#your dad wants to come to finland :)

[teal-skull]

You can always say that you also want to experience a true finnish sauna (the ones in spas abroad are fake ones and way too cold)

*dad talking about how finland is land of the midnight sun in summer*

me: yeah ik that’s so cool i rly want to go and experience it at least once in my lifetime.

my mother: “is that the ONLY reason you want to go?” *looks pointedly* 🤨🧐

me:

[chelseachilly]

do you want to build a snowman?

pairing: reader x ben chilwell request: "ok so you and ben have a daughter around 3 or 4 and its her first time seeing snow so they take her outside to build a snowman :)" - anonymous warnings: fluffff, dad!ben word count: 2k

author’s note: thanks for all the requests!! i'm really getting in the flow of writing rn (and inspired by the holidays) so i'm going to do my best to write as many of them as i can! ❄️

-

“Is Daddy gonna be home soon?”

It’s not the first - or the second, or the fifth - time your daughter has asked this question since she woke up this morning. 

Ben left for training shortly before 8, and neither you nor your daughter Sophie were awake yet. You could’ve happily slept a few more hours, but Sophie woke you up not long after to excitedly announce that it had snowed overnight.

In her four years of life, your daughter has never seen a significant amount of snow, at least that she can recall. It snowed quite a bit on her first Christmas, but she was far too little to remember that, and since then there’s been nothing but a few flurries here and there or a light dusting on the rooftops.

She’s quite fascinated by the concept from watching movies and TV shows featuring winter activities and is currently deep in a Frozen phase, which means she’s obsessed with the idea of building a snowman. 

Over the past month as the weather got colder, you and Ben had tried to keep her expectations low as you weren’t sure you would get enough snow to make this dream a reality. You could tell it was killing Ben to disappoint her - he hates denying his little girl anything - and a few nights ago you caught him looking into booking a holiday to Switzerland or Finland or anywhere she would be guaranteed some snow.

Thankfully, today her prayers were answered, and you were fully prepared to bundle up and go outside with her before you even had your coffee, but she insisted on waiting for Ben. It was their plan to build the snowman together, Sophie told you, and she stuck to her decision even when you reminded her he wouldn’t be home for hours.

It‘s been pretty adorable watching her anxiously await her dad’s return all morning, pacing around the house and checking for his car in the driveway often. You can tell how badly she wants to go out and play in the glistening white snow, and the remarkable restraint she’s showing is a testament to how much of a daddy’s girl she is. 

“Not too much longer, sweetheart,” you assure her as you beckon her to come cuddle with you on the couch where you’re doing a bit of work on your laptop. “He texted a while ago and said he’ll be here as soon as he can.”

“Alright,” Sophie sighs. “Can you put on Frozen?”

You’ve watched this movie more times than you can count lately, and once already today, but you remind yourself that you signed up for this when you chose to be a parent as you’re queuing up Disney Plus once again. 

Later, when you’re nearing the end of the film and you’ve given up on doing any more work as long as your daughter is screaming the lyrics to each song, you hear the sound of the front door opening and closing. 

“Daddy!”

The movie is quickly abandoned as Sophie darts toward the foyer to greet Ben. You’re not too far behind her, though by the time you reach them she’s already in her dad’s arms.

“Daddy, it snowed!” Sophie exclaims, her little arms wrapped around Ben’s neck. “We have to build a snowman!”

“I know, darling,” Ben laughs, giving Sophie another squeeze before gently setting her down. “Why don’t you go get your coat on while I say hello to Mummy?”

Sophie nods and eagerly runs toward the closet to fetch her winter coat. As Ben drops his bag and makes his way over to you, you can see how tired he is from training. When he cups your face to give you a kiss, you can tell he’s also freezing. 

“How was training, baby?” you murmur, placing your hands on his to warm them up. 

“Cold,” Ben sighs. “Forgot how brutal it is training in the snow. I’m glad the gaffer let us go home early, though.”

“You and me both,” you smile, leaning in to kiss him again. “Maybe you should warm up a bit before going out to play with Soph?”

“No, she’s been waiting for me all day,” Ben says. “I’ll be fine.”

You know there’s no changing his mind, especially when Sophie comes running back into the room in her adorable little puffer jacket that nearly swallows her whole. You help her zip it up and grab mittens, a scarf and a hat to keep her warm, as well as some for you and Ben. 

Once you’re all ready to face the cold, you head out to the garden together. You and Ben have matching grins on your faces as you watch Sophie excitedly run through the snow for the first time, a core childhood memory being created right before your eyes. 

She gets to work right away on her snowman, rolling the snowball she’s formed as long as she can before it gets too heavy for her and she has to accept Ben’s help. 

You join in on their efforts, occasionally taking a break to take some photos of your daughter and husband that you already know are going to be your new phone background.

After some hard work - certainly for a four year old - the snowman is completed with a carrot nose and hat that you had prepared just for this occasion. 

“He looks great, Sophie!” you exclaim. “What’s his name? Olaf?”

Despite it being a fairly safe guess, Sophie looks at you like you have two heads.

“No, Mummy, Olaf doesn’t have a hat,” she reminds you very matter-of-factly. “His name is Tom.”

“Like Uncle Tom?” Ben chuckles, referring to his best friend and her godfather.

Sophie seems to contemplate this for a moment before shaking her head.

“No, because I want him to be Tom.”

You and Ben look at each other for a moment before bursting out into laughter. You both blame your daughter’s stubbornness on each other, though deep down you know it’s from both of you, but at times like this it’s both hilarious and adorable. 

“Fair enough, sweetie,” you say, bending down to give her a kiss on the forehead. “Now, I think some hot chocolate is in order. Ready to go in?”

“No, we have to make snow angels!”

Of course, this was another activity she had seen in films that she was dying to try for herself. 

“Alright,” you chuckle. “Why don’t we make snow angels while Daddy goes and warms up? He’s been out in the snow all day.”

The pout on Sophie’s face quickly tells you that she is not happy with this plan, and Ben swoops in before you can say anything else.

“I think I have a few snow angels left in me,” he smiles, picking Sophie up and balancing her on his hip. “Babe, can you start the hot chocolate while we finish up here?”

You raise an eyebrow at your husband but accept his proposal nonetheless, placing a quick kiss on both his and Sophie’s cheeks before heading inside. 

As you’re warming up the milk on the stovetop, you look out the window where Ben and Sophie are still playing, her excited giggles loud enough that you can hear her through the windowpane. 

Your heart is threatening to burst from the sweet scene, overflowing with love for your daughter and admiration for your amazing husband. No matter how tired he is from training, if he’s upset about a loss or injured or anything else, he always steps up for Sophie. You’ve known since you met him that he would be a great dad, but ever since you became parents, he’s continued to exceed your expectations.

Just as you’re pouring three steaming mugs of hot chocolate, you hear your family come in through the back door and begin to strip off their winter gear. 

To your delight, Sophie runs straight into the kitchen and hugs you tightly.

“I made five snow angels!” she exclaims as you run your hand up and down her back in an effort to warm her up. “Daddy made some big ones, too.”

“That’s amazing, love,” you smile, kissing her head. “You want some hot chocolate?”

“Yes! Can I put the marshmallows in?”

“Of course,” you say, lifting her up onto the counter and passing her the bag of mini marshmallows.

As much as she’s a daddy’s girl at heart, you also get your fair share of moments when your daughter seems to only want her mother. You know how special her bond is with Ben, and you really can’t blame her for how much she loves spending time with him, but you still cherish the little things that just for the two of you - making hot chocolate with extra marshmallows being one of them. 

You carry the tray of drinks into the living room with Sophie trailing behind, and find Ben already there getting the fireplace going and arranging some pillows and blankets.

“This looks cozy,” you smile, setting the drinks down and sitting on the floor across from him, Sophie following your lead. “Thanks, honey.”

“Thanks for making the hot chocolate, my loves,” Ben responds, glancing over at the tray that holds two regular Christmas mugs and one with the Frozen characters on it. He picks that one up and pretends to take a sip. “I assume this one is mine?”

“No, Daddy, that’s mine!” Sophie squeals, making both you and Ben laugh as he carefully passes it back to her. 

You all sip your drinks in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the warmth of the sweet beverages and the burning fire. 

“So, did you enjoy your first snow, Soph?” Ben asks. “Was it everything you hoped?”

“It was amazing!” Sophie confirms. “Thank you for playing, Daddy.”

“You’re welcome, angel,” Ben says with a soft smile as Sophie climbs into his lap and he kisses her rosy cheeks. 

It’s not long before she drifts off to sleep, tuckered out from playing in the snow and comforted by her dad’s embrace and the sound of you and Ben quietly talking about your days. 

Once she’s fully passed out, Ben carefully shifts her tiny frame over in his arms to make room for you on his other side and beckons you over. With him laying back against the sofa and you now laying against his chest, both of you watching your daughter sleep peacefully, you’re not sure you’ve ever felt more content. 

“That little girl absolutely adores you,” you comment, nuzzling further into Ben’s warmth.

“She must get that from her mum, then,” Ben jokes, making you roll your eyes for a moment before kissing his jaw, then his cheek.

“Mhm,” you nod, smiling as you reach his lips and kiss him slowly. 

When you pull back, Ben gazes lovingly at you for a moment before his eyes return to Sophie, her little hand curling around the material of his hoodie in her sleep.

“Babe?” Ben murmurs, and you nod again. “How would you feel about trying for another one?”

It takes everything in you not to betray yourself with a grin as you think about the tiny Christmas onesie and pregnancy test you boxed up and placed under the tree yesterday while Ben was picking Sophie up from daycare. 

It’s less than a week until Christmas - you can make it that long. 

“Let’s talk about it after the holidays?” you say for now, pressing another kiss to Ben’s lips. 

He nods with a smile, though you can see his mind wandering with thoughts of another little one to play in the snow and curl up by the fire and watching the same movies over and over with. 

It’s been the greatest joy of your life raising Sophie side by side with him, and you absolutely can’t wait to do it all again. 

[badhockeymom]

Cup Besties talking

It's about this ⤵

And this ⤴

Can't recommend this enough if you know any Finnish. They were veteran dad and rookie son, winning the most coveted prize in the hockey world, one to start off his NHL career, one to finally get the crown on his before retiring.

This is just the beginning of the roughly 1,5 hour conversation of Teuvo as a guest on Kimmo Timonen's and Antti Mäkinen's podcast. Teuvo's deadpan sarcasm and his subtle chuckles that soften his wry chirps and self-mockery work like a charm, sending his forty-something hosts into fits of laughter.

May be continued but let me put this out there first.

Kimmo: Our next guest hails from Helsinki. He's full 29 years old, but still has the face of a child. He goes by the nickname Turbo, which I don't understand, because he isn't that fast. A produce of the Jokerit, he has got, among other accolades, the Finnish rookie of the year award. From Jokerit, he went to Chicago, where we won the Stanley Cup together in 2015. Nowadays he plays for the Carolina Hurricanes alongside Sebastian Aho. Welcome, my good friend, Teuvo Teukka Teräväinen, to the Kimanttia podcast!

Teuvo: Thanks a lot, (chuckle) nice to be here even though you forced me to come.

Kimmo: (laugs) For your information, listeners, I've tried to goad Teukka for a guest appearance for two or three years, but he has always, always declined before now. It's good, it's great to hear your voice, man.

Antti (co-host Antti Mäkinen): I was so sure that Teuvo has been on the show but it's great that you're there now.

Teuvo: Yes, I always say to Kime that someday I'll come, and now I felt it's time.

Kimmo: Are you in Finland, Teukka?

Teuvo: Yes, a few days ago. I came straight to the cottage, it's nice to wind down for a few days here. Nothing special.

(They go on asking if Teuvo has watched the Worlds, he reminds the hosts that Canes were still playing when the games started.)

Kimmo: I wanted to ask, before we start going through your career, how long are you staying in Finland, and will you spend time at the cottage or do you have plans?

Teuvo: I usually head back to the States in the beginning of September, to settle down a little before the camp starts. In Finland, this summer will be quite busy, all my weekends are pretty much locked down, I have so many weddings and bachelor parties this summer.

Kimmo: Oh, you're getting married? I haven't got an invitation.

Teuvo: Yeah, multiple times. (Antti and Kimmo laugh) No, fortunately it isn't my wedding. They're nice events, but they do take up your time.

Kimmo: Yes they do, weekends come and go.

(Antti tells a story about a golf live stream during the covid lockdown, where Teuvo played against Patrik Laine. Both played well but in the end, Teuvo lost. He left the course with very few words, and after an half an hour, posted a pic of his golf bag on his Instagram story, captioned "Clubs for sale")

Teuvo: I remember that. It's what it is, it's never nice to lose.

Kimmo: (laughs) That sounds familiar because I've also sometimes played golf with Teukka, and the round has gone fine, and he says, I'm quitting this game.

Teuvo: Yeah... We've played tennis, too.

Antti: How do you do against him in tennis, can you hold your own?

Teuvo: Well, I don't think i've yet won Kime, at least on his home court.

Kimmo: Well now, there we heard the truth.

Teuvo: But now i have my own homecourt here at the cottage, you're welcome to challenge me here.

Kimmo: (softly) I must come over.

Teuvo: On my own court I haven't lost to anyone else but Henkka Kontinen who's a pretty good player. (Pro tennis player, doubles specialist, career high rank 1 in doubles)

Kimmo: Oh. I'll have to come and challenge you this summer.

Teuvo: You'll have to.

Antti: Hey, that guy is a professional at that tennis hobby of his, he does have an advance.

Teuvo: Or used to be, he hadn't been playing for a full year when he defeated me.

~~~

So, that's just the first five minutes.

A little extra treat from the next segment:

Kimmo: I did some research about your junior years, and it said you started on Helsingin Kojootit (Helsinki Coyotes). Where's Helsingin Kojootit?

Teuvo: It's -- in Helsinki. (chuckles.) Like it says, Helsingin Kojootit, how didn't you pick it up from the name?

(Laughter, Antti is dying)

[weirdthoughtsandideas]

Hey, so one of your parents are finnish? I'm curious, did they move here, and do you know any?

So some historical context: In the 1960s, Sweden begged for immigrants to come here because we needed more workers. So a lot of people from Finland moved over here to get some job opportunities, one of them being my grandparents. My dad was born in Sweden, as well as his younger siblings. The only one of his siblings born in Finland was his big sister (my grandma was actually only 19 when she got pregnant with her... I'm pretty baffled that by the time they were 30, they already had four kids... anyway)

Growing up, they spoke finnish in the household, but the older the kids got, the more they instead spoke swedish. It got to the point where they spoke swedish to their parents and their parents answered in finnish. This is a very common occurrence in immigrant families - and, the school encouraged them to also speak more swedish at home so that my dad and his siblings properly learned it.

Now, my dad understands finnish, but he's not at a confident level where he can teach it to us. He also only learned to speak and read, but not to write (which is it's entire own system). Thus, we never learned. It's a similar thing that happened to his siblings as well. My mom is 25% finnish, but she obviously only spoke swedish at home, but this does make me 65% finnish, 100% from my dad and 25% from my mom lol. But, also due to her only knowing swedish, my dad never had any use to speak finnish anyway.

What is interesting here is that my aunt moved to the US, and had kids there. And she spoke swedish to them when they were toddlers, but as soon as they started school, they started speaking more and more english, and now my cousins don't really understand any swedish at all. Just like me with finnish, they only know a few words at most.

So this is a classic example of how every generation of an immigrant family slowly loses the language. First and second generation knows it, but the second generation who has grown up in the new country has also learned that language, and when they have kids, it's a high chance they speak much more of the new country's language to them. Thus, third generation knows very limited of the language of the country their grandparents immigrated from.

We can see examples of this in media too. One example is One day at a time, where Elena (third generation immigrant from Cuba) does not understand spanish, and in Turning Red, where Mei does not understand Cantonese like the rest of her family seems to know, because they only spoke english to her at home.

It is sadly very easy for languages to disappear generations down the line when you move to a new country and start a family. So if you really want to keep it then you really gotta make an effort for it. I have a friend who grew up in the US half her life, but her mom grew up in Sweden and it was very important for her that she learned swedish - to the point where she woke her up early with textbooks, as well as taking her to Sweden a lot. They also moved back and forth between the US and Sweden during her childhood. But her mom could have just only spoken english to her, due to her dad only knowing english and them living in an english speaking country - but she was determined. I do understand how not everyone has this determination to keep a language, especially as you get more integrated with the new country.

[captainbobbin]

tagged by @goth-automaton yeehaww

Rules: list the first line of your last 10 (posted) fics and see if there's a pattern!

I am gonna skim over a couple of fics though that I think were a bit rushed haha - my last batch of fics that came out were all done as part of my one-fic-per-day challenge so some of them are a bit scrappy haha; sue me for only using the fics from that challenge that I felt came out a little more solid lmao

Bearbaiting (nsfw)

“Prove it,” Astarion had spat, and none too kindly.

Earth, Comet, Eclipse

“Your dad's sleeping tonight,” Terra explained once Xion found him outside. He’d asked her earlier in the day to find him, and now he leaned against the wall and gave her an easy smile, which she returned. She liked Terra. She liked how comfy he was, how easy he was to be around. He gave a nod towards the wooded area nearby, the expanse of forest that hugged the edge of one of the rivers that ran around the Land of Departure. “Berserk, however, is up and hunting. Thought we'd go make it a game. You in?”

Midas

“Sanji,” Zeff whispers, hunched by the kitchen door and peering out, tone hushed and severe. Usually it's eggplant or brat or boy. Must be important. When Sanji totters over he's barely hip-height, far too young to be in a galley and far too young to be anywhere else. A hand plants on his head carefully to corral him, aim his gaze outward, and above and below they share the two-inch gap of the door and look out at the dining room. “Look.”

Afterimage (nsfw)

Saïx was pretty familiar with Xemnas’ abilities. Not all of them, which would infuriate him if only he was lucky enough to be allowed such a feeling for Saïx always wanted to know more, but for the most part Xemnas’ strange quirks and magical talents had stopped being unexpected. He’d grown numb to Xemnas floating off of the floor, to lights responding and things moving with barely even a glance, to thorns of nothing winding around things Xemnas’ wanted brought closer - himself included.

Trained Talent (nsfw)

There was a bit of a stereotype about jesters; that they were all secretly miserable, hard done by, only putting on a brave face and faking their cheer because at all times they were at risk of being admonished by whichever member of royalty they tried to entertain. That performers wore masks and actually suffered behind their smiles. There was a nugget of truth to it - a smile is a good way to cover up a frown, after all - but the truth that was more potent was that being a clown was a position of power.

Budbloom

Elliott, truthfully, didn’t spend that much time at the cabin these days.

The Front

Sanji wasn't an idiot. He knew from the first moment he applied for the job that Raindinners was sketchy as fuck. He'd been around, knew kitchens, could tell when corners were being cut - and believe him, they're cut often in a lotta places - but this was something else altogether.

Headspace

“What do you want, Booga?” Jasper snarled as the other Spectral Sentinel all but waltzed into his private quarters after the sound of grating rumbling shook the entire floor. The dull creature had no concept of boundaries and Jasper knew that that was not about to change, but by the goddess he ought to at least learn to knock adequately.

Shear

Xemnas thought often about the concept of trust.

Deathroll (nsfw)

Surviving past lovers, had they the gall, might go so far as to call Crocodile lazy.

I'm surprised that I don't start with dialogue more often - I feel like I often open the fic with something spoken or something that comes back later, but it seems that I actually often start with an establishing paragraph that sets up the point of view characters current emotional state/line of thought. Which isnt a bad thing tbh! Though I think I'm going to have to try and change things up now and then haha

anyone who would like to do this meme, feel free to join in! I'd love to see @hroggins, @winxixia, @finlands-beret share their version and their thoughts but no pressure of course!

[homunculus-argument]

I just want to say that I always love hearing about your experience as a Finn because I want to move there to live with my girlfriend (native) in the future

I also find it so funny and interesting because I somehow drifted to the finnish side of tumblr and I really learned a lot of things that prepared me a little for meeting her family (thank god because as a french person, we have really far opposite social cues) but nothing could have prepared me for her mom to prepare a full table with tea and coffee and food when I said I didn't want anything to eat (because I didn't want to bother them) when her dad asked me if I needed anything (which I found really sweet, even if from what I heard, it's common to offer snacks to people you invite).

I'm sorry for the huge anecdote, we both have adhd so I tried to make it as friendly to read as possible, I hope it doesn't come off as weird, I always enjoy reading what you share, be it thoughts or fragments of the life with you partner and I hope you're doing okay!!

The one thing that surprised me about this was someone french being surprised to be offered food as a guest. I thought y'all were all about food? Most finnish traditional foods - especially the ones from the pre-potato era - are simply bad. Like comparable to british food bad, but british food apparently only got bad after WW2 and the generation that was taught to cook from war rations just didn't know any better. Like 90% of old traditional finnish foods that aren't still being eaten were eaten because there were no better options, and were dropped immediately once there were better options.

Good luck with migrating to Finland!

[cryptidsurveys]

Thursday, December 5th, 2024.

At your part of the world, is it summer now?: It's currently autumn, verging on winter.

What’s the warmest it can get over there? How about the coldest?: According to Google… "Over the year, the temperature varies from 19F to 92F and is rarely below 5F or above 100F." However, a few years ago, we experienced temperatures somewhere around -20* during the day, which is incredibly unusual for us. Also, I believe it was last January, there was one night / early morning when temperatures dipped down to around -17*. I remember that pretty vividly because my dad and I went out to do our weekly shopping trip and one of the cashiers said something about how they wouldn't go out in that weather unless they had to. To me, though, it was simply a challenge to be accepted. ;D

Is there a bad habit you’re trying to break right now?: Participating in gossip. I'm such a nosy bastard and it's such an easy thing to slip into, particularly when I have my own negative thoughts or complaints about the person in question. It's also hard to avoid because I feel like my silence or noncommittal responses will come across badly to the person doing the complaining, as though I disagree with them or don't support them or whatever. But I'm trying to get to the point where I won't say anything I wouldn't say directly to someone's face. I might be a chameleon people-pleaser, but this is at least one area where I think my morals supersede my desire to be accepted.

Is it easy to find a job in your preferred field in your home town?: It's not that easy. A few months ago, back when we had some significant openings, I remember Leslie saying something like, "We've got 180 applicants and I don't want to hire any of them." To anyone wishing to get in, at least where I'm at, I would strongly recommend volunteering. That way you're something of a known entity. I have extremely limited work experience, but due to my consistent presence and performance, I've been offered a job and would probably be immediately hired if I jumped on the next available cattery position.

When is the last time you went to a fun fair?: I went to the Chili Festival in 2023. I skipped it this year because it was shortly after all that family drama went down and I was NOT feeling it.

How about an amusement park?: I haven't been to one since I was a teen.

Did you/will you take part in your city’s Pride parade this year?: No.

If not, why not?: It's just not my cup of tea.

Ladies: Would you ever consider proposing? If not, why not?:

Gentlemen: How would you feel, if you were proposed to?: Assuming it was a proposal from someone I loved and wanted to marry, then I would be absolutely over the moon about it.

Have you ever played the original Mass Effect trilogy?: No.

If so, which Shepard and who do you like romancing the best?:

Let’s say there’s a person in need. They need money which they can’t make. Would you be more likely to help them out, if a celebrity asked you to?: No.

When you go to a restaurant, do you have a go-to dish?: It depends on the restaurant. Sometimes I have a few "go-to" dishes or meals I know I would enjoy.

Or do you always try out something new?: I'm more open to trying new things that I was in the past, but I still stick to things that are relatively familiar. However, lately, I've been ordering salads because I can't seem to refrain from stuffing myself on larger meals, which doesn't make me feel the greatest. I think I'm still dealing with a "feast or famine" mindset due to my eating disorder. It's hard to mindfully check in with myself and stop when I'm comfortably full.

Would you rather live next to a kindergarten or an old folks’ home?: An old folks home. I don't want to deal with school traffic.

What was the last game that you played?: I have no idea.

What do you know about Finland?: Not much. Just Moomins.

Where was the postcard from that travelled the longest way to you?: Idk.

Have you ever made jewelry?: Mostly cheap plastic kid stuff, but we did go to this one shop and make somewhat nicer jewelry as part of a group outing when I was in treatment for my eating disorder as a teen.

Have you ever upcycled anything? If so, what?: I haven't.

Which app do you use the most on your phone?: YouTube.

Did you learn to play an instrument as a kid? If so, which one?: Piano (private lessons) and clarinet (through school). I mean, if you consider knowing "hot cross buns" as learning how to play the clarinet. :')

What is the best part of your most ordinary day?: It kind of depends on the day. On my days off, I love spending extra time with my dad and kitties, making art, baking, taking surveys, lazing around in bed while watching YouTube, etc. On work days, I love the quiet moments before everyone shows up - making a pot of coffee, starting the laundry - and the final evening push to get everything wrapped up. I also enjoy the drive home, especially in the dark. Unwinding while listening to classical music. Then a shower and dinner with my dad.

If you learned that you suddenly needed an aid of some sort to do something that you normally don’t need (glasses, hearing aid, etc.), would you comply or would you put it off until there was no choice anymore?: I've been putting off wearing glasses aside from driving. It's just so hard to get used to them in everyday life and I can still function without them.

Do you enjoy being on your own?: I've spent more than enough time on my own over the past decade-plus. I still need my alone time to decompress and catch up on hobbies and such, but being around other people on a regular basis is extremely important for my mental health.

Or are you happier when there’s a crowd around you? Like a massive crowd or just a group of people? Crowds are tolerable to a point and I can be happy in a group depending on the vibe.

Have you ever been to a zoo? If so, which one(s)?: I've been to the zoo within my own city, the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, and the Denver Zoo. Probably a couple of others, but I was too young to really remember them.

How about petting zoos?: Possibly.

Have you thrown your “winter coat” off yet?: No.

Do you ever look up what foreign idioms mean?: I probably have.

What’s the strangest saying you’ve come across?: No idea.

What’s a First World problem that you have?: Scraping my car windows on frosty mornings.

Do you use food products that are advertised as more healthy?: Sometimes. I'm definitely not a health food fanatic, but I try to eat…relatively healthily…I guess.

Does it matter to you if the produce you use is organic?: Not really. Like, it's not something I tend to specifically seek out.

If so, why?:

What has been the worst sort of physical pain that you have felt?: Migraines, tooth aches, and that earache I had in 2020.

Are your pains generally more acute or chronic?: Chronic.

Do you collect anything?: I don't.

If you could be doing absolutely anything right now, what would it be?: Picnicking or hiking in the Mountain Park.

Do you read any web comics?: Not currently. I read a great deal of Homestuck back when that was a thing, though.

Which social media platform do you use the most, if any?: Tumblr and Instagram.

Have you ever made a parody version of a popular song?: I mean, randomly off the the top of my head, sure. <-Same.

Which game did you play the most as a kid during recess?: Probably "pretend" or games like tag, hide-and-seek, etc.

[paikothecateater]

Chapter #5

Iceland tried desperately to replicate the dream in his sleep, but it felt off. It wasn't the same. Before he knew it, Denmark walked in with glass of water and woke him up.

He sat up with a defeated sigh and took the water.

"sleep well? You look hungover."

Denmark chuckles and runs a hand through Iceland's hair. Iceland forces out a weak smile.

He gets up and heads downstairs. Sweden and Finland had been back for half an hour at this point which was nice.

Sealand was tired from the long walk and climbed into Norway's arms, who had still been reading in the window seat.

Ladonia was trying to teach Hanatamago tricks. It was going about as well as it could go with such a boisterous dog.

Iceland sat on the sofa beside Sweden.

Instinctively, Sweden's arm wraps itself around him.

"nice walk?"

"mhm..."

"Hana give you too much trouble?"

"not more than usual. She seems to like being walked by Ladonia more. Sealand got tired pretty quickly."

"I can tell."

Iceland glances at Sealand all cuddled up in Norway's arms. He smiles.

"yes, well, they wanted to follow your trail. Ended up leading us pretty far out."

"oh really? Sorry about that. Latvia wanted to meet at a pretty remote spot, so no one would see him."

"well, it's not like it's your fault. Though I did find a piece of paper there. Assumed it must be yours and picked it up. Sorry if I shouldn't have."

Sweden hands Iceland the little paper. It had a small drawing of a flower.

"oh it's okay. I just drew it to show Latvia. It's my national flower. The one I saw in my dream."

Norway seems to lose focus with his book.

Sweden slightly smiles.

"it's very beautiful."

"thanks..."

Norway eases up and continues to read and cradle Sealand.

"I remember back when you were a child, you were obsessed with them. Whenever I found the time, I'd take you to go pick some for tea."

Sweden smiled fondly at the memory before pulling Iceland closer.

"yeah. I was a weird kid. Sue me."

"I think it's a good thing. You were pretty darn quiet for a kid, it was rare to see you get excited over something. Let alone a flower."

"or I was just too stupid to get excited over anything actually worth it."

"no, you were just very reserved. We actually made sure to teach you a bunch of stuff really early on."

"cool."

"yes, but Denmark thought you had a speech impedement because you were 'pronouncing things weird'. That was until he realised that you just had Nor's accent."

Norway peers up from his book with an indignant look.

"which, for the record, was absolutely impeccable, he's just the one with the weird accent."

Sweden nods.

"sounds ridiculous. Like a cat that swallowed a rooster whole."

Norway laughs at the comparison.

"like a drowning seagull."

"guys don't be mean."

Sweden briefly chuckles then rubs Iceland's back.

"alright alright, we'll lay off him."

Ladonia looks up from what he was doing, much to Hanatamago's relief as she could now freely do as she pleased. He gets up and sits down next to Sweden and Iceland.

Norway realised that Sealand was slowly starting to wake up and put down his book.

Surely enough, his eyelids flicker open and he glances around in confusion. Norway laughs at his disoriented expression.

"have a good nap?"

Sealand sleepily nods.

Norway pushes the hair out of Sealand's eyes and sits him up.

"alright, well, I have to get up at some point, kid. You should probably also try to not fall asleep again, so you don't give your dad a hard time at night."

Norway leaves the window seat and is immediately replaced by Mr. Puffin who would absolutely stick his tongue out at him if he could.

Norway pretends not notice the withering glare coming at him and instead turns to head upstairs.

Only...

Iceland could swear he saw Norway give a concerned glance in his direction.

[nei-ning]

I visited father and his spouce fast this evening. I was going to walk in but the front door walk locked, which is weird since it's never locked, so I started to knock on the little window. No response. I knocked 3 times before their dog, soon 12yo male German Shepherd (huge in size but is a true sweetheart!) heard me and he was RIGHT BEHIND THE DOOR! He then started to bark (he never barks at anyone and this was first time he barked at me) and it did the trick. Thanks to him, dad came to open the door, haha!

I had long and wonderful time visiting them, as always, while also petting Moksu a lot. Tho, it shows he's old. In many ways. Plus he has a lump on his neck and apparently it's sore. It very well could be cancer etc. not to mention he's mostly deaf and apparently going blind too. I told them to prepare themselves on letting him go. Propably soon too since there's no reason to make that sweetheart suffer.

I ended up telling them about my year after Verti's death, depression, anxiety, eating meds, autism etc. Dad's spouce was so wonderful and kind, has always been to me! Very supportive too. Not that dad wouldn't be either but he let us handle the talking.

She also saw my rash on my neck recommending sinc(?) lotion. Doctor had recommended it for her on her itchy skin disease. I could get the said lotion from local store.

Then we started to talk about hot waves, periods and hormonal issues and she has gone through the same as me! She, too, had suffered from early menopause, sweating so much she had to shower 2 times a day and change clothes often since they all had been soaked (in Finland you DON'T wash yourself twice a day. It's either only once a day or 2 times a week in sauna, usually Wednesday and Saturday evenings).

I told her I sweat like hell too and then I smell heck bad, needing to spray deodorant even between and under my breasts. She then looked at me and said: "You do have big breasts." Yes, yes I have, and I freaking love my girls :D I just don't like them getting sweaty since the smell is horrible, haha!

We spoke some more about my autism because she asked about it and I said something like: "I really need to kick my ass to get things done. Otherwise I just simply can't get anything done."

She said: "You need to be gentle with yourself. Don't force things. Let them come out naturally. Forcing only damages you more. Instead of aiming to do all tasks at once, do one little by little." She's right but at the same time I know I need to kick my ass a little bit, tho. She also encouraged me to keep crying whenever I start to miss Verti instead of bottling the grief in.

We spoke so more and I ended up saying: "I have never fit in society's mold anyway - and I don't even want to. I'll be my crazy self without giving a fuck what others think of me."

She smiled at me so kindly and said: "I really do like you as the way how you are. Always have. I've said this to you before. You always have felt like a daughter to me."

Just awwh! :D How much such words can lighten your heart! Someone in the past, probably my mother back in the days, told me what kind of whore this woman is since she was often with different men. Well, it's her past and she didn't know any other way of life back then. Who I am to judge her and hate her based on her youth years? We all have been young, some more "wild" than others, making mistakes too but it's not a reason to label someone for the rest of their life. I think this woman is actually nice and kind. I've never felt uneasy or uncomfortable around her. In fact, I get along with her better than with my aunts :'D talking with her is... Easy. Simple. Comfortable. I can honestly and openly tell her everything and speak with words I probably wouldn't use around others. I do like her.

Before I left, she and dad said to me: "Come visit us more often. You are always welcome here. This is like your second home. Take care of yourself."

Now, I know they like to be alone and in peace so that's why I haven't go there often. Maybe once or twice a year at max. Of course if I would have my own car abd license, I could visit them once a month.

[countessofravenclaw]

Breaking down some foreshadowing

So did you all read the new chapter of A Homeland This North, country dear fathers! ? Did you like it? Told you that nothing was gonna go wrong, am I right?

Honestly, if you follow me here, you probably knew what was coming since I have talked about it. Anyway, it's still interesting to see who was expecting it, since much of my writing is happy-go-lucky adventures with no actual stakes and I don't put a lot of thought into motifs and recurring themes. If my writing was looked at as real literature, it would probably be horrid. But, for this one as we have been building up to this since part one, I actually included some intentional foreshadowing. I mean the first alarm bell that rung in no one's head was the fact that they were not supposed to go to Finland originally and that it was due to Gastón that they eventually did. So, I decided to break down some of the foreshadowing I did that alluded that something bad was going to happen and it was going to happen to Gastón

Chapter 1

“Then let's let him,” Gastón just laughed, “Hey look, I turn 27 next week and be in my late twenties, so I gotta have the fun now.” 

“Well, I also have never skied—” Nina answered the question directed at her, “—nor will I. It seems dangerous. Anyway, I like the plan, there are other things to do for me.”

“I can live with never knowing if can I ski or not,” Nina stated, “I’m not athletic, nor do I enjoy it. I would just get myself hurt.”

Chapter 2

“It’s always good to have doctors as your acquaintances,” Isla nodded, “I actually recently was talking to Serena…”

“You were a natural in it, but you’re not 16 anymore,” Marco pointed out, “So be careful. The emergency number is different there.”

“I’ll make sure he doesn’t get in trouble,” Nina glanced at Gastón, “Thankfully, they can’t spend the whole day there as there is so little light. We did look up the emergency number. 112 is the most common one in Europe, but they didn’t use it at England. But I doubt, we’re gonna need to use it.”

“Do we really wanna go through that emotional turmoil again?”

Nina really wished that he could have come with them to see the capital, but his job obviously came first right now. Once they were in Lapland, they would have plenty of time. Even with Simon and Ambar and Luna and Matteo, there would be more than enough time to have just to themselves.

“Not really,” Gastón shook his head. “Just some things in the future that I might wanna do. But that’s the future, I have time to think about it.”

Chapter 3

“Tell her to talk to my Mom if she wants to fuss,” Gastón kissed Nina on top of her head as he sat down, “They can form a support group. They’re just scared that they’ll never get grandchildren if we die here middle of nowhere.”

“I still wish Mom and Dad would have actually picked if they wanted to be protective or not,” Gastón laughed, “More often than not, they just let me do what I wanted, but then suddenly they were convinced I was deliberately putting my life at risk. I’m still surprised they ever let me back to Roller after the fire.”

“Have fun,” Nina kissed Gastón on the cheek as he got up from the table, “Don’t do anything stupid.”

“Us?” Gastón and Matteo glanced at each other. They had opted not to take any lessons, given that they had done quite frequent skiing while younger. It was to be seen how good an idea that was going to be. “Never.”

“Of course you are. Don’t worry.” Gastón ran his finger through a lock of her hair, “We’re not going on a black slope at the start. We’ll start off easy and be careful.” He leaned down swiftly to kiss her.

"I will never leave her side."

“Of course I have,” Gastón responded, “and so does Nina. We have talked about it a lot. It’s just not happening at this second. We have all the time in the world. You don’t think we’re actually gonna tell you when we’re trying? That would be crossing some lines. When there is actually something to tell, you will know.”

“And I’m not gonna question you any further,” Gastón finished his point before looking at the view down the mountain again, “You know, life’s really good right now.”

“Well, hopefully you won’t fall,” Gastón grinned and started sliding ahead, “See you at a lower altitude!”

“We took couple of green ones at the start,” Gastón started, “They’re beginner friendly. Wide and away from the forest so there is no danger if you fall or derail.”

“I wouldn’t try it,” Matteo shook his head, before looking at Luna sternly, “Luna, I’m being serious. Don’t try it. I don’t want to head to the ER during this trip.”

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure April won’t want any part of this,” Gastón laughed while he had been absenmindedly playing with Nina’s hair, “and she’s not a doctor, yet. She will be a neurosurgeon, not a radiology tech or ObGYN. She won’t be able to tell a thing, but we’re very well situated if someone has a brain injury…or well, you are. She won’t be allowed to operate on me.” 

I just wanted to show this off because I'm proud of it

[w3r3theli0nshunt]

Intertwined destinies

Simon ‘ghost’ Riley x Noora (fem reader)

Summary: You, Eleonoora Lintu, born in Finland were forced to be taken away due to the war. However you thought your life would be miserable and full of despair until a military man gets full custody of you and you meet your childhood sweetheart, Simon Riley. You two become best friends, both of you living a miserable life, both of you gets stronger thanks to each other. That is until you get taken away by Finnish soldiers, separating you and your best friends. It’s been over a little 20 years until the two of you meet again. Now being adults, you have much more than friendship going on.

Warning! War, blood, gun shooting, trauma, mentions of abuse, alcohol, smut, violence, reader is called Noora, slow burn romance.

Part II: A familiar face

You sit at your desk in your own room, thinking about that Simon boy. You wondered if he was doing alright and if his wounds were healing good. It’s been a bit over week ago since the two of you met each other and you’ve been thinking about him ever since. Wondering how his well being is. If those boys would leave him alone from now on. If he could live at peace. You curiosity made you ask your dad, almost nag him to take you to the town, telling him it’s boring being at base all the time when you actually just wanted to meet Simon. You remember his blonde locks, his brown chocolate eyes that dazed you the first time they looked at you, his tall figure, almost like a child version of slender man. You chuckled thinking about it.

One day your dad drove you to the town, to the spot you first saw Simon. You asked your dad to buy your favourite cookies from that bakery, and after nagging he surrendered. The line was long, as always, much more longer than last time which would give you more time to find Simon.

You looked around your surroundings, looking for a boy with blonde locks and brown eyes, almost beaten up, until you see him. He walks into the corner he ran into the first time you met him. You wasted no time on unbuckling your belt and ran as fast as you could to the corner, the secluded corner. You walk about three steps in before you hear a voice.

“Are you following me?” That voice sounded both familiar and not, it made you turn around abruptly until your eyes met does dark chocolate eyes you saw a week ago. He is leaning against the wall in a chill way, like he had stood there waiting for you, knowing you’d come.

This time he has a slight smile to his face, almost a mixture of a grin and a smile. You can only stand there like a complete fool looking into his eyes. Your mouth is half open as you try to say something. Knowing your loss of words, and the awkward silence, he came slowly closer to you. Now looking at you with a suspicious look on his face, like he’s analysing you. Trying to see through you. You knew you had to say something to ease the tension. Silence wouldn’t do you any good anyways, and being coy was not one of your specialty’s.

“I wanted to check up on you. Seeing if the wounds had healed” you say trying your best to keep it cool, crossing your arms in the process.

He now looked at you with a rather shocked look, like he wasn’t prepared to hear that from you. He could feel his heartbeat get louder as he came a bit closer, now standing an arm away from you. He looked deep into your eyes, only to be met by sincerity and honesty. Your eyes didn’t give off any hint of deception or mock. He could feel his vulnerable side wash over him, which he hated. He always felt weak when that happened and he had the need to feel strong.

“You care about…my wellbeing?” He said while continuing to analyse your eyes.

You nod “I know what it’s like to feel weak, to feel hopeless, the need, no, the crave to feel strong. The exhaustion of being tossed around like a toy, lost like a child in a dark forest” you said breaking the eye contact as you feel your eyes fill up with tears. You still think about your mother to this very day. You start caressing the heart shaped locket around your neck as you think about your mom and her last words “Be strong, keep fighting” it was what you had promised her before she passed away. It was a promise you were going to hold on to.

“Have you seen the view over the town?” Simon suddenly asked.

You stared up at him in confusion “what….no” you said low as he without a second thought grabbed your arm and pulled you away. You look into the back of his head in confusion. This boy was really interesting.

He lets go of your hand when you realise you two are standing on a roof. Simon holds on to the railing as he gazes down at the town from high above. You did the same, standing beside him watching down. Seeing the beauty of the town, all the movements, buildings and even stuff you’ve never seen before. You could see everything at once and it amazed, especially when you spend most of your time being secured in a base.

“I use to go here and admire the town’s beauty when my dad had beaten me up” he said ever so casually, despite knowing you for a minutes now. You look at him with both surprise and empathy. Surprised that he’d already be so open, like you two had known each other for much, much longer. Then empathy, because you felt bad for everything he was going through. He seems like a really nice guy, you thought to yourself. He didn’t deserve it at all. That, you knew for certain. You place your hand above his, that is holding on to the railing and giving him a reassurance squeeze.

“I’m so sorry, Simon, you don’t deserve to go through that. You’re a really nice guy” you say softly, in the most subtle way you could to reassure him that he was worth much more than this.

He looks at your eyes again, his eyes now fully opened and his body turned towards you. You could see his surprise. Poor lass has never been cared for, you thought to yourself.

“You remember my name?” He asked in shock and you let go of his and turn your body towards him now. You gave him a smile, which plastered some of his bruises in his heart.

“Of course I do, you’re unforgettable” you teased a little, even if you meant it. And he knew it. He was good at reading people. He read them like books.

You could see his eyes turn red as if they were building up tears, one tear ran down his cheek. You were quick to dry it, his eyes looked devotedly into yours. As if you had bewitched him in some way. His face slowly came closer to yours, but then you heard your name being called, which caused you to flinch and back away from Simon.

“There you are. I’ve been looking for you-“ Matthew continued as he spot Simon standing beside you. Now he’s looking at both of you with suspicion. As if he knows something.

“Ey, it’s you, you’re the boy who saved a girl that was getting attacked by a group of boys” Matthew said in a friendly manner.

Simon nods with smile, indicating that it was him. That makes you now understand that he wasn’t being bullied, but was getting attacked by protecting a girl from perverts. It made him even more interesting. Not only did he have a handsome face, he even had a big heart. Those combinations were rare.

“Looks like you’ve made friends with my daughter here” Matthew said as he patted Simon on his shoulder.

“How’s it going in base, Davids” Simon asked with a friendly manner.

“It’s ‘Matthew’ to you, you’re a friend of mine now since you’re a friend Noora”

Simon looks at you again then at Matthew.

“How long before I can join the army? Simon asked.

“Boy, I told you that before. Gotta be sixteen before you start training. One more year to go” Matthew said.

Simon sigh.

“But hey, I let you visit the base, introduce you to the family. You’re welcome anytime now” Matthew said and it seemed to pacify Simon.

Simon and you started bonding more frequently, friendship growing between the two of you, until you were inseparable. Simon would visit you with a beat up face done by his father, patched up and cleaned up by you. You two loved watching movies together and sneak off to watch the soldiers train and exercise. Both you amazed by their cunningness and stealth. It inspired Simon more to become a soldier. To fight off bad people, like his father, and to protect good people, like you and his mom. You’ve met his mom once, she was really kind, but also beat up by his father. It ached in your heart every time. He sometimes even slept in the same room as you, on an own bed of course. But he enjoyed your presence very much, just as much as you enjoyed his. You talked a lot about your childhood and experiences, until both of you knew exactly everything about each other.

He would secretly steal glances at you when you were sleeping, admiring the relaxation and the cuteness you had on your face. He took pictures off the two of you together and kept them hidden in a box under his bed so his father wouldn’t find them and tear them apart. At night he’d look at your face on the pictures and imagining you sleeping beside him and comforting him, despite hearing his father arguing with his mother, which often would lead to sleepless nights. And sometimes you would imaging him wrapping his arms around you and comforting you, while you have nightmares about your dead mom. You both were secretly growing more fond of each other, which caused the both you meeting up more often.

Everything was going so well until one day the base was attacked by Finnish soldiers. It was late at night you and Simon were asleep, until you hear the sounds of gunshots and screams. You stand up quickly running towards the door, opening it slightly to see what was going. You see dead bodies lying around, scattered in the corridor. The white walls sprinkled with blood. You see a man holding a gun, walking towards the door of your room. Afraid that he might hurt Simon, you step out, with your arms up in the air. To sign peace. You notice a Finnish flag on the sleeve of his arm, understanding that it was a Finnish soldier. Using it to your advantage.

“Please, I don’t mean any harm” You plead with him speaking in Finnish.

He lowers his gun as he thinks that you’re on ‘their’ side.

“Are you Eleonoora Lintu” He asks.

You nod in confusion. Why does this guy know your name? And what does he want?

“You need to come with me NOW” he urges as he grabs your arm pulling at you, but you stop him.

“If I go with you, will you stop hurting my family?” You ask and plead at the same time. With tears in your eyes. Worried shitless about being take away once again.

Your heart breaks in to one million pieces as you hear your dad shout your name behind you. You turn around to meet his horrified look on his face as he runs to you holding his arms out ready to pull you into an embrace, before two soldiers stop him. Both grabbing one arm to hold him back, holding a tight grip that is impossible to break even through all the squirming he did. He cried. You could see the tears that streamed down his cheeks. His screams and pleads for you to be let go off. It wakes Simon up as he now is standing with horrified look in his eyes as he sees a soldier holding a gun to your head, while you looked terrified and crying your eyes out.

“I only need the girl and I swear I won’t fire at you” the soldier said with a heavy accent.

“Please, don’t take her away. She’s my only daughter” Matthew pleads as he gives up squirming.

Before he could do anything, you were pulled away, far away from his sight. You could how Matthew screamed your name and you could hear Simon’s loud sobs. You felt like you couldn’t breathe. The tears choked your eyes as your vision blurred because of the massive buildup by tears. And your throat hurting from all the screaming and pleading, the soldiers not caring as they carry you into their Finnish military aviation. Before the doors to the aviation closed, you could see Simon running towards it, screaming your name. You couldn’t breathe as you took one last glimpse of his chocolate brown eyes before the door, fully closed. An emptiness running through you. Your hope is burned to ashes as you may never see the two people you truly loved and cared for. That’s not fair. The loss is way too painful. Why was destiny this cruel? You wondered.

[thesimonthedevious]

🍎 🥦 Zorya 🍆🍌Olena

🍎 [RED APPLE] Who does your OC value above all else?

SO - Zorya actually values hardwork. Her virtue has always been diligence: she is not gifted, and works for every note she knows how to play, every clap she gets from the audience, every step in her walk. She worked for her father's approval, for the community. She looked after Olena and worked triple shifts to earn them money outside of Finland. And in COMZ, she works hard, especially now that they are doubled with Dethklok; Skwisgaar (and Toki to an extent) is effortlessly good, and Zorya WORKS to reach just under his level. It's part of the reason she doesn't like Toki, thinking he just flies by the seat of his pants (and is ONE of the things her and Bill fight about the most).

She is lazy emotionally; she won't invest in friendships much outside of her very close circle. She is 'lazy' with work that she isn't interested in. But her music? Her career that has earned her all this money and fame? She WORKS for it and won't let anyone tell her otherwise. She can't imagine anyone being so uninterested in something that they ENJOY (BILL!!!)

🥦 [BROCCOLI] What do they hate about humanity/their species?

Zorya never really thinks about the big picture - she doesn't think about the world like that. Maybe as the Prophecy unfolds, she becomes more aware of the people around her and what the world is like.

If made to think, she supposes she doesn't like how influenced people are. Perhaps it comes from growing up and being indoctrinated in her cult; it's the double edged sword. She hates the idea of being easily influenced, and if forced to see what Dethklok can do, she doesn't like how easily people will follow idiots (especially when she KNOWS theyre idiots). But in the same breath, people who want to influence in such a way (like her dad, who took advantage of the cult)? That could be worse. The infestation of people and wanting to bad things on a large scale. Why? Just steal some money from people and call it a day!! She likes idiots cause it's fun to mess with but like - REAL bad guys? REAL horrible people, like her dad? no no no no.

(her whole approach to the prophecy is essentially from GotG: "What has the galaxy ever done for you? Why do you wanna save it?" "cause im one of the idiots who lives in it!")

🍆 [EGGPLANT] How are they used by others? How easily are they tricked into this?

oh GIRL - so .... I think (ic) people think Olena is stupid. Well, not stupid. Naive. And I guess she is! She was protected during her childhood, and then a little bit older by Zorya who did most of the nasty stuff to pay their rent and get them out of Finland & the UK to the USA. Her deepdive into the world of fame was hard for her.

People use her supposed kindness to their advantage. She offers a dollar, they'll take five. But she wants to do that. So long as she has more money than you in the end, money is no object to her. People THINK they take advantage of Olena when maybe 70% of the time olena knows that is their intention, and just lets it happen (it's why her and Bill's friendship is so natural; and he learns that slowly, he can just like... Be open about his intentions or loans or whatever and she is still his friend). It's not nefarious, but just easy for her.

The easiest way to actually take advantage of Olena is through friendship. Act like her friend, be interested in her romantically: she wants to have a (found) family, and she has that in DethCOMZ, but also will always accept more. People who act like they want to be kind to her is how they get her in their trap. She just wants to be treated kindly. She wants to be loved. People tend to use that specifically to get to fame and to get to the rest of the band.

🍌 [BANANA] Have parts of your OC been lost to time (in-universe)? What do they wish they could lose from themselves?

THIS IS A FUN QUESTION HHHHMMM

Her whole childhood was lost. As soon as she could walk and hold a tool, she was in the chicken coop or with the pigs or in the fields. She has scars and tough skin on her feet and hands from working throughout the seasons. She doesn't know what 'modern' childhood games are, she never got to sneak out. Being grounded wasn't just being sent to your room, but put into the basements. She lost her childhood, and that version of her.

I think Olena - hmmm. Is she content? I think she THINKS she is because she is talented, and famous for the thing she has trained at since she was 7. She knows she would be a different person had her life been different. Olena has accepted the trauma in her life and has learned to unpack some of it far faster than Zorya - so I don't think she would want to lose any part of her, because she knows she wouldn't be the same.

[evelhak]

Old art #26: More KnB OCs

I reposted some of my girl OCs with more description some time ago, so here are a couple of other characters too who I like to give attention.

Here's Bailey, who still lacks a surname. They were born because I remembered I had made some random sidenote about Kagami's old middle school crush from America, and at some point I realised it would serve the plot well to turn that thought into an actual character. (Like about 600 000 words afterwards.) Not the least because I do like to give people non-basketball related friends. (My fic series isn't called The Other Things for nothing.)

Bailey has existed in the background for longer than I've actually had a chance to write them. It was relevant that they would naturally seem like the kind of person Kagami would get attached to, so I wanted Bailey to have some traits that resemble Kuroko and some that resemble Himuro, but in a way that it wouldn't be obvious exactly how. That was just the general air I wanted to give, and I didn't know much else about Bailey until I got to write them, and in that short while I discovered some more things, like that they want to study orthotics and they are agender.

They are easy-going, don't like to make things too complicated, and approach most things with a twinkle in their eye. They can be quite goofy but in a chill, introverted way: they don't so much express it with their face or body, but in things like funny stories and doodles. They don't have very intense feelings, but they are kind of jealous of people who do, because they would like to experience things like world-shattering hate towards someone, or falling madly and suddenly in love. It's like they are unable to be consumed by things, and it leaves them a little dissatisfied.

Then we have Sato Aki, who is a twin brother of Mika who was introduced in the other post. Aki was born to fill several things I wanted in the story. Most notably I wanted 1) Finnish characters, 2) someone who could bond with Kagami about living elsewhere a long time, 3) someone to succeed Izuki in making weird jokes, and 4) a trans guy in the team.

I always feel like I have to explain the name thing: Sato twins have goofy parents (Finnish dad and Japanese mom) who, at the time they were still under the assumption that they had twin girls, thought it would be so funny to give them Japanese girl names which are boy names in Finnish, and cause confusion in everyone. (They lived in Finland until the twins were 16.) So, growing up, Aki was thrilled, Mika not so much. Out of solidarity to his sister who grew up with the "wrong" kind of name for their entire lives, Aki was prepared to be the one to bear it once they moved to Japan. The surname is also not their mom's but their dad's name, and it means crop/harvest in Finnish. Conveniently, it's also a very common Japanese name. Yes, I really wanted a chance to toy with names because there are so many that Finnish and Japanese share, but mostly the connotations are entirely different.

Aki is very extroverted, sociable, likes to do things for the heck of it, and can be very ruthless about pushing people when he thinks they need it, for the better and worse. He's definitely a team player, but he has a very low tendency for co-dependency. Everyone has their weak spots of course, but in general he's very difficult to manipulate emotionally. Your drama is not his drama, in a healthy way. He's caring, but he knows where the line goes and doesn't get emotionally invested where he shouldn't. He's very verbally talented and a great debater. Doesn't necessarily come off as a nerd, but he's into video games and books with a lot of lore. When really pissed off, he can be surprisingly cold, even cruel, and he doesn't shy away from using violence when needed, but it's calculated, not an outburst. He's not one to easily lose control. However, the verbal thing takes him far and always comes before fists. He is very rational, but can be too quick to jump into conclusions about people because he relies on his own judgement so strongly.

I have more new guys at Seirin, but I haven't drawn them, and they aren't nearly as significant to the story, so for now my OC introductions end here.

[mint-ty]

Getting to Know Me

Thank you @zadig-of-fate for the tag✨️this was fun ☺️

three ships:

actually four - classics of Bojere, modern classics of Jance, modern fiction of Jere/Nace (both sweethearts that would immediatelly go off the rails, why not 😳) and Jere/Allu's Dad (listen! It would be completely harmless, very hilarious and absolutely annoying to everyone around them 😂 exactly Jere's cup of tea. Actually! I could even pull it to the same universe: Bojan calling Jere "I leave you for a week and you get on with some bald uncle???!" And Jere all like "🥺 if you come to Finland I say sori better 😚". Meanwhile Allu is desperately looking for that girl who had a sign in EuroTour saying she has 10k and wants to take Allu away)

first ship:

Hellsing - Alucard x Integra (I thought it was a straight ship. I don't think so anymore)

last song:

Proti Toku - JO

last film:

Rocky Horror Picture Show (in a cinema!)

currently reading:

Besides everything on AO3? "History of Finland" and "Winter War" (I like to hyperfixate.. 🫥 p.s. if anyone has good recs for Slovenia related history topics, I'm all ears)

currently watching:

Walls. Just walls. (And daily 5 hours of tiktok)

currently consuming:

no question, everything about the green gremlin. Brainrot is only getting worse...

currently craving:

Licorice. Or that lemon yoghurt would be nice too (that is still sold out in my town!!! 😠)

Not tagging anyone but if you finished reading up to here and haven't yet done this - your turn 🫵🤨

[occult-roommates]

Airport interlude

Around a month later, Akva finally had some time to take a few days aside and go to Del Sol Valley visit Paisley and her family. And then some of her friends showed up at the airport with her to have conversations I really wanted to write but had nowhere else to put idc this ain’t a professionally written novel I do what I want.

Akva: Thanks for coming with me guys! Bye everyone! Dawud: Ciao. Rudi: Welcome, that was a nice walk. Now I gotta go home, it’s the Eurovision tonight and I don’t wanna miss my country humiliating itself yet again. Daniele: Rud, it’s like 8 am, I know Europe is a few hours before us, but I think you’re overestimating it a bit. Rudi: I wanna be ready. Oh and by the way, I’m rooting for your country. Daniele: Aw, thanks. Dawud: No idea what you guys are talking about, but I know a few German songs cause you know, I took German classes in high school. Like Rock me Amadeus or 99 Luftballons.   Rudi: Literally everyone knows 99 Luftballons.  Daniele: To be fair, I don’t think I know any other songs in German but that one, so kudos to you Dav. Rudi: You dont- You don’t even know Rammstein? Like...Rammstein! They’re famous as fuck and they’re icons from my dad’s hometown. He even brought me to one of their concert when I was 10 which...In hindsight he 100% should not have but you get my point. To be fair, I don’t think my dad really knew what he was getting himself into, we had been invited by his best friend. Daniele: Eh, I know them by name, but it’s not really my type of music so I don’t think I know any of their songs.

It was now Dawud’s turn to leave the conversation, as his mechanic lessons were just about to start. Hopefully that day, he was not going to injure his hand. Whelp, now Rudi and Daniele had no reason to stay at the airport, so they just left the scene too.

Daniele: By the way, the other day, don’t remember why, I tried looking at all of the burger joints in the city, and did not see the restaurant you work at. Why? Rudi: Because I don’t work at a burger joint?? I work at a Filipino restaurant??? Daniele: Oh...I just thought...Ok you’re gonna make fun of me but it’s because the place is called Bob’s House and I don’t know, that has strong burger joint energy. Rudi: It’s because their logo is a pineapple, duh...No that’s not a joke, the name was their daughter’s idea and she was like, 5 years old back then. She told me personally while we were smoking weed together behind the art museum. Daniele: I don’t get the joke? Rudi: Ok, I can believe you don’t know Rammstein but...Spongebob??? How the fuck do you not know Spongebob??? Daniele: I did not made the connection alright, calm down. Rudi: Wait, I just realized, but the daughter, her name is Marisa by the way, she’s a mermaid...Well, obviously the entire family are merfolks, but she’s also the same age as Akva, give or take a year or two. And like, she’s bi. I know it cause one time I was talking about wanting a tattoo and she showed me hers, and it’s a heart shaped bi pride flag...Do you see where I’m getting at? Probably not, but I’m still asking just in case. Daniele: Matchmake her with Akva? Rudi: How the fuck did you guess on the first try? But yes, that’s my plan. I think they’d be cute together. Daniele: I think they need to have more in common than just being mermaid. Like, I don’t think Akva would be the type to date someone who smokes weed. Rudi: Ah, come on. Akva’s been through a lot, she deserves a nice girlfriend. Daniele: Please, first you wanted ruin Dawud’s relationship with Matteo, which I get you wanted to do that for me but still, now this? You’re aroace Rudi, stop trying to interve in people’s love life you clearly don’t know what you’re talking about. Rudi: Um fuck you, and I’m no longer rooting for Italy, my vote is going to Finland now!

Rudi did not care, as soon as Akva came back from California, they were gonna try to make her and Marisa meet. They would be so cute together, or at least that’s what the werewolf thought.

Prev - Next

[alsjeblieft-zeg]

108 of 2025

What time do you wake up most mornings?

Let's see. 6:00 when I have to go to work by bus, 6:30 when my husband drives me to work, 8:00 on the rest of the days.

Do you enjoy your job? If unemployed, are you content being so?

I absolutely love my job. I work in train manufacturing company and it looks like I found the job of my life.

What is something you have given a lot of thought to lately?

My dad's health. He's not doing well.

Do you have any tattoos? Do you want any/more?

I have three - two on my right forearm (radioactive symbol and an outline of a cat with a butterfly on their nose) and one on my left forearm 'a geometric design of triangles and lines). I definitely want to have more, I have some plans.

What is your favourite Christmas movie?

The Holiday and Love Actually, two movies I ever watch.

What do you get complimented on the most?

My job skills.

If money was no object, where would you move to?

Finland, but I would love to have houses/apartments in a few countries.

Do you believe in soul mates?

Yeah, and I believe you can have more than one soulmate.

If you could wake up tomorrow and be fluent in 3 additional languages, which would you choose?

Finnish, Polish and Spanish.

Would you rather go on a relaxing beach type holiday to the Caribbean, a cultural holiday to Japan or an adventure packed holiday to South Africa?

Can I choose all 3? Yes? Thank you.

Who are the three most important people in your life?

My dad, my sister, my husband.

Would you sacrifice everything for love?

Pff. What is love anyway? I'm full of love, but is sacrifice a requirement for love?

Have you ever been in love?

Romantically, no. I love, even deeply, but I can't say I've ever been in love.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

In my workplace, with my husband and our cat, she's gonna be an old lady already.

Are you scared of the future?

I try not to think about it. Healthier for my anxiety.

What’s the last reason you held someone’s hand?

To compare. My hand was warmer than theirs.

Are you lonely? Be honest.

No. I have people I love around me, and also my cat. Sometimes I feel lonely due to being generally misunderstood.

Listening to anything?

There's TV in the background.

Last thing said out loud?

"Yes". My husband is packing lingerie from our shop and I just confirmed his question.

Last thing bought?

Groceries. These cinnamon buns from Albert Heijn, yay.

Last text received?

It's private.

What has made you happy today?

Pretty weather and my cat being cute.

What has made you sad today?

My dad not doing well.

What room are you in?

The living room.

Last thing eaten?

A coconut cookie.

Last thing you drank?

That sparkling Chupa Chups drink.

Rate your day on a scale of 1-10:

5. Pretty average.

What websites do you have bookmarked?

Priyom, KiwiSDR, Sigidwiki are the most important, and the main pages of services I use.

Last reason you kissed someone?

Good morning.

Do you have an iPhone?

I do since last December, but I don't like it that much. I definitely prefer Samsung.

Do you bite your nails? If so, do you wish you didn’t?

I don't bite my nails anymore, but I used to, and it was terrible.

Last pair of shoes you wore?

Black platform sneakers with neon pink stars. Yes I can.

Last movie you watched?

I don't watch movies and honestly, I'm sick of movie questions repeating in every damn survey.

Name something you’re grateful for.

Having my life saved and recovery from brain haemorrhage.

Are you wearing anything that’s not yours?

No. That hip hop hoodie is mine.

Do you shop at Urban Outfitters?

Never shopped there.

Have you ever experienced an earthquake?

Yes, but slight. Happened twice in Europe.

If you were in the hospital, do you think any of your exes would come see you?

Nielsje would if he only was there. He's away for months, though, due to his job. This is why he wasn't able to visit me when I was in coma, he was on mission at that moment. I know he was devastated,, though.

Would you rather read an entire encyclopedia or an entire dictionary?

Encyclopedia. I love gaining knowledge.

Are you doing anything important tomorrow?

Yes, working. And then picking up my stepson from his football training.

Do you like your phone?

Samsung I love, iPhone I can't get used to.

Would you move out your house if you could right now?

Probably. To somewhere bigger.

Can you whistle?

I can't anymore.

When was the last time you slept in someone else’s bed?

At my parents, at Christmas.

Do you like being called baby?

Omg no. I'm fucking allergic to it. It's one of the worst names you could ever call me.

Would you rather drink orange juice or milk?

I love both, so either each day.

Do you wish you could kiss someone right now?

No. I'm not into kissing.

Do you hate when people interrupt your sleep?

I do. It's easy to wake me up.

Are there any movies in the theater that you want to see?

No. I'm gonna skip the movie questions in the future.

Do you miss the way things used to be between you and someone else?

Yeah, but once it's over, it's over. It was his choice.

What do you think of your best friend’s ex?

She's fine.

How long would you wait to say “I love you” in a relationship?

What's the point of relationships if you don't even know if you love them or not? I don't form relationships like that, for me relationship starts when we both confess to each other.

If you had a child at the age you’re at now, do you think you’d be a good parent?

I'm almost 35 and no, I don't think I would ever be a good parent.

Do you like to be out with friends or stay at home?

I prefer to be out, either with friends or alone.

When was the last time you felt tempted to do something you shouldn’t? Did you do it?

I don't remember.

What year was it five years before you were born?

1985.

What holiday is closest to your birthday?

Easter.

What is your name if you spell it without the letters “e” “y” and “t”?

Figure it out. I shared my name here so many times.

What year is the oldest car you or your family owns?

The oldest was my dad's Fiat Punto from 2000, but dad doesn't have it anymore.

Who is your 9th contact in your phone?

Don't fancy checking.

Have you had your birthday yet this year?

No, it's just February.

Why did you go to the doctor the last time you went?

Control EEG. Just a checkup.

How old will you be in 5 years?

40. Oh my God.

How about in 20?

55. Even better lol.

Where was the last place you went?

Post office.

Is there a mirror in your room?

Yes, on a closet.

Do you have a twin?

I don't, but my mum is one of the twins.