#it's good but it's like. rough if you're not a native english speaker

[kuwupikaa]

I need to stop buying books faster than I read them man. At least 70-80% of the books I have is unread😭

[earl-grey-teacake]

Hii, I'm a fan of ur BabyLoscar!AU, and there is one of your headcanons that lives rent-free in my head: Logan's first step, if you could write what Toto and Lewis' reaction was like when they saw George arrive crying, or Alex comforting Logan when George left I appreciate it, I love your AU (sorry if there is anything misspelled, I'm not a native English speaker)

Thank you so much!!!

I always love your asks! They are so much fun and so cute!🥰

You're English is great, please don't worry. I couldn't settle for one or the other so I wrote a full fic on it instead!❤️

https://archiveofourown.org/works/55010800

*******

“Do you want Nando’s for dinner? Alex asked, staring at their empty fridge.

“Yeah, that should be fine.” George wandered around the house and packing items into his backpack.

“Dada! Dada!” Logan chanted, pulling himself up using the dining table leg.

He was on his way to taking his first step but his balance left much to be desired. Logan usually ended up falling when he lifts his foot off the floor but it didn’t stop him from trying.

“Hey Logie!” George zipped up his backpack and sat down next to him, pulling Logan into a hug.

“Dada!” Logan clapped his hands together and cheered.

“Yeah, that’s me!” George beamed and hugged him even tighter.

“Whose that?” George pointed to Alex.

“Dada! Dada!”

“Yeah, that’s right. You’re so smart!” George kissed him on the cheek and tickled him, causing peals of laughter and Logan wiggling himself onto the floor.

“You should get going George. Toto won’t be happy if you’re late.” Alex opened the closet to get his husband’s coat out.

“But I don’t want to leave my family,” George fake-sulked.

“Well your Mercedes salary is what pays for our Monaco apartment so you better get going.”

“Very well then. I have to go make money to spoil my beautiful family.” George dramatically sighed and as put on his jacket.

“Dada! Dada!” Logan yelled upon seeing his dad put on his coat and shoes. He knew what that means. It meant his dad was leaving and he wouldn’t be seeing him for a very long time, long for a baby at least.

“Bye, Logie. I’ll be home for dinner.” George smiled and waved.

“Dada! Dada!” Logan called out again. He didn’t want his dad to leave. He wanted to play and watch races. He had to grab onto him. If he grabbed onto him, then he couldn’t leave.

“Oh my god, Alex are you seeing this? Get the camera!” George gasped. “Come here Logie. Yeah, come here.”

1 step. 2 steps. 3 steps. A total of 6 rough, stumbling steps before he grabbed onto George’s leg and looked up with a bright smile. “Dada!”

“Oh, Logie!” George sat down on the hardwood floor and pulled his son into a tight hug “You were so good! I’m so proud of you!”

“Dada!” Logan turned to Alex and made grabby hands, leading him to put his phone down and join the hug.

“You’re so smart! Look at you, learning to walk already.” Alex beamed.

“Yeah, I remember when you were just learning how to crawl.” George started to tear up, remembering how when Logan was learning how to crawl and how he would get tired and flop on the middle of the floor until someone picked him up.

“I know. Soon he’ll be running around and we’ll have to chase after it.” Alex joked.

“Don’t say that,” George cried. “He’s growing up too quickly.”

“Aw, Georgie,” Alex laughed. “It’ll be okay. Besides, you need to get going. You’re going to be late.”

“Oh, yeah. I should get going.” George quickly wiped his eyes and stood up, Logan still clinging to his leg. “Logie, I‘ll be back home soon, okay?”

Logan clung even tighter, as if he had the strength to stop his dad from going. This wasn't the deal. If Logan held on, that meant George couldn't go. That's how it works. “Come on Logie, let go.”

Alex bent down and tried to remove Logan’s arms. “AHHHH!”

“I know, baby.” Alex tried to sympathize and console him but Logan was having none of it. Instead he proceeded to scream and cry, his arms reaching out for George. “You should get going, I can handle him.”

“AHHHH!”

It hurt, it ached knowing his baby just wanted to be with him and he couldn’t. George dashed out and closed the door, even though the crying could be heard through it.

“AHHHH!”

Logan was just a baby but he won’t be a baby for long. He’s already growing so fast. Alex was right, soon he’ll be able to walk and then run and soon he’ll be running away from them. He’ll start karting and go off to follow his own dreams and they won’t be able to follow him.

George clicked on the car touch screen and called Alex.

“Hello?” His husband’s voice came on the other side as well as the sound of soft sobbing.

“How is Logan? Is he okay?”

“George are you crying?”

“No.” George croaked out as he furiously wiped his tears.

"Please don't cry too much. You are driving."

"I'm not crying. Is Logan okay? Is he still upset? I'm so sorry I left you alone to deal with it."

“George, he’s okay. Don’t worry. He’s just crying into your pillow right now. He’ll get over it by the time dinner starts.”

A muffled cry of "Dada" cut through their call and George felt like a monster. What kind of father leaves their child after their first step?

“Can you tell him I’m sorry? I didn’t want to leave. I would go home and play with him if I could. I don’t want him to hate me.”

“Georgie, it’s okay. You’re busy. He doesn’t hate you.” George could tell Alex was smiling at him, pitying his poor husband.

“It’s just he’s so little but he’s growing so fast. I didn’t even get to celebrate his first step. What if I miss out on other stuff?”

“Georgie, Logan won’t hold it against it. Besides it happens, we lead busy lives.”

“I know.” George sighed. “Anyways, I have to let you go Alex. I’m pulling up to the factory. Tell Logan I love him.”

“I will, take care. I’ll see you soon.”

He couldn't take the image of Logan reaching his arms out for him and crying as he put his shoes on and shut the door. He was the worst father in the world. As he was getting out of the car, he opened his phone and came face to face with the wallpaper. Logan in Alex's arm and dressed in a Mercedes onesie with a bright smile aimed at the camera, it was taken during the first month they had Logan.

He was so small and shy and clung to George all the time. He was so light and tiny back then. This elicited a fresh wave of tears as George struggled to get out of the car and to the meeting on time. He had done his best to wipe his tears away but he was unsure if it did anything.

"Come on baby, it'll be okay" Alex rubbed Logan's back as he continued to sob into the pillow after the phone call.

"Dada! Dada!" Logan's cries were muffled but it was obvious that his father betrayal in the morning had hit hard. He fought so hard for his dad not to leave, he clung so tightly and only to have the door shut in his face.

"I know. I know you miss him but he has to go to work." Logan only proceeded to cry harder.

"Aw, Logie." Logan's face was scrunched up and red with fat tears flowing down.

"How about we watch videos of Dada? Is that okay?" Alex sat closer and pulled Logan in so that he was sitting up.

Alex pulled up a Youtube compilation of George's best moments and placed the phone between them. As the first clip popped up, the "Is anyone reporting rain?" clip, Logan yelled.

"Dada! Dada!" He knew the radio message color and the helmet.

"Yeah, that's Dada." Alex laughed.

Every single clip, Logan could spot George and was so eager to point it out as if Alex did not know it was George and with each clip, his mood slowly became happier and happier. His father's betrayal long forgotten.

"Mate, are you okay?"

"George, what happened?"

Toto and Lewis were alarmed as George walked into the meeting with his eyes red and his face puffy. "Yeah, I'm okay."

"What happened, George?" Toto pushed. Even over a race, he's never looked this upset before. In fact, George looked absolutely devastated.

"It's-It's nothing. It's just Logan-"

"Is he okay?" Lewis asked alarmed. Logan was the darling of the Mercedes garage and it was no secret that he was very spoiled by the team.

"Is he ill?" Toto chimed in.

"He's fine. He took his first step today." George choked out.

"Oh, congratulations." Toto tentatively congratulated. "Is there something wrong with him taking his first step?"

"No, no. I'm so proud of him. I just- I had to leave him right after. He was crying for me and it just got to me." George wiped his eyes, trying to regain a modicum of emotional stability.

"Hey man, it's okay. It must have been hard to leave him right after." Lewis attempted to console him.

"I-I just didn't expect to grow up so quickly. He was just learning how to crawl yesterday and now he's walking around." George eyes started to water again.

Toto understood. He had a young child and often had to leave him in order to run the team. Coming back home and finding out your kid had grown up in the time you were gone was one of the hardest things about working in Formula 1.

"What if he hates me for it?" George whispered.

The comment took the two by surprised. Anyone who met Logan knew that Logan adored George. He adored George so much that he clings to him before races and has to be pried off.

"Logan adores you and you love him. He could never hate you. You know that." Lewis placed a comforting hand on George's shoulder.

George stood outside the door, contemplating if he had it in him to go in.

Could he stand going in and possibly being rejected by Logan?

Could he put up with Logan still being angry at him?

Logan adores you and you love him. He could never hate you. You know that.

George took a deep breath and unlocked the door, only to find the house was quiet. Alex's car was still in the driveway so it was unlikely they had gone off to run an errand.

"Alex?" George called out.

"Logan?" George walked to the living room, only to see the play area devoid of it's intended guest.

George walked around until he came to the bedroom. Gently pushing the door open, he saw his new wallpaper photo. Alex and Logan asleep on the bed with Logan curled up on his pillow. Quickly taking a photo, he gently crawl into bed, careful not to disturb the sleeping occupants.

As if sensing him, Logan rolled onto his side to be closer to George and hugged his arm.

"He wouldn't stop asking for you. He missed you," Alex murmured sleepily.

"I missed him too." George smiled.

*********

THANK YOU FOR READING!❤️

[wannaeatramyeon]

hello good afternoon, english is not my first language so sorry for the mistakes😔❤️

I would like to request a hc from the htf guys, How would they react to a very flirtatious reader?

I mean- imagine them bending down to tie their shoelaces and suddenly the reader points at them or tells them that they have a nice butt JUST IMAGINE IT BRO😭

Anon! AND EVERYONE. Please stop apologising for your English. I am a native english speaker, and mine is dogshit. You should also listen to me irl, my vocab is infinitely worse.

HTF Boys responding to "NICE BUTT!"

Taehoon: Oh yeah? Pervert. Why don't you come closer.

This will end in one of three ways

Ignoring you. What? You think you're the first person that has ogled his butt? He knows he has a nice body. Dream on, dipshit.

A harsh kick to the face. Why? Why not. Because you deserve it for being a perv and Taehoon is in one of his moods.

Headlock and a rough kiss, with his hands wandering to pinch your butt.

Wangguk: [blushing]

Not one for being in front of the camera and has a reserved and standoffish nature.

All in all, not used to people simping over him or complimenting him outright.

Doesn't really know what to say, but will take it to heart.

Every time he bends over in front of you (which happens more often that you think for some reason), he will blush and think of your compliment.

It's also sort of hard to miss given that whenever he even thrusts his ass out slightly, you are staring so hard, you're boring holes into it (boring more assholes, if you will).

Munseong: [brain breaks] Th-thanks. I squat 300lbs. I do lower body 3 times a week.

Much like Wangguk, he doesn't really know what to say.

Although he is used to people admiring him from his time in the spotlight with UFC matches.

You telling him he has a nice butt breaks his brain. Breaks it so hard he can't really comprehend what you're saying. He can't even blush.

Defaults to talking about fitness. "Thanks bro, I rep 300lbs. Whats your max?"

Well no, he doesn't call you bro or tell you his max but will ramble a little about his workout routine and then he just...

Trails off and stares at you with soft eyes.

Yeonwoo: *also blushing* thanks Y/N. I squat 350lbs and do hill sprints for fun 🤓

Definitely knows you're flirting with him.

He gets a lot of attention in school and from his old Study channel. Knows the vibe you're putting out.

His first love though is Kyokushin Karate and he WILL use it as an excuse to tell you about his routine.

So passionate about it, eyes sparkling and vibrating with excitement that you can't bring yourself to shut him up.

Better yet. You think he has a nice butt? "Would you like to join me on my hill sprints?"

Hobin: T-thanks! I've been upping my training.

[Internally] SENPAI NOTICED ME!

Jinho: Thank you.

What did you honestly expect from this psychopath?

Gratitude? Blushing? Stammering? Absolutely not. He stays aloof and cool.

You're lucky he didn't just ignore you and remembered his manners.

Seongjun: [does a little booty shake]

Idk man

I'm not even sure he would do that but imagine him with his partner being all goofy.

If you compliment his ass, he would do something silly to make you laugh.

OOC, but isn't the visual too cute to pass up?

Snapper: sorry, you talking to me?

Huh?? Someone is paying Snapper attention? The camera guy?

Freezes when you nod and tell him: "YES. YOU, JIHYEOK. YOU HAVE A NICE BUTT."

Poor guy, so confused. Tilts his head like a lil puppy, unable to understand the words.

(Completely rizzless so no-one has told him that at all.)

Replays it over and over in his head until it hits him that "Oh shit, does Y/N like me?"

Still not sure and thinks it's a mistake until he bends over again and you shout the same thing.

Mangi: Thank you! [blushing furiously] Y-your butt is nice too!🥺

Duh? Of course Mangi has a cute butt. He's adorable and cute all over.

Will return your compliment even if he doesn't think you have a nice butt too because that's just Mangi.

Besides, have you seen Ssireum wrestlers? Built like a TANK. Mangi has got CAKE.

Haesu: ?

"Wake me up when there's food."

[goes back to napping]

[boobabietch]

Like I Would | Abby Anderson x fem!reader

Warnings: I could say mdni but they are going to do it anyways so just be mindful that this is +18 and I’m not responsible of the things you watch on this godforsaken site. SMUT, Sub!abby, thigh riding, oral sex (Abby receiving), afab!reader, teasing and I think that’s it but tell me if I missed something

A/N: oh my fucking god this took ages to writeeee, but anyways, hi there!! This is the first time I write for Abby so please excuse me if this is bad (hopefully not because I really liked the result) and also I haven’t wrote smut in ages so excuse that too. I’m not an English native speaker so any mistakes I’m not aware of please tell me so I can change them asap. If you like this you would help me a lot with a like, comment or reblog. Love Sof :)

Word count: 2.1k

"So... are you telling me that he went in dry?" You said this in clear distress to your best friend, Abby.

 "Yes?" she said with a little hesitation in her voice.

 "And you're still seeing that guy? No wait, let me rephrase that, you're still letting that guy fuck you?" You were astonished by the information Abby just shared. She was so damn perfect, yet somehow she was never properly satisfied in her many experiences with sex.

 

Why am I not the one in your bed every night?

 

"I mean, he had a nice time, and that was definitely hot." Oh, fuck no, she did not just say that.

 "Shut up, Abby; that's fucked up, dude."

 "I mean, what can I say? I take pleasure in seeing people get pleased by me."

 "I mean, that's valid! Of course, but that is very different from just letting a guy use you as a sex doll without even making you cum! That's just bad sex, Bibi." You know it; you know that if you just had a chance, you could show her how fucking good she can feel.

 "Ok, stop bothering me. Owen is like that. He's rough. It's fine. I can take it." Of course Owen is like that; he’s an idiot.

 "Abbyyyy, that's not the issue, and you know it."  

Come on, a chance, just one single chance, Abigail, please.

 

Let me fuck his name away, please

 

You begged, you literally begged in your mind, to be the one to show Abby that release she was desperately looking for.

 "Well, miss know-it-all, if you're going to roast the shit out of me, at least tell me what I'm doing wrong."

 "Abby, you're choosing the wrong guys. They can't please you."

 

They are not me.

 

"They can't?" The cockiness in her voice could be heard a mile away.

 

Shit, what game are we playing?

 "Of course they can’t, I'm telling you! They just don't know what to do with you. They don't know how to properly treat you, Bibi."

They don’t know, but I do and you know it

 "Oh, lord, then who knows? Who knows how to treat me? You?" That fucking giggle she let out after voicing the question...

You were taken aback by it. You had the thought before, every damn night, of Abby all over you, kissing her hungrily like you were starved, your lips biting and sucking every inch of her body, marking her as yours, screaming your name like it was a fucking prayer, like she wanted God to be a witness of the sin happening between you two. Of course you had the thought before...

 

Fuck it, I’m fucking you.

 

"Yes."

 "Yes?"

 "I said yes; I'm pretty sure I can do it."

 "Then do it; make me fucking cum."

There was something in Abby’s eyes that told you how much she wanted you, how much she craved you, and how much she needed you.

With little to no hesitation, you aggressively pulled her lips into yours, the couch creaking with the sudden movement of your body towering over her. Straddling her hips, her hand traveled to your neck while yours got entangled in her hair, pushing her face impossibly closer to yours.

Her scent makes you dizzy even to remember; your whole senses were full of her; you were breathing her, touching her, and hearing her; she was being engraved in your mind like stone; her body warmth was surrounding your body, making you feel hot and heavy.

Your lips left the comfort of hers to travel to her neck. "Please, just, fuck, just..." she mumbled.

Abby’s head was empty; your body was caging her between the couch, and the way your lips were kissing her soft, velvet skin made her sigh dreamily and made your core ache in agony.

But this wasn’t about you; it was about her.

You started spreading little bites that made her whimper, just so you could smooth out the ache on her red and burning skin afterwards with your tongue, licking on the spots where a mark would be noticeable tomorrow.

 You guided Abby to your bed, stumbling into the furniture of your little apartment, and then kicking open the door of your bedroom. Abby sat on your bed, her lips only leaving yours just to tear her shirt and pants away, leaving her only in her fucking black boxers.

 The thing is, you’ve been fantasizing about that slutty piece of clothing since the first time you saw her waistband peeking over her jeans, just there, resting and calling you to tear them apart and make her yours there and then.

 She lays on your pillows, watching you discard your shirt on the floor. Your nipples perked up because of the sudden cold air that hit them.

 "You are so fucking beautiful," she said with her hands traveling to your hips, guiding you to rest on top of her again, now being her the one pressing kisses all over your chest and toying with the hem of your pajama shorts.

 "I know pretty one, but let’s focus on you, shall we?" And with a sudden move, you made Abby straddle you while you rested with your back on the headboard.

 You kissed her, and a long whine came out of Abby’s lips. Ready to give her some relief, you grabbed her hips, guiding her to grind her clothed cunt on your bare thigh.

 "Holy fuck!" It was sparkling; it literally felt like the sparks that come out of a lighter before the flame comes out to burn everything on its path.

 "You like that, huh? You desperate little thing, you love this." Abby never felt more turned on by someone; it was like heaven—like a perverted, hot, and burning heaven—shit that sounded more like hell, but if hell felt this good, she would be the biggest sinner of all just so she could feel you again.

 Her movements started to become erratic; she moved faster and harsher; her mouth started to let out little moans and profanities; and your skin was now soaked and dripping just from Abby’s fluids.

 "You want to cum pretty one? You deserve this one bibi come on," and with that, a long moan came out of her mouth, your hands guiding her to ride her high.

 "Shit, shit, shit, you are so fucking hot," she said, leaning for more kisses, but you dodged her face.

 "No uh, lay for me, Abs. Be a good girl." She watched you with doe eyes as she complied, slowly laying in your mattress below you once again. You swear that you have never seen her like this, so compliant and at your mercy. You swore that if you struck a knife on her stomach right now mercilessly, she would accept it and thank you for it. She was in awe of you.

 Her mind cleared again when the cold air hit her soaking cunt, and she became aware that you had just removed her boxers and were now staring at that pretty and glistening pussy she had.

 "Is this okay?" you asked, seeing how she looked at you like a deer in headlights.

 "Yes, just do it, please." The agony in her voice became visible when she stuttered the confirmation. You came closer to her face, leaving some soft and slow kisses all over her face

 "Okay, Abs, what do you want me to do?" You said it with the most innocent and indecent tone of yours.

 "Wha- what?" She stumbled over the words because, holy fuck, you were unreal.

 "Yes, Abby, what do you want me to do?" You said slowly parting her legs with your knee, pressing it in her cunt, and start grinding it slowly just to tease the whiny mess you had underneath.

 "Your mouth, your fingers, I want you; please, I want you in me," she finally said, rushing the words out of her mouth.

 "Your wish is my command, pretty girl." With that, you kissed your way down, sucking a little bit her nipples and leaving hickeys all over her chest. You made it to her cunt, slowly kissing the inside of her legs.

 "Fuck, please y/n, please just do something." God, she was so needy.

 You licked a line from her entrance all the way to her clit. She was squirming, so you grabbed her hips aggressively, pinning her to the bed. A loud moan coming from her mouth was your cue to start devouring her cunt like a starved woman, your hands applying bruising strength to her hips to keep her steady while you ate her out in the most ungodly way you knew.

 Feeling how wet she was, you slipped two fingers into her, knocking the air out of her lungs. You began curling them at her spongy spot, playing with the pace, and then you added your mouth to the equation.

 It was too much, but also not enough, and also perfect. Abby’s hand found its way to your hair, gripping it tightly as the other one covered her mouth to muffle her loud moans.

 "Hey no, I want to hear your beautiful sounds, ok? So loose the hand or I’ll have to tie it to the headboard" you said, not liking a little bit how hard she was trying to not make a sound. It was your fucking apartment; if your neighbors had any complaints, they could shove it up their asses. Hell, even if it was God and Satan themselves, they could religiously go suck a dick if they were bothered.

 Your unholy pace kept going alongside your delirious way to eat cunt, and hearing Abby moan your name like she was trying to carve it in the walls was a fucking dream come true

 And then she felt it—the knot forming in her stomach, begging to be untied. The sweat made loose strands of her hair stick to her forehead, the reflex of her hips buckling upwards towards the stimuli, begging for more. The primal instinct to let out the most beautiful whines and moans you'd ever heard, and the urge to bury your face deeper into her cunt just so she could let all that pressure in her core out in that sweet and strong release she was hoping for.

 Your eyes traveled upwards, and you saw Abby's face, eyes completely shut down with tears threatening to fall out, all her face contorted with her brows furrowed, and you knew she was there.

 "It's okay, pretty one. You can just let go; it's fine," you said. Abby gasped at the sudden loss of contact while you spoke, but then this sudden feeling of pleasure traveled from her body to her core, making her legs shake and the grip she had in your hair become even harsher. "It's okay, Abby. You can let go," and with this came the orgasm she was begging God to have.

 Her cum dripping all over your chin, you helped her ride her high, slowly decreasing the pace your fingers had at her now-abused hole until you saw her visibly relax all the muscles in her body, flopping onto the mattress.

 With a last kiss on her puffy clit, you made your way up her body, scanning all the marks you left in her hips from the strength you were using to hold her down and the purplish hickeys forming all over her breasts, proving how good you made her feel.

 You kissed away all those tears, showering her face with kisses while whispering sweet nothings and compliments. And then, finally, you kissed her lips with such tenderness, as if she were made of porcelain and you were afraid of breaking her, a complete contrast to your first kiss of the night.

 Abby's hand traveled to cup your cheek, while the other wrapped around your waist, pulling you impossibly closer. She had just experienced her first orgasm during sex, and the entire time, she felt loved and cared for by you, making her weak in the knees.

 You pulled away, looking expectantly into her eyes. "So, how was it?" you asked, a little grin forming on your lips.

 Abby was so enamored with the view of you on top of her, breathing heavily, blushing cheeks, all sweaty and perfect, that she couldn't speak. She tried your lips just today, and just as quickly as it sounds, she became obsessed with how perfectly your entire existence fit with hers, making her feel complete and incredibly good.

 After cleaning up, you lay facing upwards with Abby nestled beside you, burying her face in your neck. Abby was a big, intimidating, and dominant woman most of the time, but sometimes she just wanted someone to take care of her, just as she took care of everyone else. And you were that someone. Tonight, with her whole body pressed into you and your digits tracing shapes on her bare back, you thought while pressing your lips to her forehead.

 

Hell yeah, I could get used to this.

Tags: @cvqii @akinui

Requests are: open!

Masterlist

[aur0raaura]

PokeMas Doodle Comic

A Realization

Read from left to right!

HAHA- Would you believe me this was born from a scribble I did some nights ago? It was WAY too good to leave it as a rough...soooo I cleaned it up! This was born after thinking of several heart to hearts these two could have, mostly in an alternative version of events (you could say an...au or part of an overarching au :3 ) of the story taken place in PokeMas EX. Don't worry, the changes aren't TOO drastic... so this dialogue can work even in canon. (Well, I like to think it does-) As to what Hoopa is referring...how about you look back to that redraw and think of the source of inspiration. It'll also hint to the personality I've given Hoopa in these comics of mine (or what I usually keep in mind when drawing him). :) Have the original scribble I did of this! Besides the one word change and showcasing me forgetting how to write a specific word (it do be like that when you're not a native English speaker), I just like showing how these ideas came to be in the first place-

For now, I hope you enjoy this! I'm still tackling stuff in Uni, but still do my best to deliver something to you guys. I have many more in store (related to these two and the subway bosses) so I hope you stay patient with me.

[rigelmejo]

More on the glossika app japanese course journey: せつめいして 下さい. 説明して 下さい。 is "please explain" setsu mei (to me) sounds a bit like shuoming. This reminds me of jikan (time) 時間 which i think sounds slightly like shijian. Yes I know they're barely similar. Or 来週 に 出来 ます か？ raishuu (next week) sounds a bit like laizhou (how it'd be pronounced in chinese). My guess is maybe this is about how similar the 2 kanji word pronounciations are to some chinese 2 hanzi words that are maybe loan words (or were once loan words).

Also i am still dealing with Fear that glossika is not teaching correct grammar. Lol. Again, i do NOT recommend a total beginner use glossika. I recommend, if you're a beginner AND you really want audio lessons that play on their own (which is what I wanted) then use either: japaneseaudiolessons.com free lessons (i know the maker's human translated it with a native speaker and they have extensive grammar notes for free on the site), japanesepod101 (or its FREE Full version through your library which is called Innovative Language Japanese 1-9... the downside or upside depending on perspective is the lessons are classroom paced so a bit slow for me - but it goes in depth explaining well), or find the OLD cd audio glossika japanese at your local library (or free files online if you dig) as while i do think the old course had errors it was more like 5% of sentences versus the new app course's 20% sentences having errors (flaws being that the old cd course doesnt explain grammar just gives examples).

The new glossika japanese app course should not be $16 at its current quality. Clozemaster is cheaper, if you really desire an app SRS sentences experience. And Anki japanese decks are sometimes MUCH better (and free). I just... really wanted some lessons that play audio english/japanese sentences and autoplay, and autoplay my review sentences on the right day to study (per SRS), because i like hands free listening study i can do while im busy. And listening works really good for me. But at this point the quality of glossika app is irritating me so much im just trying to get done as much of it as i can in spite. I want to be able to make a very informed review of if it can even get a learner where it claims: a1, a2, b1, b2, and i know sure as hell its not getting anyone to C1 like it claims.

Like... while i think glossika is NOT worth the money unless they hire some fucking human translators to proofread their courses, i do think 20% errors is the same rate as Clozemaster or random sentences a learner finds and translates with google translate to learn, and while thats a LOT of errors there are still people out there who learned japanese with 10,000 sentences they Found like this and studied in this messy way. So i am curious if the 6400 sentences glossika has, is in any way close enough to that experiencd to get decently far... i would say, if glossika japanese app can get me to N3 and understanding some N2, that'd be a reasonable level of learning to hope for from this. With much work on the learners part ToT of parsing through the errors. I can already read some manga and play video games in japanese, but my real knowledge is like... below N5, maybe N3 in grammar i vaguely recognize but my vocabulary is like Genki 1 and 2 lol, and then my japanese understansing is artificially inflated because i studied chinese a lot and now i recognize the rough meaning of most kanji i see from the hanzi similar characters i know. So i see kanji in a sentence? I can guess roughly what the sentence means, and guess fairly specifically if i also know a couple hiragana words in the sentence and recognize the grammar. My biggest weak point in japanese keeping my level closer to N5 (or below) is that i dont know the pronunciation of hardly ANY kanji containing words lol. And i dont recognize a LOT of hiragana only words. So in reading? I do okay (like manga or video game subtitles) with easier things or things ive read before in english and know the context for. But in listening i recognize less than what one needs to pass the N5. Hence my listening-heavy study focus. (Also listening to audio sentences instead of doing SRS flashcards just... sticks way better in my brain? So far its the best im able to retain stuff i learn, when it comes to studying. At least after reading. And with japanese pronunciations not known to me for kanji words, reading just reinforces my weak spot by allowimg me to continue to Not Know the pronunciation).

[timotey]

Unfortunately, The Sign book joins the ranks of badly translated Thai novels; seriously, in all these years, I've yet to read one - as in a single! - well translated Thai book. Are there no actually good Thai->Eng translators out there?

This translation is amateurish at best. It's not so bad that you actually don't understand what's happening but it's what I would imagine an AI translation to look like: too literal in places and with little understanding for nuances. They all "swallow down the throat" instead of just swallowing and they stare "in adore" instead of "in adoration/adoringly" or "in obnoxious" instead of "in annoyance" etc. I would bet my last socks that no native English speaker saw this book before it was published. It seems like small potatoes but it's like... like riding on a hay wagon instead of in the latest model of [insert your favorite brand of a car], you're constantly torn out of the story by clumsy figures of speech.

And before you go after me with pitchforks, I actually do know what I'm talking about here since I work as a translator myself. And with two hundred books and several scores of short stories under my belt, I can tell you that I wouldn't dare to hand in a translation like that to my publisher. I would get fired on the spot.

When you translate a book, you do the rough translation then let it stew for a while. Then you go back and edit. Thoroughly. Grammar and style. Sometimes, I rewrite a good half of my translation to make it "flow" properly. Then an editor goes through it, someone who knows their grammar really well. And then the person doing the typesetting reads through it AGAIN. Because even then, there are still things that get overlooked. Call it a "professional deformation" but bad translations make my eye twitch. Especially when such a book is then being sold at a high price.

So, yeah, just a fair warning. If you simply want to know more about the characters and read the book on which the drama is based, then by all means, have a blast. You won't get lost in what's happening. But if you expect a good translation, you will be heavily disappointed.

[udaberriwrites]

Getting To Know Each Other

Thanks for the tag, @kayedium-writes , @tsunderesalty !! I haven't done one of these in a minute xD

Last Song I Listened To: You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth by Meatloaf, and it's @mrsmungus' fault! But yeah, I like his style, it's cool!

My Favourite Color: Aah, I don't know. Maybe blue-green or purple 😊

Last Film/Show I Watched: Somehow I found myself rewatching The Good Place the other day for no real reason xD

Sweet, Savory or Spicy: Depends on the time of day! Right now I'd go with savory... and coffee, always coffee

Last Thing I Googled: What's the English word for the sound cows make. (The woes of a non-native speaker 😅)

My Current Obsession: There isn't going to be a deluge of bg3 stories coming up this February. And I am absolutely not outlining a story featuring my Tav. I don't know what you're talking about.

Last Book I Read: Recently finished All That's Left in the World, by Erik J. Brown. It was a bit rough around the edges, but promising for the author's future works. Currently reading The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee, and the main character is such a mess 😂

Looking Forward to: The reveal date for a few of the AO3 exchanges coming up next month! One of the prompts took my brain hostage and I finished writing it in a day, and now I'm climbing the walls waiting for the recipient to see it 🙈

Tagging @captainjimothycarter @lena-hills @bleepbloopbotz @aleksandriel @mrsmungus @axolotlsupremacyowo @verdet-cadet @scribblerinthestars @davidbowielovesyou and open tag for anyone who wants to join!

[elliaze]

GODS WARRIOR - CHAPTER ELEVEN

A/N: Guess who’s back. I’m a little ashamed that it took me that much time. When I stopped publishing this story I had a good reason - I just didn’t have enough time and it was really rough months for me. But I am back now. I don’t know if someone is still interested in this story but I am gonna finish it. 

Bold it's Steven, italics are reader thoughts

Pairings: Steven Grant x fem!reader x Marc Spector

Warnings: age gape and my english as i’m not a native speaker

Words Count: 3100

MASTERLIST

CAIRO

SOMEONE GRUNTED. 

Y/N turned around in surprise and saw the same man that Marc had greeted earlier. She quickly realised that he was the owner of the hotel and suspected that the medicine cabinet in the bathroom was there for a reason. 

“So you're his new girlfriend?” He asked with amusement, and she furrowed her eyebrows. “You have to admit that Marc is really handsome.” 

“I'm sorry” she snorted cheerfully. “I'm not his girlfriend.  We work together. Besides, Marc has a wife, so that's reason enough to behave only professionally.” 

“So you know about Layla,” he murmured with satisfaction. “By the way, where are my manners? I'm Amir and you must be Y/N.” 

The man introduced himself and held out his hand. She took it with hesitation and surprise that he knew her name. She hadn't expected Marc to decide to mention anything about her. 

“That's right,” she nodded. “How long have you known him?” 

“It will be a good few years now,” he revealed without reluctance. “Have you been in Cairo before?”

“No, this is my first time. As much as I would like to explore the city, this is not my priority.” 

“Everyone should find time to visit Cairo” he winked at her. “Marc is probably lying unconscious by now, so you should make the most of the time. If you want, I'll be happy to show you around.” 

“How do you know Marc is drunk?” 

Amir laughed cheerfully, tilting his head back. He put his hand to his chest and then looked at her with amusement. 

“It's always like that,” he replied. “Whatever you have to do, you should take advantage of it.” 

“Actually, I was going to go into town anyway, but my original idea was to find someone who could give me some information.” 

“Dear, if you're looking for information, I'd be happy to help you. The locals don't really like to talk to visitors. So, how about a little sightseeing tour combined with work?”

Y/N was coming to the conclusion that she had nothing to lose anyway. She knew nothing about Cairo and suspected that she would sooner be lost on a straight road than manage to gather any useful information. Besides, she believed Amir might have been right when he said that visitors were not welcome when they started asking about things. This always caused anxiety and attracted undue interest. She had no idea whether she should trust Amir, but she felt that if it was somehow Spector doing it, then so could she. 

She waved her hand and smiled at the man. “I agree, but I say right away that I know how to defend myself.”

“Lion hearted girl” he said with amusement. “Let's go, I'll lead you to exactly where you need to be.” 

A few minutes later, they were both walking through the streets of Cairo. Y/N listened intently to what he was telling her about the city, and could not get out of her mind when she heard some of the facts. A few times she even managed to take pictures, which she knew she would print as soon as she returned to England. At one point, she even took a selfie with Amir and regretted that she couldn't send any of the pictures to her mum to show how much fun she was having. 

She couldn't remember when she had laughed so much at someone's jokes as she had at the ones Amir had told her. 

“...And he later jumped off the roof. Of course, everyone almost had a heart attack, and when he suddenly floated through the air, no one completely knew what was happening. It turned out that he had set up a trampoline at the bottom, but he didn't tell anyone about it. He figured it would be a good idea for a joke” Amir finished telling one of his stories, and she had to stop for a moment. She clutched her stomach with one hand and propped herself up against the man's shoulder with the other. 

“I can't” she choked out with difficulty, wiping her cheeks of tears. “It all must have looked so much better in person.” 

“I feel sorry for your parents.”

Amir laughed, shaking his head. 

“It wasn't that bad, thankfully,” he replied and moved his eyebrows playfully, which sent Y/N into another laughter attack. 

“Please stop, really! Otherwise, you'll be picking me off the floor, and they'll write on my tombstone that I died laughing.” 

“Then I'll be sure to drop by your funeral and drink your toast.”

He poked her with his shoulder, and then they looked at each other meaningfully and laughed together. This time, however, they calmed down rather quickly, and Amir pointed with his head to the entrance of the market. The alley they found themselves in was narrow and crowded. On either side of it were stalls selling all sorts of products. There was almost everything from food and fresh-smelling spices, to antiques and clothes, all kinds of gadgets for the home, jewellery, or the typical tourist souvenirs. 

Amir stepped forward, stood literally at the entrance gate and raised his hands in the air. 

“Y/N, welcome to Khan el-Khalili,” he said with a broad smile. “A place where you will find almost everything your heart desires. And most importantly” Amir interrupted and put his arm around her waist, leaning into her ear. “You will find information here.” 

Y/N looked at him with satisfaction. She was excited because she felt that maybe with this place she could move forward in some way. Maybe she wasn't in such a hopeless situation after all, as she had thought just a few hours earlier. 

“How are we going to do this?” 

“No one will tell you anything, dear. As I mentioned to you earlier, the locals are quite distrustful, but fortunately you have me. Just tell me who you're looking for, or what, and I'll try to find out.” 

“Arthur Harrow” she said his name with visible disgust. “I need to know where he is.” 

“You say it and you have it” Amir let go of her eyes and then grabbed her hand and pulled her deeper into the market. 

Y/N saw for herself that he was right when he told her that no one trusts visitors. Whenever she tried to interject into the conversation, people would almost immediately fall silent and exhort more customers to buy their products. She decided to leave it to Amir after all. She walked behind him, but when it came to the conversation, she pretended to look at the displays at the nearest stall and tried to overhear what they were talking about. In the end, she didn't know whether Amir was actually trying to fool her in any way, but listening in on his conversations was more difficult than she might have suspected, as they were talking in Arabic, and she didn't understand a word of it. 

She decided to take advantage of the time and stock up on a small souvenir. Admittedly, it could hardly be called a trip, as she had so many things on her list that she wanted to see in Cairo and couldn't. However, she decided that even if she wasn't here for her own pleasure, she needed to have something to remind her of being here. She browsed through various souvenirs, but nothing of interest caught her eye until she saw a stall selling scarves. Such colourful accessories in one place, she had ever seen before. Scarves in all sorts of shades and patterns, made of fabrics that were so nice and pleasant to the touch that they themselves beckoned her to get her hands on them. She reached for one of them in a light beige shade when Amir appeared beside her. 

“You should buy it,” he stated blithely. “It will suit you and accentuate the colour of your incredibly Y/E/C eyes.” 

She almost choked for air when she heard this, blushing visibly at the same time. 

“I beg your pardon?”

“You should buy it,” he repeated with a feisty smile. “If it's not because you have beautiful eyes, it's because I've learned something. It's not a lot of information, but I think you might find it useful.” 

Y/N's eyes widened almost immediately. She let the beige cloth out of her hands and grabbed him by the forearm, pulling him aside. 

“Tell me immediately.” 

“The man you are looking for is not in Cairo,” he confessed immediately, and then lifted his other hand up, in which he held a small piece of paper. “He is in the desert, but I have the name of the person who knows his exact location. I have a feeling, by the way, that you got yourself into quite a mess, because I practically forcibly extracted this information. Nobody wanted to talk.”

She picked up a piece of paper and read a few times the details of the person who knew where Harrow was staying. She couldn't believe her luck, because at first she wasn't convinced she'd be able to find out anything today. She was proud of herself and was already looking forward to telling Marc the good news. 

When she returned to the room, Marc was already awake. He was fully dressed and talking to Khonshu as if nothing had happened. God was sitting on a table in the corner of the room and leaning his head forward to somehow fit in. 

“Okay, if I didn't know things like this could be normal, I'd consider them creepy,” she said cheerfully, closing the door behind her. Marc sent her a cold look, and she felt like sighing. 

“Where have you been?” He asked reproachfully. 

“Out of the town,” she replied loosely, lounging on the bed. “I was doing some research.” 

“So the Greeks are still choosing sensible individuals,” Khonshu spoke up for the first time. Y/N felt an unexpected shiver run through her body, although she didn't quite understand for what reason. She had seen and heard the Egyptian deity before, but now it all seemed more real. 

“Thank you!” Y/N smiled with satisfaction. “Poseidon mentioned you in all superlatives. For a moment, I even felt jealous.” 

The deity muttered, and she concluded that maybe it was something like laughter. She found it hard to pinpoint it all, as she had already realised that the Egyptian gods communicated quite differently. While Poseidon materialised in front of her in fully human form every time, Khonshu still had a bird skull instead of a head and was several metres taller than a normal human being. 

“I didn't think they would be interested in what I was telling them.” 

“Apparently Zeus was quite concerned about it,” she announced calmly. “You know how he loves people and doesn't want them to come to unnecessary harm.”

“Am I disturbing you?” Marc interjected in the conversation, moving his hand and pointing to the space that separated all three of them. “Can we get back to why you went anywhere? And how you” this time he looked evidently at her “can you talk to him?”

Marc pointed his finger at Khonshu.

“I've already told you that I'm not an avatar like you,” she reminded him. “The Olympians have given me various abilities, but the most important ones are those that make me able to sense and see anything that is divine or supernatural.” 

“That's true,” agreed Khonshu, but Marc still didn't look convinced. “They  operate differently than we do. They are much more interested in the fate of people than the Ennead.” 

“Besides, what was I supposed to do when you were sober?” 

“I wasn't drunk,” he interjected, but was quickly ignored. 

“Was I supposed to wait for any information to magically appear in front of the window?” She looked at Marc, but didn't even wait for an answer. She clapped her hands and reached into the pocket of her backpack, from which she pulled out a small card, the same one Amir had obtained for her. “Harrow is not in the city. He is in the desert and I assume he is slowly approaching Ammit's tomb. However, here is the name of the person who knows his location. And an address where we can find him.” 

Marc's gaze betrayed nothing, but he furrowed his brow and looked visibly surprised. For a moment, Y/N felt really proud of what she had achieved. And although it didn't really matter to her what Spector thought of her, it was...

Okay, that's bullshit. Who am I kidding? 

Marc took the piece of paper from her and read it a few times before looking at her again. 

“How did you get it?”

“Amir helped me,” she explained simply. “You've got a great mate, by the way. I haven't laughed so much in a long time. And rest assured, I didn't tell him anything important. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have managed to find out anything, because the locals didn't want to talk to me unless it was about possibly buying their products.” 

“Poseidon made a good choice,” Khonshu announced unexpectedly, leaning forward towards her. “I feel there's something special about you, girl,” he then turned directly to Marc. “Find Harrow before he gets to Ammit.”

And then he disappeared.

☾☾☾

That night, Marc had trouble sleeping. 

Although, it was hard to say that it was anything out of the ordinary. The nightmares wouldn't go away, reminding him of unpleasant events and only when he managed to fall asleep. In any other case, he completed more tasks from Khonshu only for an unconscious Steven to return to his life the next day. He preferred it that way all the time. Then he wouldn't have to listen to Steven complain, and he could do his job in peace. And now, it had all, just like that, gone down like a house of cards. 

Marc rolled over onto his side, readjusted the couch cushion and put his arms across his chest. It wasn't the best position or place to sleep, but he wasn't complaining. Personally, he had spent the night in far worse conditions in his life, and he was not ruthless enough to condemn Y/N to sleeping on the couch. 

He looked at the wall with the window, and bright light streamed into the room through the slightly parted curtains, creating a path up to the bed where she was sleeping peacefully. As he turned his attention to her, he saw how the moonlight illuminated her entire figure almost perfectly, making it feel as if it was the brightness itself emanating from her. She was lying on her back, her legs turned over to the right side of the bed. There was a thin duvet between her knees, which did not even cover a small part of her body, but only highlighted her exposed legs in pyjama shorts. The T-shirt had rolled up slightly, and she held one hand on her stomach as the other lay just beside her head. Her hair was scattered all over the pillow, and she was in a deep sleep. Her chest was floating up and down evenly, and the gentle smile that was discernible on her face showed that she was dreaming something pleasant. She looked...

She looks beautiful.

Steven whispered, rather unaware that he had said it out loud and Marc was able to hear it in his head.

Spector sighed heavily, not expecting that his alter was still conscious. When he looked at his reflection in the mirror, he saw Steven watching the sleeping girl with fascination and almost love in his eyes. He had the feeling that he had never seen such a direct and sincere look before.

“Don't stare,” muttered Marc quietly, turning directly to his reflection in the mirror. “You're acting like a stalker.” 

I'm sorry, but I'm not the one who screened her entire past. I may have been unaware at the time you did, but I heard your conversation in my flat exactly. And you're a hypocrite to think I didn't notice you looking at her yourself....

“And what are you jealous of? Are you in love or what?”

Well... I like her, it's true. She's nice to me.

Marc parried.

“She's nice,” he teased him. “Dude, she's at the gods every call. Didn't you think about the fact that maybe that's what she's after? She'll find that magic dagger of hers and disappear, just as quickly as she appeared. That's the only reason she's interested in you.” 

Just because you have some trust issues doesn't mean everyone does. 

“We're not talking about me, we're talking about your puppy crush,” Marc said, ignoring Steven's earlier words. Grant rolled his eyes in the mirror. “Besides, she is barely twenty-eight. And we are” he made a motion with his hand, pointing to himself and his alter. “Thirty-seven. Not that I'm reminding you that we're old. But it's still almost a ten-year difference. Even her brother is younger than us.”

Wait - her brother? Marc, did you check out her brother too? You're about to tell me that you know everything about her whole family?

Marc didn't answer, and his silence was answer enough for Steven. 

Anyway, you know what?  I don't want to know. Besides, you should learn some basic maths, because that's nine years difference, not ten...

“Whatever.” 

... And you could show her a little respect, because this girl has a name. Y/N. If you want, I can spell it for you. It's not difficult, even you'll understand it quickly. 

“You're annoying, Steven. Go to sleep.” 

Yes, when you give me back my body. 

“I've already told you something,” growled Marc quietly, increasingly annoyed by his alter's pointless chatter. “We'll finish the case with Harrow and Ammit, I'll sign the divorce papers with Layla, and you'll never hear from me again.” 

I hope so.

Steven commented, but did not speak again. 

The silence that followed proved to be even more irritating to Marc than Steven's chatter. This one somehow at least kept him entertained and chased away a thousand thoughts. He cursed under his breath and then rose to a sitting position. He wiped his face with both hands and then ran his fingers through his hair. He propped his elbows against his own knees and took one last look at Y/N. She was still sleeping peacefully, completely oblivious to his conversation, although she was now lying on her side and cuddling against her pillow. 

Marc only thought for a second that maybe Steven was right.

⸻

There are some people who wanted to be tagged in this story.

Tell me if you want to be removed or add.

@officialholyagua, @graciexmarvel, @princessleah129, @simonsbluee, @inwisper, @ahookedheroespureheart, @rayrlupin, @crazyshiper35, @classypeachlightsalad, @woofgocows, @ac-procrastinator-13

[mtc-4life]

Hello! I hope you're having a good day. I enjoy reading your posts about MTC and I was wondering if you could make a scenario between Jyuto and Ichijiku (cause I saw what's her relationship between jyuto on the fan wiki) where Ichijiku already knows about his past Jyuto finds out her past (is this make sense to you cause really need to polish my English right now)

｡ﾟ･ Jyuto finds out about Ichijiku’s past - Imagine ･ ｡ﾟ

☆ Author’s notes: Omg I know I took FOREVER to write this, but I sincerely hope you like it. And your english is good, I myself am not a native speaker yet here I am writing for tumblr lol.

- Is that all you had to report me?

- Precisely, miss.

- Don’t call me like that, sergeant Iruma. Why don’t you stop messing with your boss and take your leave? – Ichijiku glared as she replied.

- You’re really a tough one, huh – Jyuto couldn’t help but smirk at the woman’s rough reply.

- Hmph! Just get going already! When I thought there was such a thing as a little less stupid man…

- Alright, alright, ma’am – the officer walked towards the door – I won’t disturb you any longer.

Still displeased, Ichijiku stared at Jyuto as he opened the door with his red-gloved hand and finally left her in peace.

Jyuto walked around the hall that led to the Police Department’s entrance.

With each and every step, he wondered how could Ichijiku have possibly turned into such a demanding woman. To him, it didn’t seem like she had been manipulated by The Party of Words like other members.

Her hatred towards men always had seemed very intricate to her own personal beliefs. She always seemed dominated by an uncontrollable rage whenever the subject was brought up.

Jyuto was very aware men were no saints, and working in the police has only showed him the crimes many were capable of committing. Yet, he couldn’t figure out why would a woman such as Ichijiku would grow so despiteful of men without any sort of exception…

- Something certainly happened to her… - he muttered to himself as he finally left the building.

***

It was nine a.m. when Jyuto checked his wristwatch, which meant it was time to go to Chuuoku’s Police Department for his monthly report on the drug traffic investigations. He would once again talk to no one less than Ichijiku Kadenokoji.

The previous month had brought him deep curiosity as to why his boss had such a grudge with men, and thus, he tried to investigate a little bit into her past.

Of course, since she had a very important position in the government, it wasn’t so simple – Chuuoku had extreme censorship methods, especially involving any information regarding its leaders. Carelessly asking about her past could get the officer himself into jail.

Yet that did not mean there was no evidence at all.

Jyuto even questioned himself if looking for such scarce data was worth the effort.

He ended up doing so not simply out of curiosity, but also because a part of him that could never speak up wished to know what the current government was all about.

Who were the people behind the laws he disagreed so much with?

Why these women were so obsessed with rap battle competitions between men they alleged were so ruthless?

What could have possibly triggered the series of unexplained events that led to the installment of a dictatorship like that?

Things happened so suddenly after the war that Jyuto never understood fully what the country he lived in turned into.

If he could find out about Ichijiku’s past, even if just a little, he felt like things would finally make some sort of sense in his mind.

And so, he collected in secret documents from many police districts that mentioned any suspect delation linked to Ichijiku. In Jyuto’s mind, only something as serious as a crime against her could explain such rage.

One of these papers really caught his attention. It was a testimony made by Ichijiku herself accusing a politician of murdering a woman named Karin Shimozaki and her family. Ichijiku alleged it was due to the fact Karin knew about the corrupt scheme said politician was involved in, and since she represented a threat, he demanded a group of man to kill her.

The file had been shelved since then.

If Ichijiku’s testimony was indeed the truth about Karin’s death, then it was really concerning the police did nothing about it. Why would they ignore a murder accusation like that? Jyuto thought it was very suspect…

He pondered about this new discovery as he drove to his destination.

***

- As you can see, we have cleared out this drug dealing point in Yokohama for good.

- Great. How about the yakuza? – Ichijiku looked up for a second after reading the documents Jyuto had brought her.

- Well, those are a difficult bunch…

- Do not pretend, Iruma. I know you’re protecting that buddy of yours. This Samatoki does whatever he wants if it depends on you!

- Are you serious? – Jyuto looked disturbed – I surely do my job in the most lawful manners, but you cannot expect me to keep Mad Trigger Crew’s leader in prison, can you, madam?

- Lawful? You, Iruma? Don’t make me laugh! I know about your methods. – she replied with a challenging look on her face.

- Then you might as well know they are very effective, thank you – Jyuto said, confident.

- Hmph! So pretentious! You should hold your tongue when talking to superiors!

- But what if those above you are wrong? What if their actions do not respect one’s basic rights?

- What do you mean by this? – Ichijiku raised an eyebrow.

- I’ve read some documents. Karin Shimozaki was murdered a few years ago, but there was no further investigation to arrest the culprit. You reported that a corrupt politician was the responsible for it, but nobody listened to you. Am I wrong?

Ichijiku was in disbelief. How come did Jyuto find such evidence? What was he planning to do by knowing her past?

Jyuto looked at her seriously before continuing:

- Did you readily accept your superior’s actions in this case? Accepting a politician to take the life of this woman, whom I assume was important to you? Accepting the police unwillingness to investigate the case?

- I… What do you want from me, Iruma? Do you want to be promoted or something? – Ichijiku replied a bit irritated.

- Well, being promoted is nice, but that’s not my goal with this conversation. You might think I’m trying to use your past against you, but I assure you that’s not the case.

- Oh, very well! Because if it was I would have your past to use against you, sergeant! I know everything about you!

Jyuto smiled:

- That’s expected of you. Always ready for someone to knock you down. All I’m trying to say is that I understand where your grudge with men came from, but is this political system you’re in really a solution? Isn’t The Party of Words harming people’s basic rights anyways?

- You!!!

Ichijiku glared at Jyuto, but that did not stop his words:

- You’re a smart woman. I’m sure you can understand my point. It’s your choice to be in the Party of Words. It’s also your choice to leave it – he confidently stepped towards the door.

- Is that all the nonsense you had to say?

- Precisely. Now, I better leave. See you next month, miss! – he smirked as he opened the office door.

- Bastard!!! I’ve warned you not to call me like that! Always provoking, you’re not jobless because I’m terribly patient! – Ichijiku replied, completely infuriated.

- I know, I know – Jyuto laughed – I’m so competent you can’t even consider dismissing me!

The man finally left, closing the door right in front of an enraged Ichijiku.

Jyuto knew there was much more to her past than just this. It was still unclear to him how much Karin was involved in Ichijiku’s life.

Yet even without knowing this information, he hoped to have at least reminded Ichijiku of her own humanity.

She seemed to have involved herself with something against her own initial reasons to want to change the system.

Jyuto made a dangerous move by telling her such words. It was risky to confront The Party of Words.

But that was an attempt to make life for everybody in his country a little less difficult. That level of oppression was not acceptable.

In that sense, his motives made the risk of confronting Ichijiku worth taking.

Jyuto left the Police Department building with a hopeful smile.

[iamthecomet]

Hi Comet!

I'm taking a few weeks of vacation at the moment, and I have set a daily goal of reading at least 50 pages of a physical book to broaden my horizons instead of only reading fanfiction.

I'm currently reading a speculative fiction book from 1999, written by a male author, and it's made me feel so much better about my own writing and plots. The objectification of women makes me want to roll my eyes, and including how attractive they are when introducing them but not distinguishing how attractive male characters are is so frustrating that I am being powered by spite to dare to do better. The casual misogynism of that time combimed with how terrible men can be when thinking about women as just objects of their desire without their own inner lives and wants is a great inspiration for a new forever fic that I'm writing.

Before that I read a Terry Pratchett book and the difference between the speculative fiction one and the Pratchett book is like night and day. A Pratchett requires a lot of general knowledge that I feel like I lack as a non-native English speaker, but I've understood some of the jokes so at least that's something!

Do you have any book recommendations or authors you can recommend whose writing style inspires you?

-Ghoulette Anon

HI! Congratulations on your vacation! That's exciting. I hope you get to relax. And I hope you read some really good books. I love when I read a book that makes me go "oh god I can write better than this" or "I treat women better than this" or any of those things--like you're experiencing with that book. It feels weirdly powerful (and also annoying, like come on, man. Women are people, write them like they are). I'm so glad it's giving you inspiration for your forever fic, that's really fun. I've never actually read Prachett (I know! I know!). I'm not even really sure why. I just haven't ever picked one up. I hear he's wonderful. But I do know enough about his style to totally get why he's tougher for non-native English speakers. I ABSOLUTELY have recommendations. I'm a book monster. Recs under the cut to save space <3 <3.

Leigh Bardugo - Both YA and Adult. Dark Fantasy. Dark Academia. Gritty. Dark. Realistic despite everything being fantastical. INCREDIBLE characterizations. I am in love with every character she's ever created. The Grisha Trilogy has one of my favorite endings of any book series ever.

Neil Gaiman - On the off chance that you haven't already read him, you really really should. American Gods is an incredible book. And the Ocean at the End of the Lane changed my life. Taylor Jenkins Reid - Lots of hype around her that is very deserved. I couldn't put down The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and Malibu Rising was also just real real good. Madeline Miller- again, there's lots of hype for Song of Achilles with good reason. Fucking heart wrenching and incredible. And Circe is even better (I'm in the minority on this opinion but we like stories about women fucking men up in this house, so...yes). Just gorgeous, gorgeous books. And two YA Recs, because YA is not just for teeennss. Sabaa Tahir- has a fucking incredible fantasy series (The Ember in the Ashe). And her stand alone All My Rage is justjkhasf;asfa. Sabaa knows how to make me cry--which is not a thing I do a lot. Ruta Sepetys - Specifically Salt To The Sea. All of her books are good. Salt to Sea is one of the very few books I've read multiple times. Very character driven. Based in WWII. Doesn't even think about shying away from really rough shit. Just...I love it so much. Talking about it makes me want to read it again.

[tuliptiger]

I don't particularly like correctness of specific language, I think it's important to be able to express yourself as best as you're able though. I think that more people should give each other grace when filling in those communication gaps though.

That being said, I think there is something really special about targeted words with a very very narrow meaning. I find them more in other languages rather than english, english to me as a native speaker is very blunt and rough.

An example is the word trust. Two of its relevant meanings are thus, "a hope or expectation" and "firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something." That leaves a LOT of room for interpretation and doesn't even touch on the emotional aspect and meaning of trust.

And there are different KINDS of trust too, I trust you not to steal from me, I trust that you respect me as a physical being but not an emotional one. I trust you to be thoughtful of including me in events but not caring gently about my feelings. I trust you to handle finances well but not taking care of your home.

To trust someone is so varied and widely defined but very narrow to some! It has a set definition and general understanding by people but its meaning feels unique to each person.

I trust you I trust you I trust you. How deeply, how intimately and with what amd where?

Do you trust me? Yes but not the way you mean.

I trust you with so many things but what do YOU mean by trust?

I wish you would trust me. I do, but our meanings are so different.

Etc. And this is one example. Other examples are love, pride, hate. I just wish there was more nuance to our language and more patience, understanding and good will given between people.

[thewritercometh]

Did someone say 'giant alien soldiers'?

Yes, me, I said it. And I wrote something about it. Probably a one-shot. Let's see if inspiration hits me with a bat again. Basically, the idea was that humanity has caught the attention of galactic poachers, who see humans as a hot commodity on the black market. In the middle of one such poaching raid, a squadron of soldiers has arrived to fight for humanity. This is the aftermath.

The humans cowered, peeking out of their hiding place as the armored giant lowered its weapon, an energy rifle of some kind, and slowly scanned its surroundings, soon turning toward them. Was this being their savior, or an even greater threat?

Staring, watching through its featureless black-tinted visor, the giant slowly knelt, raising a hand to the side of its helmet. A loudspeaker crackled and a voice issued from it. The humans stayed frozen, and confused. They'd never heard this language, made of guttural rough sounds like growls and short sharp bark-like noises. Getting no reaction, the giant tapped its helmet again, producing another language. This time some of the humans recognized it as one of Earth's languages, but nothing more than that.

The pattern continued as the giant cycled through languages. Finally, "I come in peace. Does anyone require aid?" crackled through the speaker. Some of the humans let out breaths they hadn't realized they'd been holding. They carefully picked their way through the rubble surrounding their hiding spot as the giant carefully scooted back slightly to give the lilliputian beings, these humans, a bit more room and to seem less threatening.

As some of them watched, the giant said, "Raise visor." The helmet separated slightly and the visor slowly lifted to reveal the black-and-white fur of a massive border collie, who looked down at the astonished humans with friendly, inquisitive brown eyes. "Is everyone okay?" the canid inquired in a smooth comforting feminine voice. "My name is-" the voice cut out, replaced by the barks and growls. A confused frown crossed the giant's face. "It appears my name does not translate to your 'English' language. In my native tongue, my name means 'protector', 'guardian', and 'one who guides'. Is there a similar name here?"

One of the humans, an adolescent female, stepped forward nervously. "I h-had a relative, great-grandma Bronya. She, um, she told me it meant something like that, when I was little."

The giant's brow furrowed thoughtfully. "Bronya," she repeated slowly, trying how the name felt in her mouth. Possibly as an influence from her native tongue, the 'r' rolled slightly, but it still felt good. The giant, Bronya, nodded with a gentle satisfied smile. "I like it, thank you. It is an honor to keep your great-grandmother's name alive. May I ask your name, human?"

"S-Sadie," the human replied. "Sadie Grace." She swallowed. "Tha-thank you for saving us," she turned to look back at her companions, who still hung back nervously.

Bronya nodded and gave the rest of the humans a comforting smile. "You're welcome, all of you."

Just then, Bronya's radio crackled with her native language, and she responded in kind, pausing to look over the gathered humans as though counting. She continued for a few moments more, then added, "Local language appears to be 'English', sub-category 'American.' "

The radio fizzled again, and an authoritative voice responded, "Acknowledged, Bravo Alpha. Converging on your location."

[marigoldenchrys]

the british-pharmacist guy

I'm here again to post about a dream of mine. This one's an old one, from a few months ago. It'll be pretty rough since I no longer remember every detail of it but I'll try my best.

Let's call him, Hide. He is my actual work-crush and yes, I'm still crushing on him. (weakbitch) But anyway, it started last March when our schedule got changed from 4pm-1am to 7pm-4am. At first, I thought I was fond of him because he plays drums and it seems that I really get attracted to people who play any musical instruments, may it be guitar, piano, drum or whatever. I thought I only wanted to be good friends, like isn't it cool to have a guy friend, like you're really really friends with him? Hide is a cool guy, for me, although he doesn't get dumb jokes right away, he's still cool. He's not a British man but he sure does sound like one whenever he speaks English, and yes, he's not a native English speaker. That accent of his got me coz he really sounds good and I just go melt listening to him lol.

Hide is career-oriented and has such huge dreams and I liked that about him. He wants to get out of poverty and experience luxury. (I mean, who doesn't?) But his vision of his future is far from mine, although I've also thought about it but the older I get, I just want to live in a very secluded place where I'm only surrounded by beautiful mountains, trees, flowers, and lovely animals. Cottage core, huh? Lol. While Hide, wants to live in a skyscraper. I want that too but... ah whatever.

Anyway, I got to know him a little bit because we both have the same schedule, we're both in one team and we both have the same time for lunch breaks! Yey. So yeah, we go on lunch together, talk a bit about work and people from work, gossiping haha! And going off work, we kind of walk on the same path so, more talking and sharing stuff about each other's lives. I found out that he has graduated college already, he's a future pharmacist! Haha. During those moments, I realized that it felt so comfortable with him and that I'm learning a lot and the way he thinks really amazes me. I wanted to keep in touch with him, I wanted to always know what he thinks about this and that. Until all the signs of having a crush showed up one by one and I haven't stopped myself from crushing him since March. Until one afternoon, here's the dream y'all have been waiting for ~!

Once again, y'all know dreams are weird and it's just like random stuff happening all at the same time with no meaning at all.

I found myself in a hospital, and there's like a mental context that the reason why I'm there with Hide, Anna (another coworker of mine whose preggy irl), and some of my coworkers that I do not remember the faces, was because we needed to get some type of access from the hospitals pharmacy or where they kept the medicines and all that. Knowing that Hide is a pharmacist, we all looked at him and were like,

"Um, Hide, since you're a pharmacist, why don't you get us access?"

He didn't hesitate and went his way. It's weird because it's as if we're all trying our best not to get busted. For what? Why were we even there? Did we need something for the preggy Anna? I guess so.

He got us access and we all went into this room with all sorts of medicines. Hide seems to know what to get so he did all the work and we're all just roaming around. The room was really big.

And then the next thing I know, it's already evening and we were outside, at the sidewalk, away from the hospital and we're all talking. Here's the craziest part!!! Hide...

Hide just suddenly walked up to me and leaned his face to my face, I thought he was gonna whisper something on my ear but on my lips?!? Like whaaat? He whispered something but not on my ear but on my lips! So he whispered and kissed me gently? And he's smirking after what he'd done? JAIL JAIL JAIL Haaaaaa

***

And then I woke up.

That was really crazy dude. I mean, when I woke up from that dream I immediately touched my lips like, why did it feel real? Like something really landed on my lips. That just fueled my delusions.

[tokidokitokyo]

ことわざ 6/?

ことわざ are Japanese proverbs, and I have listed some basic proverbs, their equivalents in English, and a rough translation of the meanings of the Japanese phrase.

There is a test for ことわざ (of course there is) called the ことわざ能力検定 (ことわざのうりょくけんてい) and while mostly younger kids take it, there are some foreigners among the ranks. For the time being, try one or two of these out the next time you speak with a native Japanese speaker!

More ことわざ: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

始めが大事

はじめがだいじ

a good start makes for a good finish

the beginning is important

早起きは三文の得

はやおきはさんもんのとく

early to bed, and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise

get up early, get three coins

人のふり見て我ふり直せ

ひとのふりみてわがふりなおせ

A wise man learns from the mistakes of others

observe a person's behavior and fix yours

百聞は一見にしかず

ひゃくぶんはいっけんにしかず

seeing is believing

hearing 100 times cannot equal the impact of seeing once

風林火山

ふうりんかざん

swift as the wind, silent as the forest, relentless as fire, and unyielding as a mountain

swift as the wind, silent as the forest, relentless as fire, and unyielding as a mountain

豚に真珠

ぶたにしんじゅ

pearls before swine

pearls before swine

屁の河童

へのかっぱ

piece of cake

like a kappa farting underwater doesn't move the current, this problem will be no burden

ペンは剣よりも強し

ぺんはけんよりもつよし

the pen is mightier than the sword

the pen is mightier than the sword

仏の顔も三度まで

ほとけのかおもさんどまで

three strikes and you're out

you can strike the face of Buddha 3 times (before even he loses his temper)

惚れて通えば千里も一里

ほれてかよえばせんりもいちり

love knows no distance

when traveling while infatuated, 1,000 miles is like one mile

[anisaanisa]

Yes hello I have a question about your One Word series. 🙋🏼‍♀️ Every chapter is like this perfect little nugget of InuKag development, with just the right amount of details to evoke the moment. Do you have to spend a lot of time on editing to keep each chapter tight? Do you word-dump and then winnow the word count later, or are you able to be that concise on the first draft? I'm SO CURIOUS because I suck at tight, concise writing and you're so good at it.

Oh my goodness @eowynwise you are too sweet, thank you! I apologise in advance, because unlike the fic you're referencing, I cannot keep this short and sweet 🙈

One Word started not long after @callmegri introduced me to the idea of drabbles. I couldn’t wrap my head around it at first, because like yourself, keeping things concise is not my strong suit: I tend to let words run away with me.

So, I took it as a form of practice, free-wrote the first 30 chapters, then decided to share it. There are a few rules I follow: 100 words exactly, no plotting or planning, but more importantly, have fun. I chose the hardest thing for me to write (fluff) and gave myself (at the time) a seemingly impossible word limit, because why not throw myself into the deep end where I don’t belong? This is how I learn best.

For reference, One Word is complete, but not completely edited, weighing in at 101 chapters (see what I did there?) and the process is as follows:

Write – Everything was written in decent chunks, around 20 chapters a round. In the first instance, I don’t pay attention to word count. I aim for a rough estimate, then move on without stopping. Stopping leads to planning and plotting, and that is not the aim of the game for this particular piece.

Edit – After that, I’ll go in and hack away at words, because there are almost always too many, rather than too little. This series has taught me how to be more precise with words, how to let things go, and over time I have become rather ruthless with trimming the fat. Now, I can crush 200 words into 100 without much difficulty if it's needed. Some words just aren't needed. Some adjectives make things clunky. Sometimes a dialogue tag is just hot air. So, this has helped tremendously when it comes to editing other things. For editing is my weakness.

Beta Reading– Having a decent Alpha or Beta reader helps a lot, and @callmegri is all that and then some. She’s a non-native English speaker with a near-flawless grasp of the language and that makes her a double threat. She understands English and its nuances, but also picks up on things that don’t sound right to a non-native ear. Isn’t that just the coolest thing? Sometimes words I squish together just don't make sense, and I have to play with a chapter a bit more to get it right. Sometimes she gives me a thumbs up immediately and nothing needs to be fixed. Either way, another pair of eyes is invaluable.

Extra advice that no one asked for but is so, so important: When it comes to all writing, not just drabbles, transitions are the devil. If there is something that is boring you to write, then it will likely bore the reader to read, so just get rid of it. Don’t even start it. Write a story in chunks and scenes that interest you and knit it all together at the end: it may surprise you what isn’t necessary when all is said and done. Have faith that the reader can piece together the times in between.

Drabbles are the perfect way to explore that. It may not be a lot in total, but each word counts, and can take just as much work and brain power as an epic. And it’s taught me so, so much. And I will tell anyone that listens that it is worth trying your hand at, even if it only ever lives in a word document.

So, I can say with conviction that from start to finish, it’s become easier to nail down those word counts and figure out how words play together, as it was always intended to be used for. Overall time spent is so little now, that I feel like I've achieved what I set out to: get better at writing. That being said, I will admit that I am constantly surprised by its reception, but I am so, so thankful that it’s put a smile on people’s faces because it’s put one on mine too.

Thank you, my love! 😍💓

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