#i need free tools pls

[69shadesofgray]

social media peeps!

i am young and naive and need to start tracking my instagram analytics to prove my worth to my company for a raise, and also to future potential employers. i’m LOST. how are y’all tracking this????

[tubbytarchia]

Big fan of FireAlpaca's new free timelapse feature, except you can only export your timelapse in GIF format so now I have an almost 1GB 6 minute gif of me drawing block men

[columboposting]

Honestly not even the last fifteen years — try since the 1990s. A lot of the language we use to talk about social issues today comes from academia, and it is language that has been in use in academia for far longer than it’s been in vernacular. “Social constructs” and the ways in which texts produce/subvert/question them have been, broadly speaking, the primary concern of literary scholarship since the ‘80s. The third wave of feminism started in the late ‘80s; Kimberlé Crenshaw coined “intersectionality” in 1989, and very soon after it gets picked up by a lot of literary critics. Edward Said’s Orientalism, which is pretty much the starting point of postcolonial theory, came out in 1978. By the year 2000 Queer Theory and Gender Studies are flourishing. Fuck, I was so busy talking about those guys I almost forgot to mention that Marxist lit theory has been alive and well since the fucking ‘70s!!!! If you go back and read a piece of literary theory from 1998 you will probably be surprised by how much it sounds like it could have been written yesterday. But that’s because many of the ways we now describe gender and race and sexuality were invented by academics — queer and female academics, academics of color, other marginalized academics — thirty-forty years ago. 

Obviously, criticism from the early/mid-20th century is, to generalize a little, going to suck for all the reasons you think it will; back then, most critics had this idea that a text had one objective correct meaning, and the critics deciding on that meaning were overwhelmingly wealthy straight white men (that said, we even owe some things to those nerds — mainly close reading, looking at a paragraph or a sentence of a work and examining its form and content and using it to draw conclusions about the work at large, AKA what’s happening in 90% of tumblr media analysis). But since the 70s literary criticism has been primarily post-structuralist, and since the 90s that post-structuralism has primarily turned its attention to examining how a text understands structures of class, race, gender, sexuality, culture and society at large in very nuanced, intelligent ways. There are a lot of fantastic scholars doing a lot of fantastic work!!! Post-Colonialism, Gender Theory, Queer Theory, Feminist Theory, Critical Race Theory, and New Historicism are all doing quite well at the moment — within the past fifteen years or so you can start throwing Ecocriticism into the hat, if you want to see people talking about how literature treats the natural world. By dismissing “scholars,” you’re ignoring the fact that there are a lot of really cool literary critics you could be learning from RIGHT NOW!!

And this is a little beside the point but I do really want to note that also: you’re neglecting the fact that YOU are doing scholarship, even if you’re not “scholars”!! Like, I hate the people who invented close reading, but holy shit close reading is the foundation of like every piece of tumblr media analysis ever!! Furthermore: Frankly, if you’re talking about the latent meaning hidden within the text you are probably also doing a little bit of psychoanalysis because that’s where we get that idea about reading literature (sorry, fellow Freud haters). If you’re talking about the emotional reaction the text provokes, if you’re interested in how the serialized nature of dracula daily changes the experience vs reading it as it was published — congratulations, that’s Phenomenology, the study of how people experience a text!!!!!! Plus there are (as previously mentioned) all the ways that we get our vocab on gender and race and class and social constructs from theory. Your blorbo analysis post is a form of literary criticism that is deeply, deeply indebted to both modern post-structuralist theory and earlier 20th century ideas of close reading and psychoanalysis, even if you don’t know it. In that respect, and in the fact that modern criticism is going to be working under many of the exact same methodological and ideological influences as you, I promise literary scholarship is worth your time. 

since I'm paying more attention to drac daily stuff this year I'm seeing a lot of posts saying "scholars always get the book wrong" and guys, ya gotta read better scholarship. poke around on jstor and google scholar for publications from the last ~15 years. see if you can find queer / feminist / postcolonial centered journals with online public archives. find a writer you agree with and see who else they cite. I prommy that academics are not your enemy and a lot of them are in their line of work precisely because they're just as not normal about their blorbos as you are. hashtag don't turn this into another "historians will say they're just friends."

[multifandom-exe]

PDA- B. Barnes x Reader

A/N: this is a rewrite of a fic from like 5 years ago, if you want to check out the original here to see how much has changed. Feel free to leave requests! PLEASE LEAVE FEEDBACK IN COMMENTS OR ASKS PLS i need to know if i’m still writing like i’m 14 😭

Request: i uh see youre lacking bucky requests sooo… bucky x reader where he’s not one for pda, usually alone he is, but one day during breakfast he just pulls the reader onto his lap and buries his face in reader’s neck and everyone is spooked, and throughout the day hes all touchy and stuff only bc he thought sam was flirting with the reader? lmao hope that made sense, thank you! 

Word Count: 1.4K

Soft sun rays glimmer through the windows as your eyes slowly flutter open. Reveling in the warmth your bed provided, you stretched your arms out in front of you and wiggled backwards. Your brow furrowed as you realized there was a lack of contact like there usually is. Turning your head to the side, you realize bucky isn't snuggled up in his usual spot next to you, and a small frown takes over your face. You two had had a long night, and you could feel the sleep weighing on your eyelids already, and you wanted nothing more than to snuggle back up and drift off again. With a huge huff, you dramatically threw the covers off of your body, and just as quickly, drew back with a slight whimper, feeling the cold air hit your legs. Staring down at your scantily clad body, you watched the goosebumps cover your skin. Making a mental note to turn up the heating in your room, you threw on the clothes that lay hastily discarded at the end of your bed. Coffee Coffee Coffee. Your eyes closed dreamily as the thought of that beautiful amber liquid trickling down your throat. You rushed off the bed, throwing a small glance in the mirror before leaving. God your bedhead was serious.  

Soft sounds filled the empty hallway as your feet padded against the ground. The impossibly long walk to the kitchen stretched on as you wrapped your arms around yourself in a futile attempt to keep warm. The kitchen was in sight, and the sound of idle chatter filled your ears. As quick as possible you rushed over to the coffee machine, throwing a welcoming smile at Bucky on your way in. 

“Damn Momma, don't you look mighty fine in the morning.” Sams voice was filled with sarcasm, and you threw him a disgraceful look as you sneered at him. 

“Ha. Ha.” You replied, deadpan. Lifting your coffee cup to your lips, you took a long, exaggeratedly loud sip, and let out an even more exaggerated sigh of content afterward. “Do you know how FREEZING it is in this compound!” You said it to no one in particular, but your love to complain had to make an appearance at least once a day. 

“Aww is the little lady cold? Here you go.” By the time you had looked up, Sam had already shrugged off his housecoat and was holding it up in your direction. You muttered a quick ‘thank you’ and slipped it on, basking in the warmth it provided, a shelter from the chilly air swirling through the compound. 

You moved to the fridge to grab some cereal and milk, heading over to the island where Bucky was sitting to assemble your favorite bowl of cereal. As you lay down the tools for your breakfast, you were suddenly pulled into Bucky's lap, with him quickly burying his head into the crook of your neck. Frowning, you looked down at Bucky, surprised at the unusual display of PDA. You glanced at Sam and pulled a questioning face, but he responded with a simple shrug, indicating he had no idea what was going on with Buck.  

“Are you alright?” You whispered, running your hands through his hair. He simply nodded his head quickly as his hair tickled your neck. 

“Alright lovebirds i hate to break it up but bleurgh, I'm tryna’ keep my breakfast down here.” Sam joked, waving his hands around. You tiled your head back in laughter as you moved to get up from Bucky's lap. As you sat beside him, you made sure your knees were touching, as he kept his hand on your thigh. Maybe he had a nightmare last night? Whatever it was, you'd hope he would tell you about it later. 

- 

After a grueling few hours of training, and a beautiful shower to sooth your sore muscles, you'd thrown on some comfortable clothes, and made your way to the living room to enjoy your down time. In the living room you found the 3 musketeers huddled on the couch, the lights from the movie illuminating the room. You plopped down on the arm of the chair. As you draped your legs over Bucky's thighs, he lay his hand on your lower leg. 

“What are we watching, boys?” Looking toward the tv, it seemed to be an old-timey movie, evident by the black and white coloring. 

“Uh, its called The Philadelphia story, from the 1950’s” Steve said, not taking his eyes off the tv. Must be a good show. 

“Yah, old, boring, just like these two!” Sam jutted his thumbs out to point at the two boys next to him. You threw your head back in laughter at the joke that never got old. Just as your laughter died down, you found Bucky's large hand slid around your waist and pulled you to sit on his lap. His hand found your jawline as he carefully wrapped you into a kiss. Your brows furrowed slightly but you relaxed into the kiss. You could definitely get used to this side of Bucky. Although you respected his need for privacy, going all day without as much as a kiss from him did grate on you some days. You wonder what prompted him to act this way today.  

He pulled away and stared at the tv as nothing happened. You glanced over his shoulder and looked at Sam, who was pulling an incredulous face, having never seen his best friend act this way before. You just shook your head and gave a soft shrug, turning back to the TV. 

- 

As the hours drew on, your interest in the movies slowly dwindles as the tiredness grew heavy on your eyelids. Once you and Bucky had retired to the comfort of your room, and all your nightly rituals had been performed, you found yourself staring at Bucky's beautiful eyes as you lay beside him. Your hand found his cheek and caressed it slowly as you both winded down. Your mind ran through today's events, and you decided to broach the subject. 

“Buck?” You whispered, breaking the comfortable silence in the room. He just muttered a low ‘hmm?’ whilst nuzzling further into your hand with closed eyes. You bit your lip before speaking softly. “What was today about?” His eyes shot open, but suspiciously managed to avoid eye contact with you, opting to stare at the small space in between you. 

“Don't know what you mean” He mumbled into your palm. But by the look on his face, he definitely knew what you meant. Your palm moved to tilt his chin up so he had no choice but to look you in the eyes. 

“Buck.” You shot him a pointed look that you knew would have him crumbling instantly. 

“Sam was flirting with you” He whined, covering his face with his hands. His index and middle finger slipped open, revealing one of his eyes. “And I was jealous” 

You pulled his hands away from his face and held them under your chin. “Buck, Sam wasn't flirting with me, he was just being Sam, annoying as always.” A small giggle fell from your lips that made Bucky's pouty lips break into a small smile. 

“He was still flirting” He pouted again, staring up at you with those huge eyes that you couldn't resist. You put a fragile kiss on his forehead.  

“Listen, Sams your best friend, he wouldn't do that to you, and neither would I, okay” You kissed the back of each one of his hands. 

He gave a small nod, then moved his head to lay on your stomach, wrapping his arms around your back. 

“I love you Buck.” A small smile broke out on your face as you watched him bury his head in your stomach like a cat. 

“I love you too” Came a muffled voice, vibrating on your stomach, making a giggle erupt from your throat, as you stroked his hair. 

[gor3-hound]

ETERNITY — SUGURU GETO

a/n: hiii !! first geto fic on this account maybe?? shocker bcs i love him so bad... commission for @nexysworld !! love her so bad, pls check her out <3

cw: 18+ content, father-daughter incest, possessive behaviour, sheltered reader, mildly dubious consent, yandere-ish themes, very teeny tiny amount of religious themes, too. p in v, creampie, brief choking

Suguru Geto is not a man you would consider to be unkind, but there was very little affection within his actions. Your father was often patient with you - strict, but forgiving. When he touched you, it was always cold and clinical; always born out of necessity. 

Your mother had always been irrelevant to him, nothing more than a means to an end. That just so happened to be you, his daughter, and one and only heir. He had sensed the cursed energy within you the moment you were born, and he took you in to raise you on his own. He had no need for that woman anymore - she had served her purpose and bestowed him with a gift greater than any other.

Your life was free of troubles. Perhaps you did not get to play with the village children, but that was alright. You were allowed to play with the others within the compound. His followers were always kind to you, if not somewhat on edge in your presence. You did not understand it then, but now you realised the apprehension they held did not stem from your actions, but from fear of upsetting your father. You had been sheltered, yes, but you found you did not crave much else. You were well-fed, well looked after… It was hard to feel caged when the compound was all you had known.

Your youthful naivety could not last forever, and Suguru knew this. He dreaded your growth with each passing year, waiting for the questions that would come. He could keep you from the outside world, but he could not keep the outside world from you. He had many visitors, people looking to be cured of their ailments. He could keep you from watching these interactions, but he could see the way your curious eyes shone as you watched them come and go.

You asked him about the outside world only once, shortly after he had ‘cured’ a young child. You had been excited to see someone closer to your age, but his words quickly shut you down.

“The child has been plagued with demons,” He had told you simply, eyes cold as he glanced down at you. “I can keep them at bay, yes. But it would not do you well to socialise with others such as him. They will corrupt you.”

It had not convinced you entirely, and he could see that in your eyes. With a small frown, he kneeled before you, tilting his head to the side. “I extracted one from him. Would you like to see it?”

You nodded, as expected. Hopeful curiosity glimmering in your eyes, the idea of being shown something new and dangerous exciting to you. He sighs, allowing the cursed spirit he had absorbed free. He had no worry - he knew it was safely under his control. But he could see the fear in your eyes as it stalked towards you, the way you instinctively backed up, glancing at your father for protection.

“Daddy-” 

He lets its maw open inches from your body, the acrid stench of its breath filling the room as it goes to attack. He watches, unblinking, as you tremble and beg for his help, tears streaming down your face. Even still, he waits a few more seconds before driving his cursed tool through the spirit, exorcising it with ease.

“Do you see now why I cannot let you outside? It is far too dangerous for you.” You nod, clinging to him as you sob into the fabric of his robes. He lets you, holding you close to him. “I do not wish to see you hurt. Promise me you won’t ask to leave the compound again.”

“I promise.”

The years pass, and you do not dare mention leaving the compound again. Even as you reach adulthood, the memory of the demon you faced as a child keeps you biting back any requests of more freedom.

Something in your father has changed - you’re not sure what it is, but it leaves you with a lingering sense of unease whenever you cross his path. His gaze has become sharper, watching your every movement like he’s waiting for something. What it is, you’re unsure of. Your pulse is constantly racing when you’re forced to be in his proximity for more than a few seconds, but your brain can’t register what it is about him that’s making you so tense.

Your realisation comes to you slowly. You’ve seen that look before in some of them men that have wandered around the compound. Not directed at you, but you’re able to identify it all the same. 

Hunger.

Your realisation doesn’t come with any changes in his actions, but you can see in the subtle curve of his lips that he knows. He can sense that you act differently around him. Geto is an intelligent man, and it’s clear he planned for you to find out from the start. Months pass by without any changes in routine. You rarely see your father unless he deems it necessary to address you, his followers often being the ones responsible for ensuring you attend meals and stay within the compound.

Then, suddenly, he comes to you.

It’s the middle of the night when he wakes you with a gentle caress on your cheek. It’s one of the most affectionate touches he’s given you since you were a little girl, fingertips gently brushing over your cheekbones. When you meet his eyes, your heart stops beating for a moment.

His gaze is anything but kind. His jaw is set tight, and in that moment you realised how naive you were to think ignoring his glances would be enough to keep him at bay. Seeing your eyes widen with fear is enough for a sharp grin to spread across his face, his hand shifting to grasp at your hair, tilting your head back harshly.

“You're looking so beautiful these days, sweetheart.” Suguru murmurs, pressing a kiss to the side of your neck, free hand grasping at your hip. “I thought about resisting my impulses, but it’s as if you were made to tempt me. Pure, kind, beautiful. Forbidden fruit is always said to be the sweetest, but I had never thought temptation would come to me in the form of my very own daughter.”

You stiffen under him, hands pushing at his chest. He tuts disapprovingly, his fingers slackening as he pulls his hand from your hair. Suguru slides his fingers down the side of your neck, delicately wrapping around your throat before he squeezes.

“Shh, calm down. It’s only me, bunny.” He purrs the nickname, one he has not used in years in an attempt to soften you, It works, momentarily, but your muscles still feel fraught with tension. He leans down, fingers tightening around your neck in a warning as he presses his lips to yours.

His mouth is hot against yours as he kisses you. He keeps the pace leisurely, almost teasing as he presses his chapped lips against yours, tongue coaxing your lips open. The hand on your hip slides under your shirt in a way that makes you jolt, immediately breaking the kiss.

“Daddy, wait-”

Suguru scoffs, raising a brow at you. “That makes you sound so childish. You're a big girl now, aren't you?”

“D-Dad?” You correct, feeling yourself squirm under his harsh gaze.

“Better.” He breathes out, lowering his head once more to lathe his tongue along the flesh of your throat, licking hotly at your quickening pulse beneath the skin. The hand on your bare slides higher, dragging the fabric of your shirt up until he’s cupping your breast, thumb brushing gently over your nipple. You gasp softly at the pleasure it brings, something that brings an unfamiliar heat searing through your veins as wetness pools in the gusset of your panties.

He grins at the gasp he draws from your lips, teeth gently nipping at your skin as he releases your throat. His thumb flicks over your nipple once more as he drags his other hand down, moving to feel the wetness seeping through your underwear.

“I promised I’d protect you, bunny, and I meant it.” He murmurs, tracing a finger down the middle of the dampened fabric. He feels you tremble as he brushes over your clit, so he presses down gently to hear you whimper.

“I meant it,” he repeats, “I won’t hurt you, I just want you to feel good. You trust me, don’t you?

It’s a question, but it sounds more like a threat. You felt that familiar sense of unease in the back of your mind. You hadn’t experienced these things before, but you weren’t clueless.  You knew this was wrong, that he shouldn’t be touching you like this, but as his thumb replaces his finger so he could gently rub circles into your clit, your apprehension melts.

“Good girl.” He praises, words smooth and sweet. His fingers hook in the waistband of your panties, and he slowly slides them down your legs. His eyes hone in on your cunt, slick with arousal that he caused. “Look at you.”

Shame burns your face as you close your thighs, attempting to hide yourself from his view. Suguru grabs your knees, prying your thighs away before sliding his body between them to keep them from closing again.

“What’s wrong? You said you trusted me, bunny. Why are you trying to hide from me?”

“I wasn’t, I… I’m sorry.” You reply, gaze dropping nervously. Your heart pounds almost painfully in your chest, feeling more ashamed for disappointing your father.

“I don’t want to punish you, darling. Don’t you want to be good for me?” He says quietly, his tone almost condescending. He doesn’t wait for a reply before he sinks a finger into your tight cunt, a groan rumbling his chest as he feels you squeezing the digit. “Such an innocent little thing. So tight and wet.”

Suguru pulls back briefly only to remove his clothing, settling between your legs once more. His thumb presses down the base of his cock, allowing himself to align the tip with your dripping hole. “This may hurt at first, but you need to relax for me. Can you be a good girl?”

“Yeah,” you breathe out, voice soft and nervous. Suguru presses forward, sliding himself inch by inch inside of your tight heat until his cock is pressed to your cervix. Tears prick at your eyes from the sudden burn, your chest heaving with heavy breaths as he pauses to allow you to adjust to his size.

“Shh, shh. You’ll be alright, bunny. Your body was made for me, after all. It will feel good soon.” He promises, gently rocking his hips. “My sweet girl. I’d never have another have you like this. No, it has to be me. I won’t ever let anyone hurt you.”

He tries to be gentle with you - he has no intention to hurt his sweet little girl - but the way you squeeze around him feels divine. He’s sure he’s never felt anything so perfect before, feeling as though he’s being driven mad as your slick walls cling to his cock, sucking him greedily every time he starts to pull out. Suguru is not one to lose control, but he can’t find it within himself to hold back as he starts to fuck into you with earnest, pounding you into the mattress until you’re crying out with every thrust.

His hand falls to rest on your pelvis, thumb brushing your clit in a way that makes you mewl, arching into his touch. He grunts as you squeeze tighter around his cock, his hips stuttering as he rubs circles into the sensitive bundle of nerves. Your hips buck, and he slams into you harder, bruising your cervix each time his hips snap forward. You’re so tight and warm and perfect around him, and he’s not sure how much longer he’s going to last inside of you.

He watches through hooded, lust-glazed eyes as your body coils up tight, the prettiest moans and whimpers spilling from your hips as you come undone around his length. His teeth clench at the feeling of your walls fluttering around him, the grip on your hip turning bruising as he fucks into you erratically, chasing his own release. His hips stutter before he stills, spilling deep inside of you with a low groan. His eyes squeeze shut, hand falling away from your clit to grip the sheets as he floods you with his cum.

“There we go, bunny.” He murmurs softly as he returns to himself, slowly pulling out of you. He sighs shakily, brushing some hair from your face. “You’re mine forever, darling. I’m never letting you stray from my side.” 

His tone alone assures you his words are a promise.

[imgae-insertshockedgasps-16]

okay i've seen a few Just Some Guy!danny aus and they've consumed my brain so here you go, it's under the cut, you're welcome and thank you (ps it also combines part of a prompty type thing i saw the other day, props if you know it)

Danny was not entirely sure how he got here.

He was just walking along, bopping to some great interdimensional tunes, eating his tuna fish sandwich - with ectoplasm and pickles, of course - when KABLOW there's this big ole tightie-whities-on-the-outside wearing guy.

Now, Danny's not great at keeping up with the times, but he's pretty sure this is that Superman dude.

Said SuperDude was staring at his headphones and making vague "hey take them out pls so can converse" gestures, so naturally Danny pops the Interdimensional Walkman out of his chest to pause his wicked music, and then puts the whole kit and kaboodle back behind his rib cage.

"What's up? Did you need help or something? I mean, I'm pretty solidly retired but I guess if it's super important I can-"

SuperGuy abruptly stopped staring and started speaking, "Uh- no, no, thank you. Although I'm sure you could be helpful if I did need you! But, ah, well, was that a Walkman?"

Ohhhhh, Danny totally gets it now.

"Oh, dude, I gotchu. You want me to hook you up, right? Don't even worry about it, I know a guy who'll give you one a these babies for free! You're Kryptonian, right? Yeah, I totally get it, you wanna listen to some music from your home planet, no problemo my newly-minted friend, give me, like, ten seconds-"

And so Danny tore open a neat little portal and stuck his head through it, asking Technus to pretty please give him another Interdimensional Walkman, no he didn't even break this one-! He ran into a Kryptonian who heard him rockin out and wanted to know where he got the beats, and he'd told them that he could hook them up! C'mon Technus, you can't let them down! They're all lonely! They want to learn about their culture!

-----------------------------------------

Clark has no idea what's happening.

He had been searching for this ear-splitting, headache-inducing noise, and had come across a guy dancing down the sidewalk.

Not unusual, right?

Except that the terrible noise was coming from this man's - kid's?? He can't quite tell how old he is - headphones!

Of course, he didn't want to be rude, so he politely gestured for the man to remove the headphones. The man then proceeded to reach into his chest and pull out some kind of - Walkman?? Do people still use Walkmans?

Clark was naturally concerned, so he activated a spot of x-ray vision, just to see what's going on in there, and was promptly horrified.

This man was using his chest cavity as a storage compartment!

Two wallets, a key ring, a lunch box, some sort of odd thermos, bits and bobs of random parts and tools were all tangled around - and occasionally in - this guy's organs!

Suddenly, Clark realized that he'd been staring for a while, and the man was now talking. Something about coming out of retirement to help, oh dear, Ma would knock him around the head if he kept being so rude, "Uh- no, no, thank you. Although I'm sure you could be helpful if I did need you! But, ah, well, was that a Walkman?"

And now he was speaking rapidly, something about music from Krypton? Clark's pretty sure that not a whole lot survived the explosion, and he'd be pretty surprised if this guy just happened to have-

A vaguely Lazarus colored portal??

What in the world-

-----------------------------------------

"Thanks Technus! You're the best! I owe you one non evil scheme related favour!"

Danny zips up the portal and turns around, fiddling with the tapes and Walkman in his hands as he goes.

"Here you go! I wasn't entirely sure what genre you'd want, I don't really listen to a whole lot of Kryptonian stuff to be honest, it's usually too heavy on the vocal for me- not that vocals aren't great! But I want a whole band experience, yaknow? I'm not really looking for individual singers. Anyway, I just had him go for a couple songs of each major genre, but if you want something different you can totally-"

"Wait, hold on, you're telling me that there's Kryptonian music on those tapes? Playable by that Walkman?"

"Uh, well, yeah. Isn't that why you tracked me down? And, technically, I mean, they're ectoplasmic tapes and an Interdimensional Walkman, so. Hey, did you know that kryptonite is actually super-condensed ectoplasm? And since it's filled with the anguish and suffering and fear and whatnot of your entire home planet dying, it only negatively affects your species! Pretty cool right? Oh, shit, was that insensitive, I really didn't mean to be, I just thought that maybe you'd want to- ACK!"

Danny was not expecting SuperMuscles to get so close. He thrust out the IW and tapes and dropped them into SuperFellow's hands, "Listen, I gotta run. I'm supposed to be at a o-chem study group right now and they're totally gonna be pissed. Hit me up if you want a different tape."

And the proceeded to run in the opposite direction, duck into an alley and turn invisible, and fly over to the cafe his study group was in.

"Listen, I know I'm late but you'll never believe why-"

[dollwrites]

ɪɴᴛᴏ ɪᴛ ! ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ ʜᴀᴛsᴜᴍɪ sᴇɴ

𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 ∣ smut ( minors dni ), fem!reader, suggested age gap ( reader is early twenties & sen refers to himself as daddy once ), size kink ( suggested petite!reader ), body worship ( cock ), this is borderline softcore. all characters featured are aged 18+

𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 ∣ please reblog && leave feedback. not proofread so there’s probably mistakes. thanks for reading < 3 pls ignore the unedited pic, i’ll update it as soon as i can!

𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗸𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 ∣ act thirteen [ body worship ( cock ) ]

Sen loves the look on your face when he takes his cock out for the first time, even if it’s mostly obstructed by your position on his lap. the way your eyes widen as your gaze devours the girthy extremity. the way your lips, still swollen from all of his fierce kisses, part but not a sound comes out. rendered speechless, but wanton.

damn, he thinks, cock shock looks good on my baby girl.

lounging back against the couch, his thick thighs spread wide, he allows a lazy smirk to tickle his lips and draw them upwards. “Don’t let your eyes get bigger than your stomach, little girl.” he warns in a soft, cooing rumble. his big, powerful hands cup the flare of your hips, rubbing upwards against your waist before careening downward. he applies very little pressure, but it’s enough to push your clothed core flush against the wide trunk of his cock. he allows you to perch right on the base, as if you were riding a pony. of course, it’s no secret that just making out with Sen had drenched your core, and the damp patch of cotton rubs against the solid sex. “You need a little practice before you can take it.”

what’s worse than the embarrassment of having him point out the fact that you weren’t ready to take something that big was that you knew he was right. but god, you wanted to. one of your hands gently caresses the thick, heavily veined muscle, silky strokes of your fingertips against the warmth of his hard-on. you want to know what it feels like to be fucked by him; the sensation of the engorged, pink tip you were enamored with plundering your most delicate regions. you shift your weight, leaning forward, and you press more of your weight down against the base. Sen lets out a soft hum, as if amused by your test of his dexterity, his fingers curled tightly around your waist. they’re nearly interlaced. you were like a toy in his arms, whilst you stared down at the herculean tool between his legs.

“Will you help me?” you ask, unable to tear your stare away from his dick. it has a subtle throb, and seems to twitch when you speak, as if the shyness in your voice was enough to make his loins stir with desire. arousal blooms within you at the thought— did he get hard whenever you so much as spoke to him? it brought up several questions: was it only your voice? or did he get hard whenever he could smell you? whenever you were close enough for him to smell your sweet perfume? “P—practice, I mean…?”

Sen chuckles, sitting up higher, his palms pressing against your skin to hold you firmly in place, and he leans forward, his massive chest pressing against your back. the tips of his long, unruly hair— undone from the usual ponytail, tickles your shoulder as they kiss your bare skin, and he nuzzles his nose against the crook of your neck, inhaling. “Sure I will, baby girl. In good time, I’ll make sure you can take every fucking inch. For right now, though…” his voice is a husky whisper that trails off, one of his hands grabbing your free one, guiding it to the neglected side of his cock, “why don’t you just play with it a little? Get used to handling me, baby.”

your breath is heavy, your hands are shaking and you’re not entirely sure why. at first, you admire the sheer girth, taking a mental picture of your fist looking almost too small as you try to grasp it. the tips of your fingers don’t meet your thumb, and the one you’d been using to tease the head slides down, instead, to hold him with both hands. with both of your hands securing a grip at the base, the length is painfully apparent. in this position, with you sat on Sen’s lap, his cock ( if pressed against the side of one of your legs ) could almost reach your knee. you have to swallow around a hard lump forming in your throat the more you fondled him, growing more and more anxious to see just what kind of decimation he could leave your pussy in. “Y—you’re so… big.” you whisper in bemusement, but Sen is grunting softly when you give a little squeeze. “I— I can’t even wrap my hand around it!”

“It’s okay. You’re okay.” he starts to slip back into his relaxed state. “There’s no rush, don’t overwhelm yourself.” he encourages, tilting his head back. the ghost of his smirk is still present on his lips, but his eyes are closing as your curious fingers begin to trace the throbbing veins. “Feel me out, baby girl.” he exhales heavily through his nose, and you attempt a clumsy, stroking motion. it’s not the most graceful, and difficult from this position looming over him, but he doesn’t seem to mind. “Those soft, sweet hands of yours—“ Sen has to stifle a rumbling purr, allowing his hips to buck forward. you sway on his lap, biting down on your lip, but the delicate fingertips on both hands race towards the tip, thumbs massaging the tender underside of the tip in circles, teasing his resolve.

“Fuck.” he hisses behind his teeth, before letting out a breathless laugh. it’s hoarse and almost sounds… desperate? “You like playing with me, baby girl?” his grip on your wrist isn’t tight, but he guides your hand, his fingers pressing yours against his slit, and you let out a soft, happy whimper as pearls of warm, precum bead up between them, leaving a sticky sheen against them. you can’t help but nod, but the words ( even the most simple of affirmations ) escape you in this moment, you’re too dazzled by the display laid out before you. you press the soft pads of your pointer and middle fingers against the slit and stroke it slowly, until Sen is growling with hardly-subdued delight. his free hand creeps up the length of your back, fingers tangling in your tresses to pull your head back towards him.

as much as you want to keep watching on in awe, admiring every inch of his cock, you obey his silent command, falling back against his chest, the crown of your head rubbing against his clavicle. craning your neck, you tilt your head up, lips parting as you’re about to speak, but the heat and pressure of his lips consuming yours crashes any train of thought you’d had. his tongue is in your mouth in seconds, dominating yours in a ferocious dance, and his nostrils flare with snorting breaths. “Mm, mhm…” his chin tucks into the kiss, a subtle nod as he hums in approval at the way you strum his slit, kissing you hard for a few more seconds before breaking it. his lips still smear over yours, breath hot and washing in tidal waves over your mouth. Sen’s eyes are heavily lidded, thoroughly enjoying your touches. “There you go, baby girl. Daddy’s gonna teach you how to worship his cock.”

[rebeccathenaturalist]

An App Does Not a Master Naturalist Make

Originally posted on my website at https://rebeccalexa.com/app-not-master-naturalist/ - I had written this as an op-ed and sent it to WaPo, but they had no interest, so you get to read it here instead!

I have mixed feelings about Michael Coren’s April 25 Washington Post article, “These 4 free apps can help you identify every flower, plant and tree around you.” His ebullience at exploring some of the diverse ecological community around him made me grin, because I know exactly what it feels like. There’s nothing like that sense of wonder and belonging when you go outside and are surrounded by neighbors of many species, instead of a monotonous wall of green, and that is a big part of what led me to become a Master Naturalist.

When I moved from the Midwest to the Pacific Northwest in 2006, I felt lost because I didn’t recognize many of the animals or plants in my new home. So I set about systematically learning every species that crossed my path. Later, I began teaching community-level classes on nature identification to help other people learn skills and tools for exploring their local flora, fauna, and fungi.

Threeleaf foamflower (Tiarella trifoliata)

Let me be clear: I love apps. I use Merlin routinely to identify unknown bird songs, and iNaturalist is my absolute favorite ID app, period. But these tools are not 100% flawless.

For one thing, they’re only as good as the data you provide them. iNaturalist’s algorithms, for example, rely on a combination of photos (visual data), date and time (seasonal data), and GPS coordinates (location data) to make initial identification suggestions. These algorithms sift through the 135-million-plus observations uploaded to date, finding observations that have similar visual, seasonal, and location data to yours.

There have been many times over the years where iNaturalist isn’t so sure. Take this photo of a rather nondescript clump of grass. Without seed heads to provide extra clues, the algorithms offer an unrelated assortment of species, with only one grass. I’ve gotten that “We’re not confident enough to make a recommendation” message countless times over my years of using the app, often suggesting species that are clearly not what I’m looking at in real life.

Because iNaturalist usually offers up multiple options, you have to decide which one is the best fit. Sometimes it’s the first species listed, but sometimes it’s not. This becomes trickier if all the species that are suggested look alike. Tree-of-Heaven (Ailanthus altissima), smooth sumac (Rhus glabra) and eastern black walnut (Juglans nigra) all have pinnately compound, lanceolate leaves, and young plants of these three species can appear quite similar. If all you know how to do is point and click your phone’s camera, you aren’t going to be able to confidently choose which of the three plants is the right one.

Coren correctly points out that both iNaturalist and Pl@ntNet do offer more information on suggested species—if people are willing to take the time to look. Too many assume ID apps will give an easy, instant answer. In watching my students use the app in person almost everyone just picks the first species in the list. It’s not until I demonstrate how to access the additional content for each species offered that anyone thinks to question the algorithms’ suggestions.

While iNaturalist is one of the tools I incorporate into my classes, I emphasize that apps in general are not to be used alone, but in conjunction with field guides, websites, and other resources. Nature identification, even on a casual level, requires critical thinking and observation skills if you want to make sure you’re correct. Coren’s assertion that you only need a few apps demonstrates a misunderstanding of a skill that takes time and practice to develop properly—and accurately.

Speaking of oversimplification, apps are not a Master Naturalist in your pocket, and that statement —while meant as a compliment–does a disservice to the thousands of Master Naturalists across the country. While the training curricula vary from state to state, they are generally based in learning how organisms interact within habitats and ecosystems, often drawing on a synthesis of biology, geology, hydrology, climatology, and other natural sciences. A Master Naturalist could tell you not only what species you’re looking at, but how it fits into this ecosystem, how its adaptations are different from a related species in another ecoregion, and so forth.

Map showing Level III and IV ecoregions of Oregon, the basis of my training as an Oregon Master Naturalist.

In spite of my criticisms, I do think that Coren was absolutely onto something when he described the effects of using the apps. Seeing the landscape around you turn from a green background to a vibrant community of living beings makes going outside a more exciting, personal experience. I and my fellow nature nerds share an intense curiosity about the world around us. And that passion, more than any app or other tool, is fundamental to becoming a citizen naturalist, Master or otherwise.

Did you enjoy this post? Consider taking one of my online foraging and natural history classes or hiring me for a guided nature tour, checking out my other articles, or picking up a paperback or ebook I’ve written! You can even buy me a coffee here!

[sopiao]

OMG HIIIIII ^^

i feel like there’s not enough price love on this app >:( so i wanted to request a reader that moves in across the hall from Price. and gets a little crushy crush on you 😻

LIKE OMG he helps you move in, do all the heavy lifting. such a gentlemen. always there whenever your AC breaks down. he just so happens to run into you in the complex’s laundry room. somehow always awake when you need him.

please ignore this if you want or don’t feel like it!! take care of urself boo!

PLS IVE BEEN SO EXCITED TO DO THIS THE SECOND I FIRST READ IT. honestly such a cute idea :^

anyways- 👀

Price was a very private man, never discussing any deep or emotional issues or feelings with anyone. He hated small talk, always found it awkward or bothersome. He didn’t feel as lonely as he thought he’d be, he liked the peace and the time he has for himself. Yes, he will be polite, but would rather prefer being by himself. But he’d try his best to avoid any interaction without being rude.

That was until he heard talking and a series thuds outside. Price was always very nosy and curious so he looked through the peephole of his door and saw you standing in front of the apartment across from his, it was empty for as long as he’s been there. Boxes were scattered along your feet.

He’s not sure why, but he felt like he should help you. He told himself it was just to make a good first impression of course. He scrambled to find the nearest clean shirt he could find. Coming out to meet you, Price was awkward at first, feeling like it was a bad idea at the last second until he saw your face, a soft and welcoming smile.

“Hi! Sorry about the boxes, I’ll be quick” You chuckle awkwardly, looking at the boxes that took up one side of the hallway. A smile instantly grew on him as he reassured you that it was alright and that it wasn’t a bother.

“You need a hand? I have some free time” He offered, lying, not wanting to seem like an eager creep that’ll snatch a pair of underwear from you while your not looking.

“You sure? I don’t wanna take up any of your time” Of course you were grateful for the offer but didn’t wanna be a bother. He insisted that he helped and that he wouldn’t be late to the nonexistent plans he made up. You didn’t doubt that he couldn’t do it. I mean, just look at him. His arms alone made you drool.

He made sure to make a show of it when he helped you out. Holding a box close against his barrel chest, making sure to subtly flex his arms he knew you were eyeing. Occasionally, you’d sneak a glance of his ass when you would go back out to bring in another box.

Price even helped you bring in all of your furniture from the downstairs lobby to the second floor. Doesn’t sound like much but when your bringing in furniture up and down and up and down— it gets tiring as hell. And fortunately for your case, sweaty.

Right after bringing in the couch, he did 80% of the lifting, you plopped down across it for a little break. Price pulling up the bottom of his shirt to wipe the sweat off his neck and face, showing you what you’ve been thinking about since the beginning. He was turned to the side so it didn’t look as obvious that he was showing off for you, but you still got that full view.

—

Price was excited when he heard a knock on his door, even more when he saw you, if he was a dog his tail would be wagging side to side.

“Sorry to bother you again, but do you know how to fix an AC? Or a repair number I can call?” You asked, chuckling nervously, again he pretended that he had free time in between plans he didn’t really have. Plus, it took him away from his heaps of paperwork and got to be in your presence, even if it’s for a short while.

“‘Course. I have some time” Flashing the charming smile you always thought about. Following you into your apartment with a reasonably sized tool box. He couldn’t help but eye how you looked, dressed to try and accommodate the hot weather without a functioning AC. Loose black tank top and grey sweatpants.

“Thank you! I would’ve probably roasted to death if I went one more minute with out it. So sorry to bother you again” You grinned, relief washing over you, the cool air against your boiling skin and sweat woke you instantly.

“No problem at all” He shrugged, putting his tools back in the red metal box, resting his surprisingly soft hand on your shoulder.

“Feel free to call me anytime anything needs fixing” His touch seemed to linger, along with your and his gaze on each other.

—

Price sprang up in a second and came running into your apartment when he heard a scream, the door was unlocked. He found you sitting on your counter with a pan, clearly afraid and scared.

“What?! What happened?!” He yelled, looking around your apartment for an intruder or something, his wooden bat being held over his shoulder, ready to strike.

You stuttered, too scared to reply, even think to form a sentence.

“A spider”

“What- Wait- Seriously?” He let the bat drop to his side, laughing at how seriously afraid your expression was.

“Yes, seriously! It’s huge, John! It’s as big as my hand!” You yell, trying to get to him while he laughs.

“Fine. Where is it?” He smirked. You followed him to your bedroom where the spider was. It really was as big as an atom, he couldn’t even find it until it moved up the wall.

—

When John heard your knock at his door he took no longer than a second, ready to open the door and greet you. Wondering what you’d want at this time of the night. He stopped for a second, realizing that he may be a little too eager. Waiting a couple seconds, like one or two, and opening the door, pretending that he just ended a call.

“Hm?” He tilted his head, forearm resting on the edge of the door as he leaned against it. Somehow you were more charming than the last time he saw you. Looking so excited with a paper towel on your hand with a single treat on it. He pretended he didn’t see it, but was internally hoping it was for him.

“Oh, good. You’re awake” You chime happily, taking the thick brownie and pressing it up to his lips for a bite. Wanting for him to take the test brownie, but being to awkward to ask him normally. He hummed in surprise, accepting the baked good. Placing his hand under his chin to keep it from falling and leaving crumbs.

“So?” You asked a couple seconds later, he’s still chewing. He chuckles at your eagerness, nodding his head as he tried to finish up his bite.

“I- Uhh. Wow. This is—this is good. Mm, really good” He nods, taking another bite of it as he dusted of his hands. Making you delighted that he liked it. He held the last bit of it up to your mouth to take it. Biting it from his hands you looked to the side, nodding to yourself and taking mental notes.

“Good. Good. Needs chocolate chunks, a little too dry” He stares as you just talk to yourself, a soft smile on his face.

“Oh. Caramel! Or is that too thick?” You perk up, snapping your fingers and looking up for confirmation or disapproval.

“Frosting?” He adds cluelessly, knowing nothing of the science of baking.

“Frosting!” Your eyes light up, pointing your finger at the idea.

“Mocha, maybe? Or nuts?” He tried his best to help and contribute to your little brainstorming session. Nodding along with the idea you thank him and walk back to your apartment to tweak the recipe a bit.

[pinkacademiaprincess]

Hiii I’m so sorry to bother you!, hope your day goes well <3 I just want to ask, how can I improve in maths? I’m preparing myself for the sat and I have trouble with understanding it. Any tips would be very much appreciated, thanku !! ♡

Become a Math Whiz: Acing Math Class & the SAT 📈✏️📚👩‍🏫

ty for the ask & the kind words! you are never a bother, i'm happy to help 🥰 i can def give some tips as someone who went from struggling w/ math to being good at it. and i’ve taken the SAT so i know that experience as well! i hope this helps 💗

take accountability

it’s very easy to try to shift blame & avoid taking responsibility for your grades/ performance. i used to think things like “the teacher is just bad!” or “i’m just not a math person!” but this mindset is just deflecting. some things are out of your control, like what teacher you have or preferring other subjects, but you have to step up & work hard to create your own success! remembering this will help you stay motivated and disciplined.

find your learning style

i talked about this in a previous post too, but there are different styles of learning - visual, auditory, hands-on, & reading/writing - and not all of them work for everyone. if you spend a ton of time studying and don’t see improvement or results, that’s a big sign that you’re studying wrong. a method that works for your friend or that your teacher uses might not actually be effective for you. so do some research into learning styles and study methods, and find implement strategies that work for you.

never fall behind

okay, easier said than done. but one of the biggest reasons i used to struggle is math is that i would get stuck on a concept, never fully master it, and then i’d stay behind. in math, a lot of topics build on each other. if you get stuck on a topic, it’s crucial that you figure it out asap or your confusion will snowball. you can’t build a solid structure on top of a wobbly foundation. the moment you encounter a problem area, study it until you’ve completely understood.

practice makes perfect

i try to steer clear of recommending specific study methods b/c everyone has different learning styles. but math is so dependent on problem solving & applications that you really have to master this skill in order to succeed. beyond just reviewing your notes & reading over concepts, you need to practice applying topics by solving problems. do the homework questions & do them for accuracy, even if it’s just graded for completion. find extra problems in the textbook, workbook, online, etc. redo questions from class or the hw that confused you until you can do them correctly without your notes. drill it until you can solve them AND understand how the steps work!

ask for help

i am clearly a big proponent of asking for help. in school, your teachers are gonna be one of the best resources you have. for one, they’re teachers for a reason, so even if you think they’re not too great at explaining stuff, they know the concepts. and besides that, your teachers the ones who are creating units, assigning your work, writing & grading your tests... they should be your go-to for questions. visit them during office hours or email to set up a meeting where you can discuss concepts. ask for extra practice problems, ask them to look over your work & let you know how it looks, talk through your work with them. aside from teachers, you can get help from a tutor, a classmate, whoever you can turn to. but pls don’t suffer alone! succeeding with help is still succeeding.

use the internet

so maybe your teacher truly sucks at explaining. maybe you don’t have classmates to help and can’t afford a tutor. or maybe you just wanna supplement your learning another way. i really really recommend utilizing free learning tools online!! khan academy is an obvious one for videos, practice problems, and more. you can also find tons of youtube videos explaining math topics. sometimes it helps to hear things explained another way. i also google “[math concept] practice problems” if i want extra questions to work through.

bonus: tips for SAT math

the SAT is a bit different b/c the math concepts aren’t actually too advanced. it’s all multiple choice so you don’t get to rely on partial points for showing your work. the SAT is testing your strategy & speed as much as it’s actually testing you on math concepts, so here are my best tips for that specifically:

use khan academy’s SAT prep tool - it’s free (!!!!!) and it links to your collegeboard account. it uses prior years’ SAT content so it’s very similar to the test itself. it helps you pace yourself, pinpoint your problem areas, learn & apply concepts, & track your progress. here's a screenshot from when i used it, as you can see my scores improved and i was able to ultimately get a superscore of 1450!

take practice tests - this helps you get familiar with the time constraint. khan academy has plenty!!

do a ton of SAT math practice questions - ideally, find a ton of questions used in prior SAT tests and just crank them out. the test's concepts are quite repetitive so if you just focus on the topics they usually test, you can master them

learn test-taking strategies - the SAT is multiple choice and has a tricky time constraint, so however you can save time will help. become good at using the process of elimination & other multiple choice test methods. you can find these sorts of tips online!

i hope this helps! know that you are completely capable of improving at math. i went from thinking i suck at it & doing poorly in math class to acing my calc courses & studying to enter a math-focused field. utilize your resources and figure out your best study style asap, and you WILL see improvements!

[shogunish]

𝗽𝗶𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗱.

synopsis. all you wanted was a nipple piercing and what you got on top of that was satoru's cum inside you, free of charge.

contents. reader has small boobs, piercing procedure, mentions of blood, so many pet names oh god (sweetheart, hun, baby, etc..), cunnilingus, semi-public sex, unprotected sex, groping, inappropriate aftercare for piercings lmao, unedited/not proofread, flirty satoru, ...

words. 3.5k

note. i haven't written smut in ages pls be gentle 🧍🏻‍♀️

comments and reblogs are highly appreciated! <3

Maybe it was a stupid idea to get pierced right after a messy break-up, but it was something you desperately needed. A change. A change more drastic than just a new haircut or new hair color, but a change that wouldn't be completely unhinged.

“Hmm..let’s see..”

Even though the walls were painted a deep black, the pink neon signs attached paired with several other decorations gave off a cozy and calm atmosphere. A song, probably a decade old and one you knew well, played in the background, soothing your antsy nerves as you skimmed through the little folder filled with pictures of piercings.

You were humming along to the song, slender fingers turning yet another page as your eyes scanned different snapshots. A helix piercing would definitely suit you, but you wanted something completely different. Something that you usually wouldn't do. So many choices were right in front of you: dangly earrings, pretty gemstones in vibrant colors, studs and piercings even you didn't know the name of.

Maybe, you should've come with a plan beforehand.

“Anything caught your eye yet?” A deep voice brought you out of your thoughts and when your eyes caught sight of the piercer with white tousled hair and vibrant blue eyes, your breath caught in your throat. The black compression shirt accentuated his bulging biceps and certainly did not help your case. Satoru was his name, if you remember correctly.

With a certain amount of grace and charm, Satoru maneuvered his way around your body and came to a stop behind you. Leaning over your shoulder, his cologne immediately enveloped you like a warm blanket while the warmth he exuded seeped through the top you wore.

Satoru caught sight of your flushed cheeks and the flustered glimmer swimming in your eyes just because he popped into your personal space. A smirk tugged at his lips as cerulean eyes watched you fumble with the folder.

What a sweet thing you were.

“Ah..this one.” Quickly, you put your finger down on a picture that you had been eyeing for quite some time. A nipple piercing with a few small gemstones on each side. They reflected the light in all colors possible and honestly..it did look too pretty to pass up.

Satoru whistled, the pitch low and impressed. “Damn. Who broke your heart, sweetheart?”

Closing the folder, your brows furrowed and gave Satoru a confused look, head tilted to the side and all. “..how did you know?”

Satoru took a seat on his stool, rolled over to the piercer table and offered you the seat on the cushioned chair. A chuckle rumbled in his chest. “A pretty thing like you wanting a nipple piercing for her first time. It's easy math, hun.” He said, looking more amused than sorry and for some reason, it was a nice change of pace. One that made you chuckle despite the nervousness bubbling in your guts.

He was right. Maybe it was pretty cliché of you to get your nipples pierced after a messy break-up.

Nimble fingers prepped the tools that Satoru would need for your piercing. The scent of disinfectant lingered in the air and slightly stung in your nose. Satoru had to have seen the face you pulled or else he wouldn't laugh. “Indulge me. What did that jerk do to fumble a pretty girl like you?”

All those pretty nicknames were getting to your head if the flip of your tummy and the warmth in your limbs was anything to go by. But you never told Satoru off. You liked it, the attention and the feeling of it all. It was nice.

You chuckled, the hint of a smile on your lips. “Are you sure you want to know? I don't wanna dump on you.”

Satoru rolled his eyes at you, playfully so as he snapped on a pair of latex gloves. A little smack bounced off the walls. “I'd be bored as hell if my clients didn’t gossip with me, y'know? So come on, tell me what he did.”

The memory of what your ex did was still fresh in your mind, yet it didn't hurt. Perhaps, you'd been looking for a reason to break up with him until he delivered you a good one. It was good riddance, really.

“I caught him in bed with another woman.” You explained with a sigh slipping past your lips. “Looking back on it, he was horrible anyways.”

How often had Satoru listened to stories of people cheating on each other? Way more than he could count. Most of the time, his clients would end up crying at the memory, but you appeared to be unfazed.

Raising a fine eyebrow, Satoru gently nudged your knee with his own and let one his charming smiles curl his lips. “Horrible? Come on, don't keep the juicy details to yourself, babe.” Then, he pointed at your top and stated: “Oh, and you can undress now.”

Suddenly, a wave of shyness came over you as you hooked your fingers into the hem of your top, pulled it over your top and unclipped the front of your bra, freeing your breasts. As a piercer, Satoru had seen any kind of body shapes and other things that were absolutely natural. And despite repeating it over and over again in your head, you still wrapped an arm around your midsection and gulped down the lump in your throat.

The stools wheels smoothly slid across the wooden floors and came to a silent stop in front of you. Satoru was about to prompt you for more details, but he stopped when he saw how absolutely insecure you suddenly were.

“[Name], there's nothing to be shy about. It's just us here, yeah?”

“Yeah..I know. It's just..” And then you went on to tell Satoru about your ex, how he made you feel bad about having small breasts, how he always said he liked bigger ones and wanted to watch them bounce during spicy time. How embarrassing it was to say all these things to a stranger, but Satoru listened patiently and rubbed his gloved hand over your thigh as if to tell you that it was okay.

He clicked his tongue, clearly annoyed by the way your ex made you feel about your body. “That's bullshit. Your breasts are perfect the way they are.” Satoru refuted swiftly and painted a smile on your face, making you feel safe and validated. Cerulean eyes traveled from your face down to your breasts, examining them for a moment before he smirked in satisfaction. “Personally, I prefer them smaller. I like ‘em perky like that.”

Although Satoru's comment sent heat straight to your cheeks, it also made you feel at ease. Like he had injected some of his self-confidence into you. Unraveling your arms, you supported your weight on them and presented Satoru your small pair of pretty tits.

“Now that's a good girl.” He laughed and brought a hand up to your breast, brushing his thumb over your pert nipple. “Ready to get pierced, sweetheart?”

With an eager nod of your head, Satoru began the procedure. Preparing the needle, getting some cotton dabs for the bleeding and of course the little jewelry for your pretty nipples that he diligently sterilized. The scent still made you visibly cringe, but at least it served as some sort of entertainment to the piercer who held your nipple between two fingers and brought the needle to your skin.

“This might hurt, sweets. Sorry ‘bout that.” Satoru murmured and quickly pierced your little nipple with the needle.

You yelped and squeezed your eyes shut as the pain was sharp and started to throb. Nails dug into the soft cushion, knuckles turned white and your breathing deepened, but other than that, you didn't move much. Was it painful? Hell yes. Would it look pretty in the end? Hell yes.

Pain was temporary, but the beauty of the piercing would last.

“Shh, relax. You're doing so well for me, sweetie. Yeah, breathe. That's good.” Satoru showered you with praise, his breath hot and moist as it fanned across your pierced nipple while his voice dropped by an octave.

With skilled fingers, Satoru inserted the piercing through the sensitive flesh and fastened the gemstones on each side of your nipple before he tended to the bleeding. Dabbing the cotton around your nipple, he wiped the blood away and applied light pressure to stop the scarlet liquid from leaking out any more. A grimace of discomfort settled on your face, but at least it gave you a chance to breathe, to take a quick break.

“You good?” Satoru asked, looking up at you from his seat right in front of your tits.

“Yeah. Keep going.” Pain was laced in that usually sweet voice of yours and oh, how badly Satoru wanted to take that away from you. But you were such a brave little thing that he obliged your words.

So, Satoru pierced your other nipple as diligently as he did before. He was focused, wanting to make the experience as painless and quick as he could, but he knew that it still hurt quite a bit. At his heartstrings, a hint of pity tugged, but now that your little nipples were pierced, he couldn't help but feel a certain type of way.

“There. All done.” A satisfied look was painted all over Satoru's face. Large hands caressed your little tits, carefully feeling the flesh without causing you too much pain. It absolutely wasn't a necessary procedure, but for some reason, Satoru couldn’t help himself around you.

“Fuck..” you cussed, voice a little hoarse and Satoru swore that sound sent a good portion of his blood straight to his cock. “It hurts.”

“Told ya it would hurt, princess.” Satoru snickered before he took off his gloves and cleaned the little table with his equipment on it. “If you want, you can go take a look in the mirror. It looks pretty on you. Really.”

Hopping off the chair, you stood in front of the full body mirror and regarded Satoru's handiwork. Sure, your nipples were a little swollen, but the running ac cooling the air made the swelling go down with each passing moment. A couple of gemstones now glimmered on each side of your nipples, reflecting and breaking the light in beautiful colors.

“Wow..” you breathed, carefully touching your breasts to squish them together and admire the jewelry piercing your skin.

You were so busy admiring your new jewelry that you barely noticed Satoru standing behind you before he popped up in the reflection.

“Pretty, hm? Your ex didn't deserve these, anyways.” Holding your waist, Satoru admired his work on your body. By now, your nipples were all hard and stiff, really bringing the piercing out now.

A little shiver slithered down your spine at Satoru's touch. When you caught sight of your erect nipples, you quickly covered them up with your palms and a little blush on your cheeks. “S-sorry..it's been a while since..y'know..anyone touched me in any way..”

With slow movements, Satoru gently moved your palms away and carefully caressed your freshly pierced nipples. “Oh? Your ex and you didn't do it regularly?” He asked, rubbing your buds in circles. He relished in the way you shivered under his touch and gulped.

How cute you were. Absolutely ravishing.

You shook your head. A little pout on your lips. “No. He stopped touching me months ago.” Satoru managed to draw a little sigh out of the back of your throat, making your voice just a tad bit breathy. “He was too vanilla, anyways, always wanting to do it missionary.”

Satoru was baffled. How could any man resist touching you? The audacity your ex had of depriving you from some fun times was unbelievable.

“Do you know what you need, sweetheart?” He whispered in your ear, his voice dripping down your spine like warm honey.

Shaking your head, you watched Satoru rubbing your nipples before gently twisting them between his thumb and index finger. “W-what..?” You stumbled over your words, hardly trusting your own voice.

“A night of hot, kinky sex with a man who knows how to treat you right.” Satoru peppered butterfly kisses along the delicate skin of your neck. Each kiss was a little bit wetter than the last one while a large palm slid from your breast down to your stomach and stopped just above the hem of your skirt.

Like hot chocolate, you melted in Satoru's arms. You leaned your head back against his shoulder and nuzzled the flesh of your ass against his steadily growing erection with a smile on your face and a flush dusting the apples of your cheeks. His touches, so light yet insistent, left your skin burning and sparked flames in you that had long died out.

“Be a naughty girl for me and bend over, sweets.” Satoru whispered in your ear, teeth catching your lobe in the process.

When you pressed your palms flat next to the mirror and bent your body over, rough hands flipped your skirt up over your waist and revealed your dampening panties. Kneeling down, Satoru gripped the plush of your ass cheeks and groped them thoroughly. “What a good girl you are..already getting wet for me.”

He caressed the expanse of your inner thighs and chuckled at the little shiver going down your spine. Oh, how sweet you were. If Satoru had met you earlier, he would've taken you all to himself every night.

Fingertips traced the edge of your panties and slowly rubbed your cunt through the cotton.

“S-Satoru..” you gasped, thighs shuddering around his hand. You wanted to close your legs out of embarrassment. It wasn't like you to hook up with some guy, let alone doing it in public.

“Shh, you're doing well for me.” Satoru assured you before he hooked his fingers into the elastic of your panties and pulled them down mid-thigh. He licked his lips at the sight: your glistening pussy all wet and your folds just slightly swollen, your little hole just begging to be eaten and filled. “Let me do this for ya, sweetheart.”

Before you could question Satoru, he buried his face in your pussy from behind and wrapped his mouth around your sloppy folds. Licking a bold stripe from your entrance up to your clit, Satoru let your taste consume his taste buds and sucked at your pussy.

“Fuck..your pussy's fucking delicious, baby..” Satoru groaned, his eyes fluttering shut as he made out with your cunt, nastily tonguing at your hole and his fingers massaging your throbbing clit.

You grabbed a fistful of his snowy hair, nails scraping against his scalp as you pulled at the roots. “Oh fuck..Satoru..a-ah..” Soft, breathy moans tumbled from your lips.

Satoru buried his face deeper in-between your legs while his palms kept your legs spread. Sneaking his tongue inside, he thrust his tongue slowly in and out of your pussy, savoring the taste. Your juices dribbled down his chin and down his throat; he was like a man dying of thirst and your cunt happened to have the sweetest nectar.

“Yeah, you like that, don't you, little girl?” Satoru growled and pulled away momentarily to rub your cunt and admire his handiwork. You were all messy with his spit and your juices that shamelessly trickled down the inside of your thigh. Perfect.

You nodded your head eagerly. “Y-yeah..I love it..”

Through the reflection in the mirror, you watched how Satoru spread your cunt open and stuffed you full of his tongue again, making you whimper in pathetic tones. His tongue didn't even reach that sweet spot and yet, you were squirming on Satoru's face, panting and digging your nails into the flesh of your palm.

“Gonna have so much fun fucking this sweet pussy..” Satoru murmured into your cunt. Giving your ass a swift spank, he almost laughed at the way you jumped and pouted at him through the mirror.

“Well..” you huffed, clearly out of breath, “why don't you?”

A little smirk tugged at the corners of your lips as your gaze collided with baby blue eyes in the mirror that dared you to say that again. The erection not-so-subtly hidden in Satoru's pants twitched at the thought of taking you right then and there.

Just a small quickie wouldn't hurt, right?

“You're a devious one. I like it.” Chuckling, Satoru got back up to his feet, unbuckled his belt and pulled his hardened cock free from its confines. A groan of relief fell past his lips, cock standing large and proud.

Grasping your ass cheeks, Satoru prodded at your entrance with the blunt head of his leaking cock. A hum vibrated in the back of his throat. “Think you can take me, sweetheart? Your cunt is so tiny.”

As if to entice him, you wiggled your butt from side to side and whined. “Just put it in, Satoru. You can't eat me out and then expect me not to– Oh, fuck..”

With a swift thrust of his hips, Satoru buried his cock deep inside your cunt until he was balls deep in. Your walls gripped him so tightly, your heat almost made him melt on the spot. Almost.

“So fucking tight..” A sigh fell from Satoru's lips as he drew his hips back and snapped them back against your ass. “So fucking good..”

Without any shame, Satoru grasped your hip with one hand while the other groped your tit. He was hunched over you, groaning in your ear and bullying his cock into your poor cunt. Squeals and moans of pleasure escaped your throat. No longer did you care about anyone walking in or hearing what was going on in Satoru's piercing room.

All you cared about was getting to cum on his cock which deliciously against that sweet spot, rubbing and kissing it in ways that usually only your toys could.

“Ah yeah..right there, Toru..” With each thrust, your tits would sway and the flesh of your ass rippled, hypnotizing Satoru. Your voice, sweet like sugar and addicting, drove him insane. He just had to cum inside you.

“I know, sweetheart..I know..” Furrowing his brows, Satoru buried his face in the crook of your neck to muffle his own moans and groans. Hot and moist, his breath fanned over your skin, sending a fresh wave of heat straight to your squelching cunt.

He was all over you; your neck, breasts, tummy and of course your pretty pussy which gripped him oh-so-tight and sucked his cock right back in. Like you didn't want him to leave your walls anytime soon. He didn't want to, either.

Each snap of Satoru's hips was mean, causing your body to bounce and jolt with the strength he poured into each thrust. His balls slapped against your clit while your ass collided with his hips over and over again.

“T-toru..” you whined, panting and meeting his eyes in the mirror. It was absolutely filthy in the way you could watch yourself get fucked stupid by your piercer. “I-I'm so..ah!”

“Close, baby?” Satoru laughed breathlessly before placing a kiss on your cheek. “Me, too. It's okay, I've got you, sweetheart.”

His saccharine words combined with a particularly sharp thrust was enough to send you over the edge. You curled in on yourself, calling Satoru's name in a way that only you could as he made you see heaven with his cock alone. He held you tightly, stilling his hips as ropes upon ropes of thick cum filled your cunt up.

“Fuck..yeah, that's it. Take my cum, pretty..take it..” With a few slow, gentle thrusts, Satoru rode out the wave of his high and held your body close to his, keeping you up on your wobbly legs.

It only happened slowly, the heat of the moment disappearing. The scent of sex lingered in the air and fuck, did you feel sticky now that Satoru had dumped his load inside you. But you wouldn't want it any other way. A laugh made it past your lips.

“What's so funny, huh?” Satoru chuckled, pulled himself out and fixed his appearance before helping you with yourself.

To your surprise, he was gentle as he snapped your panties back into his place, fixed your skirt and tried to smooth out your hair. Except for his semen sticking to your underwear and skin, it was one of the sweetest things anything had ever done for you post-orgasm.

“Nothing.” You said, shrugging your shoulders with a playful but satisfied giggle. “Just thinking about the hot, kinky sex we'll have tonight.”

A look of mild surprise crossed Satoru's features. He had expected you to regret your decision or be done with it, but the fact that you wanted more amused him. “Someone got hooked on good dick, yeah?”

You snorted. “Something like that.”

With a certain pep in your step, you snatched one of Satoru's business cards, a pen and scribbled your number on the backside of it.

“Text me when you're off work and tell me where to go. I'll be there.”

Satoru smirked as he looked at the number you gave him before storing it into his back pocket. No way in hell would he lose that little gem.

“I guess I'll see you tonight, sweetheart.”

taglist. @cinnamonmon, @torusmochi, @risuola, @kissyystyles, @pandoraium

[weirdsht]

Disillusioned 19 . It’s Only Responsibility

a/n: omg my fav chapter is finally here. i was so giddy when writing this lol

tags: low-key yandere behavior from Cale, implied torture, if Cale says what he feels is irritability then it's irritability goddammit

English isn’t my first language so there will be grammatical errors

Pls don't repost my work anywhere without my permission

Constructive criticisms and any kind of interaction are more than welcome

Requests are currently closed but my ask are still open (read pinned)

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Cale feels as though he can’t get a good grasp on his emotions these days. In particular, he feels as though he feels intense emotions when _____ is thrown into the mix.

Maybe it’s because he feels accountable as he willingly took in the healer.

He doesn’t know when it started, he only noticed he felt that when back at the Gyerre Territory. It was the afternoon after he had destroyed a human trafficker’s house, just before he talked with Antonio. Ron reported that he had finished investigating the Perduellios.

“Young master, this old man took a stroll there and I must say that it’s very filthy. It looks clean from a certain distance but there are rats everywhere once you look closely. No wonder healer-nim grew up with a weak body. Someone like them does not fit that place.”

The redhead didn’t say anything but the servant could tell his listening to every word. 

The young master’s eyes don’t lie after all. 

And right now those eyes are filled with anger. 

Unmeasurable Anger

To the point it made the servant do a double-take.

Despite Cale’s brewing anger he still does everything according to plan. He doesn’t let out a single ounce of that anger until later when his talking to Alberu.

“Your Highness, the future shining sun of the Roan Kingdom. No one is as bright as you. Just seeing your face, even through a communication device, brightens my night and brings me hope for tomorrow.”

“Just tell me what you want. Is it another golden plaque? But you still have some.”

“Not this time your highness.”

Alberu was taken aback at the serious expression on the redhead’s face.

“As you already know, the Perduellios were working with the Chryshis. I trust your highness to handle the Gyerres and the Chryshis. However…”

“You want to handle the Perduellios.”

“We really are alike your highness.”

Alberu already saw this coming so he instantly agreed.

“I’ll allow it on the condition that they must stay in Aunt Tasha’s dungeon. Speaking of Aunt Tasha, she said she also wants a piece.”

“Then I shall be generous enough to share.”

Cale himself isn’t sure how he had the time to meet that bastard family. Between the war against the Indomitable Alliance. Fighting Arm and the Empire, and teaching the nobles a lesson Cale still managed to find free time to visit the Perduellios.

Must be the power of unmeasurable anger.

“Beacrox, Raon prepare to move quietly tonight. We’ll be meeting Tasha.”

The two are confused as to why, but Cale did not explain. He doesn’t need to as they instantly understand after seeing who’s inside the cell they are visiting.

“Young master Cale shouldn’t _____-nim be here?”

Cale looked at Tasha as if she said the most outrageous thing ever. Meanwhile, in the background, Beacrox is preparing his tools as Raon supplies information as to what the healer went through.

“Why would they be here when I’m doing this to relieve stress? I’m here to act trash, that’s not something an unofficial holy maiden should see.”

The next morning Alberu regrets taking a peak before the cell was cleaned up. He doesn’t think he can light up any of his beloved candles for at least a week.

+~+~+~+~+~+

Succeeding that incident, the next time Cale was overtaken by his emotions was after Operation Reflection. Unlike the last time, Cale felt two conflicting emotions this time.

Skyrocketing Pride and Plumeting Disgust

_____ was a core player during the navy battle and that made the redhead proud. Of course, he was also proud of everyone else in their group.

…but perhaps his a bit more proud of the healer.

However, it was only because they had come a long way. As Cale’s responsibility, his proud that the healer is doing better under his guidance.

Nothing more, nothing less.

“Human, those useless noble bastards were also talking bad about our _____ when you left. Some of them even had the nerve to directly yell at them. I wanted to smack them, but you told me to not do anything to those people for now so I didn't."

But then Raon’s report came.

Pride had been washed over by disgust.

Good thing _____ had talked him out of doing anything rash.

“Cale it’s okay. People who only know how to leech off other people are not worth your time.”

Did he mention how proud he is of how far _____ has come? Because he really is.

However, rumours say that it was the night after that when Cale first ‘visited’ the Perduellios.

+~+~+~+~+~+

Cale’s next overwhelming emotion is something his already familiar with. He already felt it back when they were in the Whipper Kingdom.

In fact, he has already associated this feeling with the healer.

Heart Palpitating Distress

But this time it feels more intense. Cale feels as if his heart is going to crawl out of his chest and into his mouth.

Thump!!

Thump!!

The redhead had been acting as though nothing was wrong ever since they finished the battle at Castle Leona. Contrary to his calm exterior, the redhead is a mess on the inside.

A wound, a stab wound with a lot of blood gushing.

Just inches near _____ heart.

And Cale has a strong gut feeling that it was _____’s own doing.

Seeing the copious amount of blood they lost was already bad enough. Seeing the nasty wound itself when they had to change the bandages was worse.

Then as if that isn’t enough to send Cale into a coma, the healer had the audacity to stand up not even 12 hours after their injury.

It was at that moment the commander made a conscious choice of sticking the healer to him like velcro.

+~+~+~+~+~

Nowadays, Cale is not ping-ponging between his emotions like a madman. But he did notice that he tends to feel a particular emotion these days.

Jealo– Irritability

Cale isn’t sure why he feels irritated, but he does. He feels irritated as soon as _____ woke up and started talking to Bud.

What happened during the week he was gone that those two are all friendly now?

And what was that? Bud is going to teach _____ how to drink?

Not on Cale’s watch.

It’s one thing for him if _____ themself wants to try drinking, but he won’t let the healer be coerced by some fool.

“Ron, separate those two as much as possible. That drunkard is nothing but a nuisance to _____.”

For a moment Cale got the chills when he heard Ron chuckle. It doesn’t help that the kids are laughing too. Regardless, it looks like the servant will heed his request so he lets it be.

But his jea– irritability doesn’t end there.

The next victim of Cale’s so-called irritable mood was this poor servant in Mogoru.

When Cale got back to Mogoru he unfortunately had to leave _____ back in the castle. There are too many undercover missions they have to do. And while _____ is much better than Choi Han at undercover missions, that man is a lot of things but an actor is not one of them, Cale isn’t cruel enough to make them take on such a taxing mission after being sick.

So he leaves the healer in the Mogoru Castle with Rosalyn and the others. 

“Young master-nim what about assigning a dedicated servant for healer-nim?”

Was Rosalyn’s suggestion after Cale mentioned _____’s tendency to overwork themself.

It seemed like a good idea, therefore they arranged for the healer to have a servant. The servant’s job would consist of making sure the Medicus is eating and resting properly. That servant would also act as _____’s assistant, taking care of whatever the healer needs.

At that time, Cale was satisfied with that plan.

That satisfaction quickly changed when he visited Adin’s room, (well, it’s practically _____ and Cale’s room now) and saw how the healer kept calling the servant’s name. In the beginning, it was fine, Cale didn’t mind it. But then he noticed how _____ seems to call for that servant every 5 sentences they utter.

Honestly? Even Cale knows his acting irrationally this time.

Did he care though? Of course not. Since when did trash care for another person’s feelings?

So he stationed that servant far away.

“Raon make a call in the underground villa. I must talk to Hans”

“HAHAHAHAHAHA!”

Ignoring Hannah’s snickering that turned into full-blown laughter, Cale called Hans over to assist the healer.

Because if the healer is going to rely on someone who’s not Cale, then it might as well be one of his people.

This one is a totally logical decision on Cale’s end. It’s not because of his jea– irritability.

It’s definitely just part of him being responsible over _____.

[onigiriforears]

After approx. 2-3 months of studying Japanese I started to read free graded readers online and then graduated to a collection of short stories that I purchased off of Amazon. I thought that the reason I was starting to have trouble understanding sentences was because I didn't know enough vocabulary but it was because I neglected grammar completely. It was sorta drilled into my head off of Youtube creators to just study kanji, vocab and simple sentences as much as possible before even touching grammar. I feel absolutely lost, dude. I am at the 5 month mark now. I can "breeze through" kanji for the most part. (as in, I can actually retain it in a decent amount of time) I decided to study grammar about a week ago. It is SO FREAKING HARD. I don't know if there's something wrong with me or what. I don't know if it's supposed to feel like what I thought I knew is being ripped apart at the seams, stapled together, and then torn apart again....but it does.

Do you have any tips for learning grammar? Is this feeling normal? Can you tell me when the pressure in my skull will subside? I am using Bunpro's free trial but I'm unsure if this tool will actually help me. I write tons of notes to flip through but I still fail to give them the nuanced answer they're looking for. I really enjoy the setup of Bunpro and I want to like it since it's similar to WK but I'm not sure if I'm going too fast or there's a better way to learn. I stopped learning 5 new grammar points a day and started doing only 2. (I also have Genki I and watch GameGengo. He explains things in a way that's easy for my brain to understand.) Sorry for the long post but any insight would be appreciated. I'm a bit nervous asking people in the language learning community for help or insight because a lot of them treat it as a way to show how fast they learned/1-up others. Tumblr's langlearn community is a lot different with what I've seen (or maybe I'm just following the right ppl lol)

Hi! Thank you so much for waiting for this response--I'm sorry it took so long. Your message was one of the ones that popped up when they locked my ask box (they actually still haven't answered me on why it was locked so 🤷‍♀️). To make up for that, I'm gonna be longwinded because I think that this is a super valid and important question that others may also want to know the answer to!!

Pls pls PLEASE DM me if none of this is helpful or if you'd like to talk more about what you think you need help with!!

I think that sometimes when we're learning a new language that we know is so overwhelmingly different from our own language, we focus on the things that we think will be the main hinderance and sometimes we forget the key points. You might be thinking "how did I forget grammar?" but I would say don't beat yourself up about it! Many of us focus on the things that we think are our problems(--the last time I studied for the JLPT, I focused on my weak point too much and then was frustrated with myself during the exam bc I neglected the other areas.)

I don't want to lie to you and say that learning grammar will is going to get easier because that's not the case for everyone. Think of learning grammar vs everything else as learning different types of math or science--have you ever had a friend that was absolutely phenomenal at algebra or calculus but couldn't do geometry? Or a friend that was wonderful lab partner in chemistry but struggled in biology? They're struggling in biology because it requires a ton of rote memorization in comparison to practical application and math that's present in chemistry and rote memorization may not necessarily be their strong point. Personally, I think that's also why a lot of us struggle with certain grammar points. There are some that just click with us immediately and then there are others that we have to see over and over and over and over and over--you get the point--just for us to find a single sentence with it that we understand. If you're math oriented, we need to figure out a way to no longer make grammar points rote memorization for you, but to turn it into a formula of some sort. I actually write my notes out in ways that are like that--I use plus signs (+) in my notes not because the textbooks use them but because my brain genuinely reads it as "noun + particle + grammar point = a sentence that makes sense" because, for me, formulas don't fail. Your weak point doesn't have to be your weakness--you can turn the weakness into a strength that works just for you.

I've been going at this for years and every single professor or Japanese friend (or even people from the discord server) I have can tell you that I've struggled with pretty much any grammar point that included ~ように--and it wasn't because I wasn't trying, but because I couldn't find myself using any sentences that with those grammar points because I found the alternatives/similar ones to make more sense. Surprisingly, it wasn't until I was reading 夜カフェ for our book club that I was actually able to start grasping the meaning (ngl, I still haven't used it myself--I'm notorious for using alternatives); I was finally witnessing it being used in a way that made sense in my brain.

The frustration you're feeling when you encounter a new grammar point or overload yourself with too many things in one go is completely normal and I promise that a ton of us in the Japanese langblr community have definitely experienced it too! It probably feels like everything you know is being ripped apart because your native language may have a SVO (subject-verb-object) format while Japanese has a SOV (subject-object-verb) format--your 1-to-1 translations for your notes may not be helpful in the beginning because you're still trying to wrap your brain around the fact that your words still need to go in another order than you're used to. And then you add the new grammar points and concepts on top of that (like particles and other things) and it can become overwhelming and frustrating. Sometimes, you're going to find some grammar points just downright annoying--especially when you find that there's no equivalency to it in your own language. But don't give up!

I know this is a super cliché thing to say, but practicing them will help. If you can, I would make note of the grammar points that you're struggling with, try to make sentences with them, and ask somebody to check them and explain exactly why (or why not) they're working and then ask them for examples because they may have an even better way of explaining it to you than what you've come up with for yourself!

I can look back at old notes and see when I wrote a sentence as an example just because a textbook/professor used it but I didn't actually understand why it worked at the time and then I can also find notes where the sentences written as examples were added once I finally found something that clicked for me.

You've already done yourself a favor by learning a lot of vocab, kana, and kanji because now you'll be able to try out an array of ways to pick up grammar instead of just a textbook. (I will make a note that if you're looking to take the JLPT, I would recommend having a list of grammar points that you would need to know for the level that you're planning on sitting for because there's no guarantee of what will or won't pop up on the test.)

Another important thing while you're practicing: be comfortable with making mistakes. We all make them, but when you're learning a new language it's important to be ready to make mistakes and to welcome them with open arms because it gives you a chance to experience and learn in real time.

ALSO: for you specifically--because you're interested in reading, you might enjoy learning grammar through tracking the different grammar points through what you're reading and using the sentences as your examples because they're all going to be cohesive. And if reading books or other things totally turn you off right now, maybe games? Animal Crossing and Pokemon are very nice games to play in Japanese for people that are just starting out! You may also enjoy using Lingo Legend--it's an JRPG language learning app that I beta tested and I think that it's a nice way to review (it has some fun incentives). I'm not a big gamer, so I struggle with learning through games, but I've been picking up a lot of grammar through reading because I focus on finding things that I'm interested in, rather than things that are "at my level." When I start a manga, I will scour a ton of websites and forums and bug a ton of people when I come across a grammar point that I can't wrap my brain around because I want to be able to understand what's going on.

We have book clubs and gamers in my discord server, as well as places for people to post what they're practicing or to ask for help. We have people of all varying levels and different skillsets that love to share their wisdom with others.

I haven't used Bunpro, but I know that @sammilearns has, so she may be able to weigh in on that! And @tokidokitokyo @nihongoseito @chouhatsumimi @kanpeki-bekki @burgeoning-ambition probably also have even more tips that me--I'm trying to tag people that I know we all learn in different ways, so their tips and tricks might be just what you need!

Please weigh in, fellow langblr members! How have you been learning grammar? Are you game-ifying it? Have you turned it into math equations? Have you managed to tie it in with your special interest? I can't wait to see what people add to this post!

[notetaeker]

Hello!!! How did you become so dedicated to your studies? Do you have some advice?

I love your blog, btw✨️

Hi hi hi!! Thanks for the sweet message 💞💞

My BIG study tips (after 25 years of studying):

Accept your fate. This goes for anything but I used to procrastinate with studying a LOT and once you start it's actually not that bad. It's guaranteed. Automatically once you start, you have started, so you're already on your way, so it's already automatically not as bad anymore. Whining abt ur studies and avoiding them will not make them go away unfortunately. Just do it.

Make study time sacred. A few minutes of focused study is much more valuable than 5 hours spent at the library "studying" + scrolling + talking to friends + listening to music at the same time. Doing 5 hours like that is literally putting yourself thru hell because 1. you cant fully enjoy any of those non-studying activities and 2. you come out of that being like ugh I studied this page for 5 hours I'm tired of studying I need a break. Pomodoro method really changed my life pls try it out if u haven't already

That one tumblr post that says 'learning is basically being exposed to the same materials many times in multiple ways' is 100% correct. How many different ways can you expose yourself to the material. Memorizing facts- can you draw it? Can you organize the facts into lists? Can you attach a funny story to one of the facts? The more ways you interact with any material, the stronger it's saved in your memory. Find out if you're a visual learner- and then create visual tools, maybe color coding things helps you. Do a little digging and find out what works for you.

Diversify your life. Have some hobbies, spend time with friends/family, take a break. Let the computer of your brain sort out things in the background while you do other things. Once you go back to studying, you will feel refreshed (and not fatigued from 5 hrs in the library doing "studying") This also means that if you fail an exam, you won't be like 'oh no i spent my whole spring break studying for this exam and didn't even enjoy it and now I got a bad grade i must be horrible my life is nothing' and spiral. def not based on a true story :) Instead you'll be like yeah I failed but look at this scarf I crocheted look at mee i have mental health!

Sleep is magic- no matter what anyone else tries to tell you. 1. If you studied something during the day, just review those things right before bed and magically they will get set into your brain. Also 2. sleeping is when our brain sorts info so if you don't get any sleep at all it' the same as taking your study sheets and throwing them into the air, so when you ask your brain for the info during the test it's like lol it's around here somewhere. On the other hand, if you slept and gave ur brain time to sort it, when you ask for that info, it'll just open the right drawer and give u the info!

That's it for the big ones- if you want more specific advice feel free to ask! Also as a disclaimer, these 5 are all big life lessons that I had to learn thru trial and error, so consider these to be the advice I would give myself at a younger age. Pls don't be offended lol whenever I said 'you' I rlly was thinking abt myself.

[hugheses]

blorbology resources:

follow up to this, under the cut

my tutorial how to get images from the nhl website in 4k (you can do the same thing w lots of other websites esp news sites, you can kinda reverse engineer it if you have a basic understanding of how it works but i can try do a full explainer if ppl want? it varies site to site on how to do it so its kind of hard to explain you just kind of have to play around with it)

paywall bypass for chrome, firefox

ios shortcuts for downloading hq content from instagram, twitter, youtube ... pls do this instead of screenshotting/screen recording which will badly degrade the quality.. also my fav thing about these is you can set it so it saves the date to be when it was posted, not when you downloaded, and the account is in the file name for easy reference purposes. you will need the (free) apps scriptable and a-shell mini

download livestreams (and more, including nhl website videos) with hls loader

(feb 2024 edit: i no longer can recommend this bc it doesn’t work anymore 🥲) 🏴‍☠️ dl stock images (g*tty etc.) choose the 3k option, this works the best of all the sites ive found

t*rrent games 🏴‍☠️🏒 site 1, site 2 (disclaimer use a vpn dont be an idiot if youve never done this before pls follow a tutorial or something. also just use google translate for the russian LMAO)

a pro tip also is to search your blorbo/team/etc places other than google/youtube, like vimeo (this is where the cream of the crop content is hiding, i search nhl on vimeo every few days), photo websites like flickr, vsco, etc. really try to think outside the box with this! for example u can search inside books with the internet archive/google books. i found jack was randomly featured in a book about sidney crosby this way.

learn to use google and twitter etc search tools so you can filter through searches easily. this is more useful the more common of a name your blorbo has, and unfortunately for hockey there is many a tyler.

these are all varying degrees of copyright infringement so do at your own risk etc etc mr. bettman if u see this i have never done anything illegal in my life i dont know what piracy is and am making this post for nonprofit media archival purposes!!!

[mohntilyet]

bats eyelashes do you have any resources on tyche’s backstory. if not would you like to talk about her <3 anything about her in fact <3 i love her so and i especially love her with lucanis even though i know she is going through the horrors tm as soon as veilgaurd ends and she has to deal with his whole crow family. feel free to talk about her emotions over that whole ordeal too because I’m very interested in it and I like your thoughts about how it would down!! just shaking my cup at you atp spare tyche pls. much love!!

tyche is. yeah. “i’m the only normal person here” is a thought she has had multiple times throughout this game and it’s only true to an extent. because everyone else around her just leads very intense lives. a woman who thinks the only way out is through but instead of finding a path out she thinks she can just chainsaw her way out of the hedge maze if it gets her to her destination faster. chronically unable to say “i love you” and avoids getting attached. this whole thing was meant to parallel solas a little and the talk they have in the fade where she’s like “…was there nobody in the inquisition you care about” is almost desperate. solas picks up on that like it’s a surprise tool that will him him later

(rest under the cut because i literally just keep going sorry anon)

particularly, a big thing for her is her family, her life in rivain, and how she spends most of this game tearing herself up about it and refusing to get them involved in this ‘saving the world’ bullshit she’s doing. woman who writes to her mother and says “everything is fine. this is the easiest job i’ve ever done. the elven gods are stupid as fuck btw” and the letter is about weisshaupt LOL .. one of the craziest things in vg for me was finding out just how many personal quests involved the companion’s families, because the more she saw her friends lose the more it solidified this idea in her mind that she has done the right thing by isolating her family. she’s usually very direct but this is the one thing she’s very touchy about.

the ‘tevinter slave’ thing that a lord of fortune rook mentions to me is a full out lie told by tyche so no one goes digging into her business. she originally went into this thinking “they less we know about each other, the better. i have a life to get back to after this” and then fails miserably at trying to stay detached and finds herself really liking everyone AND fully inserts herself into their business. she can’t just hear things like “my brother is being manipulated” “my mom doesn’t care about me” “my grandmother is gone” “my baby skeleton son who has done no wrong” “the dwarves need us” “i have to save the griffons. the identity crisis doesn’t matter so much” “i love my hometown and i can’t save it” etc etc and not desperately want to do something to help

sort of meta wise as well because people have critiqued how it’s always rook helping, but not the companions asking rook if they need anything. not to me. not if that was on purpose. a kind of, “i can fix this, and then we can all go home. because that’s what i want, of course. nevermind how these guys have changed my life. i’m sure the hole in my heart doesn’t mean anything”. AND its HEAVY on the lucanis romance. every moment she spends with him, the worse she falls in love, and the more she’s convinced there’s nothing but tragedy to come when he leaves her for the crows. the nuclear level fallout that almost occurs when lucanis says he’ll stay with her as long as he can hold off the crows is so bad. she takes her own duties so seriously and doesn’t expect herself to be what changes things, for anyone. not even necessarily because of low self esteem, but that she is the most pragmatic woman alive, and to a fault <3

you can imagine the weeks when she’s trapped in the fade prison when her family actually shows up like “minrathous just got nuked and my daughter is nowhere to be seen. something has to be wrong. what the fuck happened” and everyone gets about a month to come to terms with the fact that tyche has lied for the better part of a year (not sure about veilguard timeline. i think its minimum 4 months) and unfortunately have to find out a lot more about her through her siblings, and get to stew on that information for a while. i picture awkward conversations and maybe some bickering, and it’s lucanis who is like “well right now she’s dead. so can we focus on getting her back so we can actually talk with her?” <- man who bared his whole life to her and found out she didn’t do the same. i love self sabotage. i think they have a very long talk when she gets back, and the last minute sex has to be shifted a bit in my mind to make some room for what tyche assumes will be a break up speech that turns into a declaration of love and patience. this rewires her brain

aaand the crow stuff (sorry it has taken so long to get here) makes more sense to everyone and how tyche has reacted when they see how much of a unit her family is. tyche can’t picture the kind of betrayal and fighting because she has never experienced it. there’s probably some longing from lucanis here (🌀🌀 oooh you wanna leave your fucked up home sooo bad 🌀🌀) . illario in particular to her is absolutely unthinkable, and despite my adoration for him, tyche hates his guts <3 she also is very close with her grandma and doesn't at all understand caterina, but she's also primed to expect the best from family and it doesn't totally compute what caterina has done until lucanis (or illario. the angst potentials of it coming from illario compel me) actually spells it out for her and then the family dinners get REALLY bad