#i think there's a couple more i'm missing but a) 5 is easier to remember than...7 or so b) 5+1 is a fun coincidence

[hazard-and-friends]

i find that a lot (a lot) of adolescent dogs (6-24 months) are missing one or more of my 5(+1) activities. if we make just a teensy effort to provide them more regularly, suddenly adolescence gets so much easier.

physical activity. theeee most likely to actually be present. this is literally just burning calories. treadmill/slatmill, leash walks, etc.

mental activity. training (5 targeted minutes of which will help many other problems), food puzzles, adding 'rules' to your life so the dog is thinking more often, etc.

MOVE your BODY. this one i stumbled into raising a puppy without a fenced yard. she NEEDS some off leash, unrestrained activity multiple times a week or she turns into a monster. this is not just physical activity--this is full body movement, ideally in nature, often At Speed. this can also be ace freework, body conditioning/fitness work, etc, things which get the dog in tune with her body.

novelty. this CAN be going new places and giving him new toys, but it can also just be rotating the walk routes so he periodically gets to go down a road he hasn't seen in a week. but also give him new toys, he deserves them.

destruction. this is another one that is reliably shortchanged. chewing (HARD, on things that TASTE GOOD), shredding, dissecting, etc. boxes of cardboard to shred, toys gotten for the purpose of killing them, regular provision of new chews, etc etc etc. even just a paper bag with a ball shoved in it, or putting breakfast in an empty cereal box.

these don't need to be every single day, but they do need to be part of the routine. so for example, K'seil:

gets a 40 min leash walk daily plus MOVE your BODY 2-3 times a week.

gets 5 minutes of training and dinner in a slow feeder daily. weekly has at least one class, twice a week now comes to work with me and is a demo dog.

BARE MINIMUM of one good off leash woods run once a week. it is noticeable when that's missed. usually 1-2 other off leash runs (at work) a week, plus tug and some full body play inside.

this dog gets so much novelty.

some mornings her breakfast comes in a cereal box; a frozen kong daily; new chews every other week; a cardboard box with packing paper in it that she pulls out to shred; when she's particularly nuts we have a holee-roller stuffed with fleece strips and a tennis ball.

if i told you her primary exercise was a 40 min leash walk, and that she was normal otherwise, you'd think i'm insane. which is fair. because i meet all her other needs, and so she really does just need a 40 min leash walk in the mornings.

secret bonus +1: relaxation. if the dog cannot stop moving when she's tired, that's the most important thing to learn. at some life stages, it's normal to have non-optional naps or otherwise need to coax the dog into actually sleeping. this stops being normal after about 3 yrs (depending on breed), and it's a high priority of mine to teach to any puppy.

your dog should not be Go Go Go 24/7, they should be napping and resting throughout the day. K'seil slept solid today from 10:30 am to 4 pm and we didn't do anything particularly cool this morning.

so there you go, today's life hack for incessantly needy dogs

[isavulpix]

DeBI TIRAR MaS FotoS

Jason Todd x Fem!Reader

Warnings: Alcohol consumption, angst? Angst, Reader is Latina, but not explicitly(? mentioned. English isn't my first language, so there will be errors.

I couldn't stop thinking of many things because of this song and TikTok didn't help (made me realize how many of my fav characters are dead). I haven’t made a songfic ever so I'm sorry if it doesn’t make sense, is not written right, or is too short.

Also if anyone knows how to change the color of the song background I will be highly grateful.

isavulpix masterlist

Otro sunset bonito que veo en San Juan

Disfrutando de todas esas cosas que extrañan los que se van (van, van)

Disfrutando de noche' de esas que ya no se dan (dan, dan)

Que ya no se dan (dan)

The blue sea crashed against the red and orange sky while you sat on the sand. The wind carried thoughts that you never imagined would turn into memories. Even at this hour, people were around, something normal compared to other places. You could hear the laughter of families making you smile, making the mental note of visiting your family soon. Focusing back on the sunset you let out a sigh, moving your sweater closer the wind was turning cold as you watched a couple in the sea.

Pero queriendo volver a la última vez

Y a los ojos te miré

Y contarte las cosas que no te conté (te parece' a mi crush, jaja)

Y tirarte la' foto' que no te tiré (acho, jura'o te ves bien linda, déjame tirarte una foto)

Bittersweet memories now flooded your mind, seeing in front of you the happy moments you could no longer revive. You cursed your past self for not taking more photos, your memories being the only evidence left of those times. The things you would do to be able to turn back time. To touch him, feel him, see him, and remember his smell. The shirt you had robbed from him had already lost his scent, just like you’re starting to forget what he looks like. Every memory gets foggier as a year passes.

Ey, tengo el pecho pela'o, me dio una matá'

El corazón dándome patá'

Dime, baby, ¿d��nde tú está'?

What if things were different? Would you be here? Would you have made the same life choices? Would you be able to save him? Stop him from going? Or being there with him? Have you had your last time on earth together? Would the hole in your chest be filled if that night didn’t happen? Would your heart stop feeling like it was ripped and only barely functioning?

Yo veo tu nombre y me salen suspiro'

No sé si son petardo' o si son tiro'

Yo estoy en PR, tranquilo, pero

The wind moved some sand away from you, with a finger you doodle Jason with a small bird below it. You chuckled as you remembered the first solo patrol you two had, how the thugs scrambled to the floor when they heard the fireworks Jason had thrown to scare them. You look up at the sun touching the sea with a heavy heart as the wind erases the doodle.

Debí tirar más fotos de cuando te tuve

Debí darte más beso' y abrazo' las vece' que pude

Y si hoy me emborracho, pues que me ayuden

You place a can where the doodle was and take a sip of the one in your hand. The cold drink left a strange burn sensation as it ran down your throat. People really used this to cheer up? It states like shit. Looking at the can you think of the robbed moments. Would Jason like this? Laughed at me? Or maybe agreed and would convince me to swim for a bit? How can you miss moments that haven’t and won't happen?

Ey, hoy voy a estar con abuelo to'l día, jugando dominó

Si me pregunta si aún pienso en ti, yo le digo que no

Que mi estadía cerquita de ti ya se terminó

Ya se terminó

For the past 5 years life has been awful without him. Your family still this day worrying about you not overcoming Jason's absence. maybe Grandma has made some coquito in hopes of you showing signs of being alive. She knew the heartbreak of death, hours talking on the plastic chairs in her garden were easier than talking with Dinah.

 You look up confused when you feel raindrops on your face. Weird…the sky is clear…

Hoy yo quiero beber, beber, beber

Y hablar mierda hasta que me expulsen

Even with the horrible taste of the beer you drink what’s left in your can and took the one beside you. Thinking if it was a good idea to drink it, maybe if you get drunk you can finally have a dreamless sleep. You could hear the whispers of the people close to where you sat commenting about you, it was weird for them. Only gringos from the big screen cry in a beach.

Vamo' a disfrutar, que nunca se sabe si nos queda poco

Debí tirar más f—

Cleaning the raindrops with the back of your hand, you feel a presence beside you. As you look, you see a man close to where you are sitting, who looks to be of your age. Why does your gut flutter? Is it what I drank?

The man notices my gaze on him and with his familiar blue and greenish with mines.

“Take a picture, it will last longer”

[gtzgoblin]

So for the sake of transparency, I fucked up big yesterday and while giving a 2 unit correction dose, somehow gave 12 units.

Don't ask me how. Don't ask me why I was overriding the pump (I do often, it hates me). I was distracted and I've somehow hit the 1 and 2 at the same time, or not deleted the 1 when I changed my mind, or somehow missed a decimal place. I'm not sure. I don't really remember what I did, I just remember going to give a correction for crisps and seeing 13units on my insulin on board meter.

I panicked, obviously. Husband was briefly out so my friend saved my life in the first instance with a full sugar coke drop off. Husband came home and wheedled me into accepting the glucagon which I've never in 23 years needed. Second instance life saving.

My sugars only went up to 13 with me eating 30g of chocolate carbs, 2 bags of crisps (24g), 500mL of coke (50g-ish) (in 3mins, I also nearly threw that back up, it was terrible) and 5 crackers (25g). I couldn't eat more than that, I felt terrible. So I think the glucagon probably did save me. I didn't hypo either, which was nice. And we went to a garden centre near the hospital for a couple hours and I bought some plants there while I was loitering.

I guess my point is that this shit is quite easy to do on the tandem if you're not paying attention. I'm quite used to the pump now so probs don't give it as much attention as I should. I have learned from this and have triple checked everything I've put in today.

12 units is only about 100g of carbs so it's not actually that much to correct for but timing is everything, and the double drop arrow had me sobbing coz I was fairly certain I was going to collapse in front of my family half an hour from a hospital, which I don't want to do. It's not as bad as the time I gave myself my 42 unit mixed insulin dose as novorapid while having a hypo as a kid, which I also didn't go unconscious from. I'm basically the diabetes equivalent of a cockroach.

I'm fine. I have a sore leg and I'm tired and a bit traumatised but it very obviously could be worse. I feel very stupid, despite being reassured a hundred times. I'm lucky I have such supportive friends and family. My diabetes has always felt a bit of a burden, especially when things go wrong, so it's nice that I have people in an emergency to rally around me, bring me things, drive me to the city in case I need to go into hospital and jab big needles into me. This hasn't always been the case. Well, it has, but it never felt easy like it did yesterday.

I hope all my diabetic mutuals are looking after themselves best they can and have had an easier weekend than me. Diabetes can be super scary, and even after 23 years you can still make pretty big mistakes.

(only 3 more years til I can get rid of this tandem. And I think I'll throw a party when I do)

[ziskandra]

20 Questions for Writers

tyvm for the tag, @choccy-zefirka! tagging @chocochipbiscuit, @carnalapples, @serbarris, @say-lene and anyone else who might like to do this one :~)

How many works do you have on ao3?

220 😅. What can I say—I'm a shortfic writer.

What’s your total ao3 word count?

470,217

What are your top five fics by kudos? 1. The Disappearance of Trucy Wright | Ace Attorney | 549 kudos Miles Edgeworth is forced to confront his complicated feelings on fatherhood. 2. Sink or Swim | Harry Potter | 417 kudos Percy has always struggled to keep his head above water. 3. Under Pressure | Harry Potter | 292 kudos Percy's post-work winding down routine is interrupted by his flatmate.

4. I (27M) have adopted a child (8F) in less than ideal circumstances. What can I do to be the best possible father for her? | Ace Attorney | 281 kudos Shortly after adopting Trucy, Phoenix seeks advice in the r/relationships subreddit. 5. do you remember? | Your Name. | 237 kudos Mitsuha feels a supernatural pull towards the handsome architect she crosses paths with on the street one day.

What fandoms do you write for?

It's pretty much just Dragon Age with the occasional morsel of Ace Attorney these days.

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes! Interacting with commenters is probably my absolute favourite thing about receiving comments in the first place! Sometimes I don't do so as quickly as I would like, but I always do my best to get back to people. I especially love a little back-and-forth, and I know as a reader that I'm more likely to comment when I see an author engaging with their readership. For me, fandom really is about community at the end of the day, and I do my best to foster the environment I want to exist in!

What’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

lol, probably any of my Nonconathon fics involving Phoenix Wright. Poor Phoenix.

What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

This is much easier to narrow down than the above! Given my usual brand is endings that are anywhere from 'bittersweet' to 'complete downers', my Ryder/Liam works from my Mass Effect: Andromeda days are a departure from my usual style.

Do you get hate on fics?

Considering the type of shit I write, not nearly as much as I should tbh

Do you write smut?

Yes! Although I do struggle with it feeling same-y after a while, so I tend to go through periods where I'm writing a lot of smut and then not writing any for ages. (I'm in an off period atm. I miss it...)

Do you write crossovers? Occasionally! I've written a couple of short Ace Attorney/Tiger & Bunny crossovers in a fusion-type setting.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to the best of my knowledge!

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yeah! I've had a few of my Meredith fics translated into Russian, and my Your Name. fic linked above has been translated into French!

Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

Haha, yes, for one of the Nonconathon fics mentioned above. It was a gift for a mutual friend of ours. Honestly a really informative experience all around, because my co-author is much more descriptive than I am, whereas I tend to write... beat by beat? I think our respective strengths and weaknesses as writers complemented each other really well.

What’s your all time favourite ship?

Gosh. It's a close call between Meredith Stannard/Orsino from Dragon Age and Franziska von Karma/Miles Edgeworth from Ace Attorney. What can I say, toxic co-dependency is my catnip.

What’s the wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Chasing Demons, the "Franziska is Morgan Fey's daughter" AU I started writing when I was 16 and have attempted to rewrite several times since then.

What are your writing strengths? Characterisation and cadence. I like writing prose that is pretty despite being sparse and having people tell me that they could hear the character's voice while reading.

What are your writing weaknesses?

I have the floating head problem a lot and have to put in a lot of effort to circumvent it (or cheat and write Johanna Hezenkoss, who at least has the excuse of being an actual floating head lol). I'm generally okay with describing people, movement and emotions, but environments will always be my Achilles heel.

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in a fic?

I think it can be irritating when overdone or done in a way that plays into stereotypes. I rarely think it adds much to a story unless there's some sort of wordplay being set up by someone who actually understands the other language. That being said, for the most part I just shrug and keep reading.

First fandom you wrote for?

Harry Potter. It was uh... an attempt at a Dolores Umbridge character study, I guess? I was ten years old, so as you might imagine I recall it was quite terrible. Thankfully it no longer exists!

Favourite fic you’ve ever written?

Still Retrospect, the Alec Ryder character study I wrote for the 2017 Mass Effect Big Bang. When I write something I like more, I'll let you all know, okay?

[danganronpasurvivoraskblog]

ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR DECEMBER:

//Hey all.

//As we all know, it's coming to the end of the year, and we're approaching December time, which is usually the time of year where I start dishing out a bunch of special stuff for the followers.

//Regrettably, I still cannot give a guarantee when I'll be able to return to making the story, but I am trying my hardest to get my affairs in order so that we can come to that.

//One way or another, the story isn't over, regardless of how long it takes for us to get back to it. And the good news is that for December, I have a few really cool goodies for you. Both related to the blog, and otherwise, as well as a few announcements:

//Okay so for my first announcement, I kind of want to get the "bad news" out of the way first. And I use quotations, because hopefully, no one will mind too much.

//As some of you might have noticed, I kind of stopped uploading the birthday card posts for the characters, and in case it hasn't been clear, I've decided that I'm not going to be posting the birthday cards anymore.

//There are actually more than one reason for this. The primary one is it takes a lot out of me, more than you know, to keep track of everyone's birthdays, especially since we have 100+ characters, and I'm prone to uploading/reblogging the posts late, way after the birthday celebrations have happened. It's much easier for me to just stop posting the cards altogether, and getting stressed out about it.

//But another one is that up until now, I've always found a way to balance the dates out with the story, mainly through a lot of mcguffin bullshit that, not only would I much prefer not to do any more...I physically can't.

//Phase 3 has three arcs that happen at the exact same time as eachother, told from three different perspectives of three characters who will each take the limelight. I will not say who, but suffice to say it would not make a lot of sense for the birthdays to be spaced like months apart, when in-universe, these events are happening over the course of the same days.

//Let's say the arcs take me like...5 months to finish. During the time that I'm writing that arc, it would be Kyoko's birthday (October 6th), but by the time I'm finished, it's Hiyoko's birthday (March 9th). In universe, no time has passed at all, because these events are taking place within the same week.

//Yeah, not happening.

//And the last reason is because ultimately, I started doing the birthday cards to celebrate the characters and how far the series has come, but honestly? I think we can all agree that they add basically nothing to the story, and are just there to make the blog's page look prettier.

//With that being said, I hope all of you guys can wish my sister a happy birthday, because she turned 17 yesterday.

//Okay, with that out of the way, I want to reveal four big projects that I'm going to be working on around Christmas/New Years time that, hopefully, will tickle your fancy:

1 - NAEGIRI WEEK 2024

//A couple of you may remember that two years ago, I participated in Naegiri Week, which, like a lot of these ship weeks, is an event dedicated to a specific Danganronpa couple (Makoto and Kyoko in this case) where people will create art media for spaced over a week.

//In the past, I've participated in three of these events before, which were Naegiri Week, Momoharu Week, and Kazukoi Week (which was hosted by Mod Freezethunder) and those sprites are all available on @creepercraftsprites.

//I've always wanted to take part in Saimatsu Week, but I keep missing my chance to, and I didn't participate in Naegiri Week of last year, because I had a lot going on at the time, but I'm happy to say that I will be making a grand return to the event, and participating in 2024's Naegiri Week, which begins on December 23rd.

//And some of my stories even take place within the universes of my fanfics and content, including Survivor and Phantom Thieves of Hope. So stay tuned for when that drops, and you'll get to see me and a bunch of my fellow artists showing off what we've got to people for the sake of this adorable lucky student and his gorgeous detective wife.

//Speaking of which:

2 - PHANTOM THIEVES OF HOPE: CHRISTMAS CAPER

//Yeah, Phantom Thieves of Hope is getting a Christmas Special.

//Why?

//I felt like it. Fuck off and let me do my thing, lol.

//In all seriousness, my thought process behind this was that for a long time, I had considered maybe making spinoff chapters/fics for Phantom Thieves of Hope. But unlike Survivor where I usually have an excuse to do that, PToH's story is mostly consistently paced, and I don't really want to break that normally.

//But I've been thinking about what ideas I could explore in a potential crossover fic like PToH, and the kinds of interactions the characters could have.

//Phantom Thieves of Hope has always tried to prioritize the human aspects of the Danganronpa characters beyond the wacky cartoonish setting that they're placed in. Despite the horrors around them, many of them rarely get a chance to show a real down-to-earth moment as a person instead of a crazy character, and that's a lot of what PToH is about, beyond the kickass Phantom Thief fighting.

//So to sum it up, Christmas Caper is a three-part bonus story for my crossover fic, revolving around the Phantom Thieves having some Christmas fun together, and I will be posting those during the buildup to Christmas; so from December 21st to December 23rd, the same day Naegiri Week starts.

//I know that PToH and Survivor are different series, but I have realized I have an overlapping audience with both fanbases, so I figured if I'm going to announce it, I'm going to announce it here.

//I will also be announcing it this Friday for my AO3 audience when I release the next chapter.

//Now we actually get into the juicy stuff.

3 - DANGAN-CEMBER

//This is something that I'm hoping to do for the foreseeable future, and it's probably the biggest announcement that I have for this holiday season.

//To keep things brief, this is directly inspired by Team Four Star's DBCember series. For those who don't know what that is, from 2014 until 2021, KaiserNeko, Lanipator, and Takahata101 performed a yearly series called DBcember each December. In this segment, they discuss the DragonBall series in Advent Calendar mode for the first twenty-four days of December.

//With me loving my rankings, I wanted to try doing something similar this year related to the blog, to give me more of a reason to. And honestly, I have some ideas that aren't even related to Danganronpa, just to me in general.

//Earlier this year, I posted my ranking of all the Danganronpa titles featured on the blog, which would have had enough to go on, but I only came up with the idea after that, which kind of wasted it.

//So for this event, Dangan-cember will take place between the 1st of December to the 24th where I will upload one post every day as part of a top 24 ranking of some kind, going in depth on its placement, why I like/dislike it, or whatever the hell else the list entails. Christmas Day will reveal my Number 1.

//I debated it for a while, and eventually, I decided that for this year, my ranking would be...

TOP 24 DANGANRONPA CLASS TRIALS.

//Back in the day while I was still on Reddit, I did this ranking then, but my not only have my opinions changed a bit, but for this ranking, I will be including the Class trials from the Another series as well (DRA1 and SDRA2).

//And while I have already done the ranking itself in advance, this turned out to not be as easy as it feels, and I feel like talking about it might be harder.

//Unlike the rest of my rankings, I will be dedicating one post each to all of these placements, which should hopefully give me a chance to talk about them in as much detail as possible. I don't intend to do this for all my rankings; just my end of year ones like this.

//So hopefully that'll be exciting. Funny how I'm more than happy to write written essays about Danganronpa unlike anything else I need to write essays for.

//But with that all said, we have one more:

4 - DECK THE HALLS FOR A BIRTHDAY PARTY ARC

//And of course, the last thing to announce for the end of the year is our traditional "Christmas Arc."

//If you've been around the blog for a while now, you'll know that once a year, for the 12 Days of Christmas ranging from December 24th to January 5th, we have special bonus arcs for the story, mainly revolving around the characters interacting and having moments of emotional bonding and depth, centered around the end of the year and Christmas time.

//Or, alternatively, just some community events we do for fun.

//The arcs in question for these last few years have been:

The 12 Days of Christmas

The 12 Nights of Christmas

Canzanilla Cafe

Warriors of Other Worlds (Danganronpa Survivor X Death Battle)

//And yes, before anyone says it, I know that that WoOW didn't actually happen during Christmas, but that was largely because of delays on my part, and had I stuck to a consistent schedule, it would have done. The point is we do these fun little event arcs every year, if we can help it.

//And for this year, we actually have something a little different. The arc will retain its typical character interactions and enjoyment that the previous Christmas arcs had, but unlike them, this arc, titled "Deck the Halls for a Birthday Party," will have a consistent storyline throughout it.

//Canzanilla Cafe kind of had a story with Kuripa helping Maya set up shop, but it was still very much them interacting with a random strew of characters and being good baristas and bartenders. But for this one, there's a certain group of characters it revolves around, and a plot that takes shape throughout the sequence.

//What is that plot? Well, I'm glad you asked. Let me tell you.

//This arc is the first Christmas that the Future Foundation have been able to gather for following the Factory incident, and the defeat of Organization Zetsubou. But more importantly for Class 78, this is the perfect chance to celebrate the triumphant return of Mukuro Ikusaba, who they thought was lost to them.

//Reinforced when they remember that December 24th, Christmas Day, is also her birthday.

//To reaffirm their friendship, show appreciation for what she has done for them, and to officially welcome her back to the family, the class, led primarily by Makoto and Sayaka, work with their peers and classmates to throw Mukuro a huge Birthday/Christmas surprise party, while doing whatever they can to prevent Mukuro from catching wind of it.

//Hilarity ensues.

//In summary, it is just one of those everything-has-to-be-perfect party stories where the DR1 class get to show off their bond and how much they all mean to each other. Something that, ironically, they don't do as much as the DR2 and V3 cast do. Not just in Survivor, but in the main series and in general. They have strong chemistry, but it's never really explored.

//This arc is also mainly about Mukuro, now having completed her character arcs from Phase 1 and 2, where she now realizes that she has a place in the world free from Junko's influence, and a lot of this story is about her exploring it and trying to find her place within it.

//Featuring a lot of fun little cameo appearances to boot.

//That should be about everything, so in conclusion, here is my December timeline:

December 1st - December 24th: Dangancember December 21st - December 23rd: PToH: Christmas Caper December 23rd - December 30th: Naegiri Week 2024 December 24th - January 5th: Deck the Halls for a Birthday Party Arc

//And that's all folks.

-Mod

[rigelmejo]

11/2/2024 update - chinese:

1. Listening to something "harder" in chinese (poyun audiobook) seems to be helping. I listened to an audio drama today instead, just whatever my recommendation gave me (a crime solving BL which is the genre I'm comfortable in), and since it's an audio drama I definitely know at LEAST 95% of the words. I hear a few unknown words per minute, and when I look them up they're usually what I vaguely guessed when listening (so words I've read but struggle to recognize in listening). Since audio dramas are nearly all dialogue, I understand almost everything (i miss a few details per 5 minutes since theres still a few words I dont know and don't look up). I am not even paying attention, just letting it play as I scroll reddit ToT. I still understand almost all. So I think my quick-understanding speed is improving for more words. Poyun still feels equally hard lol, I catch dialogues mostly and then it's hit or miss if I understand descriptor paragraph's main idea when listening to the audiobook. But just listening to Poyun, while multitasking and just listening-in when I can focus, seems to be helping. So that's awesome! Maybe my test in a month will be if SaYe is clearer to me by then.

2. If you're a beginner learning Chinese, I again recommend dongchinese.com's Pinyin guide and tone pair drills. I'm begging you to spend a couple hours going through it. If you watch cdramas, even if you're watching with english subs, the ability to HEAR a word and type the pinyin into google translate app or Pleco app quickly for the translation is SO USEFUL. Early on, its useful for picking up new words and remembering them. But even now, as I'm listening to audiodramas, the skill of looking stuff up by pinyin as a beginner helps SO much now. I can hear unknown words in audio and instantly hear what pinyin I should type (zhi or zi or si or j or zhe or zha are very clearly different to my ear) and I'm used to expecting most words to be 1,2, or for phrases 4 hanzi long (so 1-4 initial-final pinyin pairs), with most words being 2 hanzi long, so if I hear an unknown word I can quickly identify WHICH 2 sounds are the new ones I just heard and look up the unknown word. These basic recognition skills get developed early on as a beginner, as you look up words and get used to the common patterns, and as you start reading and notice beyond the common 1 hanzi words, just how many are 2 hanzi.

3. If you're learning chinese and don't have the benefit of cognates with a language you know, chinese is still a bit "easier" to guess new words at a certain point. For reading, it's the multi-component hanzi which allow you to start guessimg rough pronunciation and meaning, and the 2 hanzi words which allow you to start guessing meaning is the 2 hanzi combined or perhaps related to the meanomg of the 1 of 2 hanzi you already know. With listening... there is also a benefit. Say you hear xiangfa - xiang think, fa method, you can guess it has something to do with thoughts or ideas or trails of thoughts. Xiang is a common verb so you probably already know it, or can guess it's THAT xiang based on context of a scene, and fa is also a fairly common word so you can guess it might be That Fa. It means idea. So guessing "thought" would be close enough to undersrand meaning. (And of course seeing it written 想法 thought+method xiangfa easy to see hanzi meaning and then guess idea or something close).

4. I'm hoping the comprehensible input/ALG suggestions of a LOT of comprehensible input actually help me with speaking tones. Even though I did tons of explicit study, which ALG thinks "damages pronunciation"... but I didn't actually speak much yet. At a certain point (around a year imto learning?) I stopped studying tones of new hanzi and words and just used audio in pleco or google translate (or TTS, shows, audiobooks etc) to hear how new stuff sounded if I didnt remember. Since I read a lot, so I just felt I needed to add more sound to not learn the wrong pronunciation... so idk how that will go.

[someonexsomeone]

Everything I Know About Love

Title: Everything I Know About Love

Author: SomeonexSomeone

Word Count: 3k

Pairing: Bella Swan x Reader

Summary: After a certain vampire left her life, Bella just tries to continue her life...without the expectation of meeting a drunkard at a party and talking about love.

Authors Note: DAY 5 WHOOP WHOOP I cant believe im actually doing it. Lots of reasons of life happening now that in the past ive let dictate my life, I'm actually proud of myself for keeping this going. Make sure to give yourself a pat on the back today. Afterall, you survived another one, against all odds :)

Though parties weren't really her scene, there was only so much more Charlie could take of her being in her room. Really, she had been feeling better little by little for the last couple of months, though she doubted she would ever feel completely whole again for a really long time, she wasn’t just wasting away like she was when Ed-...like she had been before. Jessica and Angela were being more than understanding, one more than the other though she didn’t want to name names, and the boys were keeping her easily distracted by asking her to tutor them. Jacob, of course, was doing more than enough by being by her side, even going as far as helping her fix up some old dirt bikes and teaching her to ride. Their weekly rides near the beach make the weekends that much sweeter, even if she’s probably spent more on laundry detergent in that time than she has her whole life. 

So, she thought, you would think that all of this progress was good enough for Charlie to finally turn back to the relaxed, non-hovering parent she had come to appreciate, right? Wrong. Though he had gotten much better recently, finally stopping his stupid stop-ins to her room when she was quiet for too long, though it meant she was now doing her homework at the kitchen table rather than in the comfort of her room, he still looked at her like she was going to break apart at the slightest breeze, or even the mention of the Cullens. Cullen was a phrase much easier for her to say, recalling her near-death experience with Jasper and Rosalie’s sour face to cover Alice’s smiling face or Emmet’s welcoming demeanor or Esme’s gentle hands, but some words still caused her to shiver or go stockstill despite her reassurance that she was better, that she was going to be okay. Charlie knew better than to mention the redheaded Cullen if he could avoid it. And, so long as he remembered it, Bella was fine. Even if Charlie’s eyes betrayed his reassuring words, and his typical late nights at the office were instead moved to the house, papers scattered across the coffee table to act like both the crime map and coasters for his beer, she would continue to be. 

She knew he was trying, trying as much as he possibly could for someone who didn’t really raise his daughter until the most hormonal parts, but it was like he didn’t even remember who she was…before. Scrapes and bruises on her arms from general clumsiness earned her a self-harm prevention pamphlet on her bed, missed meals earned her a furrowed brow, and any plans that weren’t outside made his mustache wiggle in an almost amused way. This, though, she almost wanted to scream at.

“Dad, seriously?”

“Listen, I’m just worried, Bells. It feels like you’ve been cooped up in your room for days.” It took all her willpower to not roll her eyes.

“Because it’s midterms? I’m not going to go out when these tests are important.”

“I know, but you even missed your date with Jacob this week!” She huffed.

“It’s not a date, Dad,” she said, exasperated that this was probably the millionth time she’s said the words but they never seemed to stick. “Plus, Jacob’s doing his midterms as well! You know Billy’s not going to let him go on that guy’s trip if he doesn’t get a B on his Math test, and he really wants to go.”

“I just don’t understand why you can’t go over and help-”

“And,” she cut him off, “I went out two weekends ago with the girls to get Prom dresses, per your request.”

“...I just want to make sure you’re feeling alright.” Bella huffed in defeat, swinging her legs over the edge of her bed. It was just supposed to be a peaceful afternoon nap before she got back to studying, a break for her eyes and hands from staring at the index cards thrown across her desk, but apparently, that was too much to ask.

“I’m fine, Dad, really. I just need to study.” Bella stood beside her desk, the picture-perfect student in every way. He still looked skeptical. She sighed. “Jessica is hosting a party this weekend. A get-together, to celebrate the end of exams.” She watched ruefully as he perked up immediately. “Can I go?”

Charlie played up the protective guardian, stroking his mustache in thought, before saying, “Will there be alcohol?” Bella just huffed again, rolling her eyes. “Okay, okay. As long as you promise to be responsible, and call me if anything looks suspicious, you can go.”

And that’s how she found herself sitting on the steps outside of Jessica’s family lakehouse. The perfect environment for debauchery, it was far enough away from Fork to feel like you were in the middle of nowhere without sacrificing any cell service. She could hear people cheering down by the water, jumping in although winter was just letting up across the PNW, and the music playing behind her made her blood thump heavily under her skin. For a long time, she found comfort in the sound of her own heart, the steady thumping she could hear if she paid attention, but now it just made her feel conflicted. The thing that Ed-...he loved about her, dare she say, most, a reminder of him that she couldn’t ever be parted from. It made her heart clench painfully. She took another sip of the drink in her cup, long warmed past the chill it once had.

Introverted to her core, Bella actually found herself thankful for the change in scenery. Although she had come to like Forks, there were a few downsides. Not only did everyone know everyone, which meant that her original plan to hide out in the library when the party was happening was quickly dashed when she remembered the weekend librarian was a frequent customer at Charlie’s favorite diner, but it also meant that midterms were not as much of a distraction as she hoped. Yes, her teachers were good, but the advanced placement curriculum at her old school made this school much easier. Jacob was gone this weekend too, receiving a B- on his Math test that made Billy roll his eyes, so he wasn’t there to shelter her from Charlie’s downcast eyes, and all of her school friends were going to attend this party, even Angela, who convinced her parents this was an important part of her adolescent upbringing. She thought Angela was her best bet to curb boredom and wandering hands, but as soon as she saw her boyfriend, it was game over. 

The evening air was crisp out here, a dewy smell that reminded her of all those summers she was able to take a break from Arizona’s dry heat. The view from the cabin was amazing. The calm lake and the tree-filled skyline listed a little weight from her chest, just for a moment, the closest thing she’s gotten to be around her old vampire boyfriend as she could get. There was that stint in her life where she thought changing everything about herself was a great place to start to get over her first love, but past the shoulder-length haircut and dirt bikes, there wasn’t anything actually fun to her in the more dangerous activities she tried about. A shudder ran through her at the reminder of her attempt at cliff driving. She took one look over the edge before demanding Jacob escort her back to their car. He just laughed at her, waving her over to instead sit on the rocks and look out at the horizon. It was there that she learned gazing out at a body of water, whether ocean or lake, made her feel a peace she had been desperately looking for. Something about the majesty of the water, she reasoned, made her problems seem so insignificant…

“I’m not gonna throw up, you stupid head!” Bella nearly jumped out of her skin as the back door flew open, releasing the stench of sweaty teens and blasting pop music she escaped outside to avoid, There was a rumble of voices in the wake of the person stumbling out before the heavy door swung shut with a bang. Bella jumped up, holding her arms out faster than she could think, though she had no clue why she thought she would be able to catch the obviously drunk teen when she could barely stand on her own two feet most days. The person barely noticed Bella, stumbling past them to throw themselves against the deck’s railing. Bella worried they were gonna hurl, or worse, throw themselves over, but they did neither. Instead, they gasped heavily, like they hadn’t had a good breath of air in who knows how long, before leaning back and basically stumbling onto Bella’s feet. With a bounce, they ended up right next to her, their head snapping up to gape at Bella’s equally wide eyes.

“Holy shit! How long have you been there?!” Bella opened her mouth, but no words escaped. Instead, she stared at this stranger and mimicked a fish. “Oh my god, did I just sit on you? I’m so sorry!”

“No, you’re okay.” Bella hesitated. “Are you…okay? Not gonna hurl or anything, are you?” That earned a laugh, way too loud to be from anyone but a drunk person.

“Yeah! I just needed some fresh air.” Bella smiled at that.

“That’s why I’m out here too. It’s way too loud in there.” That one earned her a blinding smile. Bella let out a small puff of air, only a little uncomfortable around this random stranger, and unsure about what to do next. Does she sit down? No, that would be stupid.

“Why don’t you sit too? We can keep each other company, and become best friends!”

“Best friends?” Bella jumped as her hand was grabbed, and could do nothing against the sudden strong force pulling her down. Her drink went flying as her butt hit the step harshly.

“Yeah! I’m in the market for a new one.” If they noticed her pained expression, they didn’t say anything. Bella rubbed her back as they continued, “I was supposed to hang out here and celebrate with her, but turns out she’s a two-faced skank and hooked up with the guy I liked.” Bella just stared, open-mouthed. “Oh, don’t worry! It stopped hurting about…” The finger counting was near hilarious, but Bella was too worried about them to laugh. “I don’t remember! A while ago.” Then they huffed, nearly doing a 180 in emotion. “Besides, it’s not like I was in love or anything. I mean, I hardly knew the guy. But there was something about him…”

“I know what you mean.” The words were out before Bella could even think about the consequences. 

“You do?” Bella hesitated, before nodding. “Were you in love?”

“Um…”

“Oh no!” Bella jumped back, nearly catching an elbow to the face as the stranger threw their hands in front of their face, “I made you uncomfortable! Oh, I’m so sorry! Me and my big fat mouth…”

“No! No, it’s okay!” Bella reached forward, pulling their hands away from their face, trying to earnestly look into their eyes. “I’m sorry. It’s just…a little fresh.”

“...you’re sure?” Bella nodded once. “Oh! You’re too nice!” Then, arms were thrown around her, pulling her face far too close to a stranger’s. “Woah! And pretty!” The stranger huffed. Bella shivered as their breath puffed against her face. “I bet you get loads of dates.”

“I wouldn’t say that-”

“And you probably know everything about being in love! Tell me about it, please!” Bella blinked. Drunk memory, she figured, or they just had a really bad one. “Please, please! I need to know. What if he was the one, and I never knew because I didn’t know what it felt like!”

“I don’t…” Bella could feel the rejection on the tip of her tongue. Denial would be easy, it’s not like she knew who this person was anyway. Plus, it would probably be easy to lose them in the crowd inside, and a phone had to be somewhere around here to call Charlie to come pick her up, despite the plan to spend the night here to help Jessica clean in the morning. But…there was something sparkling in their eyes that made Bella hesitate. This was a complete stranger, a person that, if they even knew who she was before this night, probably knew nothing of her previous relationship. Especially if they were this drunk. They were looking at Bella with the biggest, most innocent eyes, gleaming with so much unbridled trust and innocence that Bella felt her soft heart waver. “...know how to describe it.”

“Is it like how everyone says it is?” Bella laughed a little at that, gently pushing them away to settle their face back into their own personal bubble. In retaliation, they swung their knees so they knocked against Bellas, making their shoe tips touch for good measure.

“It can be. It was for me.” Their look of awe made Bella giggle lightly.

“Really?”

“In a way.” Bella paused, watching their eyebrows knit together in confusion. “Was that the answer you’re looking for?”

“I don’t know…maybe?”

“Then…tell me what you’ve heard, and I can elaborate for you?” Bella watched as they mouthed the word ‘elaborate’ before the meaning clicked and they nodded their head enthusiastically. 

“Just not too many words, okay? You’re a little…fuzzy?” Bella laughed lightly, nodding. The stranger smiled. “Yeah, that’s perfect! Okay, so, enchanting in every way.” Bella nodded, and their smile bloomed brighter. “It's everlasting every day.” Bella hesitated, before giving a so-so wave with her hand. They frowned in response. “Stomach sick with butterflies?” At Bella’s enthusiastic nod, they smiled again. “Sweet obsession, rose bouquets-”

“Trust me,” Bella said, cutting them off. She felt a little bad, but this was too complicated for a yes or no answer. “From personal experience, obsession is not what you want. Not when it’ll eat you whole.” That caused another bout of eyebrow-wiggling confusion.

After a moment, they said, “Maybe they were just obsessed with being in love? Obsessed with obsession is how things end up…no good.” Bella felt her eyes widen in shock. For a drunk person, someone who could barely remember a conversation from a moment ago and for completely disregarding personal space, that was shockingly coherent. 

In their short months together, Bella couldn’t count the number of times Edw- he talked about falling in love. Their late nights together were spent half in silence, just gazing into each other's eyes, and the other half was spent talking about anything they felt the need to say. For Bella, it was what she was thinking, how she was raised, things she liked. For him, it was how long he had waited for her, for someone who sung for him and made him feel loved as he had seen Esme and Carlisle interact throughout their many years. She remembered the way his eyes shined as he talked about them, about the love they had for one another, the way they fit together better than anyone he had seen in his 100 years. 

“I have that now, with you.” He whispered before kissing her, putting any conviction he had in the statement with the first press against her lips. And she had believed him, wholeheartedly. Looking back on it now, she can see why Charlie and her friends were worried for her. Months of on and off, of not knowing if Bella was gaining his attention in a good or bad way, the way he proclaimed his love to her within a month or two of knowing her. But…she could still feel his insistence, his devotion, and the love that sparkled in his eyes when they were together. There was no way that wasn’t real…was it?

“Maybe you’re right…” Bella whispered, neither convinced nor closed off to the possibility. These last few months have given her a lot of time to think things through. Writing to Alice had helped a little in the beginning, but having Jacob there to talk to, to finally have someone to open up to, especially after learning his own secret, their friendship had never been closer. He was always there for her, especially on the bad days, and cheered her on when she was able to get back on her own feet. After finally asking out the girl of his dreams, he didn’t abandon her, instead introducing them so Bella was always welcome without a hint or suspicion of something else, something unsaid, being there. Bella felt a swell of adoration when she thought of Jacob, but it wasn’t the same. It wasn’t the way she felt with him. But was that such a bad thing?

“You’re frowning.” Bella started, flinching as a hand gently pressed on the space between her eyebrows. She hadn’t even realized they had pushed together.

“You’ve given me something to think about.” That caused a smile.

“Really?” Bella nodded. “Good! I’m not just a pretty face, you know.”

“I don’t doubt that,” Bella laughed. Their smile brightened even more. In one swift motion, with far too much coordination for someone so drunk, they threw their arms around her, pulling her close and smacking a wet kiss against her cheek. Bella’s face flared bright red.

“And you’re not just a pretty face too! You’re a gorgeous face with a kind heart!” They slumped against her, resting their head against Bella’s shoulder, snuggling as close as they could in their awkward position. “Thank you for explaining things to me. I think it made me fall in love with you.”

“Wha-” Bella stuttered. They laughed loudly, pressing their lips against her cheek again with more teeth than necessary.

“And you’re funny! You have to give me your number now. I’m not gonna let that stank bag get to you before me this time.”

Joke or not, Bella couldn’t help her burning ears or the way her heart beat out of them. She also couldn’t help the way her heart skipped a beat. The first time in a long time.

______________________________________________________________

masterlist  l What is Laufeyfest? l Laufeyfest masterlist

[bxckywrites]

A Little Too Much // Part 6

Series Paring - Wanda Maximoff x Reader

Warnings - I'm not sure, I'll update this later

Other Characters - Steve

Word Count - 1,162 (not as long as I wanted my apologies)

Part Summary - After being brought back to the compound, Wanda waits for you to wake up.

gif is not mine

A/N - This part is long overdue, but I may be coming back to finish the series soon :)

Part 5

____

It’s been 2 weeks since the team found you in Romania and since that day you’ve been stuck in the hospital ward Stark built a few years prior. The doctors decided to put you into a medically induced coma in order to heal after the trauma and all of the surgeries you underwent. Through it all, Wanda never once left your bedside and had set up a place to sleep at night so that she could be there when you eventually woke up. There had been a few close calls over the last few weeks, but each time you managed to pull through.

“They should wake within the next couple of minutes,” Tony states. He sits on the makeshift bed and waits patiently for any signs of movement from either you or your “guard dog” as Natasha so kindly named her.

Your eyes begin to open and you wince as the light hits you. “Y/N you’re awake!”

Wanda struggles to contain her excitement as she grabs onto your arm as gently as she can in case it hurts. The look in her eyes screams relief as she begins to ramble about how much she missed you and how she’ll never forgive herself for your kidnapping. She doesn’t seem to notice your eyes darting across the room, trying to locate where her voice is coming from. You know in your heart that your best friend is the one speaking, but where is she and why can’t you see her?

“We almost lost you a few times but I knew you’d pull through. You’re the toughest person I know!” Her smile begins to falter as she finally looks into your eyes and realizes that you’re staring at the ceiling. “Y/N? What’s wrong?”

Wanda begins frantically calling for anyone to help, worried about the unkown and terrified that she’s going to lose you.

Your gaze never moves from it’s place and you can’t understand why you are struggling to speak. It’s so frustrating. Why will the words not come out? You can’t remember what happened but you're sure they left your vocal cords alone as they don't feel different. There is rushing around the room but you can’t force yourself to move. Nothing hurts anymore but the thought of moving terrifies you. You can hear voices calling out to you, all worried, all afraid, but you can’t bring yourself to tell them that you're alright. Maybe some more sleep will help. Maybe you just woke up too early.

Peace begins to wash over you as you begin to drift into unconsciousness, letting sleep take over your body, you close your eyes and take a breath.

____

*Wanda’s POV*

“What’s going on?! Why are they not speaking?!”

I can’t breathe. They were awake, I saw their eyes. What happened? Did I do something?

My throat begins to close as I continue to scream at the doctors, begging them to help my dear friend. I can’t lose them like I’ve lost so many others. I will not lose them. Everyone turns their attention to me as fear flashes in the eyes of the doctors. What are they looking at?

“Wanda, maybe you should get some air and let the doctors help Y/N.”

My eyes snap towards Steve and I notice his hand is outstretched towards me as if he wants me to take it. I begin to understand the fear as I look down at my own hands and see the glowing red smoke bleeding through my fingers.

I take a deep breath and calmly walk out of the room, turning around for a brief moment to see the doctors swarm around you.

Trying to distract my mind I ended up in the training room, throwing magic everywhere as I destroy the targets one by one. It makes it easier to hit something when you think of it as someone you’d like to kill. I would kill Strucker in every universe if it meant you would wake up again. Another target morphs behind me and I hit it with enough force to take the head clean off, smiling at my work. Something about destroying things makes my brain feel better, almost helps me to forget why I am upset or hurt in the first place.

I remember the first time we trained together. I did most of the work, but your company was needed and the patience shown towards my fury made it hard to not feel safe around you.

Someone came into the room around 10 minutes ago but I haven’t cared enough to acknowledge them. I can feel them watching me as I take my anger out on the entire room but I do not care. It’s only when their hand grabs onto my shoulder that I finally look to see Steve.

Rogers has always been someone I can trust, even in my darkest moment he has fought for me and cared for me. “Sorry about the targets, do you think Tony will be mad?” Stark can afford new tech and more training targets but I still feel a little bad that I ruined over half of the room. His eyes light up as he lets out a short laugh, “I think he’ll be more worried about never making you mad.” The thought of Stark being scared of me hurts a little but I know Steve didn’t mean it in a bad way so I laugh a little at his “joke”. A sigh escapes me as I rest my head in my hands.

“I don’t know what to do Steve,” my eyes begin to burn as I feel them swell with tears. So many toughts race through my mind as I replay the moments between your eyes opening and closing again. I can’t figure out what went wrong.

Steve puts his arms around me as he hugs my shaking body to his. Moments like this remind me of why I fight so hard to do the right thing and yet, I can still feel the rage boiling in my stomach. “The doctors said that their vision must’ve been blurry when they woke up because of how long they were out,” Steven rubs my back as he talks, “you did nothing wrong Wanda. They were probably not ready yet and that's why they closed their eyes again.” My heart feels like someone ripped it out and burned it at the thought of you being overwhelmed by waking up and the rambling I chose to do most likely did not help. I know you’ll wake again, soon I hope, but I worry about your recovery. If the doctors were right and your eyes just couldn't adjust to reality and not your comatose state, will it be permanent? I can’t bare the thought of you going through that.

“C’mon,” Rogers offers me his hand again, “they’re awake and asking for you.”

I can feel my heart begin to race as I rush to the room.

____

Part 7

Feedback is always appreciated

Taglist: (forgot to add before posting sorry!)

@severepeanutartisanhands , @honey-sweet-hiraeth , @xxxtwilightaxelxxx , @diaryoflife

[mangoslam]

Hellcheer addition! (ignoring the 1 like thing as I just want to write about these two crazy kids) 1. Chrissy being single. 2. So I don't have just one, but the music from the soundtrack 'I wouldn't remember me either' which plays for them? It's a beaut! (bit of a cop-out answer this one, sorry). 3. The ship observed by other people (so alternative POV's - Max, Jason, Dustin etc.) 4. Has to be my own as we only got one damn episode. 5. In the woods, when Chrissy says 'me?' so cute and Eddie is just soft and silly. 6. When Eddie heads back to the trailer with Steve/Nancy/Robin in the Upside Down and there's just a missing 'oh shit this is where Chrissy died' moment I would have liked to see. 7. (god this is tough as there's loads) Eddie being really really into eating Chrissy out. 8. I've seen a lot of fics that take Jason's character maybe too far (though yeah, he was a lunatic in the show). I don't think he'd harm Chrissy. 9. The 'opposites attract' angle. They have no business being so perfect for one another - but they are (second option would be how hot they are as a couple). 10. That Eddie would have to step on Jason's toes pretty severely (thanks Joe) and it would be messy. Ideally Chrissy would end it before getting with Eddie. 11. Deffo canon, thanks, but yeah I need them to come back to life in season 5 for more... Time travel? Alternative universe? Come on, Duffer Brothers. 12. Baldur's Gate 3... I could see them both as Bard's but maybe Chrissy could be a Cleric. Chrissy's BFF is clearly Karlach and Lae'zel scares tf out of Eddie (someone write me a crossover with the whole party being there?) 13. Eddie's easier to write than Chrissy, I think. Some authors really NAIL Eddie. 14. I've not been drawn to another pairing from Stranger Things in the same way - but I do like Chrissy shipped basically with anyone ('cause she's pretty). 15. Chrissy. I'd give her a big hug and we'd hang out watching 80's flicks. My girl needs love and take out. 16. The only way I could see this playing out is if one of them tries being all stupid noble and self-sacrificing. Eddie might so Chrissy goes to college (if she wants to stay behind with him) and Chrissy might because she doesn't want him to get hurt by Jason etc. It wouldn't last. 17. I think so - both have vulnerable spots which everyone can relate to. I find myself very similar to Chrissy (especially at her age). 18. I didn't like Eddie leaving Wayne to find Chrissy's body, but I get that's a character choice and he was scared af. 19. Lots? (and I'm new to the fandom). More are incoming, sorry. 20. You know, I didn't get sucked in when I first watched season 4 but on a re-watch? Yeah. I have no control over my fixations and I re-watched when I was recovering from surgery so...plenty of time to go mad? 21. I'm an angst girl. Always have been (but the smut is HOT too).

(psss pass it on - what do ya'll think?)

Template by @aph-cb 

[scattered-shadows]

As seen on my FF.net

Following the events of fifth year, a new adventure awaits for Norah Lee. Boys, exams, school events, common room parties, and old foes outside of Hogwarts. Even battling pensieve guardians was easier than this.

Main Pair: OC/? Genre: Adventure/Angst/Fluff (it's a little of everything, tbh)

KEEP IN MIND: Characters are aged up (even if the story's got them in sixth year) to make it more appropriate. Time period is leaning towards the modern day so in case you might find anachronisms in the dialogue or references, this is why. This may also be quite a lengthy fic too.

BE WARNED: Social anxiety, mentions of blood and injury, grief, drinking, kissing but nothing more than that, death (this is Hogwarts Legacy, after all)

P.P.S: Sorry if the previous chapters seemed unformatted. I literally copy-pasted everything from my FF.net to here.

Masterlist

Chapter 5

"Does it get any more cozy than Hogsmeade?" Norah muttered to herself when she stepped inside the archway that marked the entrance of the village. Ernie Lark was once again conducting the enchanted musical instruments in front of one other shop, already getting a whiff of the sweet smells of pastries and treats emanated from its windows all the way from Honeydukes. There were more people than usual, perhaps lining up near Sprintwitches for broom upgrades after its shopkeeper Albie Weekes promoted posters for it. Dropping a few coins into the hat, she walked ahead, stopping by Steepley & Sons to see if she could probably stop for tea.

She wouldn't dare to go inside Madam Puddifoot's tea shop just yet, knowing that the place was full of couples on dates. The sickly sweet pink decor definitely provided a sappy couple setting for its patrons. Maybe one day, she'll go there on a date. Just maybe. Perhaps with the one she felt strongly for.

Norah turned her thoughts back to one big reason why she was in Hogsmeade during her free period. She was planning to see if of ' Potions needed any deliveries made. It was a way for her to follow on the lead Sebastian gave her the other evening, all the while making a few galleons along the way.

As she walked on, she said hello to several others who noticed her. That included Betty Bugbrooke, whose unicorn Hazel she was now taking care of. Norah informed her that Hazel has been thriving inside the vivarium with the other beasts, even handing her a sample of unicorn hair she got from brushing her.

"Oh, thank you, I miss Hazel every day, but I'm happy to know that she's doing so well, that stubborn girl," Betty smiled, holding the vial close. "You're very kind for remembering me for this."

Norah smiled. "It's no trouble at all. You found Hazel first, I thought you'd want to know how she's doing now."

Norah bid her goodbye and continued walking on, noticing Garreth Weasley about to go inside Honeydukes when he saw her as well. He approached her, his expression somewhat softening. "Hello Norah," He said.

"Hi Garreth. Still looking for billywig stings?" She teased.

A pink tinge appeared on his cheeks. "Just a few more and my brew will be done...again," He muttered. "It'll be done in time for the party next weekend. I hope you'll come."

"You do realize you're entering through the front and not the back, right?"

Garreth grinned. "I've managed to make a deal anyways. A few of those stings in exchange for a few errands at the back. He's surprisingly supportive once I told him what I planned on doing. Think Sirona might give my brew a go?"

"It's worth a try, you'll never know," Norah nodded.

"Thanks. I'll do just that. What brings you here?" He asked curiously.

"Oh, well, just looking around. I might help out again since he asked me to do a delivery for him last time," She shrugged. She wasn't sure how he'd react if she told him she was following a lead to Keenbridge. She needed a reason to go there after all.

Her reply seemed to convince the red-headed male. "Alright then. I'll see you back at the castle, yeah?" He said. "Oh, uh, would you be doing anything when you get back?"

"I...don't know, I'm wondering that myself," Norah said. "You need help with Transfiguration?" She teased.

A slight tinge of pink appeared on Garreth's cheeks. "Perhaps. You know my aunt. She's doubling down on me lately because I passed her subject."

Norah chuckled. "Well, if you think I can help you, just let me know, hmm?"

"I will, I will. I'll hold you to that, sure," He said.

Norah bid goodbye and turned to leave, stopping by the vendor selling copies of the Daily Prophet. Harlow was still last spotted in Keenbridge, the photo only showing the terrified witnesses. She quickened her steps further into the village, stopping when she arrived at the potions shop. As she had expected, the proprietor himself was hunched over the cauldrons at the back, all of which were brewing several different colors of potions.

"Oh hello, good to see you again. What'll it be?" He asked. "I've just finished a batch of pepperup potions if you need to cure a cold. Memory potions too if you want to retain whatever you'll learn in class."

"Actually, I've come to ask if you'd need any deliveries done. I was on my way to-" Norah didn't want to reveal where she planned to go just yet. If she did, he might have sensed that she was going to face off against Harlow again and word would get out. "Feldcroft to check in on someone."

"Well, that would be nice. I've got two bottles of cough potion to bring to a family in Aranshire and if you can, I've got three vials of the dreamless sleep potion for a lady in Brocburrow," He took out the vials and handed them over to her. "The delivery fee will all be yours if you do. I still have to keep an eye on these other potions I'm brewing."

"Got it. I'll deliver all of these today," Norah agreed, keeping the bottles into her small satchel.

Norah made a mental note to write to Anne before leaving Hogsmeade, just to let her know that if she was asked, she was coming to visit her. She went down the same route again, thinking that to fly would be better than to simply apparate straight to the hamlet. She had all day anyway. She also hoped Anne wouldn't tell Sebastian what she planned to do just yet.

She missed the feeling of flying long distances. As much as she appreciated the speed that floo flames took her, there was still something calming about taking the scenic route to wherever she planned to go. Yes, even if it meant dealing with goblin loyalists or poachers or even evil beasts along the way. Perhaps there were still hidden ancient magic spots for her to tap into.

As Norah took to the air, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, wanting to savor the moment before leaning forward in her flight towards Aranshire. Hopefully the owl would come to Anne in time before Sebastian or anyone else asked.

It wasn't long before she arrived in Aranshire, being greeted by its residents, including Crispin Dunne, who often had business in the hamlet.

"The absconder assassin! How are you?" Edgar Adley greeted her the moment she was spotted. "What brings you here to our hamlet?"

Norah smiled and took out the bottles of cough potion. "Just here on an errand for . Two cough potions bound for Aranshire," She immediately spotted the woman who needed it, having been waving at her when she was informed that the potions would be arriving soon. She immediately thanked the woman who handed her a few hundred coins.

"I hope you're doing well, protecting yourself too," Edgar pointed out after noticing the exchange. "With Harlow on the loose and all."

"Don't worry, Mr. Adley, I'll be fine. I'm not afraid at all," Norah shook her head. She knew it. If Harlow wanted her, all he needed to do was come to her.

"You know, for someone as young as you, to have to do that already, I wouldn't be surprised if you became an auror now. I'll hold you to that," Edgar pointed out as she placed her broom into her satchel. "In fact, I'll bet you a butterbeer you become an auror when you leave Hogwarts."

"You have a deal," Norah smiled. "Best be on my way, it was nice seeing you and Mr. Dunne again," She said.

The sound of a whip cracking later and she apparated into Brocburrow.

-

Sebastian, after having managed to go through his detention period that day, rushed back to his friend in the common room. Once again, Ominis had taken it upon himself to trick the first-years into waiting for mermaids. "Alright, alright, that's enough you all, go and have fun elsewhere," Sebastian shooed away the hopeful looking students from the window. "You really need new hobbies other than get their hopes up."

"At least what I'm doing doesn't get me in detention often," Ominis pointed out. "But I don't know whether you sound either excited or worried."

"Both," Sebastian said, holding up a piece of parchment. "Anne said Norah was coming to see her."

"And? Isn't that nice?" Ominis said. "Although it does seem unlike her to suddenly want to visit Anne. She only goes if we're going-"

"If you're thinking what I'm thinking, then we'll need to head to Keenbridge before she gets herself into any trouble," Sebastian said, and the two of them rushed into their rooms to change into more casual wear.

It was in a situation like this that Sebastian and Ominis learned (again) how stubborn she could get. And they had once or twice expressed their annoyance at how she always felt like she had to go at something like this alone. Of course they understood her reasons, but if their adventure into the Scriptorium and the catacombs meant anything, it was that they worked better all together. Even with Natty, Poppy, and Amit.

Even Anne understood this side of Norah from the time they spent together, and privately expressed her worries to them. It took spending more time with her for Anne to even start to forgive Sebastian.

The two boys fled the common room, with Ominis quickly letting his wand guide him to where Sebastian was going. "Where are we going exactly?" The blonde asked, trying to keep up with him.

"Keenbridge. I suspect Norah's in Brocburrow now," Sebastian held up the letter again, having never let it go while they made their way to the central hall. "Anne said she was doing potion deliveries for on her way. At least she told Anne she was on her way."

Ominis cursed under his breath as they walked past several girls who immediately giggled upon seeing them. "I told her last year, there is such a thing as trying too hard."

"Yeah, and look what happened, she's the hero of Hogwarts," Sebastian said, once they were finally in the grounds. He too, didn't take notice of how several groups of girls were eyeing him as well as Ominis.

"Hey, what's gotten you two in a rush?" They bumped into Imelda, proudly clad in their house quidditch uniform. Naturally, Imelda served as the new team captain of their house team. "If you're looking for Norah, we spotted her going into Hogsmeade."

"Yes, we know," Ominis replied as the two of them approached the floo flame.

"If you see her, tell her we'll still need a chaser," Imelda reminded them. "She's got a spot on the team."

"Keenbridge," Sebastian muttered, and one by one, the two of them disappeared.

They soon appeared at the entrance of the hamlet, next to the floo flame, the two of them looking around for a sign of Norah. "Merlin, this girl's going to be the death of me," Ominis muttered, his wand guiding him and following Sebastian, who was trying to spot signs of the girl.

"Merlin, she's going to drive me mad," Sebastian frowned as they approached the nearest merchant, Fatimah Lawang. "She's going to drive us mad."

Even with the concern, Sebastian was trying not to be so excited about this pursuit, his heart racing with excitement at what they were going to do. But it wasn't the only reason why he got so excited.

He first came to terms with his feelings a little after the House Cup in fifth year. Sebastian Sallow long accepted the fact that what he felt about Norah had crossed beyond friendship and into romantic territory. But after everything they've been through, from accidentally killing Solomon, to going through the catacombs and fighting trolls, how could he not care for her so intensely?

As much as Sebastian wanted to tell Norah how he felt about her, he knew their friendship was much too valuable to cross the line. Even when he felt the green-eyed beast of jealousy whenever other guys would go near her, he always tried to remind himself that she was his friend. Even if he told her how he felt, Sebastian knew that there was always a chance that she would only see him as a friend too.

What Sebastian didn't know was, Ominis had also fancied Norah. She was the reason why he often slipped away in the common rooms and wrote to Anne. He wanted her advice on how to approach her. Ominis was aware of his and his family's reputation. Anne, as he read, was incredibly supportive. Not wanting to tell Sebastian, he confided in Anne about his growing feelings. Anne, however, would continuously tell him to pluck up the courage to do so, or at the very least, attempt to ask her to the Yule Ball.

Ominis knew the risks if he were to confess his affection for her. Knowing full well the reputation his family held in the entire wizarding community, Norah would be incredibly out of his league. It would be even worse if his family found out. They would absolutely despise her even more than they already do. It already didn't help that there were some people in Hogwarts who thought she deserved to be with someone just as accomplished, or at the very least, not from a wizarding family known for the dark arts.

It was a pedestal Ominis thought was too high for him to reach.

"Hello, I was wondering if you have seen Norah? She's got brown hair down to her shoulders, possibly coming here on a broomstick?" Sebastian asked. "Or maybe on a hippogriff? Or even, possibly...a graphorn?"

Fatimah looked at the brunette boy incredulously. "No graphorns and hippogriffs have come here. And no, I haven't seen Norah come here. How is she, by the way?"

"She's doing very well. Drowning in our NEWT exams like the rest of us," Ominis spoke.

"Oh, I wouldn't be surprised if she becomes an auror. Or a curse-breaker even," She said. "Well, I've got potion ingredients for you if you are in need of any."

The blonde seemed to catch Sebastian off-guard when he asked Fatimah about the headlines on the news. "I don't suppose you have heard about Harlow? He was last seen here, according to the Daily Prophet."

Fatimah leaned toward them, keeping her voice low. "Oh yes, he was last seen here not too long ago. It was a dreadful sight. He looked all...ghastly, but he's still as dangerous as ever. I was about to clear up the stand for the day when there were explosions everywhere. He's managed to gather a few more ashwinders, fugitives now, to his cause. Even pilfered some barrels of drink and nearly cursed the barkeep."

"So you think there'll be more of them?" Sebastian asked this time.

"I wouldn't be surprised. They're still so desperate for their cause, those fiends. Even after Victor Rookwood's death, he plans to take power," Fatimah frowned. "The beasts are in danger once again."

"I take it he's able to cast wandless magic," Ominis said.

"Which makes him just as dangerous as ever," Fatimah said with a sigh. "If you two know what's best for you, you'll be sure to keep away from places where those poachers and ashwinders are near. I'd advise that we leave this to the authorities, but if Norah had to intervene, they wouldn't be doing any good, would they?"

Just then, they saw Norah dismount from her broomstick and tuck it away in her satchel. She stopped in her tracks upon seeing the two boys. "Oi!" She called out to them, brow raised, making them turn around.

Sebastian crossed his arms while Ominis tilted to face her. "That's not very ladylike, isn't it?" He teased, and Norah slapped his arm. "What brings you to Keenbridge?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing," Norah pointed out. "I was on my way to visit Anne. I just needed her opinion on something rather personal. Hello, Ms. Lawang," She greeted the potioneer behind them.

"Hello Norah, these two asked for you earlier, wondering if you came here on a hippogriff or graphorn," Fatimah chuckled.

Norah smiled. "Ah, well, Highwing and his Lordship are currently resting from playing with other beasts in my vivariums," She said, with Fatimah's eyes widening at her explanation. "They love playing with others, especially the diricrawl offsprings. Fwoopers love playing with Highwing."

Fatimah looked impressed. Sebastian couldn't help but look proud, and a slight smirk played across Ominis' features. "Back to the question, why'd you stop here if you were going to visit Anne?"

"Can't I stop here?" Norah asked. "What are you two doing here anyway? I thought you were in detention and Ominis...was just there," She said.

"Norah, we know why you're here," Ominis said bluntly. "And Harlow's not here anymore."

Norah's shoulders dropped. She turned back to the potioneer. "Ms. Lawang, would you have an idea of where he might have gone?"

"I'm afraid I don't. I barely managed to leave the hamlet with everything intact at the time."

She sighed and thanked the woman, opening her satchel once again to take out her broomstick as she turned to looked over across the river, where Keenbridge tower was located. It gave her an idea. But before she could take out her broomstick, Sebastian caught her wrist.

"I suppose you two were also looking for Harlow," Norah glanced at him and at Ominis.

"We just had a feeling we knew where to find you. You really ought to let us help you this time, you know," Sebastian replied.

Norah stared at them. "I would let you help if I was sure none of you would get hurt."

The naturally stoic expression Ominis had began to soften. Sebastian's expression also softened. Norah raised a brow at them, anticipating what they would say next. But both of them knew to make some assurance.

"I would help knowing that you wouldn't get hurt," Ominis spoke, taking a step forward. "You can't just throw yourself into this without knowing that there are people who will help you. You once told me when we looked for the Scriptorium that I had the same thoughts as my aunt Noctua, and that when she never made it there alone, we could do it together and we did."

It was Sebastian's turn to speak. "You've helped everyone around you, no matter how silly it might have been. At least let us return the favor. I'm pretty sure Fig would've wanted you to do that."

The thing was, Fig never got to tell her anything else. Norah put her broom back into her satchel. "If I let you help me in this, you will see why I want to keep all of you out of it and safe," She said, her voice low, making her way toward the bridge to cross it. Ominis and Sebastian followed her closely, agreeing amongst themselves that they needed to be prepared.

They approached the ruins of the abandoned Keenbridge tower. Norah cast revelio a few times, as if trying to check for anything suspicious until she found a set of footprints. Multiple sets of footprints. One particular set seemed to stagger. "Harlow," Sebastian muttered upon seeing it. "He went in here," He pointed to the broken down entrance. "But it's quiet."

"Too quiet," Ominis added, taking a step closer toward the ruins as if to let his wand pick up any presence. "I don't think there's anyone in there. I can't hear anything else at least."

"Alright, but we should still check to make sure it's clear," Norah said. She had some idea of how Harlow, Rookwood, and their empire moved. Perhaps it wasn't so different this time. She led the way, wand at the ready. She was trying to assure herself not to worry about Sebastian and Ominis tagging along. Norah knew they could handle themselves, with Sebastian being an especially skilled duellist. Still, they were her friends and she cared about them, the last thing she wanted was to see any of them get hurt.

Norah, Sebastian, and Ominis climbed up the porch, seeing the doors somewhat broken down. If it wasn't because of her having busted it open, it was likely because of something else. They heard a little rumble, as if of feet. They moved a little closer, Norah's arms a little outstretched, as if posed to shield the two boys behind her. "Protego" Sebastian whispered, his wand-bearing arm out from over her shoulder, shielding all three of them instead.

"If it isn't the hero of Hogwarts herself."

From the shadows behind the broken down four-poster bed emerged the man himself. Theophilus Harlow unsurprisingly, looked the way they suspected he would. His tall, stocky frame was replaced by an almost frail looking stature. He looked gaunt, as if a lot of years had been taken out of him, yet now, it seemed like he was gathering strength.

"Harlow," She said.

"Seems like you brought friends with you," A grin slowly appeared on his face. "I knew we'd meet again sooner or later," He coughed. "Didn't think it'd be a lot sooner."

"You managed to escape those dementors, you must be desperate," Norah tilted her head, her tone almost mocking. "Face it. Your business empire is no more. Horntail hall's dissolved. The authorities are all on the lookout for you."

Harlow forced a cackle that mostly came out as a cough. "That's what you think. Much like how I expected you to come here. You're just itching to play the hero again, aren't you?"

Ominis swallowed hard. "We're surrounded aren't we?" He said.

Soon enough, they heard loud cackles coming in from all directions as several masked poachers and ashwinders apparated. "I'm going to enjoy this," They heard one of the female ashwinders, a duellist in their bright red coat and top hat, say.

Norah leaned back. "When I say 'go,' we go, okay?" She whispered.

"Okay," Sebastian muttered.

Once the shields were down, Norah struck a few with several rounds of banishing charms. Ominis was able to hold his own, levitating several while Sebastian sliced through them. Norah had a knack for the depulso charm, something both boys seemed to notice. It was only since discovering Herodiana Byrne's depulso training rooms that she gained an appreciation for the spell.

Norah was quick to shield Ominis from another crimson-clad duellist, suddenly retaliating with the spell they had tried to use all too often on her for the very first time. "Expulso!" She yelled, sending blue jets of light in the duellist's direction and then towards the taller, broader man, who was preparing to electrocute the three of them.

She banished them again, followed with a successful attempt at casting bombarda non-verbally, defeating the last of the Ashwinders that tried to corner them. Ominis let out a loud sigh of relief. "For a moment, I thought we wouldn't make it out of here alive," He said.

Norah sighed as well as she and Sebastian looked around. "Bloody hell, Harlow's disapparated," He said.

"We're back to square one, he's certain to come back for us," Norah frowned.

"We can fight him again another day," Ominis advised. "We can either go to Feldcroft or go back to the castle. I'm sure Anne will understand."

"Understand? She'll have it in for me if she finds out what we just tried to do," Sebastian groaned. "Merlin, she'll kill me."

"We should go back to the castle," Norah agreed. "I just remembered Garreth might need my help with Transfiguration."

The mention of the Gryffindor's name made Sebastian and Ominis turn to her, both of whom looked incredulous. "Weasley? You're meeting with Weasley?" Sebastian questioned as they walked out of the castle, the three of them nearly falling over in surprise when the wooden beams inside crashed behind them.

"Yeah, I ran into him when I went into Hogsmeade. Butterbeers? My treat," Norah offered, pointing to the pub by the entrance of the hamlet, non-verbally blasting the spider eggs nearby.

Merlin, she really was going to drive them crazy. But the two boys didn't mind one bit.

[gynandromorph]

i respec'd uh-oh to be a bardadin -- pal 2/swords bard All Other Levels. she is severely lacking mobility in a way i feel deeply when my other melee character primarily throws for damage and my casters are obviously ranged. i don't mind that she has to get in enemies' faces; she just has no fucking way to do it. no misty step spell, no nothing. she can waste a whole turn using an arrow of transposition, but this brings up another problem with her build: she doesn't really use her bonus actions for anything except smites and jumps, and she has to be in-range to smite.

vengeance, her oath, gets misty step, but at level 7, which would deprive me of the magical secrets bards only get at level 10. the other reason i wanted to dip all the way into bard is because she ends up with more spell slots in general for smites. i tried a wizard and sorcerer multiclass, and iirc bard got me more slots because the sword bar gives me an extra attack without forcing me into 5 levels of paladin. the flourishes are nice; you can use a slashing flourish to hit 2 enemies at once, and the game allows you to apply divine smite to both of them.

technically, i could take misty step with magical secrets. if the scrolls weren't such a pain in the ass to find, it wouldn't be a huge deal. i usually jump for counterspell and haste, but i find myself not really casting haste much due to a stock of speed potions. counterspell + misty step is pretty underwhelming for magical secrets, especially because magical secrets is the ONLY way to unlock banishing smite -- a traditionally level 17 paladin spell. maybe i'll just suck it up and start remembering to chug glorious vaulting and flight potions and run banishing smite + counterspell lmao. i also handed her a bow that allows you to cast haste once every long rest, so she technically HAS access to haste already, on top of my twin hasting sorcerer and shadowheart.

i also tried warlock (i ended up opening my finished #feminism paladin file and respec'd her repeatedly to see what i had to work with, but there's no way to practice battle to test out builds) but i was really underwhelmed. even IF the extra attack from the pact weapon stacks with the extra attack from paladin, i don't even have enough spell slots to smite every hit for A SINGLE ROUND. i am firmly of the belief that the ENTIRE POINT of paladin is to do massive damage with smites. if i wanted to hit without smites, i would just play a fighter. on top of that, it has you then use your charisma modifier instead of your strength modifier with the pact weapon, which is like. can you show me the potions that set your charisma to 27 until long rest? hm?????? why would i want to use charisma for my melee damage when there are very abundant, massive buffs to strength even from act 1. and yeah i have to drink an elixir every morning but i have to rebind my pact weapon every morning anyway.

lae'zel, meanwhile, i spec'd into a throw build between frenzy barb, for the enraged throws and damage resistance, and rogue, for the extra bonus action. she would benefit from levels in fighter. it works great, i have no complaints. i miss battle master maneuvers, but i could give a couple of those to uh-oh through a feat.

jesster still a sorcerer primarily with a 2-level dip into warlock for the cantrip -- i really wasn't expecting much but it honestly fucks severely now that i have the potent robes and i think some other piece of equipment that adds charisma modifier to cantrips as well. they genuinely usually do more damage with eldritch blast than magic missile, the build they were designed for, but EB isn't out of place with the buffs for MM, and the 100% hit chance of MM is always welcome. it's a lot easier to roll with the punches even if i'm low on slots with a cantrip that can do SOME damage and it makes using haste a lot more viable. i ended up rarely if ever using darkness, so i removed it and swapped devil's sight for repelling blast. better to use a lv 2 slot on invisibility than darkness maybe.

shadowheart is the same. i'm thinking of dipping more into wizard for counterspell, which you can't find as a scroll. i would be sacrificing natural chain lightning, but it's easy enough to just. acquire a billion chain lightning scrolls -- better than spell slot chain lightning even, because you can do it multiple times. because the issue with honor mode is "whether you die or not" and not "how many enemies you can kill," i feel like counterspell is just. more important. it's Really Important to be able to instantly shut down an attack that might have shredded your entire party's HP down to 30% imo. that and shield which i've shoved on all of my party members except lae'zel.

[petrichoraline]

never let me go or fish upon the sky

i am just now comprehending this question lol i was about to say it's a wild choice to make but i just realised the common denominator lmaoo

nlmg was my first pondphuwin show and my introduction to pond; i started watching it just to keep up with the community though i believed it was going to be too sad for me. i enjoyed watching it weekly, giffing it, contemplating palmnueng's dynamic and writing about it (thanks to the anon who asked me a question back then which i took days to answer 🤦‍♀️) - i did not, however, enjoy the last episodes as much, especially the finale - i was practically waiting for it to end impatiently. i think a part of why i enjoyed it was participating in the community discussions and stuff and also having an episode or two per week made it easier to digest. once i was binging, though, i became more impatient with the plotholes and conveniences.

futs was A Lot - the humour hit more than it missed or at least i'd like to think it did - the kitty gang are one of the most fun friend group supporting characters (also satang nail polish >>>) and despite the weirdest, most out of left field conflict between them in the last episodes, duean and meen remain a very cute side couple that could beat morkpi in many categories. there was a red lamp going off in my head during the first six episodes but im the type to give the benefit of the doubt so i ignored it until i couldn't anymore. i binged this show in two bites iirc - i stopped at the end of ep.5 and then proceeded the next day - 2 episodes later i was already having a Not good time lol, trying to justify things, hoping it's all intentional, that things will get better and when they kept getting worse? oh, it took a toll on me. i'm so grateful for the humour, aesthetics and supporting cast for getting me through it. because it truly is an enjoyable little show when it stays away from mork (and would i LOVE to stay away from mork - even pond playing him couldn't help, it actually made me associate pond's appearance with mork which was awful ngl)

yeah, anyways, if i have to pick i want to say nlmg, i just realised i even watched the our skyy 2 episodes and they were perfect and highlighted the couple's dynamic beautifully

the truth is if i haven't watched smth in a while i'll probably just think of how easy to the eye i found it and in this case it wasn't the muted greens, browns, blues and purples of nlmg :')

futs drove me up the wall, left me angrier than i thought possible, made me sick of pond's face and left me in disbelief nearly every episode, i watched the finale angry and ready to leave it all behind. which is honestly so impressive?? cause after all the anger i barely remember the feeling but i remember that it was colourful and quirky. maybe it's a me thing but still, it's valuable. when i read fish upon the sky i get hit by so many emotions at once, you'd think it's of the quality of itsay or smth.

basically: nlmg is closer to my heart. futs is closer to my fist. they're both pondphuwin projects i watched/restarted watching under influence (iirc @respectthepetty's for nlmg and @sparklyeyedhimbo and @pondphuwin's for futs), they both have their higher chemistry/lower chemistry couples, their silly and not-so-silly villains, their ups and their downs. i will pick nlmg but futs is a winner too, it's just in a league of its own.

[jvstheworld]

The Buffy Re-watch: S1E8 (part 1)

I, Robot, You, Jane

Also known as the perils of online dating

The title itself is a play on 'Me, Tarzan, you, Jane'. The only version of Tarzan I've seen is the 1999 Disney one, Does anyone remember the TV show they did of it? And did anyone like it when it was a playable world in the first Kingdom Hearts game? For me it was kind of meh.

Straight away we know who our monster of the week is. Moloch. A demon that was around in 1400s Italy corrupting people to love him before he kills them. Sort of a Jim Jones vibe here.

Circle of Kayless. Huh, sounds kind of Klingon to me.

Evil demon is trapped in a book and kept in storage for 500 years until it happens to be in the possession of our favourite librarian. Question is: how did he get?

The first appearance of Jenny Calender. And is the complete opposite of Giles. Those tend to attract.

Giles in this season is hesitant to scan his books for easy access, but this is something he tries to do at the beginning of season 5 when he is making plans to leave for England. But the project was probably never finished as when he does leave in season 6 the gang still use the books.

Fritz's speech on the greatness of virtual vs paper is kind of true, but in a very annoying way. We currently have everything an our finger tips, news, books, TV, film, any info we want we can find by going online, and get it quicker than we can brew tea. it's convenient, anyone can access it as long as it's not behind paywall, and it is often cheaper than a physical copy. However, you don't own it. With what we are seeing with streaming services removing films and shows from their libraries is that nothing is permanent. Companies like HBO do it so they can save money. It's imperative, now more than ever, to own physic copies of the things you like because it may disappear virtually. Tech is great and using it can make lives easier, but in some cases just because you paid for it, doesn't mean you own it. Physical copies my cost more and take up space but it will still be there for later.

Giles is horrified that more interactions take place digitally that face to face. Yeah, it just gets worse over time. Giles would hate social media.

Jenny is flirting with Giles, so cute.

How is Willow scanning anything. She's holding the scanner so close to the book that she's missing both sides of the page and she did like 2 pages. What was the point of that?

Demon is a computer? Oh shit!

Chad Lindberg- also starred in Supernatural as Ash, the guy who lived at The Roadhouse with Joe and Ellen in season 2. There are a few Buffy actor who appeared in Supernatural, including Charisma Carpenter who was in season 7 episode 5 playing Maggie Stark, the wife of Don Stark who was played by James Marsters.

Did you notice that Willow has a photo of her and Giles in her locker door? When did they take that? Also gives more credence to her admission that she had a crush on him in season 4 episode 18.

Buffy has a good reason to be mistrustful about Malcolm. This was back when internet dating wasn't as prevalent as it is now. Nowadays it's more widely accepted, hell my dad met my step-mum through a dating site. The internet was still in its infancy here and Buffy just wants to make sure that Willow isn't getting catfished. I mean she is, but they don't know that yet.

An extra is talking about how his history report got messed up to say things that should not be said. We get a few details like this throughout the episode to show the scope of what Moloch is capable of.

Okay, okay, okay. I went on a couple of tangents and turned one point into a slight rant. Won't guarantee it won't happen again because it most definitely will. These posts I'm doing are in order of what happens in each episode and what I think of while watching them, so tangents happen and so long, drawn out thoughts.

Part 2 tomorrow.

[ashlinxsloves]

1. It's actually Ashlin, therefore my username.

2. I am 18 :]

3. July 19th

4. I am a Cancer

5. I have a lot and it differs from time to time but rn dark cherry red and dark emerald green.

6. #3

7. Sadly no, but I'd love to have a cat!!!

8. The Philippines but I grew up in Poland.

9. 5'5 or 166 cm

10. 🤨📸 (EU40)

11. Oh, uh a few– I could count them in both of my hands. (I'd love to have more though, but shoes expensive BOI–)

12. I genuinely do not remember.

13. Uh, I guess I can draw, play the guitar craft my own jewellery in my free time.

14. Ehhhh– I did have a dream about my ex having a crush on my friend and I was right. Does that count?

15. I have a LOT– I can't just pick one. But atm? Lovesick by Laufey.

16. Also have a lot of favs. But uhhhhhhhhh– 13 going 30.

17. Tbh I'm not looking for anyone, but someone who'd accept me for me, does more than the bare minimum and someone I can rely on.

18. No.

19. Ehh, not really, I'm an Agnostic, so..

20. ^

21. A lot of times, sadly.

22. Only once, I was 15.

23. Uh, if we're talking Polish celebrities then yes but the super popular ones? No.

24. Showers. I don't have a bathtub and it's more efficient.

25. White with blue stripes and cats.

26. I don't think so, no. Well, aside from one tiktok that went viral in 2023, but that was ages ago.

27. No, not really. I'm a pretty private person irl and keep a small close friend group.

28. Rock, metal (any subgenre of metal and rock), jazz, classical music, and pop is cool too, I have a diverse music taste.

29. No, and I don't think I will 😐

30. Two and a couple of plushies

31. On my side.

32. It's a 3-room apartment, so I guess pretty spacious.

33. Differs, depends on what I have in my fridge.

34. No, but I'm planning to go to a gun range.

35. Once. It's fine.

36. Boop.

37. Fuck. (it's basic ik but you can literally use it after every word and it fits to the context)

38. 3 days.

39. A few..

40. No, I don't recall any.

41. Eh.. idk, depends on the thing I'm lying about.

42. I think so.

43. Yes, actually. It's really fun.

44. Ehh, depends on which language I speak.

45. Scottish, it's fun to do.

46. INFP-A.

47. I genuinely do not know.

48. Yes.

49. Innie

50. Left.

51. Yes.

52. Lasagna, sushi, pizza, etc. I have too many but that's my top 3.

53. What do you count as foreign? Every food is foreign depending on your location. But Pad Thai.

54. I'm a diagnosed Au-DHD, make of that as you will.

55. "Penelope, whyYyyy~ you know I'm too shy 🤭", "Who is that DIVAAAA–? 💅✨️", "bombastic side-eye"

56. BRUH, GURRLLL–, slay

57. About 30 mins to an hour depending on what time my classes start

58. 'Mnot sure.

59. Both.

60. Yes, a lot, actually.

61. Also yes.

62. Eh, I think I'd put myself somewhere in the middle.

63. FOMO (fear of missing out), and being left behind.

64. Am I a what?? But I'm guessing it means gossiper, eh, if the tea is hot, I spill and if it's actually interesting, other than that I don't gossip much.

65. Uhh.. I don't know what to consider as dramatic.

66. I have short hair that end somewhere my nape/crook of my neck. It's easier to maintain than long hair. I used to have long hair though.

67. Eh, if I tried hard enough.

68. Chemistry.

69. I'm an introvert that's pretty cheery and wild when I warm up to someone.

70. Sadly, no. But I'd like to try it.

71. Social cues.

72. I used to as a kid, but now? No. I like sitting in the dark.

73. Yes, if it's not rude to.

74. That's a secret :)

75. No. There's no point in ruining other people's lives with false information.

76. I mean I babysat.. does that count?

77. I live in a Slavic country, it's bound to happen.

78. Ew, no.

79. A childhood friend I think? I don't remember anymore.

80. Only my ears but I'm planning to get more this summer.

81. Rawr.

82. Idk pretty fast ig, depending on who I'm texting or what I'm typing.

83. I don't know, I don't run a lot.

84. Black (my roots grew out but I have cherry red hair atm)

85. Dark brown almost black.

86. Had a light allergy to cat fur, it's pretty much gone now.

87. Yes.

88. I prefer not to disclose that information on the Internet.

89. Eh.

90. Life, stupid people. There's a lot to be angry about but that's the tip of the iceberg.

91. It's okay. It's pretty long but I'm cool with it.

92. Used to, but I can't recall anymore.

93. Both, but I don't want kids so..

94. I'm reliable and willing to learn new things or from my mistakes.

95. I'm stubborn.

96. My mother gave it to me, lol.

97. How am I supposed to know that??? But I don't think so, no.

98. I already answered that at question #39.

99. Teal blue.

100. White.

Get To Know Me Uncomfortably Well

PLEASE DON’T LET THIS FLOP AHHHH

1. What is you middle name? 2. How old are you? 3. When is your birthday? 4. What is your zodiac sign? 5. What is your favorite color? 6. What’s your lucky number? 7. Do you have any pets? 8. Where are you from? 9. How tall are you? 10. What shoe size are you? 11. How many pairs of shoes do you own? 12. What was your last dream about? 13. What talents do you have? 14. Are you psychic in any way? 15. Favorite song? 16. Favorite movie? 17. Who would be your ideal partner? 18. Do you want children? 19. Do you want a church wedding? 20. Are you religious? 21. Have you ever been to the hospital? 22. Have you ever got in trouble with the law? 23. Have you ever met any celebrities? 24. Baths or showers? 25. What color socks are you wearing? 26. Have you ever been famous? 27. Would you like to be a big celebrity? 28. What type of music do you like? 29. Have you ever been skinny dipping? 30. How many pillows do you sleep with? 31. What position do you usually sleep in? 32. How big is your house? 33. What do you typically have for breakfast? 34. Have you ever fired a gun? 35. Have you ever tried archery? 36. Favorite clean word? 37. Favorite swear word? 38. What’s the longest you’ve ever gone without sleep? 39. Do you have any scars? 40. Have you ever had a secret admirer? 41. Are you a good liar? 42. Are you a good judge of character? 43. Can you do any other accents other than your own? 44. Do you have a strong accent? 45. What is your favorite accent? 46. What is your personality type? 47. What is your most expensive piece of clothing? 48. Can you curl your tongue? 49. Are you an innie or an outie? 50. Left or right handed? 51. Are you scared of spiders? 52. Favorite food? 53. Favorite foreign food? 54. Are you a clean or messy person? 55. Most used phrased? 56. Most used word? 57. How long does it take for you to get ready? 58. Do you have much of an ego? 59. Do you suck or bite lollipops? 60. Do you talk to yourself? 61. Do you sing to yourself? 62. Are you a good singer? 63. Biggest Fear? 64. Are you a gossip? 65. Best dramatic movie you’ve seen? 66. Do you like long or short hair? 67. Can you name all 50 states of America? 68. Favorite school subject? 69. Extrovert or Introvert? 70. Have you ever been scuba diving? 71. What makes you nervous? 72. Are you scared of the dark? 73. Do you correct people when they make mistakes? 74. Are you ticklish? 75. Have you ever started a rumor? 76. Have you ever been in a position of authority? 77. Have you ever drank underage? 78. Have you ever done drugs? 79. Who was your first real crush? 80. How many piercings do you have? 81. Can you roll your Rs?“ 82. How fast can you type? 83. How fast can you run? 84. What color is your hair? 85. What color is your eyes? 86. What are you allergic to? 87. Do you keep a journal? 88. What do your parents do? 89. Do you like your age? 90. What makes you angry? 91. Do you like your own name? 92. Have you already thought of baby names, and if so what are they? 93. Do you want a boy a girl for a child? 94. What are you strengths? 95. What are your weaknesses? 96. How did you get your name? 97. Were your ancestors royalty? 98. Do you have any scars? 99. Color of your bedspread? 100. Color of your room?

[followingforest]

Any Forest fan who says they weren't nervous going into the Spurs game is either lying or the most chilled out person in history. Check what they are smoking!

Two back to back defeats coupled with a poor performance in 3 out of the 4 halves in those games was bad enough. Then all the other results start going against us, when for large parts of those games it looked like City and Chelsea might drop points, coupled with the unclear injury situation to some of the squad meant I entered the fancy Spurs stadium hoping for the best but fearing we might be starting to crack a bit. The opening few minutes calmed the nerves and I'd also forgotten about the 4.5 hours on the coach to get there.

We still have not lost 3 consecutive games all season and Nuno had us prepped for another smash and grab with a few surprises along the way. We all love Harry Toffolo but no one saw him starting the game and even more so having the impact he did with the goal line clearance. Yes he got beat on the flank a few times, but so did Neco as Spurs made more crosses than they had all season in one game. Thankfully a combination of our defensive headers and their dire finishing meant we came home with the points and remain in 3rd despite dropping to - shock horror - 6th for a couple of days given our game was last in the game week. Whilst on the subject of Toff, listen to his 6 mins with Colin Fray post match, as good an interview as you will hear all season and a great insight into his mentality and the feeling in the squad.

So many positives from last night apart from Toff, Sels pulled off another 3 saves which kept us in it, the 2, then 3, big M's headed everything in sight, Woody got his goal, Danilo had a good game, Dominguez had his usual high energy game but for me Anderson was the star. Ran the show from the start & took a kicking for it as the only way they could stop him. How the geordies miss him and thanks to the PL mad rules that we got him, even though the same rules meant we had to sell Johnno the year before. The price we paid for him already looks like the bargain of the season.

My points prediction started before the Liverpool game is back to being only 1 point behind my predictions. If my 11 points from the last 5 games does deliver we will be in dreamland and almost certainly finish 3rd. But even a more cautious tally should be enough for top 5 now but that starts with potentially the hardest - Brentford in 9 days time. We've not beaten them at the city ground since we came back up and we know their strikers are in form, but we get over that hurdle and the rest look easier and I include Chelsea in that as I have a feeling they will be out the CL picture by then and have a euro conference league final 4 days after we play them.

Only hitch is we interrupt our Brentford preparation with a small matter of a trip to Wembley on Sunday! Who will play right back or wing back? Will we pick up any more injuries? Will Ola be used if fit or saved for Brentford? What will happen if the good version of City turn up? Well we will know all this in 5 days but it won't stop us, all the forest podcasts and related journalists doing their best to answer these questions.

For me I'm going to enjoy it, soak it in with a relaxed trip down on the Saturday, think about the mad scramble at St Pancras for the 8-30 and 9-30 trains home when I need to, if we beat them to make the final it will be another notch on an incredible season, if we lose I'll immediately look forward to the Brentford game.

This is the type of season that comes around once every 20/30 years for us. Maybe its the start of a run of incredible seasons but that's for examination in August. For now soak it up, enjoy the feeling of our club doing stuff we've dreamt of for years. For those who remember the Covid Stoke game, all the Play Off defeats (especially Yeovil), the absolute dire years in league one, some of the worst managers I've seen manage any club - yes I mean you Gary Megson! - this season is for all of us that went through that and also for all our new fans too - I don't care where you live or when you backed the Garibaldi - I'm glad you are part of the new Forest family. 5 weeks to go - I'm all in.

#NFFC #NottinghamForest

Steve Battlemuch

Trent End Upper & Away Member.

Find me on X and Bluesky.

[thisdumbassmyk]

Looking back, it was kinda super obvious. Not to me, of course, it probably would've been easier then. I mean, in preschool I had to wear this dress for graduation, and yeah, it was a cute dress. However, I fucking hated it. I told my mom it was because of this rose on it that scratched my skin, which yeah it was extremely uncomfortable, but I absolutely did not want to wear it. But I still wanted to go trick or treating dressed as a princess or a witch. But every summer, I was outside playing shirtless. I remember when my mom told me I had to start wearing a shirt, I threw a tantrum. When I started developing, my mom had to remind me to wear a sports bra. I was a runner, which is what my dad was. I guess wanting to be exactly like my dad was a pretty big hint too, huh?

I hated womens clothing, I hate how it fit my body, how it made me look, I mostly hated that it shrunk to my body so much, making it impossible to hide the lumps on my chest that I begged God to not give me. But then, my brother started calling me a d*ke, and I figured I should probably make an effort. So despite having my mom and my sister teach me all about the right clothes and how to do my makeup, somehow it came out all wrong. I ended up doing the whole "way too smokey" eyeshadow thing, and putting way too much lipstick on. Obviously, it had to be bright red or black too, which made all of it worse.

The hair though? Ponytails all the way up until I begged my mom for the infamous pixie cut. She refused, and said I should get a bob instead, "Just in case you don't like it!". I absolutely loathed that bob. But then I found Bo Burnham's "My Whole Family Thinks I'm Gay" song and came out as bi to my mom with that song. Then begged for the pixie cut again and somehow that worked ?? Still sorta confused on that whole thing.

I started dressing more and more like me. Right before I came out, I started trying to dress feminine, like lesbian style fem. That's when I realized I must just be a really masc bi woman. Crazy right? Then I got my mom to buy me a pair of boys pants (that definitely didn't fit me right but thats not the point) and told her I wanted them for the big pockets. Little did I know, that was the first hint into my gender reveal that actually helped.

That was when I was about 16 years old. When I was 17, I ended up finding a group of super supportive people (most of them gay or questioning their gender) and then found Mars Wright on the clock app. He helped me realize that I could be transgender. That it was something that was possible for me, even though I had grown up seeing my mom watch "I Am Jazz", I still felt like it wasn't something I could ever do.

I ended up coming out online (and socially, except for my parents), on February 26th, 2020. It's almost been 5 years since I've been out. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to even change my name, and I definitely haven't been able to get on hormones. Now, that future I had wished for, that I prayed to God that I would eventually get, it seems like a fantasy. It seems like something that I won't be able to achieve in my lifetime. And although I didn't realize I was trans until just a couple years ago, It's something I didn't realize was missing from my life. I always felt like a weirdo growing up, the odd man (girl) out. Once I realized who I am, my life felt like the puzzle pieces were beginning to come together.

All I want is to achieve my goal. My goal of living the life I want. Being a contributing member of society as a man. Being seen as a man in the world. Legally. But it seems like that dream is put on hold for now, and most likely a long time.