so long that she sometimes doesn't know if it is a mask and forgets how to take it off. But that doesn't mean she wanted to be so awful to everyone all the time. The thing is, mistreating people doesn't feel good. To anyone with even a shred of a conscience, scaring and hurting people feels wrong. That would have caught up with Ismelda, hence her realizing how instinctive her behavior has come, that she's on autopilot. But who to turn to for help? Barnaby wouldn't understand and Merula would disagree. So Ismelda has no option left apart from MC.

Hey look, we got to Crushed. One of the better sidequests in this game and it really makes Ismelda that much more interesting. We finally understand why she is the way she is. She was never good enough for her parents, so why keep trying? Instead, why not swing into the opposite extreme out of spite? Annalena doesn't want her friends to know about Ismelda? She'll give her sister a reason to hide her existence. It's all very complicated and saddening to look at how fractured all of the primary relationships are in Ismelda's life and how this reflects in her behavior. But so long as we're talking about Crushed, I do have to mention the erumpent in the room. The worst thing she ever did. (Well...the Quibbler TLSQ might also count, but we don't talk about that quest. Just kidding, I will, but first, this.)

She tried to feed Barnaby a love potion.

I get it. She's desperate, socially stunted, afraid of being alone and of rejection, and what's the harm in making Barnaby love her, right? They'd both be happy, right? Well y'know, I wonder if Merope Gaunt didn't go through the same internal argument with herself over what to do about Tom Riddle Sr. While I can cut Ismelda a little slack here since she was only fifteen and doesn't seem to fully comprehend the impact of making such a choice and doing that to another person...the fact is, what she tried to do was selfish and disturbing. It was definitely a red flag. But...it's also fair to point out that she was acting based on pure emotion. (This is the quest that opened with Emily reading her diary aloud, let's not forget.) And after MC stopped her, well, she hasn't tried anything else like that since. I do like to think that Ismelda learned her lesson.

Ever since that incident, Ismelda has been steadily fleshed out more and more. I really like how, even in the main story, the mask she created has all but slipped entirely away, and now Ismelda is little more than an awkward and occasionally grumpy teenager who just kind of hangs out with the group despite trying to appear as though she doesn't like them. No, even in that, she's basically given up. To an extent, her adopted persona did merge into her true personality, but she's still quite likeable. Her love of history, for example. I wonder how that started, where it came from. Maybe she had an aunt or uncle who got her into it or something like that - or maybe she distracted herself a lot by reading history books as a child to ignore the pain and loneliness. I enjoy her genuine surprise if MC asks her to the Celestial Ball (which came out not long after Crushed and makes for a good follow-up to it, actually....) I also love how she says "crikey." Which just seems so unlike her.

But in a way, that's kind of a major facet of Ismelda. She can sometimes, quite randomly, be very cute in weird little ways. Like her penchant for pumpkin fizz drinks, specifically with the little umbrellas. That is such a random and out of place detail but for some reason it works really well for her? Couple that with the line from the Quibbler TLSQ where she says that she wants to stuff her face with chocolate also known as the one line she has in that quest that actually feels like it's in-character and I'm starting to think Ismelda has a real sweet tooth. Which again, she doesn't seem like the type, but Ismelda hides so much of her true self for so long, that we probably don't even know everything about her just yet, despite how well she's evolved as a character. She's showing us her true self a little more every day, one tossed puffskein at a time. (Seriously that is so cute I can't stand it.)

Speaking of tossing puffskeins, let's talk about her puffskein tossing buddy, one Beatrice Haywood. Actually, before we get into that, we need to further discuss what led Ismelda to meeting Beatrice. Because Ismelda had no one, by Year 6. She was alone. Her parents, her sister, she was no longer chasing Barnaby. She and Merula had, by all appearances, drifted apart and possibly had a major fight offscreen. We see how insecure Ismelda is about losing the one friend she's got to MC, who reminds her of Annalena, I might add...despite the fact that Ismelda doesn't even seem to like Merula very much. Calling her out on being annoying more and more frequently as time goes on. It's a friendship of mutual convenience, but as sad as it is to say...prior to Year 6, Merula is the only person Ismelda has, but Merula is neglecting her for MC and her new curse-breaking "family." I wonder if it was during this time that she made friends with those "lackeys" and tried to out Chiara-nope, no, you know what, I'll get to that when I get to that. For now, I really need to focus on Ismelda's relationship to Beatrice because it's so damn wholesome.

These two have so much in common, and met at the perfect time in both of their lives. Beatrice was craving a friend, and Ismelda was all alone, as I just described. Ismelda needed a friendship where she could be the "leader" so to speak, to ensure she wouldn't feel used again. Actually, maybe that's not the best way to put it. I mean, Ismelda being older does give it that vibe but they do seem to function as equals, and they also kind of work like yes men to each other. But I also think Ismelda reached a point of emotional maturity when she started hanging out with Beatrice that she'd been unable or unwilling to reach before. Whether it was for Bea's sake or just a personal epiphany, I don't think it much matters. Ismelda is growing as a person every day, and that growth took an exponential rise during Year 6. I'll never get over the moment that she leaves the plot of Y6CH27 because she realizes, and immediately accepts, that she's not emotionally equipped to help Beatrice in that moment, so she passes the torch to MC. A far cry from challenging them to a duel out of an envious panic over the idea of losing her only friend. In just one year, she's come so far.

Which. Makes it so bizarre, really, and an absolute shame, to see this character arc flagrantly ignored. You know where this is going. It's time to finally talk about it. The one. The only. The Quibbler TLSQ. Where Ismelda randomly became a #meangirl even though she's about as far from that as one can possibly be. Ismelda acting as the antagonist is not the problem. That's fine, she's not always a hero. But her motivation, her plan, the way she goes about things...it feels a lot more like something Emily would do. Why wasn't this Emily, by the way? It's just...I could shrug it off if Ismelda's crime in this quest wasn't so completely unforgivable. Trying to out a werewolf is already bad enough, but doing it for a cash reward? To Chiara freaking Lobosca? No way in hell. This is the second time Ismelda has pulled a horrible stunt on another human being, and, this being Strike 2, I judge it more harshly. At least with the love potion, I understood where she was coming from. This quest just makes Ismelda into Rita Skeeter Jr. It makes her into everything she appears to despise. I genuinely have no idea how to reconcile it into my head-canons about her, beyond simply replacing her with Emily.

But hey, it's one quest, and while it's a stain on her record, it doesn't change the fact that the rest of her appearances make pretty damn good use of her. Like the Cook Off TLSQ and the Sphinx TLSQ. She's written wonderfully in those. She has her personality intact, but she feels likeable. It's strange to look back on a time when people thought she was irredeemable but Merula's redemption was assured...

[jamilelucato]

Hi there! Could I maybe get a fred Weasley x Romanian!Reader and maybe like she goes to the burrow for the holidays? She could try to confess to him by telling him he loves him in Romanian but always telling him it means sth else. But she doesn't know about Charlie and the fact that he used to live there, and then... y'know, up to you? Just thought this was an interesting idea lmaoo. Thank you and congrats!!🥺💕

Te Iubesc [F.W.]

Pairing: Fred Weasley x Romanian!reader (can be from any House really)

A/N: I ended up changing a bit of your context and only noticed it later, and I’m really sorry for that. Instead of she saying it all the time, she accidentally confesses it in Romanian. I'm sorry it's not what you actually asked for, but I hope you enjoy it either way.

Send a request! ||  Harry Potter Masterlist ||  Musical Hogwarts Series

**

It was particularly weird being a Romanian at Hogwarts, but since it was your parents’ dream to you study there, you were not to complain.

It took you a while to find your place, but it was way easy when the famous Weasley Twins played a prank on you. 

When your whole body turned blue, and you ran around the corridors of Hogwarts, asking, angrily, if anyone had seen who could be guilty of it — you knew it could only have been the twins. They appeared two hours later in front of you, with puckered foreheads and using minimal eye contact. One of them had a flask, and he handed it to you.

“We’re really sorry,” he said, with an almost smile, but not of happiness. He wouldn’t dare laugh at your blue skin while you stared at him with a killer expression. “It wasn’t for you; we mixed it up in the deliver.”

“And what is this?” you asked, raising the flask closer to your eyes to analyze it better.

“The antidote,” one of them said.

“You don’t want to be forever blue, do you?” asked the other and they both giggled.

You drank all the liquid in one gulp, desperate to go back to your natural colour. The twins stared at you while your body changed its colour, and you couldn’t see the point. What did they want? Thanks?

“Are you two expecting me to thank you?” you asked, with a mean voice.

They exchanged looks before smiling.

“No, we just would like to introduce ourselves, that’s all,” said the one that had more freckles.

“You’re Fred and George Weasley, everyone knows who you are,” you rolled your eyes, crossing your arms over your chest. You saw their eyes following your arms, and then they blushed. You chuckled at those boys stupidity.

“But do you know which is which?” he continued, smirking. “I’m Fred,” he whispered, tipping you since you hadn’t answered his question.

“I’m George,” said the other.

You took a great look at both of their faces, making sure you discerned things that would make it easier to differentiate them. Fred had a better posture, nothing very perfect, but just slightly better than George. And he had more freckles, at least on his face he did.

“I’m y/N,” you said, noticing they were waiting for you to present yourself.

And that was enough for a born of a beautiful friendship.

The pranks still got you, those times on purpose, but they all gave you a break when you asked. You started helping them with their homework and study for exams — even though they hated it.

You lost track of how many vacation days you spent in the Burrow, and this year, you were going back there. You were especially excited this year — and partly worried — because, since the beginning of the sixth year, you’ve been developing an enormous, gigantic crush on Fred.

So, spending the Christmas holiday with the Weasleys, having Fred next to you all weekend, was going to be awesome, but also terrifying because he had no idea you fancied him — and you wanted things to still be like that. 

Fred was known to have had tons of girlfriends — he usually told you everything about every girl he ever snogged. You didn’t want to be just another one that he would abandon in a month. That would completely ruin your friendship, and that meant being apart from a ton of other friends. Being friends with the twins allowed you to befriend Ginny, Ron, Hermione and Harry, and now they are essential in your life too.

“Hi, dear!” Molly hugged you tightly as soon as you stepped in the kitchen. You hugged her back once your shock passed. “I’m so happy to have you here for another year; surely I can’t stand my kids saying again I have a terrible taste for music.”

Oh, yeah, one fact: every Weasley kid (in particular Fred) hated your taste in music. They hated it because you loved the same singers as their mom did, and Fred disliked it the most. As more annoyed he got by your singing, more you sang.

“By the way,” you smiled, “you’ll love the present I got you. I know I shouldn’t say something yet,” you leaned in Mrs Weasley’s ear and whispered: “but I just wanna make sure you haven’t got Warbeck’s newest CD, have you?”

Molly Weasley gasped in surprise and hugged you even tighter.

“That’s why you’re my favourite!” she muttered in your ear and winked when you leaned away and faced her.

Blushing, you went upstairs to find the room Molly always left for you — it was Charlie’s old room. It was the closest to the twins, so you liked it. And the place was decorated with old faded posters of creatures only your home country could offer.

You’ve never met Charlie Weasley, only Bill and Percy, but you knew he was fascinated with dragons, and that your country had to offer. 

You lost a couple of minutes staring at one of the posters; not for the dragon, but because of the background — your old but forever home.

When you got out of the room, you didn’t even need to wander around to find the twins.

“y/N! You came!” shouted an excited Fred Weasley, getting you by your waist and spinning you around in a hug.

George was right next to his twin, rolling his eyes at how foolishly obvious you two were about fancying each other, but none would move a finger to change the situation.

“Of course! Wouldn’t miss it for the world!” you say when Fred finally puts you down. “Hey, George!”

George hugs you too, but not with the same passion as Fred. It makes you wonder if it was your fault somehow to why Fred spun you around. You should have gone with a simple embrace like you’re doing with George. Gosh, why having a crush has to be so hard?

“So, we’re planning a Quidditch game in the yard. You in?” Fred asked as soon as George released you.

“Sure,” you smiled, placing your hands on your waist. “But I’m seeker,” you warned, raising a brow.

“Harry will love to hear that,” George commented.

“And I need a broom,” you added, tilting your head, trying to look pity-worth.

“You can take mine,” Fred said while you three headed downstairs.

You stopped right away. George kept walking, and suddenly it was just you and Fred in the middle of the stairs.

“You’re gonna use your old one? No way; that thing sucks, Fred,” you said.

“But a seeker needs a better broom than a beater,” he pointed out, tilting his head towards you and some red locks fell upon his eyes. Instinctively, you reached for them and took away from his eyes. He blushed with a small smile.

“You’re too nice to me,” you said, nodding and starting to walk again.

“Perhaps you deserve it,” he muttered, half-hoping you wouldn’t hear, and half-hoping you would.

Fred has been playing this dangerous game for a while now — plainly flirting with you, expecting that if you didn’t see him that way, you would take it as a joke.

When the game finally started, you were glad to be in Fred’s team. Some arrangements had to be done to accommodate less than the minimum number of players per team, so instead of two beaters, your team had only Fred.

Ginny was your keeper; even though she hated the position, she was proving to be quite good at it. Of course, Ron, on the other side, was being way better.

The disadvantage for you was that although you are a great seeker, you had to be also a good chaser, because your team had only three players with you, so that left you with two jobs. Fred helped as much as he could, but he was more used to his role as a beater than to play a chaser.

When George’s team won — Harry got the Snitch (I mean, come on, how to compete?) — you were completely dirty.

You’d never tell Fred, but George was a better beater than the twin, so you’d been hit more times than you would’ve liked and ended up rolling on the grass, still wet from the rain the night before, enough times that your pants (which were blue jeans) were now the colour of mud.

None of this was bothering you, however. You were, in fact, laughing at yourself and everyone who was also dirty. Hermione had arrived in time to watch the last minutes of the match, but she was now trapped in the kitchen, with Ron and Harry filling her with bizarre theories. George and Ginny had run off right after the victory celebration, to see who could get to the shower first.

Although you have no idea how long you would still have to stay dirty, showering was your last concern. At the moment, you were occupied in trying to smudge Fred even more, while both rolled on the grass like two crazy kids.

It felt like a tickling and laughing competition — what you were competing about was uncertain, however, you were definitely competing because Fred wasn’t leaving you alone and you were loving it.

“Thanks for the match, Fred,” you said the instant you were able to breathe without laughing. You were propped up on your right elbow, which raised your head enough so that you could see the redhead’s face, who was looking at the sun that was already hiding behind the clouds. “You could have left me; it was clear that I was going to lose.”

“Give it up then, y/N. I’ll never leave you,” he replied, looking sideways at you and looking back at the setting sun.

You took a deep breath, enchanted by his beauty and his words. When you realized you had already said: “Te iubesc.”

Fred turned quickly at you, frowning. “Did you say something?”

You gulped, as red as one can get and quickly got up. You had just said you loved him, thankfully in Romanian, but still... Close call.

“I’m heading to the shower,” for the first time that late afternoon, you were urgent to get cleaned up. 

“I don’t think George — or Ginny, whoever got there first — is done yet,” Fred said, sitting down on the grass.

“Doesn’t matter,” you pretended to laugh it off and rushed inside the Burrow, leaving a confuse Fred behind.

Well, not so confused. Fred was almost certain you said “te iubesc” to him, and he was sure that was something in Romanian. He knew you were from there, and he always waited for the moment you would let a Romanian dialect, word or accent slip, but that day never came — until now.

He waited for this moment because he made Charlie teach him some primary words, so he could reply with a ”yes”, “no” or simply “Nu mai esti în România.”

Although at the top of his head, your words didn’t click in his head as nothing he knew the meaning, he had a feeling he had heard it before. He could ask Charlie, but knowing the family owl, it would take Fred a week to learn the meaning.

He waited a while before heading to the kitchen, where he found a distracted Harry, a sceptical Hermione and his younger brother, Ron, eating, as always.

“Ron?”

“Huh?” Ron let out between bites. 

“Have you seen Mum?” Fred asked.

“I think she’s doing laundry,” Ron answered. “Why?”

“Wanted to ask her something, that’s all,” Fred was already turning away when Hermione called.

“Perhaps I can help. What’s it?”

“Nosy,” grunted Ron, but the girl didn’t hear.

“It’s a phrase in Romanian. Somehow, I think I heard Charlie say it to Mum once,” Fred shrugged, assuming Hermione wouldn’t be able to help with that.

“Your mom keeps a Romanian dictionary in the living room. Over the fireplace,” Hermione said as if it was nothing — as if the whole family knew about it.

Fred raised his brows, suddenly excited. “Thanks, Hermione,” he mumbled before rushing to the fire to get the book.

After some minutes with it, Fred was about to give up. The dictionary was no help with phrases; it was only good for random words alone.

“Mum!” he exclaimed in surprise and relief when Molly walked in, holding a basket of clean clothes.

“Fred!” she exclaimed back. She wasn’t used with her kids that excited to see her.

“Last time Charlie was here, he was using a lot of Romanian dialects,” Fred started, not sure of how to proceed.

“Yes,” his mother simply said.

“And he said something to you after hugging you. Did he translate?”

“Oh! Te iubesc?” Molly definitely was not used to Romanian — in Fred opinion her accent was terrible compared to yours, but the words were apparently the same, so he didn’t complain.

“That’s it! What does it mean?” Fred jumped from the couch towards his mother.

“It means I love you. Your brother is such a sweetie,” Molly smiled with the memory — she missed all her kids, but most especially Charlie and Bill.

Mrs Weasley was so distracted by the memory of the last hug she gave her son, that she left the room without lingering with her older twin son. She didn’t seem to notice that Fred was paralyzed in place, relying on the sofa to keep him upright.

Fred couldn’t think — he was silly, completely silly. As crude as the adjective was, that was how he felt. He was happy, of course, he was!

You had practically declared yourself to him, and yet you had done so in innocence, using your mother tongue, which, in Fred’s opinion, only proved how true you were.

He had to do something about it. But what? It’d be ridiculous to use your words to reciprocate the statement — Fred wouldn’t be able to copy the accent well enough to make the sentence natural.

Something told him that he should act naturally about it and wait for your confession in English, which would mean that you really wanted him to understand. 

But then, how to look at you again and ignore that the most beautiful girl in the world, the friendliest, the funniest, the most talented, had said that she loved him? How would he ever go back to acting normally knowing that the only girl he ever loved— that he always hoped would be his— loved him?

Taking a deep breath, Fred came to an inevitable conclusion: he needed to be the one who would confess his feelings. Now he just needs a plan to how to do it.

After a long wait, it was finally your time with the shower, and you hoped it would clean not only your skin but also your thoughts.

So close, so close you came of confessing to Fred. Well, you actually did it, but in Romanian, so he’ll never know it.

You needed to distract yourself from Fred Weasley, but after that shower, everywhere you looked, there he was. 

Fred was outside of the bathroom, waiting for his turn to shower. You greeted him with a yellow smile before rushing back to your room. 

Just an hour before dinner, you were sitting in the living room, and he decided to sit next to you in the couch. Sure a part of you was thrilled, but another was freaking out.

When dinner was ready, he sat next to you again at the table.

When you thought you were about to free yourself from him —leaving quickly from the dinner table and rushing to get the armchair, where you would at least sit alone, he called you out.

“I need to show you...” he looked around before continuing in a whisper, “... a new product.”

You sighed, deciding it was better if you learned how to swallow your feelings and let your love for Fred kill you from inside out.

You two walked to upstairs where he guided you to hs room.

“Where’s George?” you asked once you sat down, remembering that generally, when they had a new product, George was always around to see your reaction too.

Fred just shrugged, almost ignoring your question.

“I have something to tell you,” he said fast, scared he would lose his courage. “And, well, I don’t really know how to do it... You see, I’ve never told a girl I’m in love with her before.”

Fred hadn’t realized that he had just done that, so while he was lost in words, rambling how amazing you were, you were frozen at just the “I’m in love” bit.

“Come again?”

“...should have said it sooner, because I’ve been... — wait, which part do you want me to say again?” he stopped his tracks.

You sighed and looked up from your knees, raising your eyes enough to meet his.

“You love me?”

“Te iubesc, yes,” Fred said. and then he hit himself in the forehead because he had promised he wasn’t going to use Romanian to declare his feelings. “Sorry about the Romanian bit. I love you, yes, that’s what I meant.”

“Wait. You understood me earlier?” your brain was just malfunction at this point, like a broken old computer.

“Not right away...” Fred stopped talking when he noticed you were panicking. “Look, I’ve been wanting to tell you this for a long time now. When you said it first, you just made things easier for me.”

“How did you know?”

“Charlie, my brother. He lives in Romania.”

Damn it, of course, the dragon fanatic would have gone live in your country; why wouldn’t he?

For a few minutes, or at least you guessed it had only been minutes, Fred stood in front of you, who was sitting on his bed, and the two avoided looking at each other for a long time.

“Should’ve guessed. Your mom kept Charlie’s posters of my country in his room,” you tried to laugh it off.

Fred ended up chuckling too. “Can we quit being awkward? I really want to kiss you,” he said, smiling and blushing slightly at the same time. “I mean, my brother will leave the room just to us for not much longer.”

It was your time to chucked while getting up, ready to have Fred’s lips in your for what you hoped would be the first of many times.

“I have a room for my own, silly,” you whispered in his ear before he smirked and trapped you in his embrace.